Won't You Make It Go Away

Emmettt looked over the crowded dance floor at Babylon and sighed when he saw Justin walking out of the backroom while Brian was walking in-- his latest trick in hand. He turned toward Ted and Michael and asked, "What are we going to do about those two?"

"Who?" they asked in unison.

"Who?! Brian and Justin" he answered in disbelief. "You know the ones running the `Anyone You Can Do I Can Do Better' contest. How long are we going to watch them kill themselves with booze, drugs, and tricks before we do something?"

"Like what? Justin hasn't spoken to any of us other than to take our order in months, and Brian doesn't give a shit what we think" Ted replied.

Emmett tried one last time. "There must be some way to convince them to stop being miserable alone when they could be happy together."

"Are you out of your mind?" Michael asked harshly. "They were never happy together. Besides, Justin left Brian. His choice. Now he has to live with it. And Brian's not miserable. He's back to being the same Brian he always was before Justin showed up."

"So you haven't noticed any changes in Brian the last few weeks?" Emmett questioned.

"He's been under a lot pressure at work. He just needs to unwind a little more. No big deal. He was fine after Justin left. You're reading too much into this. They aren't Romeo and Juliet pining away for each other."

"I agree with Michael. If Justin wants to turn himself into the next Brian Kinney, it's none of our business. As for Brian, if nonstop sex is an indication of being miserable, I'd hate to see what he does when he's happy."

Emmett couldn't believe his friends were so clueless about what was going on. Ted was right about one thing; Justin had been avoiding them. He understood it when Justin was with Ethan, but had expected things to change when that relationship ended last month. Instead Justin refused to tell Emmett where he was living, saying he needed to start a new life for himself. Some life, Emmett thought. Coming to Babylon every night. Always arriving and leaving alone, but making several trips to the backroom. It wasn't like Justin, and Emmett was worried. While Michael and Ted couldn't see the connection between Justin's reappearance at Babylon and Brian's all time drug and sex high, Emmett could. Frankly he figured Brian's being made partner was the only reason he still had a job since he hadn't seen him sober in two weeks. He opened his mouth to explain this to his friends, but seeing the looks on their faces changed his mind. Michael wasn't ready to hear the truth, and Ted, well Ted probably wouldn't understand. Instead he switched the conversation to safer ground, "So will Ben be joining us after his study session is finished?" He asked Michael, pasting a wide smile on his face.

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Justin woke up head pounding, heart racing and glanced around the room, unconsciously making sure he was safe. He looked at the clock-4:30am. Not bad, he thought to himself. Almost two hours sleep tonight. Then as he did every night, he walked into the living room, flipping lights on as he went. He settled on the couch and reached for the sketch pad he learned to have waiting. The nightmares, this routine were becoming familiar. No less terrifying, but familiar. He could draw what he couldn't face when he was awake. He could escape for a few hours since sleep no longer gave him any peace. He wondered what a shrink would think of his personal version of art therapy. Then quickly dismissed that thought and all others as he began to draw.

A long while later he looked down at what he had drawn and felt his breath catch. This drawing was different. The dream had been different; he just hadn't let himself think about it. Justin continued to stare at the paper as snatches of the dream replayed themselves in his head. Until he finally remembered everything. Until he realized just what he had lost. Until he knew everything had to change.

Brian walked into the diner and casually looked around. As he approached the counter, Deb shot him a surprised look and announced, "He's not here."

Brian let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and tried to act uninterested. Even with Debbie he had to keep up some appearances. He wasn't sure if he was relived or disappointed. Two weeks ago Justin had mysteriously vanished from Babylon as quickly as he had appeared. He had continued to avoid the diner when Justin might be working and since no one dared mention his name in Brian's presence, he wasn't sure what was going on with Justin. He wouldn't admit it, but his rare trip to the diner during one of Justin's regular shifts was to make sure he was OK.

"Change in school schedule?" Brian asked. He could explain knowing Justin was back in school since he paid the tuition.

"No, new job."

Brian glanced up quickly, too quickly. And Debbie smiled as she continued, "He's doing some after school art thing at an elementary school. Doesn't finish till six so he switched to the eight to two shift. Doesn't give him much time for a social life, but he said he doesn't care." She checked to make sure Brian was still listening. "Seems to like it. Actually smiles when he talks about the kids. About the only time he smiles anymore." She couldn't resist the last dig. She swore she'd stay out of it this time, but it wouldn't hurt Brian to know Sunshine was miserable. Or maybe it would, and that was the whole point after all.

"Well I guess Mikey must still be at the store. I'll catch him over there. See you later Deb," Brian called over his shoulder as he made his escape. Deb could read him too well, and since he had accomplished his mission of making sure Justin was still alive, he needed to get out before he made a total fool of himself.

Less than an hour later, Brian was back in his loft trying not to think about Justin and failing miserably. Going to the comic book store hadn't helped. He'd seen the Rage display and made the mistake of asking Michael about the next issue. He'd listened to Michael hem and haw for five minutes about trying finalize the storyline all while carefully not mentioning Justin's name. Maybe that was what irritated him. How easily Michael could pretend Justin didn't exist. How happy he was to go back to the way things were before; how easily he let Brian go back to the way he was before. He knew Michael hadn't understood why he insisted Justin continue to draw Rage. Brian also knew Michael arranged to send the story to the editor who would send it to Justin for the drawings and so on. Michael actually thought by not seeing or talking to Justin he could somehow turn back time to before they'd met him. Of course, most people would say Brian did the same thing. But Brian's denial was a well choreographed act, and Michael's denial was just that-- denial. Brian thought back to a conversation they had at Woody's about five days after Justin stopped showing up at Babylon.

"I'm glad things have settled down at work," Michael had said to him.

"What?" Brian asked, having no idea what Michael was talking about. Of course, he'd only been half listening as he cruised some guy playing pool.

"Well, you've been more yourself recently. You know more normal. So I figured . . ." Michael's voice trailed off as he realized he had Brian's full attention now and that probably wasn't a good thing.

Brian stared at his friend trying to decided if he was serious. He knew what Mikey meant by normal. A normal amount of booze, drugs, and tricks instead of the all time high he'd been at. But since a two year old could have connected the dots between his return to "normal" and the fact that he no longer had to watch Justin fucking everything that moved, he wasn't sure where Michael was going with this.

"You figured what exactly?" he asked Michael, one eyebrow arched in anticipation of his answer.

