BRIAN 

Justin walked in, stepping over Michael. Deb grabbed a glass of water and dumped it on Michael. Which seemed to get Justin out of shock, and made him turn to look at Deb and Michael.

“What the fuck, Ma?” Michael came to, drenched.

“Does he have low blood sugar?” Justin asks her. 

“I think it's more along the lines of hoping to wake up and find out he was dreaming. Aren’t you adorable?” Deb tells him. 

“Ma, I need some help here.” Michael tells her when she didn’t immediately ignore everyone for him.

“Brian, we are going to talk, but right now how about I take Gus with me? Carl’s off so we could take Gus.” She tells me. 

“Ma, you can't have Gus around if you expect me to let you see your ONLY grandchild.” He tells her. Which wasn't winning points with Deb.

“Hey Gus, how are you?” Justin walks over and starts checking him out. I'm starting to feel neglected.

“I'm itchy.” Gus tells him, scratching.

“That's normal, but maybe we can put something on it so you don't scratch.” He tells Gus smiling. “Do you have Calamine lotion?” He asks me. 

Deb goes running to get it and of course Michael seems to have gotten back up to bitching speed. I'm still waiting for Justin to say something, but he's all about Gus right now.

“Gus, I know it itches but it's better to not scratch.” Justin tells Gus, stopping him when he tried to scratch his back.

“I HAVE TO!” Gus tells him, bouncing around when Justin catches his hand. Deb hands Justin the lotion.

“It would probably be a good idea to give him an oatmeal bath, then put this on.” He tells me. Turning a giggling Gus pink.

“Why are we even listening to YOU?” Michael sneeres.

“Did you listen? Because if you did you wouldn't be here. You do realize while you seem to want to quarantine everyone else, you seem to think you're immune, or don't care as much as you seem to like whining about.” Justin tells Michael. 

“Dad doesn't have a bathtub.” Gus tells Justin.

“I do. Do you want to come upstairs and we can help you be less itchy?” Justin asks him. 

I want a bath, maybe with a doctor, he could get those hard to reach places.

“I think YOU need to leave, because no one here needs your help.” Michael tells Justin, sitting on a chair in the kitchen.

“Michael go home.” Deb tells him. 

“Since MICHAEL seems to left all his listening devices at home, it's better if he finds somewhere else to go. In case you listen to anything, not the way you seem to listen to the advice I've given you, chickenpox is contagious and can be carried around. Which means all the freaking out you've been doing, which didn't seem to penetrate into the mass of gray we call a brain, should have had you staying away from Gus. How hard is it for you to understand that you are now the danger to everyone you've been trying to convince everyone Gus is?” Justin and sarcasm seem to be intimately related. It's hot.

“Like I need to listen to you.” Michael sneers.

“Nope, but you know, when your husband is on a ventilator, I'm sure you'll wish you did, because unlike people with normal immune systems, your husband's could change chicken pox into pneumonia. Which unfortunately for him, could kill him, unless that's the goal you were aiming for. Before you try to say just standing in the room won't cause problems, you’re right, but Gus most likely touched things that you don't know about, and you could have touched those same things too.” He tells Michael.

“I sat in that chair.” Gus tells Justin. I swear Justin smirked, but he hid it well.

“So you’re Brian’s husband?” Ted asks.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Michael asks, looking at me. 

“I guess you could say that.” Justin tells him. 

“Brian would never marry anyone.” Michael, the voice of authority on all things, comments.

“Brian and I need to ask you a favor.” Ted tells Justin, ignoring Michael, who keeps staring at me, I assume to contradict Ted.

“Ted I can handle this, but it would help if I could talk to my husband alone.” I tell him. Michael was looking at me as if I said Captain Astro grew a twat.

“I think we all should be here to protect you from some gold digger.” Michael tells me. 

“Gus, why not come with Grandma, I think you could help me get Uncle Michael’s old bedroom ready for him. Then cookies.” Deb tells Gus.

