Chapter 6

Brandon's eyes snapped open, furiously. He pulls out none to gently from Michael's ass and redresses himself with haste.

Word of Brandon being humiliated by a trick calling out Brian's name has made its way out of the back room even before Brandon had finished pulling up his pants. A story like this is gossip gold! Details are being floated through the club almost instantaneously.

At the same time, Brian and Justin are making use of Brian's private office. Justin is riding him on the sofa, relentlessly bouncing up and down on his engorged cock, screaming out the same name that was just yelled out in the back room.

After cleaning each other up, the two men make their way downstairs to the bar to join the others. As they approach the group, word is just reaching them. When they hear that Brandon's trick yelled out Brian's name as he was coming, they all had a good laugh. Then they remember that Brandon was dating Michael. Michael might not find this story quite as funny.

Just then, Brandon comes storming out of the hallway straight out to the front door, promptly followed by Michael. Brian, Ben and Emmett notice the chase since they are so tall. They turn and head to the door to follow. As the others start to follow them, Brian waves for them to stay there. Even if they aren't as close to Michael anymore, they still look out for him.

By the time the three men reach the front door, there is already an argument happening.

Brandon is shouting, "Nothing is worth this! I thought I could tolerate you to get back at Kinney for embarrassing me, but fuck it. I can't imagine anything more tedious and mind-numbing than spending time with you. All you fucking know how to talk about is comics and Brian."

This stops the approaching men in their tracks. Not that either shouting man has noticed them; or Michael might not have said, "I can't believe I thought I could make Brian jealous with you. You're just a Brian Fucking Kinney wannabe. Well Stud-Light isn't nearly good enough, when I will have the real thing soon enough."

Brandon is quick to reply, "You really are delusional. You think you have any shot in hell of being with Kinney? He's with a gorgeous, successful and more importantly, mature man. Why would he regress to being with someone who never mentally left his teen years? I'm not trying to be Kinney; I just wanted to make him a little miserable for the bet all those years ago. But it's just not worth it! I might have had my own delusions, but thanks to you, I can see that I was stupid. I can accept it and move on but you clearly can't. Good luck in your own world. I have a feeling it's a pretty lonely one." Brandon walks away shaking his head. He actually almost feels sorry for Michael. He now realizes how obsessed Michael is and how he's never going to have what he wants, but that isn't his problem.

Brian has paled, so Emmett and Ben pull him back into the club and up to the bar asking for a water. Emmett fills Justin in on what they overheard and Justin puts his arms around Brian. Ted, Blake and Emmett know to leave them alone right now, so they surround Ben who is surprisingly content.

Ted starts to ask him a question when Ben raises his hand in a stop gesture and starts, "I know I should be upset by what I just heard but honestly, I think I needed to hear it. In all these weeks, he hasn't even seen a shred of reality about him and Brian. Instead, he has just convinced himself the lies he's told himself are even more true. I think that scene outside may have been shocking to his system but it was probably the dose of truth Michael needed...and so did I. There's no doubt that it's over, and I think I'm okay with that. I have been making excuses for years for the way he always brought Brian into a conversation or had to include Brian in on decisions that had nothing to do with him. I even justified the general puppy dog look I saw occasionally when Brian would walk into a room. This has made me realize I want more and I'm willing to let him go so that I can get it. I think I deserve it."

Emmett hugs the big guy, "You absolutely deserve it! We stopped seeing the crush he had, but it seems like you never did. You just got used to it being there. Just remember that we're here for you. You are part of our family, no matter what."

Brian clears his throat causing them all to turn to him. He's regained some of his color back. "I'm sorry about all of this Ben. I can't believe he went through all of this to try to make me jealous. I hope you can forgive me for what's happened. I never wanted for you to be hurt."

The family is just staring at Brian but Ben finds his voice. "Brian you have nothing to apologize for. You haven't made him obsess over you. You haven't led him on making him think you were just waiting for him. He built this fantasy all up in his mind into a world where he gets you. I'm sorry I didn't see how bad it was and stop things before they got this out of hand; but really none of us should feel sorry. HE did this; we can't take the blame for his thoughts and actions. He created this mess, and for once, he should take responsibility for his own actions."

They all have one last drink and head to their separate homes for the night, agreeing to meet in the morning at the diner.

************

Michael tries running to the family the next day at the diner. He's figured out that they go there later now when he's usually at his store. He arrives and go straight to the table then explains that it's over with Brandon. He tries for pity as he tells them about how Brandon was just using him to get back at Brian. Nobody has sympathy for him after the argument they witnessed the night before.

