Traveling Soldier

Two days past 18 he was waiting for the bus in his army greens
Sat down in a booth in a café there
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair
He's a little shy so she give him a smile
And he said, "Would you mind sitting down for a while and talking to me
I'm feeling a little low?"
She said, "I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go."

So they went down and they sat on the pier
He said, "I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care
I got no one to send a letter to.
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?"

I cry never gonna hold the hand of another guy
To young for him they told her
Waiting for the love of a traveling soldier
Our love will never end
Waiting for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letter says the soldier's coming home

So the letters came from an army camp
In California then Vietnam
And he told her of his heart it might be love
And all of the things he was so scared of
He said "When it's getting kind of rough over here
I think of that day sitting down by the pier
I close my eyes and see your pretty smile
Don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while."

I cry never gonna hold the hand of another guy
To young for him they told her
Waiting for the love of a traveling soldier
Our love will never end
Waiting for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letter says the soldier's coming home

One Friday night at a football game
The Lord's Prayer said and the anthem sang
A man said "Folks would you bow your heads
For a list of local Vietnam dead?"
Crying all alone under the stands
Was a piccolo player in the marching band
And one name read but nobody really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair.

I cry never gonna hold the hand of another guy
To young for him they told her
Waiting for the love of a traveling soldier
Our love will never end
Waiting for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letter says the soldier's coming home.



He was sitting on a bus stop bench waiting to be picked up and taken to the train station. For his eighteenth birthday he had gotten nothing except a draft letter from the United States Army. What a way to spend your birthday, packing to be shipped off to war. He sighed heavily. He noticed that he wasn't far from the Liberty Diner. It had been opened during World War II in the spirit of patriotism. The whole building was painted red white and blue and had American flags everywhere. He wondered if, since this was slowly becoming the gay part of town, they would change the appearance of the building. He looked down at his watch and saw that he still had a couple of hours before his bus would arrive so he decided to get a bite to eat.

He walked in with his duffel bag in hand and made his way to a booth in the corner. He smiled when he noticed the waiter. Definitely a young man, looked about fourteen years old. He was gorgeous though. Blonde hair, blue eyes and a gorgeous bubble butt. He wondered what the Army would do to him if they found out he was gay. They would probably give him a dishonorable discharge and send him home. As much as he didn't want to fight in Vietnam, he would much rather face the Viet Cong than face his father once word got back why he was sent home. Gun wielding enemy was much preferable to drunk, angry Irishman in his mind.

He looked down at his hands on the table. He'd never been so scared in his life. He sighed heavily as he thought about what he would be doing. He was going off to fight a stupid war that he didn't believe in just to prove to his dad, who didn't really want him, that he was a real man. This was ridiculous.

"Hey." It was the waiter he spotted before.

"Hey."

"What can I get for you?"

"Um.....just a cup of coffee."

"You sure that's all you want? You look like you could use a good meal." He smiled this beautiful smile that just glowed.

"Maybe a piece of pie."

"Okay. My name's Justin."

"I know."

"How?" Justin was living up to his blonde hair. He snickered and pointed to the nametag on the boy's shirt. Justin blushed making him even more beautiful. "Oh....yeah. Forgot about that." Justin then went to fill the order, coming back with a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. "So....what's your name?"

"Brian." He said around a mouthful of pie.

"Well, Brian. It's nice to meet you."

"Um.....would you mind sitting with me? I'm kind of lonely." Brian blushed after saying it.

"Well....I still have an hour left of my shift, but we can talk after that if you want." He smiled again and Brian couldn't help but return the smile.

"I'd like that."

"Okay. I'll be back here in an hour." He laughed since the diner was small enough that he wouldn't be more than maybe 10 yards away at any moment. Almost exactly one hour later, as promised, Justin came and joined Brian in his booth, though sitting on the opposite side.

"Thanks."

"Hey, no problem. I don't really have any need to get home right away. My parents won't be home for at least another couple of hours."

"How old are you?"

"Just turned sixteen about a month ago." Brian gave him a quizzical look. "I know, I know. I look like I'm twelve. It's a curse." He smiled and Brian laughed. "How about you?"

"Turned eighteen about two days ago. Happy birthday to me." He said as he looked down at his uniform.

"Man, I bet your parents are bummed."

"Actually, my parents don't give a shit. They never wanted me in the first place. Dad would probably be happy if I got killed." His eyes went wide, not knowing why he just said that.

"Oh.....I'm sorry." Justin said looking down. Brian shrugged.

"I'm not really worried about it."

"Hey, you wanna get out of here? How long until your bus comes?" Brian looked at his watch.

"I still got a couple of hours." Justin stood and smiled.

"I know some place we can go to talk for a while, if you want." Brian smiled, grabbed his duffel bag and stood.

"I'd like that." When they walked out of the diner, Justin took Brian's hand. The older teen didn't take his hand away; he just smiled and walked along with Justin until they came to a park with a pond. They sat down on one of the benches next to the pond so they could look out at the water.

"I bet you've got a boyfriend, huh?" Brian asked as he looked out at the water.

"No, actually, I don't."

"Really? Someone as hot as you?" Brian blushed again and Justin laughed.

"I'm only sixteen. I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now. Even though a lot of guys have hit on me."

"Do your parents know?"

"What, that I'm gay?" Brian nodded. "Yeah. They got a divorce because my dad is this total homophobe and disowned me, but my mom is totally accepting of it."

"Oh."

"What about you? Your parents know?" Brian shook his head vigorously.

"I could never tell them. My dad would beat the shit out of me." They sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"You're a really nice guy, Brian."

"Justin.....um.......would you mind if I wrote to you? I don't really have anybody to write to because my parents don't care and I don't have any friends. I'd really like it if I could." Justin smiled and pulled out the order pad he still had in his pocket, removing the pencil from behind his ear. He quickly scribbled down his address and handed the piece of paper to Brian.

"I would love to get letters from you." He then leaned over and kissed Brian's cheek. Brian blushed and Justin smiled. They sat there staring at the water and talking, holding hands and exchanging the occasional kiss on the cheek until it was time for Brian to go. He gathered up his things and looked at Justin.

"I'll write as soon as I can. I'm glad I got to meet you today, Justin."

"Glad I got to meet you too, Brian. And I'll be waiting for your first letter." Justin let loose one of those bright smiles that just melted Brian's heart. He decided that it reminded him of sunshine; he positively glowed when he smiled like that.

