The End Justifies the Means

Chapter 14 - The Fun is Just Beginning

The time had come for sitting and planning and both Brian AND Justin found themselves gun-shy. The last time they tried the whole traditional wedding route they nearly imploded. It hadn’t been them or what they really wanted. It was a façade and demonstrated the values that other people placed on marriage and weddings. What it really came down to – neither man wanted to fuck it up!

It started out simply as a discussion of gifts as the two sat comfortably on the sofa in the loft…

“Brian, should we register?”

“Register what? I don’t have any pets.”

“Ha, ha. I mean should we register at some of the better stores for gifts we really want?”

“Do you remember that fucking ugly statue that Michael got for the munchers?”

“That was so hideous. I think Michael said that it was a fertility god. Who the fuck buys a fertility god for a same sex couple…who already have a kid?”

“That’s our Michael. He was raised by the Queen of Tasteless Décor.”

With that both Brian and Justin cracked up. Justin added, “Another example of the acorn not falling far from the tree.”

“It’s a good thing Michael has Ben. Those Buddhas are a lot easier on the eyes then Deb’s collection of velvet paintings and ceramic chochkies.”

“Brian, can we get back to our own plans? Do you want to register?”

“Does it mean I have to shop in a mall?”

“No.”

“Things are looking brighter.”

“But you do have to get online with me, so we can choose a whole bunch of things that we want.”

“Justin, I know we’re only going to get married once and that presents are a big part of the whole wedding deal, but…”

“But…”

“We went this route the last time. All our friends got us gifts that had to be returned. And let’s face it, we have enough money to buy anything we want and go anywhere we want.”

“So, you don’t want to register?”

“I don’t want gifts. We’d probably end up returning, trashing or hiding most, if not all of them.” Brian looked at Justin to judge how he had taken the suggestion. He knew that Justin was still in his early twenties and that part of the hoopla of weddings was getting lots of good loot, but it just didn’t seem to make sense for them.

“Brian, you’re not having second thoughts are you?”

“Not a one,” he replied without hesitation. “I just don’t want our family to be obligated to buy us gifts when we can do so much better buying things for ourselves. And let’s face it, between the two of us we have better taste than all of them put together.”

“Okay.” Justin thought a moment and then continued, “You do realize that while I’m no longer a starving artiste, as you would say, I’m still not rolling in dough.”

“Sunshine, if we’re getting married my money becomes our money.”

“What! No fucking way!” Justin stood up and walked from the living room area of the loft to the kitchen island. Brian slowly rose from the sofa and walked towards him. He placed his hands gently on Justin’s shoulders and tried to turn him so that they would be facing each other.

“Justin, look at me.” Justin turned towards Brian. His face a combination of anger and hurt tempered with confusion. “Listen to me. Are you listening?”

“Of course I’m fucking listening, you definitely have my attention.”

“Okay, here’s the way I see it. If you and I are equal partners in life that means, as you’ve frequently illustrated, we share everything.”

“But…”

“Keep listening. That includes our opinions, our desires, our bed and our finances.”

“I have no intention of being a kept man to my sugar daddy.”

“I have no intention of EVER being your sugar daddy. What I do intend to be is a good partner and lover and, well, husband. That includes making sure we both live in the manner that I want to continue enjoying. Now if you are living with me, you’ll have to live in that same manner.”

“I guess that makes sense. But what about gifts? I may never be able to buy some of the extravagant things you’ll buy for us. I just don’t want anyone to think that I married you for your way of life.”

“No one will think that unless we let them. And even if they do, I say take a page from the Emmett Honeycutt philosophy manual and fuck ‘em all.”

“It sounds reasonable.”

“Are you okay with this?” Brian placed his arms on Justin’s shoulders and then ran them down his back. He leaned in and kissed him with all the love he felt. “Are we okay, now?”

“We’re always okay. It’s just planning the kind of wedding we want and the kind of life we want is hard work. Shit, I have new respect for couples that do last a lifetime together.”

“That’s why divorce lawyers are flourishing. But I do not intend to ever need one. That will certainly save us both a lot of money.”

That got a chuckle out of Justin and the two kissed a bit more before fully dismissing the thought of gifts and they began partaking in some much more enjoyable activities.

