The next day, Vision Clinic...

"Okay, Justin. We're ready to go," John announced as Brian stood up from his chair.

"How long will it take?" the brunet asked, approaching Justin's bed. Jennifer was there too.

"A couple of hours, probably longer. If you'd like to leave, we'll call once the surgery is over," John offered as he placed Justin's chart back into the slot at the foot of the mattress before unlocking the medical bed to roll it outside.

"I'm not leaving," Jennifer retorted resolutely.

"Neither am I," Brian concurred, although he was peering at Jennifer with a quizzical gaze, as if debating the wisdom of his statement.

"Hmm, both of you stuck together for a couple of hours. You're sure that's a good idea?" Justin interjected in a jesting tone; however, the small quiver in his voice demonstrated he wasn't entirely comfortable with that prospect.

"We're adults, Justin. We can socialize for a couple of hours without you to babysit us," Jennifer responded, her eyes fixed on Justin's face, as if she couldn't look at Brian without betraying how ecstatic she really was.

Brian couldn't help but smirk. Being stuck with Jennifer was going to be oh, so much fun! "Yeah... We can gossip about the size of our last one-night stands' dicks without having you interfere."

"Brian!" Justin couldn't help but chuckle. He knew Brian was trying to help him relax, but he wasn't sure his mother appreciated his bold sense of humor.

"We really need to go. Do you want to...?" John looked at Brian and Jennifer, offering them one last moment with Justin.

Surprisingly, Jennifer announced, glancing at Brian, "I will wait outside." She then peered down at Justin, her cool demeanor breaking slightly as she stuttered, "I love you."

"I love you too," Justin responded as she squeezed his hand and placed a kiss on his forehead before straightening and exiting the room, John following her.

Brian stared at the door for a moment before focusing his gaze on Justin. Sitting carefully on the bed, he placed his hands on each side of Justin's body and inquired softly, "You okay?"

"I'm nervous as hell," Justin replied with a dry chuckle, moving his fingers to Brian's. "You?"

Brian straightened up, starting to absently caress Justin's knuckles with his thumb. "Well, I'm trapped with your mother for the next couple of hours," he deadpanned.

"Yeah..." The blond smiled, knowing Brian didn't really mind being alone with his mom, more concerned about his surgery, although he was trying to hide it, for Justin's sake. "Brian..."

"Hmm," Brian responded quietly, his gaze fixed on their joined hands.

"Thank you for... well, everything, I guess," Justin mumbled the final words.

Brian stared down at Justin, his eyes not leaving Justin's face for a while. He then leaned in, placing a chaste, yet heartfelt kiss on Justin's temple. His lips lingered on the skin before moving to find Justin's mouth. Breathing deeply, Brian answered Justin's gratitude the only way he knew how.

"Later," he whispered, standing up and walking backwards to the door before turning around and exiting the room.

Brian and Jennifer were sitting in the clinic's main waiting room and had not exchanged a word since they settled in here half an hour ago. The only sounds were the usual hurried steps of the staff, the ones of visitors walking across the open space near the main doors, the wheels of trolleys rolling on the floor, and Brian's right foot repeatedly hitting the linoleum.

"Could you please stop tapping your foot, Brian?" Jennifer demanded, a hint of exasperation tinging her voice.

Brian realized he was driving Jennifer nuts with all his fidgeting. He stopped, forcing himself to relax. "I hate waiting," he stated mindlessly, frowning at a loud, elegantly-dressed elderly woman snapping at a member of the staff a few feet away.

"Me too," Jennifer revealed, prompting Brian to look at her. "To know that so much depends on this surgery; it's just... Justin has been through so much already..."

Brian didn't respond since he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. He just cleared his throat anxiously.

"I wasn't thrilled when I discovered what you do for a living..." Jennifer disclosed out of the blue.

"Well, I didn't expect you to be my number one fan either," Brian countered. It was actually amazing that she hadn't asked him to stay away from her son. Yet.