"Later, Sunshine." Brian smiled, then headed to the waiting bus. He was on his way to war, but at least now he had something to look forward to. He couldn't wait to get his first letter from Justin.



PFC Kinney, Brian A

San Francisco, CA. 91526

May 7th, 1965

Justin,

Hey. I just got here. It's amazing. Although all I really got to see was from the airport to the base. I've just started basic training. It's rough, but I'm getting through it. They're teaching me how to shoot a rifle and self-defense and things like that. I don't have much time. Lights out is in ten minutes. This is the first break I've had all day. I hope to hear from you soon. Just wanted to let you know that I'm okay. Later.


Brian





Justin Taylor

Pittsburgh, PA 15296

May 15th 1965


Brian,

My dad was in WWII and said that basic training was the worst thing he's ever been through. But he made it out so I bet you will. What is San Francisco like, or don't you get to see much of it? Be careful with the rifles. Guns aren't safe. I'm glad to hear that you are okay. I hope you stay okay because I can't wait to see you again. I hope to hear from you soon and will anxiously await your next letter.

Love

Justin





PFC Kinney, Brian A

San Francisco, CA 91526

May 29th, 1965

Justin,

Sorry it took so long to write back. I've been really busy. I hope you weren't worried. Basic was really only bad for the first couple of weeks, then it started to ease up. I finally got to get out and see San Francisco last weekend. I wish you could see it. It's hard to describe. It's such a great city. And there are so many gay guys around here. I can't really hang out with them because it'll get me in trouble if the Army finds out I'm gay. I did manage to sneak into the gay part of town though. They have these bathhouses that are so great. It's not really bathing, it's nothing but fucking and sucking. I wish I could have done more than look around. I'm so horny it's not even funny. A lot of the guys that I'm stationed here with are so hot. Anyway, I gotta get going. I'm actually supposed to be asleep right now. Hope to hear from you soon.

Brian





Justin Taylor

Pittsburgh, PA 15296

June 2nd, 1965

Brian,

I'm glad to hear that the basic is getting better. I doubt it would be very beneficial to send a bunch of tired soldiers out to war. I'm glad you got to see San Francisco. Maybe someday when you come back from war we can go there together. A guy your age was in here the other day and told me that there are bathhouses here in Pittsburgh. Oh and this social club for gay men is opening up on Liberty called Babylon. I'm not old enough to get in though so I'll only get to hear things. Maybe when you get back you can go there and find out what its about. Well, I have to go get to work now. I'll talk to you soon.

Love

Justin





PFC Kinney, Brian A

San Francisco, CA 91526

June 10th, 1965

Justin,

I hope that I can get home soon so I can go to Babylon. It sounds like a place I would enjoy. Maybe we can get you a fake ID and we can go together, who knows? I found out that I only have to stay in Vietnam for 6 months before I can come home. Of course, I only get a two week leave before they send me back for another six months but at least I'll get to see you for a while before I go back. We're shipping out at the end of the week so the next letter you receive will be from Vietnam. Go ahead and send the letter to the current address. They haven't given me the new one yet. I'll find that out there, but your reply will be forwarded to me. Might take me a while to respond though. I hope to hear from you as soon as possible.

Brian





Justin Taylor

Pittsburgh PA 15296

June 15th 1965

Brian

Maybe we could get a fake ID. There is a big Pride parade this weekend. I wish you could be here for it. 6 months isn't that long if you think about it. I'm sure you'll be occupied so the time will fly by. I can't wait till you have leave so I can see you again. Sometimes when I sleep I dream of you sitting there writing me letters. I dream about you a lot. I know it sounds silly but I feel like I've known you forever. Well, I have to go. Hope to hear from you soon. Take care and be safe.

Love

Justin





PFC Kinney, Brian A

Hanoi Vietnam

July 20th, 1965

Justin,

I hope you didn't worry about me too much. I just got your letter about a week ago. This is the first chance I've had to write. Luckily I haven't actually gotten into the fighting yet. I have to admit that I've never been so scared in my life. A couple of the guys have gotten hurt really bad and several have ended up dead. I can't worry though. They say that being scared is the worst because it usually gets you killed. When I get scared I just think of that day in the park when we sat there and talked. All I have to do is close my eyes and I can see your smile. Sunshine on a rainy day. It's been raining a lot over here. And I know what you mean. I've been dreaming about you too. I wish I could be there for the Pride parade, sounds like it would be fun. I miss you so much. I know we only talked for a couple of hours but I really feel like I've known you for years. I can't wait until I can come home and see you again. I gotta go. It's getting close to dark and we're not allowed to have lamps on unless absolutely necessary. I hope to hear from you soon.

Love,

Brian





Justin Taylor

Pittsburgh, PA 15296

July 30th 1965

Brian

I miss you a lot. I got my driver's License yesterday. I can drive a car now. If you were here I would drive to see you. The Pride parade was really neat. I had a lot of fun and it's happening again next year. I can't wait. Maybe you'll be here for it and we can go together. Every time I look at the booth you sat at the day we met I cry a little because I think of you and pray that you're all right. I just want you to come home safe. Don't be scared and if you do get scared think of me sitting here and thinking of you. Be safe. Come home to me when you're leave comes. I love you.

Justin





PFC Kinney, Brian A

Hanoi, Vietnam

August 15th, 1965

Justin,

Hey, baby. Congrats on the driver's license. I miss you so much it's unreal. One of the guys has a camera so I was able to get some pictures. All the explanations will be on the backs when I can get them. I can't wait to see you again. I definitely plan on being there for the next Pride parade. Maybe this fucking war will be over by then. As soon as I get home I plan on seeing you first. God knows my parents don't give a shit. But, I'm trying not to think about them. I think about you all the time. Some of the guys ask me how I can be smiling so much and I just tell them that I've got somebody waiting for me back home. They all assume I mean a girl and I hate that I have to leave it that way. I was able to tell them about my blonde haired blue-eyed beauty with the gorgeous ass. I've had to find a private spot to jerk off on more than one occasion just thinking about you. I know it might sound crass, but I can't help it. Hope to hear from you soon.

Love you,

Brian.





