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BRIAN 

 

I got to Justin’s house to find him chasing a naked Gus around. When he saw me, he handed me the towel.

 

“Your turn, it's like the clothes Lindsay wants him to wear don't meet with his idea of style.” He tells me, smiling.

 

“She put him in the sailor suit again?” I ask.

 

“Tried the hat, but he rebelled.” He tells me as Gus comes flying past us only stopping when he sees me.

 

“I don’t wanna wear those clothes Daddy.” Gus tells me walking to the towel I hold out.

 

“I know your mommies don’t understand what designer is, but naked attracts the wrong attention.” I tell Gus, picking him up and grabbing the bag I brought with me. Gus and I went into Justin’s room to get him changed. We came out to dinner on the table.

 

“I picked up dinner and other things for the weekend since Blake wanted to come by and hang out. So what do you like Gussy, I have grilled chicken and pasta or salad?” Justin tells me.

 

“Chicken, pasta, and salad.” Gus tells him.

 

I took the plate and made it for Gus, who stared at me until I added pasta to mine too. “Gus, Daddy is going to end up at the gym.” I tell him.

 

“Carbs are evil?” Gus asks.

 

“Yes, and make sure you remind your mommies.” I tell him smiling.

 

“You met Blake?” I ask.

 

“I met Blake and Deb, and had Emmett asking to try again, so it’s been interesting.” He tells me.

 

“What did Deb want?” I ask.

 

“I think she just wanted to meet me. She seemed like she wanted to make up to Lindsay and Blake. It’s just, and don’t take this as me not liking her, but when Blake said he felt that she didn’t like him, she didn’t say anything but went on to Lindsay and Mel not letting her see Gus. Does she not like Blake?” He asks me.

 

“I don’t think she has much of an opinion on Blake one way or the other. Blake avoided family dinners. Deb only really knows Blake from the time he wasn’t cleaned up and sober.” I tell him.

 

“Blake is cool, Jussin.” Gus tells him.

 

“I think so too.” Justin tells him.

 

“He always lets me play doctor when we see him.” Gus tells Justin.

 

“At the rehab, Blake lets him sit around pretending he’s seeing patients.” I tell Justin, to clarify.

 

“I want to be a doctor, my daddy, a lawyer, and an artist, maybe a fireman too.” Gus tell Justin.

 

“Interesting choices, but what is your daddy?” Justin asks him.

 

“He’s Daddy.” Gus tells Justin, looking at me.

 

“He doesn’t really understand what I do, but he would understand what you do.” I tell Justin.

 

“What do you do?” Gus asks, probably to add to his future list of careers.

 

“I’m an artist and I’m also helping to design a game for kids like you.” Justin tells him.

 

“You never told me that.” I tell him.

 

“Grant’s father is a software designer, he likes the graphics I can do. I can’t really talk about it due to confidentiality.” He tells me.

 

“Grant is the one that doesn’t talk?” I ask.

 

“Oh he talks, it’s just he was a bit starstruck.” Justin tells me, smiling.

 

“Can I play the game?” Gus asks him.

 

“When we get to the test stage you can come with me if your daddy and mommies don’t mind.” He tells Gus.

 

“I like him Daddy, can we keep him?” Gus whispered.

 

“I think we can.” I tell him.

 

Gus was playing with a game on Justin’s computer. Justin showed me the first graphics he worked on for Alex, Grant’s father.

 

“He liked the kind of stuff I was learning and helped me learn how to use programs for drawing.” He tells me, as Gus seemed to forget us.

 

“You spent a lot of time with Grant?” I asked, wondering about Grant’s relationship to Justin.

 

“We met in college and his father liked that Daphne and I were keeping Grant out of trouble. So when Daphne went home for holidays, I stayed with Alex and Grant” He tells me.

 

“Why not with Daphne?” I ask him.