"Yes, well... I'm still not comfortable with your job," Jennifer replied, as expected.

"Luckily for you, you don't have to be," Brian snorted, letting out a curt laugh. "I'm not dating you."

"You really don't care what I think, do you?" Jennifer asked in a low voice.

Brian sighed. So much for trying to make things work with Justin's mother. "I do what I have to. I don't expect you to understand."

"And Justin does?" Jennifer questioned probingly. "I'm sorry, but, I don't get how he could be okay with you..." She didn't finish her sentence.

"Being a whore?" Brian volunteered sarcastically.

"Jesus, Brian... I never thought of you as a whore," Jennifer vehemently denied. "I just don't get how you could choose that kind of job."

"Well, sometimes, life just loves to fuck you over a bit too much," Brian mocked.

Jennifer stared at him. The brunet knew her curiosity was piqued. He hated having to justify himself to anyone, but this was Justin's mother.

For his lover's sake, he therefore revealed, "I needed money. My son Gus - you saw him the other day - needed medical care, which isn't exactly cheap."

"I..." Jennifer was obviously too polite to ask for more information. Brian patted himself on the back for rendering her speechless. "Didn't you have a job? You told me you were in advertising. Is that true or just another lie?" she finally asked.

"I never lied to you. Justin did," Brian corrected, although he had agreed to play by his lover's rules. "And since you ask, yes, I was an ad exec and about to make partner. But I was fired because of a bullshit sexual harassment claim and I needed the money. Escorting was the best way to quickly make lots of cash."

Jennifer stayed silent for a while. Brian was pretty sure she was now even more convinced that he wasn't suitable for her son. Or maybe not since she eventually blurted out, "That sucks."

Brian chuckled wryly before confirming, "Yeah... and not in a positive, life-affirming way." He rubbed his face before adding, "Look, I know who I am. I don't expect you to like me. But for what it's worth, I care about your son."

Jennifer nodded, seemingly lost in thought. "I believe you," she stated, surprising Brian once more. "And I know seeing our kids in pain is the most insufferable feeling for us parents."

Brian didn't respond but he didn't need to since Jennifer chose that moment to ask, "Your son's mother, she... you..."

Brian understood she wanted to know how a gay man like him could have become a father. "Lindsay is a college friend and a lesbian. One day, her motherly instincts kicked in, and considering her partner couldn't exactly play the part, she asked me to make a donation for posterity. I agreed, obviously."

"For posterity..." Jennifer echoed.

"I wasn't supposed to be involved much... or to..." Brian trailed off, afraid of revealing his true feelings regarding his son. He knew it was an irrational fear since he had just told her he had turned his life upside down for him, but he couldn't help it. Opening up about his feelings was fucking hard.

"Love him?" Jennifer suggested.

Brian bit down on his lip.

"Like you weren't supposed to fall in love with my son?" Jennifer pushed.

Brian couldn't help it. He glared at Jennifer, but when she just raised an eyebrow at him in response, he admitted defeat. "Something like that," he half-heartedly responded. No way was he going to confide the depth of his feelings for Justin to his mother. In fact, if she knew him at all, she'd already have guessed how huge it was for him not to vehemently deny her assumption.

Fortunately, Jennifer must have sensed Brian's discomfort since she stopped her inquiry. "Coffee?" she offered. "I could use one."

"Sure. Let me get it for you," he proposed, grateful for the distraction.

Justin tried to open his eyes, but he soon realized he couldn't open his right eye. He had no idea where he was. He should probably freak out, but actually, he felt pretty good. In fact, he had an irresistible urge to giggle.

"Justin?" a feminine voice called gently. Who was that?

"Hmm," Justin acknowledged the stranger with a huge grin on his face.

"He is waking up," the voice said.

"He seems a little off, don't you think?" He recognized his mother's voice.