Justin Taylor

Pittsburgh, PA 15296

August 30th 1965

Brian,

I told my mom about you. I showed her our letters. I hope that its okay. She wants to meet you when you get back. I told her you're at war and she was worried. I hope you come back safe. I meant it when I said in my last letter that I love you. I'll be watching the diner door everyday for you to walk through. I can't wait to see pictures. I want to hang one on my wall and put one in my locker and have one at the diner. Oh Brian, I miss you. Please come home soon. Please come home safe. Take care; I hope to hear from you soon.

Love

Justin





SGT Kinney, Brian A

Hanoi, Vietnam

September 12th, 1965

Justin,

Guess what? I got a promotion! It's not under the best of circumstances and it's a field promotion, but I got it nonetheless. I've enclosed the pictures. I managed to get one of just me, though most of them are me and my buddies. I'm glad you told your mom. I wish I could tell my folks about you. I love you too. I am so anxious to get home and just hold you. I'm planning on getting home as soon, and as safe as I can. I've been thinking so much about you. I'm amazed I can even concentrate. It's raining so much over here. Everything is muddy and wet. I wish the sun would come out even just once. I can still remember your gorgeous smile like it was only yesterday that I saw it instead of four months ago. I saw some action yesterday. They sent me out on patrol. We got shot at, but luckily nobody got hurt. Well, if you don't count the scraped knee from when I tripped and fell. But I don't really count that. I can't wait to meet your family. I love you so much. Just think, I only have three more months to go and then I can come home. You're right, time is flying by. See you in three months, baby.

Love,

Brian.





Justin Taylor

Pittsburgh, PA 15296

September 22nd 1965

Brian

I'm glad you got promoted. That must be quite an honor. Be careful when you see your action. I don't want you hurt. And I want to see you again so don't do anything stupid. My mom is going to make a big dinner for the day you come home. She'll make you your favorite meal. What is your favorite meal? I loved the pictures. It's just like the first day I saw you in your army fatigues ready to get on the bus and go off. I think you've gotten more gorgeous since the last time I saw you. I enclosed a picture of me and one of my friends. So if those guys ask you she's your girlfriend. She's a blonde with blue eyes too. I hope to talk to you soon. I love you and come home safe to me. I'll see you in 3 months with my arms open.

Love you,

Justin





SGT Kinney, Brian A

Hanoi, Vietnam

Oct 10th, 1965

Justin,

You look even more gorgeous than I remember. Thank you so much for the picture. I carry it with me everywhere I go. I'm always as careful as possible and Jimmy always makes sure I don't do anything stupid. My favorite meal is corned beef and cabbage with roasted red potatoes. It's an Irish thing. Anyway, I can't wait to see you again. Only two months to go and then I am all yours for two weeks. Looks like I'll be home by Christmas. We can celebrate together. I won't be able to bring you anything from here, but we make a stop in Japan on the way back so I can get you something neat for Christmas. I want you to know that I love you so much. Please don't worry but I'm not going to be able to write for a while. It's getting kind of hectic over here and I'm gonna be too tied up during the day light hours and, as I said, we can't have lamps on at night. Just know that I'm over here thinking of you and that I'll be home as soon as I can. Keep my booth open for me.

Love,

Brian.





It was a week until he could go home and he was counting the minutes. Brian had been unable to write a letter to Justin in the last two months and he was hoping the boy wasn't too worried about him. Seemed that every time he tried to write a letter he would get interrupted and have to put it away. He hadn't gotten more than one sentence written. But, if things worked out the way they were supposed to he would he leaving Vietnam in a week and he'd be in Pittsburgh by Christmas Eve. He just couldn't wait.

"Kinney, you're up." Brian sighed heavily. He didn't want to go on patrol but being a team leader he had to. He made sure that his picture of Justin and Justin's most recent letter were in his jacket pockets, then he grabbed his rifle and the rest of his gear and started to head out. It wasn't long before he and his men were out on patrol. As they walked they talked silently.

"Hey, Sarge, I hear you're going home next week." That was PVT Michaels. Brian couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Yeah, I am. Can't wait."

"You're lucky, I just got here." PFC Henderson added.

"Don't worry, six months flies by in this place. Seems like just yesterday that I was just getting here." The young man nodded. Brian couldn't believe how young they all were. The four of them were only 18 years old and yet he was in charge of them. He smiled slightly to himself at the irony. He was the oldest by a few months. PVT Davidson was getting away from them a little, not really paying attention to where he was going.

"So, Sarge, I bet you can't wait to get back to that blonde of yours." Brian had been about to get Davidson's attention when Michaels said that. He and Michaels had gotten to know each other pretty well in the time that they'd been there. They had arrived together and been assigned together. Brian was starting to consider him a pretty good friend.

"You got that right." Just as Brian spoke there was an explosion up ahead. He turned his head and saw that Davidson was gone. Before he had a chance to question it, guns started firing everywhere. The three remaining men dropped to the ground, though Michaels was aided by a bullet. Brian made his way over to Michaels to check out his wound. It was pretty bad. Though Brian had no medical background he could tell by the amount of blood that was already pouring from the wound that Michaels wasn't going to make it. He had to try to reassure the young man though. He pulled off his jacket and used it to apply pressure to the wound.

"You just hang in there, Jimmy." He pulled out his radio and called for help, but the nearest medic wasn't going to get there in time. Brian could see the young man fading already. He heard voices coming from a few yards away and he could tell they were not American voices. It was a pretty good chance that if he stayed where he was, he'd be captured. Brian remembered hearing that the Vietnamese were taking prisoners but only the higher-ranking soldiers were getting tortured and interrogated. The lower ranks, like Privates, were simply being held as bargaining tools. He reached into Michaels' jacket and pulled the dog tags off of him, then he pulled off his own. He slipped Michaels' on and somehow managed to get his on Michaels. When he looked over to check on Henderson he noticed the young man was nowhere to be found.

Brian heard the voices getting closer and he took off running, leaving his jacket behind. He'd gotten a few yards when he finally spotted Henderson. He'd been hit. Brian ran out to him, tripping and falling on his face. His helmet went flying but he didn't care. He had to get to Henderson even if the young man had run away. He could tell that Henderson was still alive when he got there. He pulled the man onto his back and started to move, just trying to get him to safety. The next thing Brian knew he had a serious pain in the side of his head and everything went black.