"Well, that it must mean, ummm maybe you were under less pressure at work?" Mikey finally managed to stammer.

Even now the memory made him smile at Mikey's ability to turn a blind eye to the truth. The fact that Emmett had rolled his eyes at Michael's analysis told him not everyone was as clueless as his best friend. Which also meant he was not covering his tracks as well as he needed to. Both Debbie and Emmett had been able to see through his lack of interest in Justin. So things needed to change. No more allowing Justin to dictate his moods or where he went. No more avoiding Justin. He would prove to himself and everyone else that he could handle seeing Justin. That Justin didn't mean anything to him anymore. And if Justin didn't like it, too damn bad. He reached for a bottle of Jim Beam and settled in to celebrate the return of Brian "I don't give a fuck" Kinney.

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Three days later, he walked into the diner at 8:30pm. Ignoring the shocked looks on everyone's faces, Brian slid into the booth next to Michael. "So boys, almost ready for Woody's?" He had timed his entrance well. They were almost done eating. He would only need to spend about fifteen minutes in Justin's presence before they left for the bar.

Emmett recovered first, "And to what to we owe the pleasure of your company so early in the evening."

"I can pick up the guys faster if I walk in with you losers. My appeal increases in comparison," Brian smirked.

"Nice to know we're useful," Ted dead panned.

"I wouldn't go that far." Anything else Brian might have said was lost as he got his first good look at Justin. Brian hid his shock and managed to respond appropriately to some insult Emmett sent his way. He carefully watched the boys for their reactions to Justin's appearance as he waited on a table across the room. He wasn't pleased by what he saw.

After enduring a half hour of Emmett and Ted unsuccessfully hitting on half the population of Woody's, he mumbled an excuse about promising to see Lindsay about Gus. As he made his escape, he agreed to meet them at Babylon later. Not that he had any intention of showing up.

"Is Justin still babysitting Gus?" were the first words out of Brian's mouth as Lindsay opened the door.

"Of course," she answered clearly puzzled by his unexpected visit and question.

"Do you actually look at him, or do you and Mel just throw Gus at him on you way to . . . well do whatever it is you two do?"

"Yes, we look at him!" Lindsay yelled backed. "Brian, what the hell is going on? You refuse to let us mention Justin's name for months, and now you want to question the way we treat him."

"Maybe because I see Justin for the first time in weeks looking like death warmed over, and no one else seems concerned. Jesus, Linz he's lost at least fifteen pounds and the only color in his face were the circles under his eyes. Why didn't someone do something?"

"You know how stubborn he can be. He doesn't want anyone fussing over him. He's got a lot going on right now-- new classes, working two jobs. Things will settle down once the show is over."

Brian pounced on her last remark, "What show."

Lindsay looked around for help, but found none. Finally she sighed and answered, "Justin has some pieces in a show next week, but no one is supposed to know."

"No one or me?"

"No one. I found out by accident, and when I mentioned it to him he got really upset. Said he didn't want anyone going. I convinced him to let Mel and I come by promising not to tell anyone. He told me if anyone else found out, he'd pull out of the show."

"That's not like Justin. He loves to show off his work. So when is this show?"

"Oh no Brian. There is no way I'm telling you. Justin would kill me. It was really important to him to keep this a secret."

"Which is exactly why I'm going. Don't worry, I'll slip in at the end. He'll never know I was there, and if he finds out, I'll tell him the school sent me something. I have a right to see his work. I am paying for it after all." At Lindsay's look he relented. "I want to make sure he's not having any more trouble with his hand."

Lindsay smiled at Brian's confession, "All right, here's the info."

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Lindsay hugged Justin as they walked out of the gallery. She wished she could erase the pain from his eyes. "Sweetie, your pieces are amazing. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks," he answered giving her a wan smile in return.

"We'll see you tomorrow?" Mel asked, as she too hugged Justin goodbye.

"Of course. Give Gus a kiss for me."

As soon as they were out the door, Mel turned toward Lindsay, "You cannot let Brian come here. There's no way he can handle that."

"I know, I know," Lindsay replied cell phone already at her ear. "Brian, hi it's Lindsay. Listen, Mel and I are just leaving the show, and you can't come here tonight. No, just listen. His hand is fine, but you being here would be a big mistake. Trust me on this. Why? Well, he has someone with him. It would be too awkward for him. Just come by tomorrow after work, and I'll tell you all about it. OK. Bye."

"Let's hope he listens for once," Lindsay reached for Melanie's hand as they made their way out to the car.

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Brian glanced around the room as he entered the gallery. Lindsay was a terrible liar so he didn't believe for a minute that Justin was here with someone, but something was definitely wrong. He didn't see Justin or anything he could identify as his work as he made his way toward the back of the room. Then he spotted a familiar blonde head. Justin was deep in conversation with someone so Brian figured he could get a quick look at his paintings then sneak out. He moved closer to where Justin was, figuring his pieces would be nearby. Suddenly he saw them. Brian literally felt the air being sucked out of his lungs. He must have made some sort of sound because Justin turned in his direction.

Justin looked at Brian and realized his worst nightmare had just come true. Acting on instinct, he began practically pushing Brian back out the gallery. "Brian, you have to leave. NOW! You can't be here. You aren't supposed to see this." Brain didn't answer him. Satisfied that he would stay outside, Justin made his way back into the building. He headed for the restroom, needing some time to himself to regain his composure before saying his goodbyes to the other students and professors at the show.

Brain stayed exactly where Justin left him for about ten minutes. Then he slowly returned to the gallery. He needed to go backed, needed to make sure he hadn't imagined what he had seen. He didn't make it past the first two paintings. He had always known Justin was talented, but he'd never seen anything like this. Unlike Justin's sketches, his paintings were larger and in vivid color. Too vivid for Brian's taste.

The first one showed a bat swinging through the air. It sounded so innocent, but it wasn't. Brian didn't know how to paint fear, but Justin did. It was there, what Justin must have seen, felt as he realized what was happening. That was bad enough; then he looked at the second painting. Blood. At first that's all he could see. Then he noticed the white scarf winding its way through all the blood. His head began to pound as he headed again to the exit. All he knew was that he had to get out of there.

Justin found him sitting on a bench outside when he left. Apparently waiting for him. He rubbed his eyes, wishing when he opened them Brian wouldn't be there, and he wouldn't have to have this conversation. No such luck.

"Brian," he began hesitantly reaching a hand out to touch his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to ever see those."