"Well, we gave him something for the pain, so he may act strangely for a while. But don't worry, it should wear off pretty quickly. The surgery went fine, and all his vitals are perfectly normal. The covering will protect his eye and prevent him from opening it for the next couple of days," the voice informed everyone. "Do you have any other questions?"

"Will Dr. Lewis come to check on him soon?" Jennifer inquired.

"He will join you in a few minutes," the voice confirmed. Justin then heard ‘the voice' walking away and he giggled when the theme song of the TV show began playing in his head. He started to hum along.

"Justin?" Brian placed a hand on his arm.

Brian was there too! It made Justin deliriously happy. He sang louder.

"Great. He's high," Brian stated.

"My little pumpkin..." Justin replied as he stopped singing and started to giggle instead.

"Justin, are you okay?" Jennifer asked in concern.

"Nothing little about my little pumpkin." Justin flailed about with one hand, as if trying to grope his ‘pumpkin.'

"Justin," Brian dryly warned as the blond's fingers immediately moved from his thigh, aiming for his crotch, and prompting the brunet to step back.

"Mommy, he makes me feel so soft and warm inside. Almost squishy. I swear," the blond emphasized seriously.

"Justin, you don't want to keep talking, believe me." Brian tried to stop his lover from saying another word in front of his mother, but Justin apparently didn't get the message.

"I don't?" Justin frowned before his face brightened and he exclaimed, "Of course! If I talk, I can't eat my little pumpkin, well, that's not right... You're so big and hard when I eat you and suck your juice."

"Oh my God, I so don't want to hear this." Jennifer cringed and covered her ears.

"And you think I do?" Brian countered, grimacing.

Justin continued to babble. "I mean, you're hard at first. But then you get really, really soft." A sad look stole over his face as he mumbled, "And kinda little too."

"If you utter another word, I swear your little pumpkin will be unavailable for the next decade," Brian growled menacingly.

"Don't be upset, please! I've never seen such a resurrection! It's amazing how quickly it goes from such a small, soft baby banana to a big, firm one," Justin rattled on. "You must be very proud of your dick, right?"

"Okay, that's enough," Jennifer intervened. "Justin, get a grip on yourself."

"I'd prefer to get a grip on Brian," Justin enthused. "Please? Pretty please?" he begged, stretching out his hand in an effort to find the object of his desire.

"Jennifer," Brian hurriedly suggested, "please go find John. And do us both a favor - forget this conversation ever happened."

"What conversation?" Jennifer quipped as she rushed toward the door and exited the room.

Brian stared as she closed the door before gazing back at Justin. "You twat," he mocked, taking hold of Justin's hand and placing it on his denim-covered cock. "Next time you claim I'm small, I swear I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't be able to walk for a week."

"You hard?" Justin asked innocently as he yawned. "I can't tell." He absently caressed Brian's dick before his hand fell to the bed.

"You're kidding me," Brian groused as he glared at his lover. "Justin... Justin?"

One final giggle escaped Justin's lips before his eyes closed completely and he started to snore softly.

John soon confirmed that the surgery had gone well and that they needed to wait for a couple of days before removing the bandage. The surgeon had succeeded in removing the accumulation of red blood within the anterior chamber of the eye, while making sure the corneal blood staining was under control. Justin's eye needed to be protected to give it a better chance to heal. In the meantime, Justin would remain at the clinic, in case his eye required immediate attention for any reason.

As expected, Justin had no memory of waking up in the recovery room. Brian and Jennifer both decided not to mention it, albeit for completely different reasons. Daphne arrived an hour later, and she helped Brian deal with an overprotective Jennifer, who was slowly but surely driving her son completely nuts.

Jennifer agreed to leave for the day at six p.m., and Brian decided to go home too. Justin could barely stay awake as it was. In response to Brian's farewell kiss, the blond barely managed to murmur, "Later," before he fell sound asleep. Brian fondly brushed Justin's hair back from his forehead, on which he deposited another kiss, before heading out the door behind Jennifer.