Brian says, "So what about YOUR plan to make me jealous?"

Mikey falls for the bait and answers, "He is the only man you've ever been jealous of, so I figured why not? Just trying to speed things along to you finally acting on your feelings for me."

Even Debbie has heard what her idiotic son said. She nods at Brian giving him silent permission to do what he needs to do. "You want me to speed up and act on my feelings for you? Fine. My feelings are nothing. You were a brother to me. Now, you are just another guy from the past that has no place in my present or my future. You have zero respect for me, even less respect for my husband and it seems almost no respect for yourself. I have no place in my life for someone like that, so I guess you can consider this goodbye Michael. There will be no need for you to call, and no reason to stop by Kinnetik."

Michael is dumbfounded. He doesn't believe what Brian just said. He looks around at the others expecting them to laugh at the joke, but they are all serious and looking pityingly at him. Michael gets up and runs out of the diner crying. Debbie begins to chase after him and stops herself. The family is looking at her, waiting to see what she is going to do. She rejoins them and says, "I want to help him but he has to help himself. I'm trying but that's the best I can do."

She is being engulfed in a family hug, when she pushes them away and looks at Brian and Justin and screams, "HUSBAND??? What the fuck is that about?"

Both men look at each other before answering her angry, but hopeful glare. "It's true. We got married over a year ago. And before you ask, nobody was there and we didn't tell anybody. You know we don't need anyone's blessings or approval. So we did this just for us and we kept it for ourselves. It's not a big deal." Brian answered matter of factly.

"Of course it's a big deal! I just don't understand why you didn't even tell us after you did it." Debbie says, sadly. She loves a good wedding.

Justin puts his hand on hers, "We didn't want to make a big deal of it. We tried to do the big wedding once, remember? That didn't turn out so well. So we did this our way. We've never been ones for conventionality. Remember that trip we took to Ireland? Well, that's what the trip was all about. It was simple... but beautiful." The final part whispered but the smile is still beaming on his face.

Brian decides to give Debbie what she wants. "We booked the Ballinlough Castle in County Meath. Like Sunshine said, we kept it simple. Sunshine thought I'd enjoy having my heritage be a factor in the big day. We were married on our third day there and spent the next 10 days christening every one of the nine bedrooms and every other space the castle had, as well as the lake and golf course on the grounds."

Justin is blushing but beaming with love and pride. Debbie and Emmett are both wiping away tears. Apparently, just hearing about a wedding can even make them cry. Ted, Blake and Ben all congratulate the couple.

"Leave it to you to make the details about the wedding really be the details of all the fucking." Debbie laughs out.

**********

Debbie gives it a couple of days, then she and Carl go to Red Cape to check on Michael. He hasn't called or stopped by since that morning at the diner. Debbie keeps Carl by her side so she doesn't slide and give into the eventual Michael guilt trip. They walk in the store to find Michael behind the register just staring off into space.

"Hey honey. I haven't heard from you in a couple of days and I wanted to see how you're doing." She keeps it quick and simple.

Michael slowly looks at her and notices she isn't alone but the man with her isn't the one he longs to see. "I'm fine Ma. Why wouldn't I be? Just busy with the store is all."

"Michael, don't lie to me! I was there, remember? Your actions have brought about the crushing of your unrealistic dream. Now you have to suck it up Buttercup and move on." Debbie says in her mother hen voice with her left hand on her hip and her right index finger pointing right at her son.

"What the hell Ma?" Michael says indignantly. "I thought you came by to check on me... to make me feel better. Instead you yell at me?"

Debbie steadies herself, "What are you doing Michael? Do you have any idea what you're going to do now? I don't want to see you lose all your friends by sticking with this fantasy."

Michael is just intentionally ignorant. "I'm not losing anything. Nothing has changed."

Carl puts a supportive hand on Debbie's shoulder, giving her the courage to say what she needs to say. "You are losing everything. Everyone has grown up and is moving on while you are being left behind. Each of the family has changed. Brian isn't the Stud of Liberty Avenue anymore. He happily gave that life up. Instead, he is a loving and supportive husband to Justin and a successful businessman. Justin has been making a name for himself in the art world, even selling some of his art internationally. Both of them are fantastic fathers to Gus. Blake and Ted are both successful in their careers and have worked hard to make their relationship work. Emmett is the preeminent party planner in Pittsburgh. He's booked over a year in advance. Ben is a popular professor and his recent book has been receiving amazing accolades."