Brian finally looked at him. "So this is why you kept the show a secret."

"It seemed best this way. Mom and Deb would just cry. And then probably try and send me to some shrink. You and Daphne, you already lived through it once. That was enough. I never should have put them in the show; I didn't mean to. One of my professors saw them and suggested I show them. It wasn't worth it. I'm sorry," he repeated.

Brian sighed and gestured for Justin to join him on the bench. "What about you? You lived through once too. Wasn't that enough? Did you really need to see them?"

"Yeah, I guess I did," Justin answered, giving him a ghost of a smile.

"How, why?"

"I started having nightmares shortly after," he paused, searching for the right word "your birthday," he finally settled on. He and Brian had never really been able to talk about the bashing and saying the word aloud suddenly seemed too harsh. "Drawing gave me something to do when I couldn't sleep. Helped me understand what I saw in my dreams."

"Didn't your fiddler play you lullabies until you fell back to sleep?" Brian retorted.

Justin laughed. Nothing ever changed, Brian still got defensive if they talked about anything vaguely emotional. "I started drawing after Ethan and I ended things. But no, he didn't play me any lullabies."

Brian looked at Justin expectantly. He could tell there was more to the story and for some reason he wanted to hear it. Now it was Justin's turn to sigh. He never thought Brian would be the one he finally confided in about his breakup with Ethan. "The nightmares were kind of the last straw between us. We were already having problems. Ethan wasn't thrilled when he found out about my past."

"What past? Jesus Christ Justin, you're nineteen! You don't have a past yet."

"Have you forgotten the King of Babylon contest and my short-lived career as a go-go dancer? Ethan may have abandoned the club scene, but most of his friends haven't. They recognized me. Ethan didn't like having such a well-known boyfriend. It didn't quite fit with the struggling artist image he had of me."

"Prick," Brian muttered under his breath.

"We were dealing with that. Then the nightmares started. Of course, I had to tell him about the prom."

"You mean he didn't know?" Brian cut him off.

"No, that's the strange part. I never mentioned it to him before. It never occurred to me to tell him. I'm so used to everyone knowing. No one ever talks about it, but it's always there. I just assumed he knew." Justin took a deep breath before continuing. This was the hard part. Well, he'd just tell Brian as little as possible. It's not like he'd ever find out the truth. "I think Ethan realized just how much baggage I come with. Too many issues. He wanted something simple, and we both know I'm not that."

"Fucking bastard. So much for loving you for who you are,"

Brain wished he could take the words back as soon as he said them. He watched a wall come down over Justin's features and knew whatever comfort they had achieved with each other was over.

"Well, it's pretty ironic. I left you because I could never be enough for you. I left to be with someone who said I was all he needed. In the end, I was too much for Ethan"

"Justin"

"Look, Brian it's late. I need to go. I'm sorry again about tonight."

"Justin, the paintings they're . . . " he stopped trying to find the right words. How do you describe a reminder of the best/worst night of you life? Beautiful? Haunting? "I wish . . . "

"I know. Me too. They just don't have a place anywhere."

"Did they help?"

"Yes, a lot. Now get going. It's still early enough for you to hit Babylon and forget tonight ever happened," he shooed Brian away with a smile.

"Join me?"

For a minute Justin looked sad again, "No, I tried that already. Doesn't work for me. You stick with tricks; I'll stick with art."

Brian nodded to Justin as he walked away.

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It would be three weeks before Brian would have a chance to see Justin again. Two of those weeks were spent traveling trying to land a new client. And the third, well, Brian had needed some time to think about the last conversation he had with Justin. He realized Justin was better off without him. He had been able to face his nightmares in a much better way than Brian ever could. Ethan may not have made Justin happy, but he still had a better life than the one he shared with Brian. For reasons only Brian would understand, this made him smile as he walked into the diner expecting to see a relaxed, healthier Justin.

Unfortunately, that was not the sight that greeted Brian. One look at Justin taking the boys order, and he felt his control slip. "FUCK!" he exclaimed, turning on his heel as he exited the diner earning startled glances from the patrons.

When Michael caught up with him an hour later at Babylon, he was sizing up his third trick of the night and already high enough to have forgotten everything but his name.

"What the hell was that about?" Michael demanded

"Nothing, I just forgot an appointment"

"Where, in the backroom? What's going on Brian?" Michael continued.

"Nothing, yet Mikey. But give me few minutes," Brian replied as he moved in for the kill.

Michael shook his head as he watched Brian walk away. He headed over to the bar to join Ben and didn't see Brian again until it was time to drive him home.

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The next morning over breakfast at the diner, the subject of Brian's performance came up.

"So, what was with Brian last night? I haven't seen him that out of control in a long time," Ted asked Michael.

"Beats the hell out of me. Who can ever understand Brian's moods?" Michael shrugged.

Emmett had finally had enough. He was tired of watching Brian self destruct and even more tired of watching everyone ignore the reason. "It's Justin! Justin! Brian's mood was caused by Justin."

"Are you out of your mind? They're not even talking to each other," Michael looked at Emmett in disbelief. Ted just shook his head.

"Are you two really this blind? Open your damn eyes!" Emmett sighed in frustration. "Do I have to explain everything to you?"

"Apparently," Ted answered. "I certainly don't see what Justin has to do with anything. He and Brian have barely even seen each other since the party. Brian didn't give much thought to Justin when they were together. Why would he start once Justin left him?"

"First of all, Justin didn't leave Brian," Emmett held up his hand to stop the arguments Ted and Michael tried to make. "Brian pushed him away. He decided Justin would be happier with Ethan and made sure that's where Justin ended up. Is anyone following me here? This is Brian, the king of grand, dramatic self-sacrificing gestures."

"What does any of this have to do with last night even if it is true?"

"Well Teddy, since your romantically challenged pea brains are incapable of recognizing the truth about Brian and Justin, I have to start at the beginning. As I was saying, Brian pushed Justin away so he'd be happy. Brian can now go back to his old life convinced Justin's better off. Everything's fine until Justin shows up at Babylon clearly not happy. Next thing you know, Brian's on a two week bender. Justin stops coming to Babylon, Brian's back to normal. Last night Brian sees Justin for the first time in weeks. We can all agree that Justin looks like hell. Brian's now back in self-destruct mode. Let me make it simple for you. Justin's happy, or Brian can pretend he's happy, and Brian's happy. Justin's miserable then Brian's miserable."

