JUSTIN 

We got Gus dressed and let him run out to Emmett and Blake. Brian closed the door and pulled me to him. I know I’d been up and down with him today but I leaned up to kiss him as his phone went off. He threw it onto the bed and held me. I heard more phones going off and looked at Brian’s phone again. He turned my head back to him.

“Are you sure I can’t do something?” He asks, holding my face.

“I’ve told you, you can’t fight the world for me.” I tell him, getting annoyed when the phone starts going off again.

“Justin, I’d fight anything just to see you smile.” He tells me.

“I’m still trying to figure out, why me?” I tell him.

“Everything about you. It’s everything.” He tells me.

“I lo…” 

“Brian, you need to come out here.” Ted says through the door.

“Say it.” He looked at me.

“Brian, I hate to do this but you need to come out here.” Ted tells him.

“Justin I need to hear it. Before we go out that door.” He tells me.

“I love you.” I whisper in his ear.

“Thank you.” He tells me, kissing me before opening the door.

“Fuck. Blake I’m not running after him.” Ted tells Blake.

“Really, you couldn’t last two days.” Blake tells him.

“Ted, let Deb deal with it.” Emmett tells him, looking at Blake.

“What’s going on?” Brian asks, when Blake walked into the kitchen.

“Michael walked into Babylon cut up and he passed out.” Ted tells Brian.

“Justin?” Brian looks at me, conflicted.

“I’ve got Gus.” I told him, taking him with me in the kitchen.

“Blake, it’s about Babylon, not Michael. I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t my job.” Ted tells him.

“You don’t think you would, but you do.” Blake tells him. “Just go, I’m used to it.”

“Justin, look at me. I won’t go if it bothers you.” Brian tells me.

“It’s your business, I understand.” I tell him, kissing him.

“Emmett, why not go, wouldn’t want to miss the gossip.” Blake tells him, after Ted and Brian walked out.

“I know you have no reason to listen to me, but Blake, you're acting like an asshole.” Emmett tells him.

“Wow, imagine that, you lasted even less time than Ted.” Blake tells him.

“You are acting like an ass.” I tell Blake.

“You’ll get as tired as I am of this.” He tells me, hugging himself.

“Uncle Blake, you need a hug?” Gus asks, standing next to him.

“I always need a hug.” Blake tells him, picking him up.

I set Gus up with a video on my computer and gave him earphones. Because as much as I understand Blake being bitter about Michael, he can’t take it out on Ted that he had to go do his job. 

“Those earphones will work, but not if you talk too loud.” I warn Blake.

“What do you want me to say, I know I’m not being reasonable, but I’m just out of patience when it comes to Michael always managing to pull Ted away somehow.” He tells us.

“Michael most likely showed up at Babylon when no one answered their phone.” Emmett tells him.

“Emmett, if it was you, I would understand. You and Ted look out for each other, but I just have a feeling that Michael is going to find a way to suck them back in.” Blake tells him.

“Then you don’t let him.” I tell Blake. 

“What?” He asks me.

“Why are you letting Michael make you feel as if your not good enough?” I ask him.

“Do you know how I dread Ted’s phone ringing all hours of the night? It always signaled that Ted would walk away from anything we were doing.” Blake tells me.

“I think you and I got something wrong.” I tell him.

“Brian won’t do what Ted does.” Blake tells me.

“Blake you keep saying you wouldn’t make him choose, but it shouldn’t be a choice. If he loves you, you tell him that you have to be more important.” I tell him.

“Blake, you aren’t the drugged up kid we met, stop acting like you have to make it up to Ted. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.” Emmett tells him.

“I could learn to like you.” I tell Emmett.

“Stick around, I’ll make sure you do.” He tells me and Blake.

BRIAN

My manager Nash was waiting when Ted and I got there. I saw Deb standing in my office with Carl.

“Brian, I need you and Ted to see something.” Nash tells me.

Ted and I followed Nash to the camera room. “He might have been in shock, but it’s just strange the way he came in. When I called Ted I thought he’d just walked in and passed out in the entrance, but well, just watch.” He tells us.

