The Way It Should Have Happened

“Why don’t you tell them why I hit you, Mikey?” Brian said. His eyes were flashing with anger. Justin and Ethan started to leave but Justin stopped intent on hearing the reason. Michael looked up at Brian, refusing to say a word. “Go on, tell them,” Brian growled.

“It doesn’t matter what he said, you shouldn’t have hit him,” Debbie practically yelled. Several people around, including those who were supposed to be Brian’s closest friends, agreed with the woman. Ethan was trying to get Justin to stay out of it. Justin was doing exactly that until he noticed Brian slump his shoulders in defeat.

“Unfuckingbelievable,” Justin said loudly enough for everyone to hear. They all turned to look at him. He ignored Ethan and started to move toward Brian. “You people are supposed to be Brian’s friends. His ‘family’.” He made quotes in the air with his fingers. “And yet you automatically call him a monster and an asshole.” Justin shook his head and sighed. Everyone remained quiet. “I haven’t known Brian as long as most of you have but I know that he is not a violent person. When the loft got broken into Brian was so mad I thought he was going to hit me, but he didn’t. I wasn’t even more than a convenient fuck to him at that point and he didn’t hit me.” Justin noticed Brian wince slightly out of the corner of his eye at his last statement. Brian had started to care at that point in their relationship, he just didn’t show it.

“Michael had to have said something really bad in order for Brian to hit him like that, but none of you ever thought about that, did you?” Justin continued. “You just assumed it was big bad Brian picking on poor wittle Mikey.” He shook his head again and sighed. “None of you even asked what happened. I can honestly see that coming from Melanie, but Debbie? And Lindsay? What the fuck?” He glared at the two women. Justin tried not to smile when he saw Ted nod in agreement. “What happened anyway?” Justin asked, looking between the two older men.

“Nothing,” Michael said as he looked away.

“Nothing? Go on Mikey. Tell everybody what you said. Tell them what you said about Justin.” Brian was getting angry again.

“What about Justin?” Debbie asked. Justin glared down at Michael who was still on the ground milking the attention and sympathy.

“I was just mad that he brought his new boyfriend,” Michael mumbled.

“Grow some balls and tell them exactly what you said, Michael.” No one missed Brian’s use of Michael instead of Mikey. “Tell them how you said Justin is a selfish little shit and he took and took and never gave back a thing. Tell them how you said I should have left him laying there.” Brian’s voice was starting to shake. Justin knew immediately what Brian was talking about. Apparently he was the only one. “How I should have just let Justin die....” He had to stop or he was going to lose it.

“Michael, is that true?” Debbie asked. Michael looking away was all the answer she needed. She stood, dumping Michael in the dirt. It took everything Justin had to keep from pummeling the fucker “How dare you?” Debbie said. “You, who sat in the hospital with Brian. You saw what that did to him and you say that?” She moved over and looked at Brian, not attempting to touch him just yet. “I’m sorry, Brian. I never should have just assumed...”

“It’s okay,” Brian answered with a small smile. “Mother’s instincts.” He shrugged a little. Debbie hugged him. Michael got up and moved over to Ben.

“I can’t believe you,” Ben said. He appeared completely calm and for some reason that scared Michael more than if Ben were yelling. “I don’t know the situation with the bashing but I do know that Brian loves Justin and Brian doesn’t seem to have any problems with him.” He looked over to where Brian and Justin stood talking. “You’re the only one that’s making a big deal about this and now you just made things a million times worse.”

“What do you mean?” Michael could be dense at times.

“Think about it, Michael. Justin thought Brian didn’t love him. Now he finds out that Brian hit his supposed best and truest friend because you said something horrible about him. Brian has never hit anyone, let alone someone he loves as much as he loves you. That tells Justin that Brian loves him and if they get back together, with this hanging in the air, Brian is going to have to choose and I seriously doubt he’s going to choose you.” Ben looked him in the eye. “You’re going to lose Brian. And it’s entirely possible you could lose someone else to.”

“What?” Michael asked.

“I found an apartment and I’m taking it,” was Ben’s only explanation before he walked off.

“Can you give me a ride home?” Justin asked. “Ethan seems to have left without me.” He grinned sheepishly.

“Can you blame him?” Brian asked.

“Not really.” Justin shrugged. Brian nodded.

“Come on.” He started to walk out to the Jeep. Justin followed after saying good-bye to Ted and Emmett. They were quiet for a few minutes.

“Why were you so willing to forgive everybody?” Justin asked. “I don’t know if I could have.”

“Well, first of all, I haven’t and never will forgive Michael. No matter how long we’ve been friends, he shouldn’t have said that.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm down. “As for the others.....Melanie hates me so it was only logical on her part. Deb was just protecting her kid and Linds.......Linds knew my dad.” He sighed. Justin nodded. It did make sense when put that way.

“I noticed that Ted and Emmett were agreeing with me.”

“Sad part is, they don’t even like me that much,” Brian said. The rest of the ride was made in silence. When they pulled up to the building, Justin noticed some clothes on the sidewalk and out in the street. He got out and picked up one of the pieces of clothing finding his “Too busy to FCUK” t-shirt. He sighed heavily and started gathering everything up. Brian got out to help.

“Guess Ethan got mad,” Justin said with a sigh. The two of them stood there with arms full of clothes.

“Guess so,” Brian said in agreement. They were quiet for a minute before Brian broke the silence. “So....guess you’ll be needing a place to stay....” Justin smiled and Brian couldn’t help but smile back before tossing Justin’s clothes in the back of the Jeep.

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