"I just don't see it. Brian was glad Justin left; he's happy to be free of him. He doesn't care about what happens to Justin," Michael said somewhat unconvincingly.

Emmett really wished Debbie was there to slap some sense into Michael. Sometimes it was the only thing that worked. A quick glance at Ben told him confronting Michael was the right thing to do. "Michael, you're Brian's best friend. God dammit act like it! Of course he cares about what happens to Justin; he always has. He loves Justin even if he's too stubborn to admit it. Brian made a mistake with Justin, and now they're both suffering. YOU need to do something. Brian will never face his feelings for Justin unless he's forced to. Stop being so fucking jealous of Justin and help Brian!" With that, Emmett made a dramatic exit, as only he can, leaving shocked silence at the table.

When Michael opened the door to the loft later that evening, he found Brian slumped in a chair, bottle in hand. "I came to see if you wanted to come to Woody's, but it looks like you've already had a drink."

"Or two or three," Brian laughed. "Just getting started on the weekend Mikey"

Michael looked at his best friend and thought about what Emmett had said. "Brian why are you doing this to yourself? Is it because of Justin?"

"Doing what to myself? Enjoying a few after dinner drinks? And you know the rules Mikey, we don't mention his name. He doesn't exist anymore, remember."

Kneeling down in front of Brain, Michael looked him in the eye and continued, "Stop Brian. I know you better than this. Drop the act. What is going on?"

For just a second Brian let his guard down, "He was supposed to be happy. Ethan was supposed to give him everything I won't"

"So your upset because things didn't work out between Justin and Ethan?" Michael swore he would never understand Brian.

"No, I knew that would never last," Brian contradicted himself as if it made perfect sense. "Why didn't he come back? He should have come back."

Michael thought he was beginning to understand and wondered then how stupid Brian was, "Are you fucking nuts?" He stood up as he began to yell. "Did you think Justin would come crawling back? He's not an idiot you know. Jesus, even I know that he'd never do that."

"Why not?"

"Why not, why not?" Michael repeated in disbelief.

"Could we stop with echo. You're giving me a headache."

"Brian, everyone knows your motto, `No excuse, no apologies, no regrets.'"

"So."

"That also means no second chances. Justin understands that. There's no going back with you. God, and people think you're the smart one."

Brian shook his head as if to clear it. This was way too much truth for one night. "Fuck it, Mikey, let's go. There's a pool table with our name on it."

Michael followed him out of the loft having no idea what just happened. Of course, with Brian he was used to that.

Brian didn't let himself think about what Michael had said until he returned to the loft that night, or the next morning depending on how you looked at it. He hadn't really admitted to himself until today that he'd let Justin go assuming he's come back. It would be so easy. All Justin would have to do is say he didn't need all the romantic bullshit the fiddler was supposed to give him, and everything could go back to the way it was. He had expected Justin to understand that. Still slightly drunk, Brian decided to take matters into his own hands. Obviously Justin needed to be reminded of how things worked in Brian Kinney's world. A short time later, Brian knocked on the door to Justin's apartment. He hoped he wouldn't have to pound too loudly in order to wake Justin up. It was almost four in the morning, and Justin slept like the dead after a shift. He was shocked when Justin flung the door open after his first knock.

"What are you doing here?" is all Justin could manage as he came face to face with Brian.

"Do you always open the door without checking to see who it is in the middle of the night?" Brian countered as he looked Justin over. He looked adorable standing there barefoot wearing nothing but sweat pants. He'd obviously been awake. As Brian pushed his way into the apartment, he noticed drawings of Rage spread out on the table. "More nightmares?" he sighed.

Justin just shrugged and again asked why Brian was there.

Brian sat down on the couch and tried to gather his thoughts. Now that he was here, he didn't know what to say. "Why didn't you come back? After you and Ethan broke up, why didn't you come home?"

"Like that was an option. Please Brian, give me a little credit. I knew when I walked out of that party it was forever. You don't do second chances."

"What if I told you, you were wrong? What if I said you could come back?"

"To what? You made it perfectly clear that you had no use for me other than sex. That you didn't care one way or another if I stayed."

Justin wasn't going to make this easy, and Brian wasn't sure how much he was prepared to admit in order to get him back. "Look Justin, you wanted out. You wanted flowers and romance and poetry. But that didn't make you happy. You're not happy now."

"Happy," Justin snorted. "Some people aren't meant to be happy. You know that better than anyone, don't you Brian?"

"What is going on? I saw you a few weeks ago and you were fine. You said the drawings helped. Has something happened?"

"Stop pretending you care. Stop fucking with my head," Justin was rapidly losing control. He hadn't slept well in forever. He was too tired to deal with Brian. He couldn't let Brian make him think about things he knew he could never have. "I don't know who sent you to fix me, but you need to leave. We are not part of each other's lives now. Deal with it, I have."

"Justin no one sent me here. I just wanted . . ." Brian stopped, he was no longer sure why he had come. Something was very wrong and he needed to find out what it was, "You know I care"

Justin cut him off, "No you don't. You did once, but not anymore."

"I didn't stop caring after the party. You know me better than that."

"It has nothing to do with that. It was long before that. I remember Brian. You don't have to pretend anymore"

"What do you remember? Justin, you're not making any sense."

Suddenly, Justin cocked his head to the side and looked at Brian, "How many of my paintings did you see at the show?"

"The first two. What has that got to do with anything?" Brian asked becoming even more confused.

Justin disappeared for a minute and returned holding two canvases. "Look at these and you'll understand."

The first painting showed two hands clasped. One leading the other. It spoke of promise. The other showed two figures embracing on a dance floor. Brain stared at them for a minute then turned to Justin, "You remember the prom. All of it, not just the end? Justin, that's wonderful. It's what you always wanted."

"Well, I should be the poster child for `Be careful what you wish for.' I remember everything, and now I know exactly what I've lost. Ethan was right. I'm nothing more than a whore."

"You are not a fucking whore! Why would you listen to anything the fucking fiddler had to say? And what does any of this have to do with the prom?" Brian began pacing around the small room as he became more and more agitated.

"I left some things out when I told you about Ethan. He pretended to understand about the bashing, but I knew he didn't. He kept asking me what I was thinking asking you to the prom. What did I think was going to happen? Eventually, he got tired of listening to me call out for you every night. When he told me to leave, he let me know what he really thought. He told me I was asking for it. His friends were right; I was and always would be Brian Kinney's whore. That flaunting you at the prom proved it. He thought he could change me, but he realized it was hopeless. The sad part he said was that I was proud of it."