The Viet Cong had been driven out of the area. SGT Trevino and his men were doing a sweep to check the wounded and dead. It made his heart ache at all the dead that he found. He felt better that most of them were wounded, but there were still too many dead to count. He was going through the field when he noticed a couple of men off to the side. They were almost to the safety of some near by bushes and a sudden surge of frustration came over him. He wondered how it must have felt to get that close to safety only to have it taken away. When he got over to the two men he found that neither of them got a chance to find that out. Both were dead. It appeared that one had been carrying the other. From the looks of the blood he'd say that it had only been an hour at most since the two went down.

Trevino did a double check of the area, then slung his rifle over his back before pulling one man off of the other. He took a good look at the bottom man and blinked a few times, shaking his head to clear it. He had to be hallucinating. The guy had been shot in the head and yet it looked like he was still breathing. He leaned down and checked for a pulse. It was weak but it was there. The guy was alive.

"MEDIC!" Trevino yelled as loud as he could. "WE'VE GOT A LIVE ONE HERE I NEED A MEDIC!" He rolled the guy over as gently as he could and put pressure on the wound with his hand. The guy was starting to get cold and if they didn't do something fast he was going to be dead. Although with a bullet to the head he wasn't sure what kind of a life this guy would lead if he did survive. He could end up being a vegetable for the rest of his life. That didn't matter to Trevino. The guy was still breathing, that was good enough for him.

What seemed like an eternity later the medic finally arrived. He checked the guy out and declared him fit to go to the MASH unit. He would be required to travel by chopper for that to happen. The medic got the guy stabilized so that he'd survive long enough to get to the MASH unit. As they waited for the chopper, Trevino wondered if this guy, kid really from the looks of him, could hear what he was saying. Even if he couldn't he needed to say something. He reached into the kid's jacket and pulled out his tags, taking a look at them.

"Don't worry. You're gonna be okay. We're gonna take good care of you." He smiled even though the kid was unconscious. When the chopper finally arrived they got the kid ready to go. The medic asked for a name. Trevino double checked the dog tags, then looked at the medic.

"Michaels, James C." The medic nodded and they strapped him to the chopper, then it took off. Trevino said a silent prayer for Michaels. He was just a kid and had a long life ahead of him if the surgeons could make something other than a vegetable out of him.





Justin was working the morning shift. The diner was pretty empty so he didn't really have anything to do. He was so excited. From what Brian had told him he would be home soon. He was worried that he hadn't heard anything from Brian in two months, but he remembered Brian saying he wouldn't be able to write for a while so he tried not to worry so much. It was a week until Christmas and Brian would be home soon. Then he could see for himself that he was okay and they could spend the next two weeks together. He had double-checked with one of the Army recruiters to find out how long it would take Brian to get home once his tour was up. They said that it usually ended up taking about two weeks, which meant that Justin didn't have to worry because Brian had been out of danger for at least a week.

He heard the bell above the door ding and he looked up to see a man standing there in an Army uniform. He sighed heavily when he saw that it wasn't Brian. The man looked around, then seemed to look at a picture in his hand, then looked around again and made his way over to Justin.

"Can I help you?" Justin asked.

"Justin Taylor?" A cold lump suddenly formed in the pit of Justin's stomach and he swallowed hard.

"Yes?" He cleared his throat, his voice cracking.

"We have you listed as the next of kin for Brian Kinney." Justin's heart started pounding.

"Um......yes."

"It is my sad duty to inform you that SGT Brian Aiden Kinney was killed in combat outside Saigon Vietnam." The man held out a box. Justin refused to believe what the man had said. Brian just couldn't be dead. Justin took the box with shaking hands and opened it. Inside were Brian's things. His dog tags, the letters Justin had written him. Justin smiled, Brian had kept every one. He found the picture that he had sent to Brian and then he found the last letter he had written Brian. It was stained with blood. It was at that moment that the reality of the situation hit him.

"NO!" He screamed, dropping to his knees and sobbing. Deb, the head waitress, came over and tried to comfort him.

"What did you say?" She asked the soldier and he explained everything to her. "Oh, Justin." She started to cry too, though not as vigorously as Justin. She felt so bad for the boy. He'd been looking forward to seeing Brian again. It was so tragic. She listened as the Soldier told her when and where the funeral would be and so forth. He was getting a military funeral in Arlington, VA. Brian was a hero that much she gathered from what he said. Once the officer was gone, she managed to get Justin to his feet and help him into the nearest booth. The boy was an absolute mess and it was completely understandable. She simply held him as he cried, unable to do anything else.





Justin was amazed at the turn out for the funeral. He didn't recognize any of the people there. The Tribune had run a story about Brian in the paper. He still remembered the headline. He wondered if they would have even noticed had Brian not been a hero. It was very cold; Justin pulled his coat tighter around him. He watched as they wheeled the casket, carrying the body of the man he loved to the grave in which he would be buried.





Jack didn't realize so many people knew his good for nothing son. Well...not good for nothing anymore. His boy was a hero. He never wanted the kid in the first place but he actually felt proud now. He'd been a little upset that the Army hadn't notified him of Brian's death. He had to find out in the paper. He did find out in time for him and Joan to attend the funeral though. That was enough for him. Maybe there was a good reason he hadn't been notified.

He stood there with his arm around Joan as she cried. The memorial service had been interesting. They found out so much about the son they never really knew. Some of the people that stood to talk about Brian were guys that had been stationed with him but had gotten hurt and sent home. Jack was amazed at how many friends his son had. So many people said so many good things about the son he never wanted. He was definitely starting to be proud of that boy.

He held Joan tighter as they did the twenty-one-gun salute. Jack noticed the box sitting on top of the headstone. Brian had been awarded the Medal of Honor. It sat in the case and would be given to the next of kin once the funeral was over. He watched as they removed the flag from the casket and started to fold it. Once that was done one of the soldiers took the case and the flag and moved over to the blonde boy that was standing on the other side of the grave from where Jack was. They handed his son's things to that boy and that made Jack livid. He decided not to cause a scene though. He would, however, confront the boy after.





Justin stood there by the grave clutching the flag and the case with the medal to his chest. His mother and best friend, Lindsay, were standing beside him. He couldn't keep the tears from rolling down his cheeks. When everyone else was gone an older couple came up to him. The man was obviously angry.

"I think that belongs to me." He said, indicating the flag and the case with the medal.

"And why do you think that?" Justin's mom asked.

"Because Brian was my son." Justin's head shot up at that moment. The man definitely looked like Brian could be related to him.

"Maybe there's been a mistake." Lindsay said.