Debbie continues, "If you can't be happy for the success and general happiness of the members of your family, then you can't expect any of them to want you around. I'm your mother and I will always love you. I hope you look around, think hard and find a way to accept reality as it is, not just how you want it to be."

Debbie gives Michael a quick hug, grabs Carl's hand and they walk out the door. Michael is standing there in shock as he absorbs what his mother has just told him. Wait, did she just say Brian and Justin were married????

**********

Epilogue

When Michael finally acknowledged that Brian was married and not just biding his time with Justin, things became hostile. Michael was convinced that it was all a sham; that Brian would never get married.

He began showing up at the loft, irregardless if anyone was there. He would bang on the front door and yell at the top of his lungs, calling out to Brian. The other occupants of the building were fed up with the nuisance. Michael would show up to the diner and drone on about all the fresh meat that was at Babylon the night before, thinking he was enticing Brian to go back to his Studly ways. He went so far as to have a rent boy sent to Kinnetik as a congratulatory gift for the "happy husband". That was the last straw for Brian.

Brian warned Debbie what he was going to do first, and after explaining why, she reluctantly accepted what needed to be done. A restraining order was issued barring Michael from being within 1000 feet of Brian, the loft, Britin or Kinnetik. Brian didn't include Babylon on the list since he wasn't actually as heartless as Michael had been professing.

Of course Michael being Michael, somehow he thought the rules simply didn't apply to him, especially when it concerned Brian. So when he broke the restraining order, Brian and Carl agreed that Michael needed help, not jail. As a result, Michael has been seeing Dr. Alex Wilder for the past four months after he was court ordered to receive counseling upon Carl's recommendation and request for leniency.

Michael followed his appointment schedule diligently with the understanding that him showing up on time was the only thing keeping him out of jail. It was painstaking and hard but after about the first month, Michael was able to see that what he had done was hurtful and wrong.
As the sessions continued and Michael seemed to be making genuine progress. So Dr. Wilder asked the family if they would be willing to have a group session. They agreed, some more reluctantly than others, but in the end they all decided to be there for Michael.

"Thanks to you all for coming. I wanted you all to be here to get things all out in the open in a controlled and supportive environment." Dr. Wilder tells them all.

Michael proceeds to tell them how sorry he is for the awful things he did. He admits he was stuck in his teenage fantasy of two old fags in Palm Springs. He now realizes that isn't real; was never a possibility. In short, it was just talk among best friends who knew nothing about what life would eventually offer. He continues to apologize to each and everyone.

By the end of the session, Brian agrees to not enforce the restraining order, but he would not cancel it just yet. Debbie is happy as this might let her son be present again.

After meeting with the family and a few more sessions, Michael's court-ordered sessions had come to an end. He also received an open invitation from Dr. Wilder for whenever he was feeling a little overwhelmed with life in general. "I think you've made fantastic strides. You are now able to accept that although you wholeheartedly want the future the way you planned it, life doesn't always give you what you want. You've learned that by accepting the way things really are it gives you the chance to find your own happiness. And if you should feel like you're spinning out of control again, you know where to find me." Dr. Wilder extends his hand to Michael, who shook it. He thanked the Doctor profusely and was ready to start living again....but this time in reality.

By December, things are going well. Everyone crams into Debbie and Carl's house for Christmas dinner. Brian and Justin are as touchy feely as ever. If you see them, odds are they are touching each other in some way. Ted and Blake are full of smiles. Emmett is busy bustling around the house making sure every cup is filled and every plate is never empty. Ben and Carl are on the sofa talking politics. Ben came to dinner alone but has started seeing a fellow professor. Michael is sitting at the table watching all of his family laugh and smile. He is so glad he was able to work through his issues. Being with the family now is worth so much more than living in his delusion. He knows his marriage is over but he and Ben are at least becoming friends again.

When it comes time for presents, the family is shocked when Michael opens a present from Brian.

"What is this?" Michael asks, puzzled.

Brian smiles, "It's the rescinding of the restraining order. I think it's time that we can cancel it for good. Now just don't go fruit loops on us again, and we're all good."

The family is silent except for Debbie who rushes to Brian and hugs him as she says, "Oh Brian, I don't know what to say."

"Well, don't let that stop you, even when you don't know what to say we can't shut you up." Brian jokingly replies.

Debbie laughs, "And you wouldn't have it any other way, you little asshole."