"Justin, how could you believe that? You didn't deserve what Hobbs did."

"Don't worry Brian. I told him he was wrong about all of it. I know I didn't deserve what Hobbs's did to me. So I left. My great romance was over, we were over. I figured what the hell, why not enjoy being nineteen. I finally took your advice. Love is bullshit; fucking is honest."

"So why did you disappear from Babylon?" Brian asked when Justin stopped to take a breath.

"Because one night I remembered. I remembered you walking in, I remembered the dance, the kiss, the walk to the jeep. All of it. And I knew Ethan was right about one thing; I was a whore. Oh, not for the reason he thought. Ethan, my dad, even Michael all thought I was trading sex for a place to live, for the material things you gave me, for the thrill of being with the great Brain Kinney. But they were wrong. I loved you, and I just wanted you to love me too. So I played the games and I joined the three ways all in attempts to hang on to you. That's when I became a whore. But it was already too late."

"Justin," Brian tried to interrupt him.

"Don't! Just listen. For once in your fucking life listen to me! I was so stupid. I spent months convincing myself you loved me. When you told me it wasn't guilt that you wanted me with you, I believed you. But it was all a waste of time. I was chasing after something I'd already lost. I remember how you looked at me that night, how you kissed me. You loved me then. For that one night. I know that. But it ended there. You never looked at me like that again. No matter how long I waited, no matter how many guys we did together I would never get that back. It was over before it started. All the things I told myself were love were just guilt and pity. All the drugs, all the alcohol, all the tricks can't change that. So what's the fucking point? I just wanted it to stop. So I drew my little pictures and convinced myself I was putting it behind me. I even convinced you. But do you know what I see when I close my eyes at night? I see your eyes. I see the love that was in them for that one night. And then I hear Ethan's voice reminding me that I'll never be anything more than Brian Kinney's whore."

If Brian had to listen to Justin call himself a whore one more time, he wasn't sure who he was going to kill first. "Will you please listen to me."

But Justin wasn't listening to anything right then. "One swing of the bat and I lost everything. I lost you. Hell, I even lost Ethan and I hadn't even met him. For one night, I had everything. It was the perfect night. The best night of my life. How can anyone compete with that? Look what I did to myself, to you, to Ethan all trying to get back something I didn't even know I already had and lost. How pathetic is that?" Justin had finally run out of steam. He stood before Brian all his defenses gone.

Brian looked at Justin and couldn't stand the defeat he saw in his eyes. They had all hurt him so much. Hobbs, Ethan, himself. Brian thought he wanted things to go back to the way they were. But now he knew that couldn't happen. If he wanted Justin back, he was going to have to fight for him. And dammit, he wasn't going to let Hobbs or Ethan win.

He took a deep breath and looked Justin straight in the eye before speaking, "You didn't lose anything that night. You were right, I did love you that night. But no one can take that away from us." He saw Justin begin to turn away from him. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but somehow the need to make Justin see the truth was greater than his own fears. He turned Justin's face back toward him. "Look at me, Justin. I love you." And then he leaned in to kiss him. He felt Justin relax as their lips met. He felt his own heartbeat return to normal as he was finally able to hold Justin in his arms again. When he felt Justin's arms wrap around him, he thought maybe this was exactly what he's come here for after all.

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Justin leaned into Brian's kiss, not quite sure what was going on. One minute, he was talking, shouting really, telling Brian all kinds of things he swore he'd never share. Then Brian was telling him he loved him and kissing him. Wait a minute, he thought. Brian told him he WHAT? Justin pulled back and looked at Brian, a shocked expression on his face.

Brian smiled slightly, "Yes, I said it. Now stop staring at me and let me show you that I mean it." He pulled Justin more firmly into his embrace and began laying soft kisses along his neck. He ran his hands along Justin's back, refamiliarizing himself with the feel of Justin's body. He had missed this, him, more than he'd even realized, he thought as he slipped his hands beneath the waistband of Justin's pants, caressing his ass and pulling him even closer.

"Bedroom," Justin murmured as Brian's tongue began doing wicked, delicious things to his ear. He pushed Brian back toward the bed while trying to get his clothes off of him at the same time. Somehow they ended up naked on his bed, hands roaming, searching for the places they knew would bring the most pleasure. God, how had he lived without this, Justin wondered as Brian's mouth found his again. No one kissed like Brian Kinney.

Brian let out a moan as Justin's hands found his balls, then stroked up the underside of his cock, finally circling the tip in lazy circles. As good as that felt, he wanted this to last. He batted Justin's hands away and began working his way down Justin's body with his tongue. He teased his nipples, licked his way down his rib cage, nibbled at his hips and inner thighs before finding his mark. He swirled his tongue around Justin's cock from the base to the tip, taunting him before slowing wrapping his lips around it. His mouth continued to work its magic while his hand slipped beneath him, and he gently teased his hole. He quickly brought Justin to orgasm and reveled in the look on his face as Justin closed his eyes and lost control.

While Brian moved back up the mattress to reclaim Justin's lips, Justin began his own exploration. His hands moved over every inch of Brian's body. He petted, teased, and tormented him while nuzzling his neck and gently tugging on his earlobe with his teeth. Finally, he reached his hand between their bodies and encircled Brian's cock with one hand and stroked his balls with the other. Brian countered by sliding lubed fingers in and out of Justin's hole expertly preparing him for what was to come.

When Justin had enough, he reached for a condom and slowly slipped in on Brian. "Now, Brian," he demanded breathlessly. Brian moved Justin's legs onto his shoulders and looked him in the eye, "Now Justin."

They both gasped as Brian entered him. Justin stared into Brian's eyes and saw everything he needed to see. He arched off the mattress and pulled Brian's head down for a hard, passionate kiss. Bodies, tongues, fingers entwined, they found a rhythm that left them both breathless. As they climaxed together, for the first time in forever both men felt complete.

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Brian woke up in the late afternoon to find Justin staring at him. He sighed, "Justin, don't."

"Hmmm?" was the only response he got.

"Don't think, question, analyze. Whatever it is you're doing, don't." He reached up, gently cupping the side of Justin's face and pulled him down for a kiss. "I'm here, with you. This is exactly where I want to be. OK?"

"I love you."

