- Text Size +

BRIAN


Mikey once asked me if it was strange to see Justin being the center of the room at shows. Justin just attracts people to him, even when he’d rather be left alone. I’ve always wondered why he stood under the streetlight when we first met. It was like there was this light surrounding him that made it impossible to look away. Not that I was prepared for Justin to be more than a trick. But he came along and I broke every rule I’d made. I’ve always been the ‘behind the scenes’ guy, Justin was the one dancing on the stage.


I would watch as Justin worked the room, only going to him when I could see his anxiety level going up. Justin still has problems with groups of people around him, it’s never gone away. I’ve always seen it, and when he started having shows it worried him that people would see it as him being an asshole, when it was just that he needed a break from too many people around him. We developed a way that it would seem like Justin was needed somewhere, by me coming over and whispering in his ear. Justin would be able to excuse himself and we’d go to a room where he could be alone for a few minutes. Once Rachel came along she figured out what I’d been doing, and made it possible for Justin to get away when I couldn’t be there. It’s why Rachel has my undying gratitude. Tonight, neither of us had to do anything, because Hunter and Shelby were running around with Justin. Justin hasn’t asked Hunter yet, but I can tell he is watching to see how Hunter deals with people.


I stayed with Robert and Julie for most of the night, but they eventually bought two of Justin’s paintings and were gifted one from Justin for using Kinnetik. He would give them all away if we let him, but the fact that he likes being able to afford things keeps that from happening. When the show was over they only packed away five out of the twenty he had in the show, but those five he never planned to sell. He painted them as a series about our relationship, I wasn’t a big fan of the second one, but then it was the truth we never hid from. People saw the series as abstract, because there are no people, just random things from moments in our relationship in them.


The first one has the streetlight in the middle of a club with glitter all around it. The steps on either side have random things on each set of stairs, in the middle of the light is the scarf, as pristine as the night I wore it to his prom. He said that putting the blood on it erased the symbolism. That was the night he knew I loved him, he still has no memory of any of it. So I told him what I never told him about that night; that I didn’t hide what he meant to me.


The second painting is hard for me sometimes, it shows the one thing I could have done to save us from the split. A candlelight picnic, that had the candle still smoldering, with a champagne bottle flung carelessly in the middle. On the outside of it was a violin, destroyed, and the loft door barred. I never liked this one, because Justin still blames himself for all of it.


The third one was of the loft door wide open and his duffle bag laying in the middle of the floor. The empty loft on one side and an office with the light on and clothes flung everywhere on the other.


In the fourth one, he painted the finish line, with a bike laying over the line and a ticket to Hollywood crumpled on the ground next to it.


The last one had two suits hanging in a closet, but the ring box empty in the middle of the bed.


Justin told me no one would really want them, he just liked seeing them. The twat was offered money for all of them. Hunter followed Rachel when she told him that she needed his help. I guess Justin let Rachel offer Hunter the job, because we heard the very loud, “This isn’t some joke to get me back for hitting on Brian is it?”


“Rachel said she wanted to start training him and wanted to be the one who asked him.” Justin tells me.


“You just don’t want to deal with the hundred hours of questions he would want to ask you.” I tell him.


“Like you weren’t going to let Cynthia handle it, when you offered him a job.” He teases me.


“Well yeah, I pay her outrageous amounts to deal with people for me.” I tell him, kissing him.


“I think I’m going to retire the five paintings.” He tells me.


“Why, getting tired of people trying to buy them?” I ask.


“No, they can finally come home for good.” He tells me.


MICHAEL


When Hunter called me, I left my shop in my assistant’s capable hands and ran down the street, excited. I called Ben and told him to meet me at the diner, probably sounding like a crazy man. I was, but hey, my life only gets so much excitement at a time. I really had to wonder how I ended up being the boring married guy, but then, my husband is hot as hell and thinks I’m amazing, so I’m good with it. Ma was there, talking to Emmett and Ted, I rushed over, practically tingling because I heard it first.