When Brian came back on Wednesday, he discovered that Jennifer had barely left her son's side, having returned almost immediately the day before to make sure Justin would eat his dinner. From the expression on Justin's face, Brian immediately surmised that he was about to snap.

"I swear if you offer to feed me like a stupid child one more time, I'm going to call Molly and tell her there is an emergency back home," Justin petulantly declared.

"Molly is with Craig, Justin," Jennifer sternly retorted. "And you should stop being so stubborn and start accepting my help, young man. You just got out of surgery!"

"I'm fine!" Justin barked. "I would feel even better if you stopped hovering over me!"

"Bad time?" Brian quipped as he made his presence known, both mother and son having been too busy snapping at each other to notice him.

"Brian..." Justin called his lover's name, obviously relieved not to be alone with his mother anymore. "Can you tell my mother I'm no longer five?"

"And can you tell my son he needs to accept help and stop behaving like a five-year-old?" Jennifer countered.

Brian chuckled sardonically at both mother and son beseeching him to take their side. "Right. If you need a mediator, call Oprah. I'm not playing that part," he drawled, earning an adorable pout from Justin and a disapproving frown from Jennifer. "Although, Mrs. Taylor, I'm sure you will agree that Justin could use some rest. So, why don't you come with me? I need to pick up my son." Brian proposed, while wondering about his sanity.

"You're going to see Gus?" Justin questioned, his wistful tone betraying how much he would like to see the boy.

"I'm going to pick him up and bring him to visit you." Brian nodded, tongue-in-cheek, knowing Gus would be able to lift Justin's mood. Furthermore, since Brian had told Gus that Justin was in the hospital, the little boy had been pestering his father to take him to the clinic.

"I'm not sure that Justin should stay on his..." Jennifer began, but before she had a chance to finish, Brian cut her off.

"That wasn't a question. You're coming with me," he ordered with a fake smile before walking to the door, not giving Jennifer a chance to respond.

She fortunately didn't need more convincing and followed Brian out of the clinic.

Twenty minutes later, Brian parked his car in front of Lindsay and Melanie's house. Jennifer and he had not exchanged a word since they left Justin's room.

"We're here," he declared as he killed the ignition.

"Nice neighborhood," Jennifer commented, making Brian bark out a laugh.

"For hetero wannabes, sure," Brian snorted. "Pretty houses with white picket fences and perfectly mown lawns."

"You don't like the suburbs?" Jennifer inquired, her brow furrowing.

"Let's say I prefer hard asphalt to the soft grass of Muncherland," Brian said sardonically.

"Muncherland?" Jennifer echoed.

Brian raised an eyebrow at her before exiting the car.

Jennifer hastily followed when he headed toward the front door. Brian rang the bell, leaning against the doorframe as Lindsay opened the door to greet them, pausing when she noticed Jennifer at her friend's side.

At the befuddled look on Lindsay's face, Brian drawled, not bothering to straighten up, "Lindsay, this is Mrs. Jennifer Taylor, Justin's mother. Mother Taylor, this is Mother Peterson. Now, where is my son?" He didn't wait for a reply and pushed his way past Lindsay, immediately climbing the stairs.

Lindsay stared after her friend before looking at Jennifer, plastering a smile on her face. Ignoring Brian's rudeness, she invited her unexpected guest into the house. "It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Taylor. Please come in!"

Jennifer gave Lindsay a polite smile, firmly clasping the handle of her purse as she tentatively walked into the entryway. Gazing around, she raved, "Your place is very charming."

"Thank you!" Lindsay enthused before proposing, "Would you like a cup of tea? Orange juice? Hot chocolate?"

"No, I'm fine," Jennifer declined the offer.

"Don't hesitate to ask if there's something you'd like. And please, let me take your jacket," Lindsay insisted as she extended her arm in invitation.

"Thank you," Jennifer replied, shrugging off her jacket and handing it to Lindsay.

"So, you're Justin's mother?" Lindsay inquired, going to the hall closet to hang up Jennifer's coat.