"There's no mistake. There's a reason Brian listed me as his next of kin and not you." Justin looked Jack square in the eye as he said it.

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Because I actually care about him. I was concerned about his well being. I'm the one he wrote letters to. I'm the one he trusted. I'm the one he thought of when he got scared. He never thought of you because you didn't care."

"Listen here, boy. Don't tell me how I felt about my son."

"I'm telling you what Brian told me. He was never good enough for you when he was alive. Everything he did was wrong! He said you told him you never wanted him in the first place! That he was a mistake. And now all of a sudden that he's dead he's good enough for you? I don't fucking think so! So just get the fuck out of here."

"Justin!" His mom protested. Justin was crying by that time, but he was also angry. He could tell that Brian's father was just as angry.

"Jack, let's go." The woman beside him said. Jack was going to say something but she shook her head. Justin could tell that he was still angry as they walked away. He couldn't believe anyone could be like that. He hated to think what Brian had to go through. At least Brian died knowing that there was someone in the world that loved him and wanted him. Justin once again looked down at the grave. His mom took Lindsay and left him alone for a few minutes. Justin fell to his knees and cried for a long time. When he was finally able to regain his voice he looked at the head stone.

"I will always love you, Brian. Only you. I will never love another as long as I live." He then got up and went to join his mother and best friend.







When Brian opened his eyes he was totally disoriented. He didn't know where he was or how he got there. He didn't even know who he was, for that matter. Everything was a blur. It wasn't long before a nurse came by to check on him. She smiled as she looked at him.

"Well, hello there. Finally awake I see. I'll go get the doctor." She walked away and a few minutes later the doctor came back. Brian coughed and gagged after they removed the tube from his throat. He tried to talk but his throat was so sore that he couldn't make a sound.

"Just relax, James. Everything is okay." James? Was that his name? It didn't sound right but he couldn't remember what his name was. He was certain, though, that they wouldn't call him by a name that wasn't his. They got him a glass of water and helped him sit up. After a long drink he cleared his throat.

"Where am I?" He managed to whisper.

"You're in the hospital in Tokyo." The doctor answered and Brian's eyes went wide.

"What happened?"

"You were fighting in Vietnam and you were shot in the head. You're a very lucky young man, James. Most people would have died from the injury you sustained. I guess you just have a thick skull." He smiled and Brian could help but smile back.

"How long?"

"You've been in a coma for the past ten weeks. We weren't sure you were going to wake up. Your muscles are very weak right now, from lack of use. We're going to help you get your strength back, though. But for now, you need to get some rest." The doctor stood and patted his shoulder. Brian nodded, then closed his eyes drifting off to sleep.





Brian sat up in the middle of the night soaked in sweat and panting heavily. For the last couple of months, since he came out of his coma, he'd been haunted by the same dream. A young man, blonde with blue eyes and a beautiful smile, always coming toward him. He knew this person was very important to him but he just couldn't remember who it was. He looked around and remembered where he was. After he woke up they had to get him strong enough to move. It was three weeks later before they put him on a plane to Hawaii. From Hawaii he'd been transferred to San Francisco. He'd been in this hospital all of ten days.

"James, you okay?" The nurse asked as she came over to his bed.

"Yeah, just a nightmare." He smiled and lay back and she smiled in return. She smoothed his hair from his forehead and gave him a little kiss.

"I've got some good news. Your parents are coming to see you. They were so happy when we told them you're okay. They should be here later."

"That's great." There was something about that that didn't sit right. He didn't remember his parents ever wanting him. But maybe that was his imagination.

"Well, you try to get some more sleep. It's going to be a few hours until they get here." He nodded and lay back down, but he couldn't get to sleep. A couple of hours later they came and helped him into a wheelchair. They had worked his arms first, getting him to where he could push himself around in a wheelchair. Then they started to work on his leg strength. He'd been sitting in a room, staring out the window, when the nurse came up to him.

"James, your parents are here." He smiled and turned. The three of them had smiles on their faces that faded immediately upon seeing each other.

"That's not my son." The woman said.

"But.....Mrs. Michaels" the nurse protested. Brian could tell that the woman was right. They didn't look like his parents. He just couldn't remember who his parents were.

"That's not my son!" the woman protested. "Don't you think I would know my own son?!" She started to get hysterical and her husband comforted her.

"Shhhh, Vivian. Calm down." He looked at the nurse. "Apparently there has been some kind of mix up. That man is not our son." He then turned and started to lead Vivian out of the hospital. The nurse looked at Brian for a minute, then at the retreating couple.

"But.......if you're not James C Michaels, then who are you?" She asked Brian.

"I.......I don't know." Was Brian's only response.





"Well, we have to call him something." One of the orderlies said.

"Why can't we just call him Jimmy?" another asked.

"Because that's not his name, moron." The two men came over and looked at Brian for a minute.

"So.......what do you want us to call you?" Brian thought for a minute.

"I've always liked the name Aiden." There was something very familiar about the name.

"Okay, so we'll call you Aiden."

"But what about a last name?" The one on the left asked.

"Um......well, Aiden is an Irish name, maybe he's Irish."

"But he doesn't have an accent."

"You idiot, he can be Irish and not actually be from Ireland. Duh!"

"Oh yeah." They both looked at him and started listing off Irish last names in rapid fire.

"O'Reilly"

"O'Toole"

"Sullivan"

"Flaherty"

"O'Malley"

"Mulcahey"

"McKinney."

"What did you say?" Brian had stopped listening after the second name, having lost interesting.

"McKinney." The one on the left said again. Brian smiled. There was something familiar about that name.

"I like that."

"Well, Aiden McKinney it is." They all smiled.





Justin was working yet another shift in the diner. He couldn't believe that it had been a year since he'd been told Brian was dead. A year to the day, to be exact. They had all tried to convince him to stay home, but he refused. As much as he loved Brian he couldn't sit at home and mope all day. Brian wouldn't have wanted that.

"That guy's checking you out." Deb pointed out with a smirk. Justin just rolled his eyes.

"No thanks, Deb. And I told you a long time ago to stop trying to hook me up." He went back to wiping down the counter and she sighed.

"Honey, you need to move on. It's been a year."

"I already told you, Deb. Brian was that once in a lifetime love that you just know is the one. There's no point in trying to find someone else because they will never be Brian."

"Baby, you talked to Brian for all of, what? Three hours?"

