JUSTIN

Brian didn’t say a lot when he got back to my house, and I didn’t try to make him talk. In the middle of the night I got up to check on Gus, and I felt Brian behind me. 

“I don’t want you around Michael.” He tells me, staring at Gus.

“I don’t have any reason to be around him, but I can handle whatever he tries.” I tell him.

“Justin, I know you can take care of yourself, but I’m not sure what Michael was trying to accomplish tonight.” He tell me.

“Brian, he sounds like he wants you.” I tell him.

“Well, he’s not going to get what he wants, I never felt the way he wants me to.” I tell him.

“Then why are you acting like this is your fault?” I ask when he still looks upset.

“I spent years giving Michael just enough that he wouldn’t walk away from me. Sometimes I know I gave him hope, but I never stepped over the line that would make him think I wanted a relationship.” He tells me.

“You can’t control how someone feels. It’s either there or it isn’t.” I tell him.

“I know I didn’t say it earlier, but... I love you.” He tells me.

“I didn’t need you to say it, it’s in everything you’ve done since we met.” I tell him.

“I don’t want you to ever have to wonder.” He tells me.

TED

I was sitting outside of Alice’s apartment. I decided I could sleep on the steps, or anywhere if it meant being close to Blake. When the door opened, Alice came outside and sat next to me.

“He wants you to go home.” She tells me.

“He wants me to show him I give a shit.” I tell her.

“Ted, you don’t have to prove it to me. I know you love him, but you keep letting everything get in the way. Why haven’t you figured out that he loves you?” She asks me.

“Why would he, when I didn’t stop the shit that was happening to him?” I ask her.

“Why didn’t you?” She asks me.

“I never thought Blake would be jealous of Michael. What does Michael have over Blake? Blake took charge of his life. It’s strange when you think about it, but Michael’s only real accomplishment so far in his life, was being Brian’s best friend.” I tell her.

“Blake still has problems seeing himself as a good person. I think your friend Brian has been helping him see that his past isn’t as important as what he does now.” She tells me.

“Brian has a way of cutting through bullshit to find the person you are.” I tell her.

“Who are you Ted?” She asks me.

“The man that loves Blake.” I tell her.

“Then tell me I’m being an asshole when I don’t want to listen to what you're saying to me.” Blake tells me from the door.

“I went because it’s my job.” I tell him.

“I know, and I just need to stop letting myself think Michael has anything to do with us.” He tells me.

“Night guys, you and Ted figure it out.” Alice tells Blake, hugging him.

“Feel like taking a walk?” I ask him.

“I want to sleep.” He tells me, turning away. “Will you just sleep with me tonight?” He asks.

“If that’s what you need.” I tell him, going inside with him.

BRIAN

I know Justin said that Grant talks, but I just haven’t seen any evidence of it. He squeaked when he answered the door, then it was just staring again.

“Grant, let Justin in.” Alex tells him. “You must be Brian, I’ve heard more about you then I ever wanted to.” He tells me laughing.

“This is Gus, Brian’s son.” Justin tells Alex.

“I heard you want to play the new game.” Alex says, kneeling down in front of Gus.

“Jussin said I could when you're done.” Gus tells him.

“I would love to hear what you think.” He tells Gus.

“Justin.” Grant whispers and tilts his head toward the other room.

“I’ll be back.” Justin tells us, taking Gus with him.

“Come with me while Justin gets my son to realize you're just a man.” Alex tells me.

“Maybe he’ll be able to say hi soon.” I tell him.

“Then you’ll never shut him up. I’m going to say this and then I’ll leave it alone, you hurt Justin and you deal with me.” Alex tells me as we get to the kitchen. 

“I think I’d be dealing with Justin, he doesn’t seem to need anyone to take care of him.” I tell him.

“No he doesn’t, but I view him like my son, so I want to know that he’s happy.” He tells me.

“That’s up to him and me, and no one else.” I tell him.

JUSTIN

“Why are you acting like an idiot?” I ask Grant, while Gus changed in the bathroom to go swimming.

“It’s just, that’s Brian Kinney.” He tells me, like it explains it all to me.

“Yes, I know his name.” I tell him.

“Justin, no one’s ever spent more than one night with Brian. Do you not understand what you did?” He tells me.

“I met a man who loves me.” I tell him.

“Wait, did he say that?” He asks.

“Last night he did.” I tell him and end up with an arm full of Grant.

“Daphne called me.” Grant tells me. 

“I wasn't thinking, for a second I thought maybe Molly wanted me around again.” I tell him. 

“I’m sure what my dad did is the reason they’re running after you.” He tells me.

“What are you talking about?” I ask him. 

“He ordered all his products not to be sold to your father's stores.” He tells me. 

“Can you take Gus to the pool? I need to talk to your dad.” I tell him. 

“Justin, he's not going to change his mind, Craig pissed him off.” Grant tells me. 

I got to the kitchen to find Alex and Brian talking. I wanted them to like each other and they were laughing and talking like old friends.

“What did my father do?” I ask Alex.

“He needs to learn who he's doing business with, before he says things that offend people.” He tells me. 

“I've told you what he's like.” I tell him. 