"The one and only," Jennifer quipped awkwardly.

"He is such a wonderful young man," Lindsay praised her son, sliding shut the closet door.

"You know him?" Jennifer wondered.

Lindsay clarified, "Yes, I'm the one who offered him an exhibition at the Bloom Gallery."

"Oh! You're the one who encouraged him to display his art! He talks about you all the time." Jennifer's stance began to relax as she understood how Lindsay knew her son.

Lindsay chuckled, entering the living room with Jennifer. "Actually, I'm pretty sure he talks more about Brian."

"Yes, well, you're right. Justin is very happy to have met him," Jennifer somewhat ruefully agreed as she paused, standing next to the couch.

Sensing Jennifer's doubts about her friend, Lindsay probed, "I have a feeling you're not as ecstatic about Brian as your son."

"Well..." Jennifer hesitated, peering furtively toward the staircase. "It's just... I personally have nothing against Brian, but he is... he does..."

"He is an escort? He is older? He is not the man you imagined for Justin?" Lindsay pushed.

Jennifer shook her head, seemingly embarrassed. "I'm sorry. You surely don't want to hear my qualms about the father of your child."

"Jennifer... Can I call you Jennifer?" Lindsay requested.

"Of course," Jennifer assured her.

"I understand you're uneasy about Brian, but he is a good man. He might appear to be narcissistic, uncaring, and selfish at times but, the truth is, he is the best father I could have dreamed of for my son. He works as an escort for him, to pay for his treatments. He is going to give him a kidney." Lindsay paused, letting her words sink in, before adding, "Brian would do anything for those he loves, even though he hates when we mention it."

"Your son is sick?" Jennifer inquired, her brow furrowing in concern.

A brief, pained look crossed Lindsay's face as she clarified, "He has kidney failure. He was diagnosed when he was an infant."

"Brian told me he needed medical care, but I never imagined he was suffering from a serious disease." Jennifer paused before commiserating, "I'm so sorry you have to deal with that."

"We do what we have to do," Lindsay responded with a shrug. "You have a son. You know what it's like."

"I do," Jennifer agreed and peered down, obviously lost in thought, before gazing back up. "I would have never imagined that Brian..." She trailed off before asking, "Does Justin know about Gus?"

"I'm pretty sure he does." Lindsay specified, "Gus took an instant liking on your son."

"Justin has always loved children," Jennifer revealed. "I could use that drink now, if you wouldn't mind."

"Sure," Lindsay smiled. "Follow me..."

A few minutes later, Brian joined them with Gus. Lindsay and Jennifer were enthusiastically chatting about Justin's art while drinking tea, the women sitting next to each other on the couch. Brian gave them a pointed stare, Gus absently playing with his hair as the brunet held him.

"White!" Gus exclaimed, as he tried to pluck a hair from his father's head.

"Ouch!" Brian complained, rubbing his head. "Gus, no."

"Daddy! This's white!" Gus reiterated excitedly.

"I don't have white hair, Sonny Boy. Never have, never will," Brian scoffed, looking at his son in disbelief.

"I hate to burst the bubble you're living in, Brian, but I can assure you that you will have white hair one day, if you don't already have some." Lindsay smirked at her friend.

"Remind me why we're friends, again?" Brian snarked, completely irritated at the notion of having to deal with the first signs of aging. "And Sonny Boy, say hello to Justin's mother, would you?" he demanded, playfully poking his son with one finger.

Gus buried his head in his father's neck in response.

"Gus," Brian encouraged.

The toddler shyly turned his head in Jennifer's direction, mumbling something incomprehensible.

"I'm pretty sure she didn't hear you," Brian commented. "Go on," he urged his son as he walked closer to Jennifer, who stood up from the couch to smile at Gus.

Gus smiled back at her, and murmured a small, "Hello," before hiding in his father's embrace once more.

"He looks so much like you," Jennifer declared, visibly amused by Gus' antics.