 

*~*~*~*~*
 

Two days later Brian asked Justin to meet him at Kinnetik. This was the meeting that would seal the deal as far as both Brian and Justin were concerned although their commitment was still to be thought of as a state secret.

Justin arrived at Cynthia’s desk at exactly 11:00 AM. She was expecting him and immediately paged Ted on his intercom to come over to Brian’s office. The three walked in together and Brian was waiting at the conference table. There was a small tray of fruits and cheeses to nourish the little group for the endeavor they were about to undertake.

“This is it Sunshine. There’s no turning back. If you have any concerns speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Justin walked up to Brian, took his hands in his and simply said, “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”

With that Cynthia and Ted acted as witnesses as Brian and Justin signed all the papers linking their lives one to the other. The stack was huge but as far as Brian and Justin were concerned, each paper signed was another vow declared. There were powers of attorney, wills and trusts, financial commitments, bank accounts joined and the list went on until the final domestic partnership papers were signed.

Cynthia and Ted, both sworn to secrecy smiled in the background as Brian and Justin signed the last sheet and stood up. The two looked at each other as if the rest of the world had disappeared. Justin pulled out the rings again, put Brian’s on his finger and said, “Equal partners for life, for love, forever.”

Brian took Justin’s ring and placed it on his finger, “Equal partners for life, for love, forever.”

Ted softly chimed in with a smile on his face, “I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss…”

But before he could get the last words out Brian and Justin were locked in an embrace and a kiss that would defy an earthquake to separate them. Ted and Cynthia stood up, took all the papers that Ted would spend the rest of the day filing and processing, and slipped out. Cynthia locked the door behind her and made sure that no calls were diverted to Brian’s office.

Brian took Justin’s hand and they made their way to the office sofa. Undressing each other slowly, kissing and touching all the while the two lay down, Brian slightly on top of Justin. They looked into each other’s eyes and thoughts. Brian nodded a silent question and Justin responded the same. The connection was incomparable and complete. Now they knew that they were truly married and shared something together that neither ever had before, nor would have with another for the rest of their lives. Together, they surpassed all words. They reached orgasms and a level of passion that few were ever lucky enough to experience and it was all theirs.

After loving and then resting together for well over an hour, Justin was the first to break the blissful silence. “What now?”

“What do you mean? Aren’t we supposed to live happily ever after?” Brian smirked.

“I’m already pretty happy,” Justin smirked back, “But I was referring to the rings. Should we take them…”

“No.”

“No? But we haven’t told anyone. What if they see the rings?”

“Then they’ll join the privileged few that know we’re married. That fucking ring doesn’t go anywhere ever again. It’s time to store the box empty this time.”

“Okay. You know my mom and Deb are going to be really pissed off.”

“We aren’t taking the rings off unless you insist, since we are equal partners.” Brian raised an eyebrow with that statement.

“I’m perfectly happy keeping my ring right where it belongs but I also have no intention of flashing it around. If it’s noticed I won’t lie, but let’s not make any grand announcement yet.”

“However, once Deb knows we won’t have to alert the media.” They both laughed.

Then Brian, realizing that Justin had a very different relationship with his mother than Brian did with his continued, “Justin, if you want to tell your mom in private, before everyone else knows, I’ll understand and support you. In fact, I’ll even go with you when you tell her…if you want me there.”

“That might not be a bad idea. After all, I don’t want to alienate the only parent by blood that gives a shit about us.”

“You may have a point, Sunshine. Can you arrange for your mom to join us for dinner at the loft?”

“Are you kidding? She’d love to be invited over by her prodigal son. But what about the rest of the family? Do you really want to wait?”

“They’ll enjoy the reception when it’s time. In the meantime let’s enjoy the peace and quiet of wedded bliss.” Brian grabbed Justin and dipped him.

“You…” Justin gently shoved Brian and then kissed him. “Later.”

“Later.”

As soon as Justin got outside the door of Kinnetik he looked up and down the parking area that fronted the agency. He somehow thought everything would look different once he was married and was surprised to see nothing had changed. He laughed at the romantic notion but then looked down at his left hand and smiled. Yeah, something definitely changed. In fact, the entire world shifted. It must have, because he was married to Brian Kinney.

Holy shit! Justin sat on the stoop outside Kinnetik’s entrance and thought back to just a little over six years earlier. What had he said to Daphne…I’m going to live with Brian Kinney or something like that, he couldn’t quite remember the words. Back then it was the romantic fantasy of a seventeen year old kid, but now it was a reality. He had fulfilled his own prophecy.