 

“My parents attend all the same events and I just didn’t want the Chandlers to feel like they had to disclude my family from events they attended for years. I also think that Daphne’s dad isn’t as comfortable with my being gay as he tries to be, it’s not like my father, but I can see he doesn’t really get it.” He tells me.

 

“Carl, Deb’s boyfriend, was like that before Deb told him to get over himself. So you and Grant never?” I ask.

 

“No, he goes more for guys like you. We ended up friends and there was just nothing making either of us want to go further.” He tells me.

 

“I ran into Michael when I went to get coffee.” He tells me.

 

“Mikey told me you ‘accosted’ him, so I figured out you ran into him.” I tell him.

 

“I'm starting to figure out that Michael and facts tend to get twisted.” He tells me. 

 

“He tells things the way he wants them to be, not how they actually happened.” I tell him. 

 

“It's just curiosity, but what happened with the mommies? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” He tells me. 

 

“Michael would tell you Lindsay wanted to play house with me, and did tell that to Mel. Lindsay and I screwed around in college, but it was just that to us. At the time there was no Mel, but Michael showed up one day and found us, and when Mel met Lindsay, he told her. So Mel and I had problems because Lindsay and I are close. When Lindsay and Mel wanted a child, Lindsay came to me, which upset Mel because she didn't want to know the father. When Lindsay told Mel the only way she would be the one to get pregnant was to have me as the father, it had Michael cracking jokes at dinner nights about how Mel should be worried we’d decide to do it naturally, since Lindsay is so in love with me. It just led to a lot of arguing, and one day I showed up at Mel’s office and told her if she wanted to we could fuck if it bothered her so much. I think it was then Mel realized that we had to start getting along, because she realized it was just that when Lindsay and I messed around. Then Michael was snooping through my things in the loft one day when I wasn’t home, and noticed a canceled check to Lindsay for things that Gus needed. He took it to Mel and told them that obviously they had Gus to get me to pay for their lives. Which wouldn’t have been as big as it became if Lindsay had told Mel where the money came from. Lindsay wasn’t asking for huge amounts, but they decided that Lindsay could stay home with Gus and without Lindsay’s income Mel would have had to spend the money she got from her family just to survive. I couldn’t see them not having something to fall back on when they really needed it, so I told Lindsay to come to me and I had no problem making sure Gus got the things he needed. Michael started making it sound like they were expecting me to support them, to Deb and everyone else. It bothered Mel that it sounded like she couldn’t take care of her child, and Deb spouting how she managed all on her own made it sound like she was telling Mel she couldn't, when I think Deb was just talking, not meaning the girls. After that Lindsay and Mel backed away from anything involving Michael and Deb because neither of them felt the need to keep defending themselves.” I tell him.

 

“Sounds like Michael needs to learn to not snoop.” He tells me.

 

“I changed my locks and code after coming back from P-town, because I realized that if I wanted you, I couldn’t have him coming and going anytime he wanted.” I tell him.

 

“I’m still trying to figure out why people need keys to your home.” Justin tells me.

 

“Lindsay has them because when I’m out of town she gets the mail and makes sure that my cleaning lady didn’t get surprised by Michael staying there anymore.” I tell him.

 

“How are you still friends with someone who invades your life like that?” He asks me.

 

“I didn’t have anybody who gave a shit about me when I was growing up, and he and Deb did. I let them get away with things because I didn’t want to lose the first people who accepted me for who I really was.” I tell him.

 

“I can see why you wanted to stay around them but there’s just normal boundaries people understand and observe. Yet tonight alone, I know he’s calling because you keep silencing your phone.” He tells me as I did it again.

 

“Will you trust me to deal with Michael, it’s not easy letting go of a friendship I’ve had most of my life.” I tell him.

 

“You don’t have to let him go, just make him understand there are certain things you won’t accept from him. Not that I have any right to tell you what to do, I can just tell you’re irritated by the constant calls. I wanted us to have fun with Gus.” He tells me.

 

“What do you plan for Gus?” I ask him.