"Well, he must be mine," Brian quipped as he leaned his head against his son's, striking a pose. "Have you finished playing besties or not?" he then asked mischievously, staring at Lindsay.

"I know you're eager to go back to your boyfriend," Lindsay teased him back, earning a very mature response from Brian in return.

"Let's go," Brian addressed Jennifer, grabbing a bag with Gus' stuff from the entryway. "I'm sure you're experiencing symptoms of mother hen withdrawal."

Jennifer stared at Brian pointedly but didn't reply. Lindsay walked them to the hall, retrieved Jennifer's jacket from the closet, and helped her put it on. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Jennifer," she gushed, opening the front door.

"The pleasure was all mine," Jennifer responded with a broad smile. Brian just rolled his eyes at such a pathetic contest of good manners and headed to his car to install Gus in his seat.

Jennifer soon joined them. Brian stared at her for a few seconds before sliding behind the wheel.

"What?" she asked, as she also entered the car.

"Remind me never to leave you alone with Linds again," Brian declared as he turned on the jeep.

Jennifer frowned. "Why are you saying that?"

Brian grimaced, putting the car in motion. "One WASP is bad enough. But two? Before you know it, you will be exchanging your veggie recipes for organic zucchini and all that shit."

"I'm not sure why you're complaining. At least we didn't talk about ‘little pumpkin' or ‘soft baby banana,'" Jennifer retorted, barely suppressing a grin.

Brian didn't say another word the rest of the way back to the clinic.

Brian walked hand in hand with Gus and stopped in front of Justin's room. Jennifer opened the door, the little boy immediately rushing to Justin's side. "Jussin!"

"Hey, buddy." Justin smiled. "Careful," he cautioned when he felt the child climb onto the bed.

Gus settled in and pointed his finger at Justin's bandage, inquiring, "Jussin hurt?"

"Justin had an operation, Gus. I told you about it, remember? We need to be very careful not to touch his eye," Brian explained as he sat next to his son to prevent him from getting too close to the blond's face.

Gus frowned, almost glaring at the bandage. "It's an owie?" he asked his father.

"It's like an owie," Justin reassured him, sensing Gus was worried about his well-being. "It will be gone soon."

Jennifer cleared her throat. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked, earning a dry chuckle from Brian. Mother hen withdrawal was really a thing.

"I'm fine, Mom," Justin assured her dryly. "Daphne came by while you were gone. She just went to grab a cup of coffee."

"And I'm back!" Daphne exclaimed as she walked into the room, having heard Justin's response to his mom. "Here, I brought you a Hershey bar from the vending machine. It will taste much better than that disgusting sludge they gave you for lunch."

"You already brought me potato chips and pretzels," Justin snorted. "You want me to get fat?"

"Oh, come on! You could live on triple burgers at every meal and not gain a pound. That's so unfair," Daphne commented with a pout. "Hi, Mrs. Taylor. Brian," she then greeted them. "And who's this adorable boy?"

"Daphne, this is Gus. Gus, meet my best friend, Daphne," Justin performed the introductions.

"Daphe?" Gus repeated, before looking excitedly at his father. "Like Daffy Duck?!"

Justin succumbed to a fit of giggles, while Brian managed to reply seriously, "Yes, just like Daffy Duck. She has a big, big mouth." He then smirked at Daphne, who punched him in the arm in retaliation.

"And you have a big, big..." Daphne began her riposte.

"Little ears," Justin intervened, not wanting matters to escalate.

"You're not funny," Daphne asserted, but she was smiling. "I should go. Mrs. Taylor, could you give me a ride home?" she inquired.

Jennifer directed her gaze at Daphne before peering at Brian, Justin, and Gus. She immediately responded, "Sure," surprising her son, who glanced in Brian's direction in stunned disbelief. The brunet simply shrugged as Jennifer gently chided, "I will be back tomorrow. Remember, you need to rest, young man."