Justin imagined the next painting in his head. He was engulfed in color. The rainbow wasn’t enough. Every color his palette could create would swirl around him and Brian. This would be his wedding gift to Brian. They had no intention of getting each other gifts but this just screamed to be created and it belonged to Brian. Not only was Brian the inspiration but in this case he was everything – no, they were everything. That was the only way to describe it.

The whirlpool of color flowed around them and Justin’s fingers began to move without him realizing. He was envisioning himself putting every fleck of paint on canvas and it was truly incredible. Nothing would be left out because Brian and Justin were everything and it had to be the ultimate. This would be his way to express the intensity of his love and devotion in a way that only he could do. This is something Brian couldn’t buy for him, but helped him achieve through years of support, both physically and emotionally.

As Justin stood up once again to head for the art store, he bumped into Ted returning from his lunch break. “Hey, Justin, are you just leaving?”

Shaking himself back from his reverie, Justin responded, “Oh yeah, I’m just heading out now. You haven’t told anyone have you?”

“Are you kidding? I like my job, I like my paycheck, but even more I like my friends.”

“Ted, I really don’t think Brian appreciates what a great friend he has in you.”

“You know, for a long time I might have agreed with that.”

“But you don’t now.”

“Like you, I’ve learned to get to know Brian intimately…just not the same intimately as you, of course,” Ted stammered slightly.

Justin laughed, “I know that.”

“Anyway, I can read between the lines in Kinney-speak now. His messages come through much louder now that I’ve learned to listen with my head and not my ears.”

“And what have you heard.”

“That I’m a trusted employee, who really is Brian’s left hand in business to Cynthia’s right…”

“What else?” Justin urged.

“That I’m also a valued and trusted friend. While he’d never say it in the way that we typical mortals may be accustomed, Brian tells me that every day and in a variety of ways.”

“You know what, Ted?”

“What?”

“I do believe you’ve just earned a Master’s Degree in Kinneyese.”

“Why, thank you. Hearing that from you is probably as close as I’ll get to hearing it from him. See you around Justin.”

“See you, Ted.”

The two smiled at each other and walked their separate ways.

On his way to the art store Justin pulled out his phone and hit number two on the speed dial.

When he heard the other end pick up he immediately started with, “Hi, mom, how are you?”

“I’m fine, honey, how are you? Is everything okay with Ben?”

“Ben is great. He’ll be out of the hospital tomorrow if all continues as planned. And the store is coming along great.”

“Oh that’s wonderful. It really sounds like everything is finally settling down. I’ve been keeping in touch with Debbie, but I haven’t visited the hospital in a couple of days. I’m just glad that everything is still on schedule. Are you still planning the grand opening for the end of next week?”

“Definitely. Everything is in place and we’re just continuing to stock the shelves as more and more comics and comic related toys get delivered.”

“Not that you need a reason to call, but what prompted this midday chat?”

“Brian and I would like you to come for dinner tonight. I know Molly has dance class and usually spends the night with Craig on those nights.”

“You, know, I don’t have any plans. A few of us from work were going to see a movie but we couldn’t find one that we could agree on so we tabled the outing for another week.”

“That’s great, Mom. Can you be over at about 7:30?”

“Justin, I’m not typically suspicious but should I be concerned about this dinner. You and Brian aren’t going to ask me to sell that beautiful estate in West Virginia are you?”

“No, Mom, we just realized that we really don’t spend any time with you without the rest of the family around and Brian figured this way we could actually have some grown-up conversation.” Jennifer laughed at the intimation that much of the rest of the family indulged in less than grown up conversation.

“I’d be delighted. It sounds wonderful and I’ll bring the wine. Is a merlot okay?”

“Sounds perfect, we’ll see you at 7:30.”

“See you then, honey.”

Justin disconnected his phone and called Brian to let him know that they were on for their dinner with Jennifer and the time. Then Justin pulled out his key ring and noted that he still had one of the copies of the key to Michael’s new store. This gave him the opportunity that he was looking for. He squeezed the key and headed straight for the art store. If he played his cards right, they would have everything that he needed plus a delivery truck available for local transports.

With a smile on his face he briskly walked off with his plans for the day falling perfectly into place.
 

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