“It wasn’t just about you, I just don’t want my company associated with someone like him, not that the way he treats you isn’t a good enough reason.” He tells me. 

“It think it's why he wanted me to be at his engagement party. Until yesterday he didn’t want me around his new family.” I tell him. 

“Justin, you can't keep hoping that Molly will open her eyes.” Alex tells me, lifting my head to look at him.

“I keep telling myself that she can't be angry forever.” I tell him. 

“Until she sees what he's really like, you’ll have to live with it.” Brian tells me.

“What did he do to piss you off?” I ask Alex.

“It has to do with Brian and a few other businesses run by gay men.” He tells me. 

“He doesn’t know about Brian and me.” I tell him. 

“I'm sure when he does he'll understand why I did what I did.” He tells me. 

“It just don’t want you to base business decisions on how he feels about me.” I tell him. 

“Or me.” Brian tells him. 

“I’m basing it on a company who is a PR nightmare waiting to happen. He’s been trying to get businesses to fire anyone seen as supporting gay rights, as well as those implying that women shouldn’t be anything but housewives.” He tells me. 

“It's nothing new for him, why now?” I ask. 

“Because he's not just saying it about you or your mom. He saying it at business gatherings and social functions. It's not just me pulling business from him, but others who don't want to be seen as condoning his beliefs. Your father isn't winning any popularity contests with his views. I won't stand by when my son and you are people he tells everyone should be sent to an island to wipe gay off the planet. He's going to realize that there is such thing as a proud father of gay sons.” Alex tells me.

“You always told me business isn't about anything but profit.” I tell him. 

“It still is, I just think losing the newest systems and games is going to show your father what that means, along with any company who believes in that bullshit. He doesn't know Brian, except that he's gay and owns Babylon, but he judged him as less of a businessman man for it. Staying in business with Taylor Electronics, to me, is like supporting Hitler.” He tells me. 

“He's pissed at me for not taking on his campaign. I didn't know you then. He called Cynthia to ask us to help him, I didn’t see us as being able to work together when he suggested my wife start showing up to business gatherings. I don’t think he liked it when I told him that my child’s lesbian mother wouldn’t mind letting her wife come with me, since I wasn't married to the man of my dreams. He left rather quickly after that.” Brian tells me.

“Daddy, can we go swimming now?” Gus asks.

“Yes, let's pray my son survives seeing your dad in swim trunks.” Alex laughs as Grant dramatically falls in a chair.

“You wouldn’t own speedos would you?” Grant enquires.

“He speaks.” Brian smirks.

BRIAN 

“What has you looking so pensive?” Alex asked me while I sat by the pool a couple of hours later.

“My life and the way I’ve lived it. I never saw Justin coming, so I never worried about it affecting another person.” I tell him. 

“It didn’t affect Gus?” He asks. 

“He's my child, so no one would do anything to hurt him.” I tell him. 

“But wouldn't think twice about hurting Justin?” He asks. 

“Has Justin told you about a college professor causing him problems?” I ask. 

“It sounded like the husband of the professor was the problem.” He tells me. 

“Michael is the result of Ben’s stupidity. Michael is also someone I used to consider my best friend.” I tell him. 

“Why used to, because Justin wouldn’t want you to throw away a friend.” Alex tells me.

“I stopped ignoring the way he treated people. My friend Blake had problems in the past, but he cleaned up his life. Until Michael started treating Blake like he did something to Michael, not Ted, Blake’s partner, most of the things Michael did, were like a kid wanting attention from the popular crowd. I ended up realizing that I don’t like the way Michael tried to alienate anyone who tried to have a relationship with Michael’s friends. Gus’s mothers and I had problems because of it, but Michael never took it out on Gus directly, so I left the girls to deal with Michael’s shit. Mel didn’t want me in the middle of their problems with Michael and I respected that, and her, for not asking me to do it. I met Justin and almost let him go because I didn’t want him to have to deal with Michael and the gang. If I’m being honest, Justin scares me, and I ran from wanting to give him all of me, so Michael isn’t the only reason.” I tell him.

“You’re not running from Justin anymore?” He asks me.

“How do you run from someone who never leaves your mind?” I ask him.

“I hope to someday be able to feel that.” He tells me.

“What about Grant’s mother?” I ask him, wondering where the woman is.

“Grant was the result of a one night stand. Probably the best thing that ever happened to me. When his mother came to me I paid to keep her from aborting him. She was young and wanted to finish school and didn’t see being a mother as part of her life. I helped her get what she wanted and got my son.” He tells me.

“You’ve never dated or had a relationship in all these years?” I ask.

“I did, it’s just no one was more important to me than Grant, until I meet Justin and Daphne. Grant was getting into a lot of trouble, and then he started taking college seriously out of the blue. One day he brought home Justin and Daphne, who didn’t see the point in going to college if all it was about was partying. They helped get Grant to take his future seriously and ended up being family to me.” He tells me.

“Michael’s mother did that for me. I don’t want to lose the only mother I knew, but I can’t let Michael be in a life that would involve Justin.” I tell him.

“You love Justin that much?” He asks.

“Enough that I would dare anyone to try to take him from me. It wouldn’t end well for them.” I tell him.

“Then you have your answer, cut the dead weight.” He tells me.