By now, Justin was sure Brian had drugged his mother. "Okay. Great. Yeah," he mumbled.

"Goodbye, Gus. I hope to see you again very soon, okay?" Jennifer leaned closer to the bed to extend her hand to the little boy, who proudly grabbed hold and shook it.

She then peered up at Brian, who was looking at her, tongue-in-cheek. "Say goodbye to Grandma Jen, Sonny Boy," the brunet requested, more to fuck with Jennifer than for any other reason.

"Goodbye, Grandma Jen!" Gus dutifully repeated as he waved at Jennifer. She waved back at him, and Brian winced when he noticed she looked very happy to be called Grandma. And there vanished Brian's hope that she would feel old.

"Behave, boys!" Daphne chirped as she left the room with Jennifer.

"Alone at last," Brian drawled as he leaned closer to Justin's face.

Gus giggled.

"What?" Brian peered down at his son.

"Do kissy-face?" Gus wondered innocently. "Like Mommy?"

Brian scowled "Gus, I really need you to understand that Daddy is nothing like Mommy. I don't do kissy-face. I'm a real kisser." He then grabbed Justin's chin and leaned down to cover his lips, immediately diving in purposefully. Justin responded to his touch with a sigh, smiling against his lover's mouth. Brian had to stop himself from deepening the kiss even more, although he'd have loved to, but Gus didn't need to witness his father's amazing skills in action.

"I've missed that," Justin breathed out dreamily when Brian leaned back. "I missed you."

Brian rolled his lips into his mouth. "You can't have missed me. I'm here all the time."

"With my mother," Justin reminded him. "I can't believe how overprotective she's been. I swear if she keeps hovering over me like she has done for the past couple of days, I am going to disown her."

"Disow her?" Gus echoed, not understanding what Justin was saying.

"Don't listen to me, buddy. I'm just being silly." Justin tilted his head toward Gus, tickling him playfully with his fingers and earning a chuckle from the toddler.

"You mother is not so bad," Brian surprisingly declared. "She just wants what's best for you."

An astonished expression covered Justin's face. Teasingly pushing Brian away, he exclaimed, "You're not spending any more time with her. She has contaminated you!"

"Don't worry. You're still my favorite Taylor." Brian grabbed Justin's hand to trap him against the headboard before kissing him one more time.

After having spent the night at Lindsay and Melanie's, Brian came back to see Justin with Gus on Thursday. The next day was going to be decisive for the blond's future, and even though Justin did his best to hide his anxiety during their visit, Brian wasn't fooled. Truthfully, the wait was nerve-wracking, and as much as they all tried to act like it wasn't a big deal, Brian couldn't ignore the knot in his stomach as he walked out of Justin's room.

The brunet was working on Thursday night. He had already taken a couple of days off to stay with Justin, and Jeffrey had asked him to go back to work for one night as a favor, one of his regular clients having specifically requested Brian's company on the Fourth of July. It was a blessing in disguise since it gave him an excuse not to attend Debbie's cheesy Independence Day extravaganza.

So Brian did what he did best, hoping this meeting would help him forget about everything else. He donned his best grey suit and a red tie, assumed a bullshit smile, and went to join Mr. Ravi Malone, a twenty-something, average-looking, British heir to a shipping business. The brunet had never fucked Ravi since the guy just liked to talk, a lot. Brian sat at one of the best tables in the city and listened to his client complain about his meaningless life, his countless fucks, his shitty yacht, and his equally stupid best friend Sunny, an ugly, Chinese crested dog.

Fuck, he hated his job. Here he was, listening to some guy complaining about his dog's hairdresser, and all he wanted to do was turn his napkin into a gag and stuff the thing into Ravi's mouth. Instead, he nodded, frowned, laughed, and feigned outrage when he was expected to. Ravi left him after a couple of hours, during which Brian had uttered only a few words, such as "Mhmm..." "Oh!" "Ah" and "Really?" as well as a "thank you" to the waiter.