“Why do you need to get my room ready? Brian should be keeping HIS SON here, not letting you take care of him.” Michael tells her.

“Well, since Brian was taking care of his son, like he always does, you showing up and making yourself at home, when you should have been home with Ben or at the hospital with your precious daughter, means you're just as big a problem as you seem to think Gus is. So in the interest of saving everyone from your stupidity, you need to stay with me until we know you're not going to be a problem for them.” Deb tells him, grabbing Gus some clothes and then yanking Michael out of the chair.

Ted opened the door and helped Deb usher Gus and Michael out. “Brian can you make sure you ask him about the Kelly thing?” Ted asks, but realized by the glare I sent that now was not the time.

Justin stood there for a second, but then started cleaning up my loft. When he started putting the food away, I knew it was time to stop him from looking for something to do other than talk to me.

“You know it would be nice if we talked.” I tell him.

“Other than a divorce, there’s not a whole lot to talk about.” Justin tells me quietly, closing the refrigerator.

“We can talk about it, but I have an issue at work, that not getting divorced would help.” I tell him.

“Um, why?” He asks me, finally looking at me.

“Well it kind of started with telling my clients that I was married, which I am. Which tends to lead to questions about you, so I used that you were a doctor working in a third world country, as the reason they never met you at social functions. Unfortunately, now one of the clients seems to have taken up organizing a charity function for Doctors Without Borders.” I tell him.

“Eyeconics?” Justin asks me.

“That’s the company, but Kelly invited a few of my other clients.” I tell him.

“Shit, you do realize that Kelly will kick your ass if she ever figures out you lied to her.” Justin tells me.

“I didn’t lie, we are married… Wait how do you know about Kelly?” I ask him.

“Her mother knows mine, so we’ve know each other most of our lives. Which could really be a problem for you, but since she and I haven’t seen each other in years, at least she won’t question too much about why she didn’t hear it from me.” Justin tells me.

“How much does she know about where you’ve been? Because I told her your full name and she didn’t even bat an eyelash over it.” I ask him.

“But she’s been pushing you to meet me, hasn’t she?” He asks almost laughing.

“Only since I mentioned your name, which now explains her constant harassment to meet you.” I tell him.

“Especially since she called my mom to see if I was home yet.” He tells me.

“Why do I get the feeling she’s messing with me and Ted?” I ask.

“She could be, but with Kelly, who knows. I could call her and explain if you wanted me too. Like you said, you never lied, and she does tend to have a sick sense of humor.” He offers to help when he could leave me to burn, and once again I’m wondering if he’s for real.

“Or you could help her raise money for a charity, by coming with me.” I tell him.

“Brian, we need to figure out what we are going to do about the marriage.” He tells me.

“It’s been five years, a couple more weeks won’t kill us.” Am I really saying this?

“No, but I mean if you're seeing someone, wouldn’t they get upset?” Justin asks, and that was fishing.

“I don’t date, but with other things, I’ve really just not been doing anything with anybody lately.” I tell him.

“Yeah, I mean it’s not like I had any serious relationships, but I wasn’t exactly celibate either.” He tells me.

I almost commented, but then five years without an outlet would have driven me crazy, and other than recently, I wasn’t exactly sitting at home like a good little husband either. 

“We can talk about what to do about the marriage after.” I tell him.

“I guess so, but I mean, what's there really to talk about. It's not like either of us were serious, at least I don't think we were, but then I really don't remember much past sitting at the table getting drunk as shit.” He tells me. 

“You don’t remember any of it?” I ask him.

“I thought I dreamed a lot of it, but can I say the dream, or not dream sex, was spectacular.” He tells me smiling.

“It's definitely in my top five.” I tell him. 

“Really, as your husband I should have been number one.” He laughed. 

“It's been five years, so it could be my memory's faulty.” I tell him. 