"Like my mom says, it's not how long you know someone, it's how well you know them. Even though I only talked to Brian for a couple of hours I feel like I've know him my whole life. I've never had that connection with anyone before and I never will again. That's all there is to it." Debbie just sighed, unsure how to answer that. After a few minutes she just shook her head and went back to work.





"So, Aiden, why do you want to work here?" The manager of the Café Rossini asked. He was a short, balding man. He looked like he stayed in shape though.

"Well, I think this would be a great place to work. It's close to where I live so I'm in walking distance. And from what I understand there is a mostly gay clientele." He smiled.

"So you're gay?" The man asked. Brian nodded.

"Do you have any experience waiting tables?"

"I......don't know." He looked down.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Brian sighed.

"I was shot in the head. The doctors have told me that I'm lucky to be alive, but I can't remember anything about my past. I'm not even sure if Aiden McKinney is my real name."

"What about your dog tags?" Brain shook his head.

"They were the wrong ones. Somehow my tags got switched with someone else. His parents came and said that I wasn't him. That's when I came up with Aiden McKinney. I needed a name that wasn't that other guys." The manager nodded and made some notes.

"I'll make you a deal. You can work here one evening. Trial run. If you work out, then you can have the job, deal?" The man held out his hand and Brian shook it.

"Thank you so much." He then took off to get the clothes he'd need for work. Luckily the Army had given him enough money to get started. He showed up that night for work, by the end of the first hour, the job was his.





Brian couldn't believe he'd been in San Francisco for six months already. He was loving it. He made enough in tips that he could afford to go out and have a good time almost every night. He had a nice place to live and nice clothes thanks to his additional income from the Army. Everyone at the restaurant loved him.

The thing he loved the best was going out with his friends. He liked going to the gay clubs and dancing until dawn. Every time someone hit on him, though, he had this distinct feeling of guilt right when he was about to say yes to a date. Like he was cheating on someone. He figured it must be that blonde that kept haunting his dreams. It still unnerved him that he kept seeing that face. He knew this person was someone important, someone he loved, but he couldn't put his finger on who it was.

Brian made his way over to one of the tables and smiled at the couple that had just taken a seat. One of the few straight couples that actually came in.

"Hello, my name is Aiden and I'll be your waiter this evening. Would you like to start out with an appetizer?" He smiled brightly at the couple. They looked up at him and the woman crinkled her brow in thought.

"Do I know you?" She asked. Brian shook his head, having never seen them before.

"You do look kind of familiar." The man said.

"Well, I've been working here for a couple of months." Brian replied and they both shook their heads.

"No......I know I've seen you somewhere else."

"Maybe we passed each other on the street at some point."

"Maybe." The woman shrugged.

"I would like a bottle of your best champagne." The man said.

"Celebrating?" Brian asked.

"We're going to be grandparents." The woman smiled.

"My goodness you certainly don't look old enough to be grandparents." Brian said with a big grin and they both laughed.

"Well, we are." The man laughed.

"Well, congratulations. I'll get the champagne right away." He smiled and walked off.





Later that evening the couple sat in their living room looking through their daughter's wedding album.

"Can you believe it's already been two years?" The woman asked.

"No, Margaret, I can't." The man said with a smile. He pulled out a newspaper and started going through it.

"I still don't understand why you had to keep the whole paper, Charlie, instead of just cutting out the announcement."

"This way we can see what all was going on when our daughter got married. It's more interesting that way. The grandkids can see what the world, or at least Pittsburgh, was like when their folks got married." He smiled as he started flipping through paper. He'd turned a couple of pages and then stopped, eyes wide.

"What is it?" Margaret asked.

"Not what.......who?" Charlie said as he showed her the paper. Margaret's eyes went just as wide as, if not wider than, Charlie's. They looked at each other and said in unison.

"It's the waiter."





The next evening they came to the restaurant in the hopes that Aiden was working. They talked to the manager and found out that he was taking a break in the back. They explained the situation to him and the manager led them back to where he was.

"Aiden, someone here to see you."

"Who?" He asked as he finished his cigarette. He turned and saw the couple from last night and smiled. "Back again?"

"We figured out where we recognized you from." The woman said.

"Oh?" Brian asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. They both nodded and handed him the newspaper article. He almost fainted as he looked at his own picture in the paper. The headline read "Local boy dies war hero." He couldn't believe it. It was impossible. He read the date of the paper.

"This......this was two years ago." Brian said as he looked up at the couple and they nodded.

"We pulled the paper out to look at it. Our daughter's wedding announcement is in there. I remember seeing the story and thinking how tragic it was. Says here you were only eighteen. Which would make it about right." Brian just stared down at his own face on the newspaper. Why couldn't he remember anything? Then he saw the group picture of himself and three other guys a little further down in teh article.

"Michaels......." He whispered. That was the name of the guy standing next to him in the picture. The name that they thought was his. There had to have been a mix up some how. He had known the man that he was mistaken for. He started to read through the article. When he got to one particular line, he read it aloud.

"The only listed next of kin is a sixteen year old waiter by the name of Justin Taylor." Brian's head shot up. Justin........that was the face that had been haunting his dreams for the past two years. And Justin thought he was dead. He couldn't imagine what the boy was going through. He sat down hard on a nearby crate.

"You okay, son?" The man asked. Brian shook his head. Brian closed his eyes as everything came flooding back to him. Watching Michaels get shot, thinking capture was imminent, switching tags so the enemy would think he held a lower rank......it all came back to him in a rush and he couldn't stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks.

"Aiden, break's over." Someone called. Aiden......that was his middle name. Not his first name. He was Brian Aiden Kinney and he had to get back to Pittsburgh as soon as possible. Brian ran to find the manager and stopped him.

"I have to leave" He said. The man could tell that it was something urgent.

"Everything okay?"

"I just remembered who I am." Was the only explanation he needed to give. The manager nodded and let him go home. Brian gathered what money he could, and all his belongings and headed to the airport. Even if he had to take out a loan he was going to be on the next flight to Pittsburgh.





Brian had managed to not only come up with enough money for a plane ticket, but also for a hotel room for at least a week. He figured he could probably get a job to supplement his income so that he could keep the room longer. His first stop, however, was going to be the Liberty Diner. He wasn't even sure that Justin was still working there. The town had changed so much that Brian wasn't positive he'd be able to find his way. If Brian remembered correctly Justin was eighteen by now. He could have been drafted. Brian secretly prayed that wasn't the case as he slowly made his way up the street.