Brian left Ravi's tip for the server. Two hundred dollars. At least someone would be happy tonight.

He walked out of the restaurant, desperate to breathe some fresh air. He was worried sick about the outcome of Justin's surgery. After getting home, he tried to sleep, but he couldn't, so he surfed the net for a couple of hours before dozing on and off for the rest of the night. As a result, he felt completely restless and out of sorts when he got up in the morning.

The appointment to remove the bandage was scheduled for eleven o'clock. Brian showed up at ten forty-five. He paused before knocking on Justin's door, not wanting to appear as nervous as he felt. Bracing his hands against the door, he lowered his head and took a deep breath.

When he entered the room, he immediately sensed Justin's fear.

"Hey," he greeted his lover, adding a nod for Jennifer, who was sitting quietly in a chair.

Justin didn't say a word, but grasped Brian's hand in a stranglehold after the brunet sat down next to him.

Seeing his lover so apprehensive helped Brian control his emotions; he refused to freak out and make it worse for Justin. "You're crushing my hand," he grumbled after a while, feeling like his fingers would break if he didn't say anything.

"Sorry," Justin released his hand, but Brian didn't let him go. In fact, he gripped Justin's hand tightly when he heard someone knock at the door. "Come in," Justin invited.

A nurse entered the room, pushing a wheelchair. "Mr. Taylor?"

"Hey, Danielle," Justin greeted the woman, his voice quavering slightly.

"I see you're not alone. That's good. Dr. Lewis will see you in his office right away. I just need you to sit in this wheelchair so we can go."

"I don't need a wheelchair," Justin protested.

"Sorry, honey, but you're taking a free ride, and I'm your chauffeur." Danielle refuted. "Or maybe you'd like to stay here another night to enjoy my scintillating company?" she teased, clearly trying to ease his nerves.

"Sweetie," Jennifer urged, "you-"

Before his mother could spit out another word and likely get Justin's back up even more, Brian - his throat so dry that he could barely speak - rasped out, "C'mon, Justin, be a good boy and get into the wheelchair."

Justin glowered but allowed himself to be assisted into the wheelchair without further objection. Everyone remained silent during the journey through the hallways of the clinic. It felt like it took an hour for them to reach John's office, although it couldn't have been longer than five minutes.

John's office door was open, and Brian could see the doctor frowning at the file he was perusing. He couldn't help worrying that might be Justin's patient record, indicating something had gone wrong with the surgery.

Danielle rolled Justin into the office, the scritch-scratch of the wheels on the floor prompting John to look up, just as Brian and Jennifer walked in behind him.

"Justin. Mrs. Taylor," John stood up to greet them. "Brian..."

"John," Brian responded with a curt nod.

"I'm sure you're eager for me to remove the dressing, so I'm not going to make you wait any longer. Justin, please lie down on my exam table," John requested. Danielle helped Justin stand up from the wheelchair and step over to the table. "Okay. Now, I'm going to take off the dressing very carefully. Keep your eye closed for the time being and open it when I ask you to. Any questions?"

"No," Justin promptly replied, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I'm ready."

John peered over at Brian, exchanging a glance with his former escort, before softly informing all of them, "I will count to three and remove it. Here we go... One, two, three," he counted before slowly peeling the bandage off of Justin's face and placing it on a tray to the side of the examination table. "The bandage is off, Justin."

Justin nodded without opening his eye. Brian could see his chest rising and falling more rapidly now.

John evaluated the area around the eye, thoroughly scrutinizing it for any unusual bruising or swelling. When he had determined that it looked fine, he informed his patient, "Don't be alarmed if you can't see anything at first. Your eye will need time to adjust. In any case, your vision will be somewhat blurry. I will administer an antibiotic eye drop to prevent infection or inflammation in just a minute."

"Okay," Justin croaked.

"Alright, then, it's time for you to open your eye," John ordered.

As Jennifer and Brian waited with bated breath, Justin's eye fluttered open...