Confrontation

Brian stopped in front of the bathroom door. He raised his hand to knock, but decided against it.

He heard the front door closing, which meant Daphne had left them alone.

Swallowing his tears, he slumped against the door, placing a hand on it.

How should he call Justin? On his given name? On his nickname?

"I'm here," Brian whispered.

There was no sound from the other side of the door.

"I know you must hate me—"

Brian lost balance and fell backwards when Justin snatched the door open. "Of course, I hate you, you motherfuker! You fucking lying and cheating asshole!"

Their eyes met when Justin swung his foot, but stopped before it made contact with Brian's ribs. "I could squish you right here, right now! How could you?" He shouted, tears leaking down his cheeks.

"Sunshine..."

"You lost the right to call me that when you stuck your dick in him." His blue eyes flashed. "Sorry. Let's reword that. When you allowed him to fuck you. Something I'm barely allowed to even think about, yet you go away with your ex-boss for a few days and immediately offer him your ass."

Brian stood up, shoulders slumped. "Hear me out."

"You stumbled and fell on his dick."

"Justin, listen to me."

"No! I don't need your excuses. You fucking promised me that you wouldn't let him come in between us! It was a week ago, have you forgotten?"

"No, I didn't forget. You have to know that I feel like shit for doing this," Brian admitted.

Justin glared at him through watery eyes. "You feel like shit? That's all you have to say? Are you kidding me?"

"Do you want me to apologize?"

"No. I don't want to hear more lies. You've lied to me enough." Justin slid against the door frame, sniffing and digging the heel of his palms into his eyes. "Do you still love him?"

"I never loved him, Justin. I understood that when I fell for you. I liked Evan—"

Justin cringed. "Don't say his fucking name!"

"I enjoyed his company. Sex was great. That's all."

"Now or then?"

"...then."

"And now," Justin added through a heavy sigh.

Brian crouched to his side, reaching a hand to touch Justin's cheek. When Justin flinched, Brian felt his stomach pummel to the ground.

"I want you to leave."

"Justin...we can work this out."

"No, we can't. Haven't you thought that maybe we aren't destined to be together? So many things happened to keep us apart—my parents, Hobbs, your tricking, Ethan, Hollywood, your stubborn nature, New York…and now this. We aren't meant to be." He stood on shaky legs, going to his bedroom and rummaging through his stuff. He returned to Brian who was now leaning against the hallway wall, looking paler than Justin had ever seen him. "Here you go. No need for me to have your money." Justin placed the black AmEx card in Brian's hand.

"No."

Justin groaned. "We're over. I don't need your handouts anymore."

"NO."

"Brian?" Justin gasped when Brian fell to his knees. Then Brian wrapped his arms around Justin's legs, soaking his jeans in his tears. "Don't. I regret the past two days more than you'd ever know!"

Justin stared helplessly at the crumbled man at his feet. The words slowly sank into his brain. "T-tw-o days?" He choked on a sob. "You mean you fucked more than once? Let go! Stop touching me!" He freed himself, rushing back to the bathroom to throw up for what felt like the thousandth time in the past five hours.

"It was a horrible mistake," Brian admitted into his hands.

"A mistake? That happens only once. I might have forgiven you...I'm not sure, but now I never want to see you again."

"Don't do this. We can..."

"We can't! Get the fuck out of here!" Justin yelled. "You fucking hypocrite! What did you think? You'd come back here and play it cool? I'd have found it out. We both know it."

"I planned on telling you."

"Like fuck you were. Brian, I know you better than you think." Justin grabbed his elbow, towing him to the front door. He snatched it open, before throwing Brian out, in a manner that reminded Justin of a time Brian had done the same to him. "I hate you, you hear me? I fucking hate you!" Then he slammed the door in Brian's stunned face.

"Justin!" Brian slapped his hands to the door. "Open up! Justin, I'm so sorry."

With his heart shattering into tiny pieces, Justin slumped against the door, sobbing into his hands.

"Justin, I'm not leaving until you open this goddamn door!" Brian slammed his fist into the wood. "Justin. Please, forgive me. Sunshine."

All his passionate love for Brian had turned into a hatred so strong, he didn't even care when he heard his former lover crying and calling his name on that broken voice. Brian kept repeating his name, while Justin curled into himself further, biting on the hem of his shirt to keep from screaming.

.

.

.

That was how Daphne and Izzy found them hours later. Daphne steered Izzy inside, telling her to take Justin to bed, while she opted to deal with Brian.

Crouching to his side, she shook his shoulder gently.

"Justin?" Brian blinked quickly, turning his head to find Daphne wearing a sympathetic look.

"It's only me. Come on. Get up. You must be freezing."

"He hates me."

"Justin can't hate you."

"Do you even know what happened? You might hate me too," Brian muttered. "I hate myself."

"Stop using that word. I usually associate it with Hobbs. There's a reason to feel that way toward him." Daphne took Brian's hand. "Let's go to your hotel."

He was quiet on the cab ride, but when they reached their destination, Brian turned to Daphne. They were standing outside the hotel entrance.

"I cheated on him with my ex-boss…who I might have had a pseudo-relationship of some sort at the time."

"Gardener?" She wrinkled her nose, disgusted.

"My first boss. Way back, when I started working."

"And Justin got upset over you sleeping with another guy? Where's the catch?"

"It wasn't only once. And it's someone I know. Someone I had been with before."

"Still. I don't get it," she said, frowning. "I thought he was over being a jealous queen."

Brian rubbed a hand over his tear stained cheek. "I might have felt something for this guy back then."

Daphne kept watching him curiously, waiting for the bomb to drop.

"He's a top."

"Oh. I see."

"And I promised Justin I wouldn't have sex with this guy."

She hugged him tightly when he broke down once again. "Come on. It will be okay. Let him cool down. You know how Justin gets."

They stepped into the hotel.

"Don't you get it, Daphne? I broke my promise to him. I let Evan fuck me, when I rarely allow Justin near my ass."

"You love Justin. I know that. And he knows that too, but he's not thinking clearly."

On their way to the reception desk to get the key, they were intercepted by Evan, looking rumpled and like he'd been waiting for Brian for hours in the uncomfortable lobby chair.

"Brian! What happened?" Evan wrapped an arm around him.

Brian sneered, pushing him away. "We broke up, but that isn't news to you."

"So you're the asshole who coerced Brian into hurting Justin? I'm Justin's best friend, and I think I speak on his behalf when I say that you should stay far away from Brian. You've done enough." Then she focused on Brian, who was watching her proudly. "God, he's so old! I bet he has a tiny, shriveled dick."

Unable to restrain himself, Brian snorted. "Thank you for the pep talk and bringing me here. I think you should go back to Justin. He needs you." He kissed her forehead, squeezing her shoulder. "And Daph? Don't try to convince him I'm a good guy and that he should change his mind. I'm not. I don't deserve him." He placed a finger to her lips. "Go."

Looking between Brian and Evan warily, Daphne left with tears in her eyes. Brian was going to close himself up and keep everyone at arm's length.

Maybe she'd have better luck to talk sense into Justin.

She couldn't have them ruin years of friendship and relationship. Justin had worked so hard to make them work. He'd invested his very soul in his relationship with Brian.