He was about to walk in the door when he stopped and stepped back into the alley. It had been two years since his supposed death. It was entirely possible that Justin had moved on. He wouldn't want to wreck the boy's chance at happiness. He peeked in the windows, staying out of sight and smiled when he saw Justin talking to a couple of the customers. He couldn't believe that Justin was really there. But he decided that if Justin had moved on, he would let the boy continue to think he was dead. He would just disappear and never look back, no matter how much it hurt. The first thing he had to do, though, was find out if Justin had in fact moved on.

Just then one of the waitresses came out, obviously just coming off shift. She was an older woman, kind of large, and very brightly dressed. Brian smirked. He stepped out of the alley, making sure to keep his hands in plain sight so the woman wouldn't think he was trying to mug her.

"Excuse me."

"Yes?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"Um.....would you happen to know Justin Taylor?"

"Yeah, I work with him, why?" She put her hands on her hips and almost glared at him.

"Well.....you see.....Justin and I used to be really close friends until I had to leave. And....while I was away I kind of started thinking that I'd like to be more than just his friend, but I don't want to ruin any relationship he might be in. We haven' talked in a while and I was wondering if maybe he had a boyfriend." Brian hoped that the woman bought his story. She sighed heavily.

"Not only does he not have a boyfriend sugar, he's sworn off love so don't even try." Brian's head came up.

"What do you mean?"

"About two years ago someone very close to Justin was killed in Vietnam. The poor kid was so heart broken he swore he would never love anybody else. Hasn't even attempted a relationship since. Poor kid. He said the guy that died was his one true love. Don't know how he could know that, other than a few letters they only talked for a couple of hours." Brian just nodded.

"Thanks." Then he took off. He had to think. Brian wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad. He was sad that Justin was so heart broken that he would swear off love forever, but at the same time he was happy that Justin hadn't moved on. Maybe they could be together after all. That night Brian decided he would definitely go see Justin the next day.





When Brian showed up at the diner he noticed that Justin was nowhere to be found and he sighed, taking a seat in one of the booths. The waitress from the night before came over to take his order.

"Have you seen Justin?" Brian asked her.

"Actually, you just missed him. Got off his shift about an hour ago."

"Fuck." Brian looked down at the table.

"I told you you should drop the whole love idea."

"Oh....I have. But I think that he needs a friend right now, don't you?" Brian smiled at her. She nodded.

"Yeah, I think you're right. He should be in around noon tomorrow. You can see him then."

"Thanks a lot." Brian smiled again.

"You can call me Deb." She said before walking away.





"Hey Deb." Justin said as he entered the diner right on time as usual.

"Hey Justin." Deb said with a smile. "Oh, some guy came looking for you the last couple days."

"Some guy? That really narrows it down, Deb." He said with a smirk. "Did he leave a name?"

"Nope. He's a sweetie though. Gorgeous too. Tall, kind of reddish brown hair......gorgeous hazel eyes. Great ass." She smirked and Justin laughed. As he started cleaning the tables he thought about the description Deb had given him. Brian fit that description. But Brian was dead, he had to face that. Brian was gone. But he still couldn't stop this nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.





Brian entered the diner and Deb started to say something. Justin was in the back cleaning a table with his back to the door. He apparently thought that Deb could handle whoever came in because he didn't turn. Deb was about to get his attention when Brian put his finger to his lips, silencing her. She smiled and nodded and winked at him. He laughed quietly. He waited a couple more minutes, Justin still hadn't turned.

"Hey Sunshine." He called out. Justin stopped cold. There was only one person that had ever called him sunshine. He had never told anyone about the nickname. Well, no one but Lindsay. But she wouldn't tell someone about that, would she? Justin was starting to get angry thinking that she had when he turned. There, standing in the doorway to the diner, the sunlight streaming in behind him was Brian. At that moment Justin's brain went into overload and shut down. He was on the floor before anybody could blink.

Brian made his way over to Justin, trying not to laugh. He was concerned that Justin had fainted, but he figured he knew why.

"Justin......come on.....wake up....." He gently patted Justin's cheek until the boy regained consciousness. He smiled when Justin opened his eyes.

"Brian?" He asked in disbelief. Brian nodded. "But.....but you're....."

"It was a mix up." He said simply. They had time to go over the details later.

"It's really you?" Justin asked. Once again Brian nodded. Justin threw his arms around Brian's neck, nearly knocking Brian over, and kissed him passionately. Brian wrapped his arms around Justin's waist, holding him close as they kissed. When they finally came up for air, they were both panting. Brian helped Justin into one of the booths. When he took a seat, Justin moved over into his lap, not wanting to let go.

"I can't believe it. It's really you." Justin said as he gently stroked Brian's cheek. Brian smiled, looking into his eyes.

"Believe it, Sunshine." He kissed Justin again.

"Justin....you can take off if you want." Deb called with a grin. Justin jumped up and ran into the back, discarding his apron and grabbing his stuff, he then ran back out and grabbed Brian's hand, pulling him out of the booth. Brian laughed as he followed. They walked down to the park where they sat the day they first met.

"How did you avoid going?" Brian asked the question that had been burning in his mind.

"My allergies." Justin said as he blushed. "I'm allergic to all kinds of drugs and stuff so they said that I couldn't go." Brian kissed Justin's forehead.

"Thank God for your allergies." He said and they both laughed. They sat and talked for a while, Brian recanting the whole tale, or as much as he remembered anyway. When it started to get dark, Brian led Justin back to his hotel. Once the door was shut and locked, they kissed passionately, ripping off clothes as they went.

They lay in each other's arms after having made love for hours. Brian was lying on his back with his arms around Justin, who was resting his head on Brian's chest.

"Dreams of this were all that got me through." Brian said after they lay there quietly for a moment. "Whenever I thought that I just couldn't make it, I would dream about being with you and it would make it all seem possible." Justin looked up and smiled.

"I love you." He said and kissed Brian's lips tenderly.

"I love you too." Brian said after returning the kiss.





Brian held tight to Justin's hand as they walked through the cemetery. It had only been a couple of months since their reunion, but they had spent every moment of it together. Brian decided that he wanted to see the grave and Justin wanted to go with him. They had been directed where to go, but they lingered as they walked, not sure whether they really wanted to do this or not. Before long they were standing at the grave.