"I know," Brian quipped, hoping to make Justin smile. "Look, we have things to talk about, and I promise we will. But for now let's just enjoy this, enjoy each other. After what you did to me this morning, I can't handle any serious discussion. I've forgotten what it's like keeping up with a young lover."

Whether it was the mention of sex or hearing Brian refer to him as his lover, Justin did smile then. He looked at Brian seductively, "You know, we have a few hours before I have to be at the diner."

"You are trying to kill me, you know," Brian laughed as he watched Justin hastily throw on his clothes later that evening. "And for God's sake, get a bigger shower."

It was Justin's turn to laugh as he walked over to kiss Brian goodbye. "We managed, didn't we. I've got to go or I'll be late."

"I'll pick you up after your shift."

"Not meeting the boys for dinner?"

"No, I have a few things to take care of. Now come here and give me a proper goodbye."

"We don't have that much time," Justin teased as Brian pulled him in for a tight hug.

"I know," Brian replied as he held Justin to him and kissed the top of his head. He was hesitant to let Justin go. He worried the time apart would give the doubts time to creep their way back into Justin's mind. He pulled back slightly and gave Justin a long kiss, "Remember, I love you. Later."

"Later," Justin repeated as he walked out the door.

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Brian heard violin music as he walked up the stairs. He reached the door of the apartment and walked in without knocking. Ethan's eyes widened and he stopped playing as he realized who his uninvited guest was. "If you're looking for Justin, your little whore doesn't live here anymore," he sneered.

Brian ignored him, but kept moving closer until he had pushed Ethan into a corner. "One week, you have exactly one week to get the hell out of Pittsburgh."

"What are you talking about?"

Brian looked down at him, a menacing glare on his face, "Let me make myself perfectly clear. In one week, you and every trace of your existence will be gone. Go to New York, Miami, hell, go to Boise for all I care. Just make sure it's a one way ticket."

Ethan glanced around nervously, but tried to act unafraid, "You can't tell me..."

"Oh, I can and I just did," Brian cut him off. He took the violin bow from Ethan's hand and cocked his head to one side, studying it as he ran his fingers along the string. "One more thing," Brian slowly ran the bow along the side of Ethan's jaw and then across his throat. "If you come anywhere near Justin, if he sees you, hears your voice, or is reminded of you in any way, I will kill you." With that, Brian pulled the bow from Ethan's throat and snapped it in half.

"Hey, do you know how much that cost me!" Ethan protested.

Brian's arm replaced the bow across his throat as he shoved Ethan up against the wall. "Do you know what it cost Justin to look me in the eye and call himself a whore? You are a very stupid boy, aren't you. You underestimated me once, DO NOT do it again. Mess with what's mine and you will be very sorry. And make no mistake about it, Justin is mine." Brian abruptly removed his arm and watched Ethan slide to the floor in a heap.

He brushed an imaginary piece of lint from his arm as he strode from the room, "One week, not a second longer." He spared Ethan a quick glance and had the satisfaction of watching him slowly nod, fear evident in his eyes.

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Justin tried to keep his mind off Brian while he worked. He knew how easy it was for him to fall into the trap Brian had caught him in this morning. He'd start out thinking about how happy he was that Brian said he loved him, how beautiful last night was, then next thing you knew he was analyzing everything. Did Brian really mean it? Would he want to try again? Could he forgive him for Ethan? Could he forgive himself for Ethan? Once his thoughts turned to Ethan, things really went downhill. He'd never loved Ethan; he knew that now. But somehow, Ethan had hurt him way more than Brian ever had. Ethan made him doubt himself in ways no one else ever had. He could never forget the look of disgust in his eyes when he called him a whore. What Justin kept coming back to was that he had to have done something to turn the look in Ethan's eyes from love to hate. And if he did it once, what was to stop him from doing it again?

Luckily, the diner was busy and Justin had very little time to think. He stayed focused on the customers, and if his mind starting wandering, he tried to remember the good-bye kiss Brian had given him. Unfortunately, the diner was so busy Michael and Ted didn't notice Justin was only a few tables away when they began discussing Brian's recent behavior.

"So should we start a pool on how many trips Brian makes to the backroom tonight? He's certainly on pace to set a new record, even for himself."

"I don't think he'd appreciate that, Ted. Especially if we guessed low."

"So what do you think of Emmett's theory regarding Brian and Justin?"

Justin couldn't help but listen for Michael's answer. He didn't know exactly what Emmett's theory was, but he could only imagine. As the hopeless romantic of the group, he told Justin many times he thought Brian and Justin were destined for each other.

Michael thought for a moment before answering. Considering Brian's behavior at Babylon last night, he obviously wasn't going to change because he and Michael had what for them counted as a heart to heart about Justin. He couldn't share what little Brian had admitted to him so there was no point in even mentioning the conversation. In the end, Michael opted, as he always did, to protect Brian's reputation. "It's bullshit. Brian and Justin are over. Brian tricks because he likes it. Always has, always will. Justin has nothing to do with his life anymore."

Justin slipped back to the kitchen without Michael or Ted ever noticing him. The next time he passed by their table, Ben and Emmett had joined them and the conversation centered on some party Emmett had been to. Justin took their order with a smile, but treated them with the same polite distance he had maintained since he left Brian. As usual, he resisted Emmett's attempts to draw him into the conversation and gave no hint that anything had happened between him and Brian.

When Brian walked into the diner an hour later, he took one look at Justin's face and knew something was wrong. "Brian, we're ready. Let's go." He was momentarily distracted by Michael scrambling out of the booth toward him. Oblivious to the events of last night, Michael apparently wanted Brian away from Justin as soon as possible. He held up a hand to stop Michael's progress and turned his attention back to his lover.

"Justin," he barked in exasperation. Silence fell over the diner as everyone stopped what they were doing. No one wanted to miss what was expected to be the first public confrontation between the former couple. "I told you, NO thinking," Brian continued as he closed the distance between them. Those expecting fireworks were not disappointed. Brian pulled Justin to him for a very long, very passionate kiss. "I love you," he whispered in his ear. Then a bit louder, "Later."

"Later," Justin answered flashing him a huge smile.

"Well, come on boys. Let's go," Brian made his way to the door ignoring the shocked looks he and Justin were getting. Michael, Ted, Emmett, and Ben trailed after him in stunned silence.