“Did you drink too many energy drinks this morning?” Ted asks, when I was hoping up and down.


“I’m just excited, but we have to wait for Ben before I say anything.” I tell them, because Emmett is going to be jumping me for the gossip I got first.


“Michael, we already know Jenny’s coming home.” Ted tells me.


“Please, this is way better.” I boast.


“Where the hell is Ben!” Emmett asks impatiently


Ben came running in looking worried, and shit, I didn’t mean to scare him. “It’s great news for Hunter.” I tell him.


“Tell us dammit.” Emmett shakes me.


“Justin offered him a job working for him in Rachel’s place, as his assistant. He is going to be making more than Ben and I do.” I tell them, frowning when Ted didn’t seem surprised.


“Michael, I’m Justin’s accountant. Which means I have to get the packet together for anyone Justin hires. Rachel called me to tell me to have one ready for Hunter because Justin was offering him a job.” Ted tells me.


“Jesus, I would have worked for Justin for what he’s planning to pay Hunter.” I tell him.


“Justin would have paid you to keep that from happening.” Emmett jokes.


“Screw you, Justin loves me.” I tell them.


“From far, far away, in another galaxy. Especially after attempting to plan his wedding.” Ben jokes.


“We can plan Hunter’s, so the plans don’t go to waste.” I tell them.


“I’m the party planner, you're a party planning disaster.” Emmett tells me.


“My parties aren’t bad.” I tell him.


“Do you really want me to have to say it, obviously you need examples. The Senator comes to mind, or maybe the tenth anniversary surprise that surprised all of us.” Emmett tells me. “Or hey, inviting Brian to meet the dork fags.” He adds.


“Okay I’ll give you that one, but I wouldn’t do that to Hunter.” I tell them.


“Why don’t we save planning anything until they set a date? We can have a party celebrating his job when he comes home. Jenny will be here and you know he would love it.” Ben tells me.


“Guess who will be sending me the panels for Rage now.” I tell them.


“I don’t know, could it be Hunter, Justin’s assistant?” Ted asks, like a smart ass.


“Hunter is what?” Ma asks.


“Justin gave Hunter the job to take over for Rachel.” I tell her.


“Where is Rachel going?” She asks not happy.


“Justin gave Rachel the job of his agent. She’d been doing all along anyway.” Ted tells her.


“That’s my Sunshine, he takes care of family.” She tells us.


“Yeah he does Deb.” Ted tells her.


“Teddy, what do you mean by that?” Emmett asks.


“He and Brian wanted me to do this when there was no way for you to bother them. Deb they paid your mortgage off a couple of years ago. The money you were giving me is in an account for you when you want it. Michael, Justin put a percentage of Rage’s earnings in an account for you and Ben. He said that even though he took over Rage, you were still the co-creator and you earned it.” Ted tells us.


“I haven’t done that for him.” I tell him, feeling like shit.


“Michael, you never made as much off your comic, but Justin loved that you showed the world what you were capable of and the love you have for Ken.” Ted tells me.


“He wanted you to have the opportunity to be able to enjoy things that sometimes aren’t possible when you live on a budget.” Emmett tells me.


“He asked why you and Ben didn’t come on the last trip we all went on. Emmett and I told him that you and Ben couldn’t afford trips, with Hunter in college and trying to see Jenny when you could. He said he wanted his brother to be able to have fun before he got too old.” Ted tells me laughing.


“I could just put it in the account we use for Jenny and Hunter.” I tell Ben.


“You don’t need to, Brian and Mel worked it out so Jenny won’t have to worry about college.” Ted tells me.


“What the hell am I supposed to do with it?” I ask them.


“Go to Tibet, take a vacation, whatever you want.” Ted tells us.


“Do you still want to go, we could swing by London and save Justin from the shopping nightmare that is Brian?” I ask Ben.


“I’d love to show you Tibet.” Ben tells me.


“Okay, I’m going to ask now that it’s likely I’m going. Where is Tibet?” I ask, as they all laugh at me.


You must login (register) to review.