Justin opened his mouth, but the banging on the door interrupted. Glaring at the door, I almost didn't answer, but the Queen can be just as persistent as Michael. I slid it open enough for Emmett to talk, but he just pushed me back and walked in, looking in the living room then the bedroom, seeming to miss the blond standing in the kitchen.

“I knew it had to be a joke, but you know Michael, he was acting like a crime against mankind was taking place. He was all “Brian is married” and then saying something about a bottle blond thinking he was going to… Oh… um… hey, I'm Emmett, and you are...?” Emmett asks when he hears Justin snort.

“My husband, the doctor.” I tell Emmett.

“So Michael wasn’t kidding?” He asks, but really, me saying ‘husband’ should have been a big clue.

“Justin this is Emmett, the biggest gossip on Liberty Avenue.” I tell him. 

“Please. I only try to be, but Michael has me beat.” Emmett tells Justin. “Are you going to kill me if I accidentally mentioned this to maybe four or five people?” He asks me. 

“Good bye Emmett.” I tell him. 

“But you haven't given me a chance to get to know the hubby.” He tells me. “But… come on… this is like the most exciting thing we've had in a long time… at least let me invite him out… whatever, Justin give me a call when Brian isn’t around, because honey, I'm sure you need some help with all things Kinney.” Emmett tells us.

“Emmett do me a favor and tell everyone not to come here, on your way to gossip.” I tell him, pointing at the door.

“I wasn’t planning on gossiping, but hey, is Ted at Kinnetik?... I'm going.” Emmett walks out, grumbling that I'm hurting his street cred by kicking him out.

“Anybody I haven't met yet?” Justin asks giggling.

“Let's see, there's Smelly Melly. You met Lindsay when you helped with Gus. Which probably will be less than fun when she finds out you're the guy I married. I'm just hoping she's too busy explaining about her time in hetero land to be a problem for you, but with her trying to get me to pretend that I’m the daddy of her ‘Opps we forgot the condom and now I have to explain away the baby’ I’m sure she’s going to be all up my ass.” I tell him.

“Wait, Lindsay’s pregnant?” Justin asked, looking concerned.

“Yep, got that news when I told her about you. Just so you know, I am not the father this time, but she’s trying to get me to say I am. So if you see a short brunette breathing fire, it’s why.” I tell him.

“You know, maybe tents and no air conditioning wasn’t so bad.” He tells me.

“I could make a bed and air conditioning sound fantastic.” I tell him.

“Sorry, but I’m not that easy, you want me, we go on a date.” He tells me.

“Isn’t the whole marriage thing supposed to make you a sure thing?” I ask, because aren’t we past the whole date thing?

“Sure if I remembered it, or you know, actually knew you, then yeah, but since I don’t, no. Also while I’m still thinking about this, tell babymama that she needs to tell her obstetrician about Gus’s chicken pox.” He tells me. 

“I’m hoping that I don’t have to deal with her, because I’m busy with you.” I tell him.

“Yes, but you married a doctor, and my concern for patients tends outshine even a twenty on a scale of ten.” He tells me smiling.

“Hey five more points should at least get me some action.” I tell him.

Justin walks over to me and pulls my head down, pecking my lips, and really, he thinks he can get away that easily. I pull him to me so he can feel what he’s done and show him part of why he should give the rest a shot. 

“Good argument, but not budging on the dating thing.” He tells me, kissing me again.

“No argument, just showing you what you're missing by wanting to do the whole date thing.” I whisper.

“Call and maybe I’ll reconsider, but unfortunately for us, I have to get my girl.” He tells me, heading for the door.

“I kind of thought you realized that you were gay?” I joke.

“Callie doesn’t care as long as I bring ice cream.” He tells me leaving.

“Hey, does going with me to the charity thing count as a date?” I ask as he walks down the steps.

“Nope, because I’m doing you a favor.” He tells me.

“Will it get me past first base?” I yell as he disappears.

“You are so failing in the husband department.” He yells back.