"It's kind of eerie." Brian said as he looked down at the headstone. Justin nodded. The stone read Brian Aiden Kinney 1947-1965.

"They said that they would change it." Justin told him.

"Yeah. It's just taking them a while to do it. Pretty soon this'll read James Charles Michaels." He closed his eyes and a tear rolled down his cheek. Justin squeezed his hand gently and he looked at the blonde and couldn't help but smile. "He was a good friend."

"I wish I could have met him." Justin said as he looked down at the grave. "Your parents came to the funeral."

"Really?" Justin nodded.

"They were mad when I was given the flag and the medal. I yelled at your dad and he just walked away."

"I'm shocked. What did you say to him?"

"I told him that he could fuck off because if he couldn't love you and want you when you were alive he certainly didn't deserve to do so when you're dead." Brian smiled and kissed Justin's temple. "I'm glad. It's about time somebody put him in his place." They both laughed. They stood there in silence for a moment, then Brian looked at his watch. "We better get going." Justin nodded and they started to walk along together. It was a few months later before the headstones were finally changed. Brian had been allowed to keep his medal of honor and a new one had been issued for Jimmy.

As they lay there in bed that night, Justin watched Brian sleep. Even after so long he still couldn't believe that Brian was really here with him. He gently traced the scar at Brian's temple left there from the surgery to remove the bullet from his brain. He couldn't imagine how Brian had survived such a usually lethal injury and he really didn't care. All that mattered to him was that Brian had survived it and was here with him now. As he settled in to go to sleep, Brian unconsciously wrapped his arms around Justin and Justin smiled. He snuggled as close to Brian as he could. Just before sleep claimed him Justin thanked God that Brian was safe and well and in his arms.





May 4th, 1995


Brian walked slowly along the streets of Washington DC, not sure why he was really here. It was he and Justin's thirtieth anniversary and he should be back at the hotel with his lover, not here wondering around the city. Justin was still asleep, most likely. It was, after all, early morning and Justin liked to sleep in when he didn't have anywhere to be. Brian made his way back to the hotel, meandering along the streets, not really paying attention to where he was going.

"Where'd you go?" Justin asked as Brian came into the room and sat down on the bed.

"For a walk." Brian answered. He looked at Justin and smiled. "Just had to clear my head." Justin nodded and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Are you sure you want to do this, baby?" There was no missing the concern in Justin's voice.

"I'm sure." Brian smiled reassuringly and Justin returned the smile.

"Can you believe it's been thirty years?" Justin asked as he lay back on the bed. Brian slipped off his shoes and lay beside him. The younger man rolled over, resting his head on Brian's chest. Brian automatically wrapped his arms around Justin and kissed the top of his head.

"Doesn't feel like it. The time has just flown by."

"I've heard that's what happens when you're happy." Justin smiled against Brian's chest. Brian laughed slightly.

"I have definitely been happy." Brian sighed. "I can't believe I'm forty eight years old. Just two years away from fifty. Ugh."

"You don't look a day over thirty." Justin said with a smirk.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Still looks fifteen even at forty six." Brian replied. They shared a laugh and Brian sighed, this time happily. He once again kissed the top of Justin's head. They lay there like that until they drifted back to sleep.





Around noon they managed to somehow wake up at the same time. Brian smiled as Justin looked up at him, blue eyes sparking.

"I guess we better get going, huh?" He asked and Brian nodded. They got up, showered, then dressed and headed out. Their destination was the Vietnam War Memorial Monument. Brian held tightly to Justin's hand as they walked along the large black fixture in the middle of Washington DC. Brian scanned the names as he walked, most of them he did not recognize. He stopped when he came to a name he knew.

"I thought he made it home." He said softly as a tear rolled down his cheek. Justin slipped his arm around the older man's waist and hugged him gently. Brian looked down at the blonde. "He had a wife.......and two kids. He was on his way home the last I saw him." Justin reached up and wiped the tears off his lover's cheeks. He wasn't sure what to say so he simply nodded and they continued on. Justin was thankful that the names had been listed in some semblance of alphabetical order. They stopped before a section that was filled with last names starting with M.

"There he is." Justin was the first to see it. James Charles Michaels. Brian reached into his pocket and pulled out a small photograph from his pocket, laying it on the ground below the name. It was the picture he had sent Justin of the whole group. He also laid a set of dog tags by the photograph. Though they were not his, the Army had allowed him to keep them, coming up with a second pair to give to the man's parents. They stood there for a moment, Brian saying a silent prayer for his fallen friend before they started moving back along the wall, going back up the alphabet.

They had heard from one of Brian's close friends that apparently the Army records hadn't been updated before the monument was constructed. As they moved back to the section where the K's were, a cold feeling started forming in the pit of Brian's stomach. He scanned several sections of the wall before finally finding what he was looking for. There it was, etched in stone once again. Brian Aiden Kinney. A shiver ran up his spine at the very thought of what could have actually happened to him. Justin tightened his grip around Brian.

"Baby?" He asked, his voice soft. Brian simply smiled and looked down at his lover.

"I'm okay. It's just…unnerving, you know? I mean......how many people out there in the world think that I'm dead?"

"Only the people that don't know who you are and that you are indeed alive and well." Justin smiled. Brian simply nodded, though he did return the smile. They stood there in silence for a few moments, arms wrapped around each other. Brian was thankful for the fact that the area was relatively deserted. He really didn't want to put up with any homophobia at that point in time, considering where they were and the thoughts that were running through his head. Tears started rolling down his cheeks before he had a chance to stop them.

"What is it?" Justin asked, once again concern evident in his voice.

"That was almost true." He said, pointing to his name on the wall. Justin reached up and put his hands on Brian's cheeks, turning his face down and kissing him passionately. Brian pulled Justin closer as he kissed back.

"It wasn't true, though. You're alive and you're here with me, and I love you more now than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life." He smiled that truly brilliant sunshine smile and Brian couldn't help but smile back.

"You always know how to cheer me up." He said, once again kissing Justin.

"That's what lovers are for." Justin smirked and Brian laughed. They walked arm in arm back to the hotel, not caring about the looks they received along the way. All that mattered was that they were there together. As they lay sleeping that night Brian still couldn't believe that he and Justin had been together for thirty years, and he only hoped to be around for thirty more.

 

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