 

“The zoo, the park, and Alex said we could use his pool if you want to do that too.” Justin tells me.

 

“You're introducing me to the family?” I ask smirking.

 

“Of course, who wouldn’t want to meet the father of Gus, the doctor, lawyer, and fireman. When he figures out what you do we can add that too.” He tells me, kissing my lips before going to see what Gus was doing.

 

I pulled out my phone to delete the calls and texts that Michael most likely is sending to me. I got to one that said I needed to tell Ted not to act like an asshole. Now that one made me curious enough to call Ted.

 

“I'm going outside to smoke.” I tell Justin.

 

I stood looking at the backyard while I called Ted. Justin and Daphne’s house was just a modest three bedroom, with a small yard. It was what most couples view as a starter home. I wonder how he ended up living with Daphne, maybe I'll ask when she comes home sometime. It's strange to see two best friends who don't live in each others pockets the way Michael is trying to live in mine. 

 

“Brian did you want something or were you just planning on me listening to you smoke?” Ted asks dryly.

 

“What's got Michael telling me that I need to talk to you?” I ask. 

 

“He must think saying that I'm unattractive and boring, but well off, shouldn’t piss me off.” He tells me. 

 

“Why do you give a shit what Michael thinks?” I ask.

 

“I don’t, but I guess Michael felt the need to whine to you about it. I just told him to lose my number. I need to not have Michael making my chances with Blake harder.” He tells me. 

 

“I'm glad to hear your priorities are where the should be.” I tell him. 

 

“But are yours if you're still calling around trying to solve Michael’s problems. I don’t know Justin well, but he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who is going to sit around while Michael tries to relive the ‘Brian and Mikey show’.” He tell me.

 

“Believe it or not Ted, I was actually worried about you. I like the person you are with when you're with Blake.” I tell him, hanging up.

 

I walk in to see Justin with Gus on his lap playing with Gus, not even noticing that I came in the room. 

 

MICHAEL

 

I waited for Ben to go to bed to go looking for Brian. I got to Babylon and saw Emmett standing at the bar talking to the bartender. When I walked up he looked at me, but then kept talking to the bartender. 

 

“Emmett, are you really going to stay pissed because some guy dumped you again?” I ask.

 

“I’d have to want your approval to care enough to stay pissed.” Emmett tells me.

 

“Have you seen Brian?” I ask.

 

“No, but I’m sure it won’t stop you from checking every inch of Pittsburgh to make sure he can’t have a life that you don’t approve of.” Emmett tells me.

 

“I’ll wait for you to quit queening, then you can apologize to me the way Ted needs too.” I tell him, because they are going to have to if they want to keep my friendship.

 

I went to the backroom and then tried to get into the manager’s office. The guy told me that he didn’t care who I think I am. I hope he likes when Brian tells him exactly who I am. I got to the loft and managed to follow another couple in, but like the outside door, the loft door had a new lock. I called the super telling him I needed to get into my loft. He said he’d be over and I waited. When he came he asked for my ID and when I tried to tell him I lost it, he escorted me out of the building and told me until I could prove I was Brian Kinney, that I needed to stay out of the building.

 

I called Brian again and this time someone answered.

 

“Is there some reason your calling in the middle of the night?” A guy asks.

 

“Tell Brian that Michael is on the phone.” I order.

 

“Since he’s sleeping right now, I’ll let him know.” 

 

“When I call, you fucking get Brian, you do not tell me about your wish to keep Brian Kinney.” I tell the guy.

 

“Since he’s been staying with me most nights, I’m assuming because of you, I would say he wants to keep me. So Michael do us a favor and go pester your husband and not my boyfriend.” 

 

“So, now that you realize you’ll never get Ben, you think you can get Brian to be your Sugar Daddy.” I tell Justin.

 

“The only Daddy Brian wants to be, is to Gus, which is who he fell asleep with, at my house.” Justin tells me, hanging up. 


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