Brian sipped his drink and wondered who would break the silence. His money was on Emmett, who was sitting next to him grinning like the village idiot. Ben wouldn't care enough to ask, and Ted generally knew better than to ask Brian about his personal life. That left Michael, who almost never asked about Justin, mostly because he didn't want to know. Which is why Brian was as surprised as anyone when Michael spoke up.

"What the hell was that? Here, I thought you were actually opening up to me last night. `Why doesn't he come back Michael' What a joke. When THAT'S been going for how long behind our backs?" Michael finally stopped when Ben put a hand on his arm, "Michael, stop. Give Brian a chance to explain."

"Well, I for one, think it's fabulous. True love wins in the end. Just like in the movies," Emmett clapped his hands and laid his head on Brian's shoulder.

Brian rolled his eyes and pushed Emmett off his shoulder. "There's nothing to explain. And nothing has been going on behind anyone's back," he said with a pointed look at Michael. "I went to see Justin last night and we talked . . ."

"You talked," Ted snorted in disbelief.

"We talked," Brian continued with a glare, "and here we are. End of story."

"Details, Brian, I need details!" Emmett pleaded. "What was he wearing? What did you say? Did he beg for your forgiveness? Did you tell him you love him? Was the make-up sex fantastic?"

"Why do you want to know what Justin was wearing?" Ted interrupted.

"I'm trying to get a mental picture, if you don't mind."

"I mind," Brian said clearly irritated. "What happened is none of your business. I will say, however, that since I was involved any make-up sex that may or may not have happened would have to be fantastic." Brian listened to Ted and Emmett bicker about his ego and whether or not he and Justin could spend ten minutes together without having sex. It was so easy to distract them. One mention of sex and they forgot all about their questions. Unfortunately he was going to have to bring the conversation back to his and Justin's reunion. The fact that Justin hadn't mentioned it worried him. And left to their own devices, God only knows what these idiots would say to Justin.

Brian took a deep breath and spoke, "Listen, don't give Justin a hard time about this, about me. He's had enough problems lately. He doesn't the third degree or a lecture from any of you."

"Maybe you're the one that needs a lecture," Michael began angrily.

"Michael," Ben again tried to calm his lover down, but this time Michael brushed his hand away. "No, Brian needs to hear this. You are out of your fucking mind! He's been nothing but trouble since you met him, and you're already trying to protect him. And from what? The truth. That he doesn't deserve you after what he did. God, Brian he can't be that good in bed. After everything you did for him, did he appreciate it? No. He takes off, first chance he gets, with his little dream lover."

Brian had listened to enough, "Sometimes dreams turn out to be nightmares, don't they Mikey. This is exactly what I'm talking about. What I do with Justin is none of your God damn business. And if you say anything like this to him . . ."

Emmett interrupted quietly, "What did Ethan do to him?"

Brian gave them an abbreviated version of the story Justin had told him. He gave them enough details to know how deeply Ethan had hurt Justin, but he left some things out. He deliberately left out Ethan's use of the word whore, he didn't want someone (Mikey) throwing back in Justin's face later.

"How dare he say those things to our baby. I say we go kick his thrift store reject, violin playing ass!"

Brian smiled at Emmett's reaction. "Don't worry, in six days, twenty-two hours and sixteen minutes Ethan will no longer be a problem."

"Oh my God, Brian! Did you put a hit out on him?" Emmett gasped.

"Jesus, Emmett get a grip. No, I did not put a hit out on him. Although I did leave the possibility open. I just made him understand that his future lies outside Pittsburgh." Brian stood up abruptly, "That's enough talking, it's time for Babylon."

After they had been at Babylon for a while, Brian pulled Michael aside, "Look, Mikey I know you have problems with Justin, but you have to let it go. He's going to be around from now on, and I won't have you hurting him."

"What about him hurting you? I still don't understand after what he did to you how you could even think about . . . "

"Mikey, it doesn't matter. This is what I want. Sure, he made mistakes, but he's more than paid for them. And I've made mistakes too. Some people would say he's out of his mind to want to do this again."

"So it's just going to be like it was before. We're supposed to act like nothing happened?"

"I don't know what it's going to be like, but you need to stay out of it. As far as you and the boys are concerned, nothing did happen. How we deal with it is between us. Understand?"

Michael opened his mouth to protest, but closed it when he remembered what Emmett said about it being time he started acting like Brian's best friend. Instead he just nodded.

He was rewarded for his choice by a smile and quick kiss from Brian. "Thanks, Mikey. For last night too. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have gone to him."

Great, Michael thought to himself as he watched Brian walk away. Not only do I have to put up with Justin again, I'm the one responsible. He didn't have to like Justin being back in Brian's life, but it looked like he was going to have to live with it.

Brian walked into the diner at 1:30am and snuck up behind Justin. He slipped his arms around him and whispered in his ear, "Miss me?"

"Always," Justin answered as he turned around and gave Brian a welcoming kiss. Once again, every eye in the place was on them and Justin blushed slightly when they pulled apart. "Go sit somewhere and behave while I finish my shift. I'll bring you some coffee."

"Don't like all the attention Sunshine? Just be glad Deb's off tonight or you'd really be in trouble," Brian laughed but did as he was told.

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A few hours later, Justin lazily trailed a hand along Brian's chest and thought about how happy he was to be back in Brian's bed. He never believed he would be here again. "So, how pissed was Michael?" he asked abruptly.

"What makes you think Michael was pissed?" Brian smiled at the look Justin gave him. "OK, he was a little pissed but mostly he was surprised. Except for Emmett, they were all surprised."

"Emmett's always believed in happy ending."

"Speaking of surprised, however, why didn't you say anything?"

"How would I work that into the conversation? `Coffee anyone? By the way, Brian came over last night, I had a minibreakdown, he told me he loved me, and we made love for hours. Who wants the special?' So what did you tell them?"

"Not much. Mostly that it was none of their business," Brain sat up slightly and gave Justin a kiss before continuing. "And you didn't have a breakdown, mini or otherwise last night. Considering everything that has happened to you, you have the right to be a bit of a drama princess. I was paying attention last night and now, it's your turn to listen. I didn't stop caring about you after the prom; I just went back to hiding it. It seemed safer that way, for both of us. As to what happened later, I wanted you in my life, but I didn't want things to change. Having you be part of it seemed like the best of both worlds. We can do it differently this time. You need to forget everything the fucking fiddler ever said to you, everything. Most importantly, I want you to remember our dance as a good thing. You told me once it was the best night of you life. Remember it that way; I do," Brian hoped Justin understood what he was saying. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

"Are you sure you want to do this at all? I need to know that Brian. Why did you come see me last night?"