We watched Michael walk in with his jacket on and walk around the club and then the back room, before going back to the entrance and taking off his jacket and falling to the floor. “I don’t know what to make of it. Last night he came here trying to get in my office, and wasn’t happy when I kicked him out. Tonight it looked as if he was looking for something.” He tells us.

“Fuck. I left Blake for this.” Ted glares.

“So, nothing we could get sued for?” I ask.

“Nope.” Nash tells me.

The door opens and Carl comes in. “I need to talk to you guys.” He tell us.

“If he’s fine, we’re leaving.” Ted tells him.

“He looks like someone tossed him around.” Carl tells us.

“Did he say who?” I ask Carl.

“He said he didn’t want to, but he keeps asking if you're here.” He tells me.

I didn’t ask why, just went to Nash’s office, where Michael was sitting on the couch with Deb trying to clean him up. He kept trying to get away from her hands.

“Michael, none of these look that bad.” Deb tells him, and moves closer and he hisses grabbing his hip.

“What is it now?” Deb asks, almost as if she lost patience with him.

“It’s where I hit the sink in the bathroom.” He tells her. 

“What happened?” I ask.

“Brian, I don’t want to get you involved in my problems.” He tells me with tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Okay, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.” I tell him and Deb before turning away.

“Ben did this.” He rushes out, and for a second I almost turned.

“Carl can help you.” I tell him, walking out of the office.

“He was mad that I said we need to apologize to Justin.” He yells. “I was trying to get him to understand that what he did to Justin was wrong, but Brian he told me something you need to know.” 

“No I don’t.” I tell him, not looking at him.

“Ben wants him Brian, he wasn’t trying to make me jealous, he wants Justin.” Michael tells me, trying to stop me. “He did this when I told him he wasn’t capable of turning anyone from you.”

“Why did you come here?” I ask him.

“I just wanted a place I felt safe, like how you used to come to my house. I need you to be there for me like we always said you would. Remember... always have and always will.” He tells me putting his arms around me. “Brian?” He looked at me when I stood there not returning the hug.

“I need to get back to Gus and Justin.” I tell him, leaving the room.

“I’m fucking hurt and you bring him up.” Michael chases me out to the hall. “He’s never going to mean what I do to you.” He tells me shrieking.

“Michael, calm down.” Deb tells him.

“Brian, I need you to do what you promised me all our lives.” He tells me, yanking me around to look at him. “You belong to me.” He whispers, pleading with me.

I pulled out of his grasp. “Never in that way, as a brother, a friend at one time, yes, but never that.” I tell him, leaving him standing there. 

Justin and Gus were watching a TV together when we returned to the house. Ted’s shoulders fell when he didn’t see Blake.

“Why do I keep screwing this up?” Ted asks

“Ted, this wasn’t you running to Michael, but doing your job. It’s just hard for Blake to differentiate between the two.” Justin tells him.

“You can?” I ask him.

“I don’t have Blake’s history with Michael.” Justin tells me, not happy when my phone started going off.

I looked at the screen to see Michael calling. I turned my phone off this time. “Ted, if it’s important call Justin’s number.” I tell him, putting Justin’s number in Ted’s phone.

When Ted left and Gus was in bed, I kissed Justin and put my coat on.

“Where are you going?” He asks me.

“To find Ben.” I tell him.

I found him at Woody’s, sitting alone at a table. He looked up and sneered at me. I sat down taking his drink and moving it out of reach.

“I’m going to do you a favor, the last one I’ll ever do for you.” I tell him.

“Leave town?” He asks me.

“Stay sober, and don’t forget a single detail of your night.” I tell him, getting up to leave.

“Why?” He asks me.

“Before I answer, why did you and Michael fight tonight?” I ask.

“Why are you asking, because it’s not really your business.” He answers me.

“No, it really isn’t, but your poor ‘abused’ husband showed up at my club, guess who he said hurt him? Sounds like no one’s safe when Michael has an agenda.” I tell him.

“Why are you telling me anything?” He asks.

“I really came to see if you hurt him.” I tell him.

“Why would I?” He asks.

“That’s the question you might be answering if Michael tries to push this further. I got the answers I needed.” I tell him.

“What answers?” He asks me.

“That Michael would use anyone to get to me.” I tell him, walking out.