"Because I missed you. Because someone made me realize you weren't going to come to me. Because I want you with me, always. Look, Justin it won't be perfect. I'm not going to become some sweet, romantic boyfriend. I'm not ready for locks on the door. But it will be better. I do love you. But you have to know that even when I don't say it. You have to believe that we can make this work."

"I don't want perfect. I tried that and it was a lie. I don't need you to change. I want you; I always have. It helps though, if you can be as honest about the good things as you are about the bad. I don't need locks, but I won't trick with you anymore. With my schedule, you'll have plenty of nights out without me. Do what you want. I don't need details, and I don't need to see it. That was half the problem last time. I never minded the other men as long as I knew what we had was different and separate from that. Once it became a game with us, it became harder to believe I was more that a trick to you."

"You have always been more than a trick even when I didn't want to admit it."

"I know. I love you Brian. I never thought I'd have a second chance with you and there is no way I am going to screw it up. This time we go in with our eyes wide open: no missing memories, no games, no illusions. Now that's enough talking, let's celebrate."

Brian's only answer was to spent the rest of the night showing Justin exactly how much he loved him. It truly was a celebration since both men were sure they could make it work this time.

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5 years later

"Stop fidgeting, for God's sake. Your starting to make me nervous," Brian smiled at his lover as he smoothed the jacket of his tuxedo.

"Brian, I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"Justin, you told me five years ago these paintings had no place. I found a place for them. It's time to stop hiding them. They are beautiful pieces, and we are stronger than the bad memories. Right?" As soon as Brian had heard about the benefit show one of the more prominent anti-hate crime groups was planning, he'd known Justin's work would be perfect. Justin was beginning to make a name for himself in the art world so any of his pieces would have been welcome. But the director was thrilled to be able to showcase paintings that spoke to the heart of her organization's mission. It had only taken a little convincing to get Justin to agree to it, but shortly before the opening he seemed to be having second thoughts.

"You're right Brian. I just worry about opening old wounds," he reached up to touch Brian's face and searched his eyes for familiar demons. Finding none, he smiled and relaxed.

"Don't worry. Think of how good this could be for your career. Maybe you can start supporting me for a change."

"Jerk," he shot back as they made their way from the hotel to the gallery.

Brian watched Justin a few hours later as yet another person told him how moved they were by his paintings. The response to Justin's work was amazing. Unfortunately, it also meant Justin had to answer questions about the bashing over and over again. Brian stuck close to his side waiting to step in if it got to overwhelming. Christ, he thought, I've turned into the devoted boyfriend in spite of myself. The last five years hadn't been perfect or easy, but they had been better than he ever expected. After a few torturous months of taking things "slowly," Justin had moved back in with him when his lease was up. Justin had finished school with honors and found a job he liked that still left him plenty of time to work on his art. Over time, Justin's mother and Michael had stopped questioning their relative sanity. Eventually Brian stopped questioning his own happiness and learned to enjoy it. Without any pressure from Justin, he'd drifted into monogamy, and they'd both been faithful for over a year. It wasn't the life he'd envisioned for himself, but he wouldn't trade it for anything.

Brian jumped when he felt a hand on his arm. "Hey, if you're done staring at me we can go," Justin said with a smile. He didn't know what Brian had been thinking about, but since he didn't look upset, it must have been good. "I know this was kind of boring for you, but I'll make it up to you when we get back to the room."

"Now, why would I be bored watching everyone fawn all over you? I love watching you try to charm all these people. You're OK aren't you? There were an awful lot of questions."

"I'm fine. Like you said, we're stronger than the bad memories and I like remembering the good parts of that night. How about you?"

They were now walking back toward the hotel. Brian reached for Justin's hand and pulled him closer. "We put all that behind us years ago. But I do want to tell you how proud I am of you. You handled yourself beautifully tonight."

"Thanks, all that country club breeding comes in handy now and again. I couldn't have done it without you, though. Having you there made all the difference. I love you so much. Just being able to look at you tonight reminded me that people like Chris Hobbs don't always win. Sometimes we win. Now let's go upstairs so I can thank you properly."

"One minute, Sunshine," Brian stopped Justin's hand before it reached the button for the elevator. "I have a surprise for you. Just remember I love you and don't get mad. OK?" Brian led Justin to one of the hotel's conference rooms and gave him a quick, nervous kiss before opening the door.

Justin had no idea what to expect, but it certainly wasn't the sight that greeted him. The room was set up for a party complete with music, a buffet, and a bar. What left him speechless were the guests: Debbie, Vic, Michael, Ben, Melanie, Lindsay, Ted, Emmett, his mom, even Daphne were all there. "Brian, what the hell is going on?" he whispered. No on had noticed them in the doorway, and Justin wanted to keep it that way.

"I know you wanted to keep this a secret, but they're your family, and they deserved to be part of your night. And don't tell me you were sparing them. It's good for them to see that Chris Hobbs doesn't have any power over you, over us anymore. Those paintings are important to you and should be shared. But I didn't want to totally freak you out so I arranged for them to see the pieces before the gallery opened. I shipped them off to a Broadway show during the actual opening. You're not upset, are you?"

Before Justin could answer, Debbie spotted them. Her shouted "Sunshine" alerted everyone to their presence and all hell broke lose. Justin spent the next hour being alternately hugged, kissed, congratulated, and yelled at. Brian finally told everyone that it was supposed to be a party so there need to be more dancing and drinking and less fussing.

It was after three when Brian and Justin finally made it back to their room. "So am I forgiven?" Brian asked as they collapsed on the bed.

"Always. And you were right. It was a good idea to have them here. Thank you for thinking of it."

"Just add it to the long list of reasons you worship and adore me. I'm just glad you're happy," Brian said as he began kissing his way up Justin's neck. "I love you," he whispered seductively in his ear.

"I love you too," Justin responded while unbuttoning Brian's shirt. "Let's start working on the worshiping part," he said with a wicked grin.

The sun was coming up when they finally settled down to sleep. Justin laid his head on Brian's chest and fell asleep to the beat of his heart. Brain wrapped his arms around Justin and relaxed once he felt the familiar weight of Justin against his body. If Justin could have drawn them at that moment, he would have added one last painting to his prom series. Because sometimes love does win.

**Title taken from the wonderful Erasure song Where in the World.

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