The End Justifies the Means

Chapter 9 - Confrontations 1 - Brian and Ben

When Brian and Justin awoke the next morning the wind had kicked up a bit and it was truly beginning to feel like autumn was on their doorstep. For Justin it meant that it was time to get out and visit some of the friends he hadn’t seen since he’d been away and then to call his agent, his mom and Debbie and make sure all was in order for all of them.

To make life a little less stressful for both of them, and to assure less visiting for Justin, the two decided to make their way to the diner for breakfast. After breakfast they would part company while Brian went to work and Justin took care of his own business needs.

The diner was hopping and it looked like Kiki and Betty were going to scream until Debbie walked in from the back room yelling, “I’m back, I’m back, would all of you put a sock in it.”

One of the many hungry and dissatisfied customers yelled, “That’s what my omelet tastes like it’s got in it, an old sock.”

Debbie just lashed back without batting an eye, “If you already know what an old sock tastes like then we’ve gone up a notch from your usual dining pleasure. Now as long as those eggs aren’t cheep, cheep, cheeping at you, you’re in good shape, so eat up.” Justin laughed, thinking how great it was to be home.

Brian and Justin spotted Emmett, Ted and Blake at a booth near the back. Justin pushed in next to Ted and Blake and Brian sat next to Emmett.

“Hi, Justin, sweetie, it’s great to see you again.” said Emmett.

“Thanks it’s great to see all of you, too.”

“Brian, weren’t you going to New York to see the opening of Justin’s show? What are you both doing here?” Ted asked.

“Nice to see you, too, Ted.”

“I just meant that this is an unexpected surprise.”

“I hope this means that you’ve been taking good care of Kinnetik in my absence and this surprise doesn’t stop some hostile takeover.”

Blake and Emmett both chuckled and Ted squirmed, “Not a chance, Boss, no one would dare ruffle your feathers.”

“Oh, you’d look great in a boa, honey.” Emmett couldn’t help but add as he joked a little at both Ted and Brian’s expense.

“I would look great in a boa, wrapped around my cock. What do you think, Sunshine?”

“That would make for quite the fashion statement Brian,” was all Justin could reply as he tried not to roll his eyes too obviously. Then he continued, “We came to town unexpectedly, to help Michael sort out his business problems.”

“That’s right,” added Blake, “We just heard yesterday that the fire near here totally wiped out all the shops on the street where Michael has his store. Was he able to save anything?”

“They’re fucking comic books. They didn’t stand a chance against the flames,” was Brian’s curt response.

“I just hope that he had good insurance coverage. Some of those comics were worth a fortune.” Ted added.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Schmidt, Michael didn’t consult either one of us when he took out his insurance policy.”

“Fuck,” was the only thing Ted, Emmett and Blake could say to that.

“I thought I’d come into Kinnetik for part of the day since the young artiste has some business calls to make.”

“Who knew that art involved so many business contacts?” Justin shrugged. “I always assumed that it was paint and sell, but there’s so much more to it.”

“Well, honey, I hope we’ll all get together before you go back to New York. Maybe we can go to Woody’s and Babylon one night.”

“That’d be great. But right now all I want to do is get something to eat. I’m starving.”

“I’m very good at making sure the youngster works up an appetite when we’re together.”

“I just bet you do,” Ted added.

Debbie finally came over to their booth and said, “The two of you look like you need some nourishment after the past couple of days. What can I get you boys?”

Brian and Justin ordered their food and Ted, Emmett and Blake bid them a good day as they all had to get to work. When they were left alone at the booth Justin asked Brian what he’d be doing after he checked in at Kinnetik.

“I think it’s time for me to check in on the Professor and see if he told Michael.”

Debbie bustled over with their breakfasts and then grabbed more coffee. “Who told Michael what?”

“Nothing, Deb, I was just checking to see if the Professor told Michael how his check up went yesterday.”

“Why don’t I think that’s what you’re referring to?”

“I have no idea, but give it a rest, Deb.” Brian looked at her and somehow got across the message that whatever was going on, he’d make sure that Michael was taken care of.

She then leaned over, planted a kiss on Brian’s cheek, “You really are a good boy when you want to be.”

“I’m working on it.”

“Don’t worry, Deb, I’m onto Brian, I’ll keep him on the straight and narrow…so to speak.”

“Thanks, Sunshine, I can always count on both of you. Now eat up before it gets cold.”

Brian couldn’t help himself, “Gets cold?” That earned him a little smack on the head along with a laugh from Justin.

“So, Sunshine, where are you off to.”

“Well, I told Michael I’d meet him at the loft this afternoon and before that I plan to make some calls and secure all my New York contacts. I want to make sure everything is in order before…” then he lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper, “Before I close up my studio and start to pack up my stuff in the apartment.”

The two then ate in comfortable silence. It was good not to feel tense about their plans anymore, yet Justin still felt that something was missing. He was trying to figure out what it was and knew that to seal his future there was one more step to be taken, but for the life of him he hadn’t figured it out. He hoped it would come to him when he was alone in the loft. Being with Brian was definitely too distracting.

After breakfast Justin kissed Brian and then decided to enjoy the weather with a nice walk back to the loft, their loft. He had to remember to start thinking about it that way. Even if they spent time at both Britin and the loft, both were truly their homes. Brian made it quite clear that there was no more yours and mine. They were a couple and would live and behave as one.

At the loft Justin put up a fresh pot of coffee and sat down to make his phone calls. The first would be to Daphne telling her he was in town and setting up a time for them to get together, the next to Maggie to check up on the status of the show and the third to his mom.

He needed to see his mom in person and talk to her, preferably with Brian. This time when he told his mom he was getting married he wanted it to be an experience that all three of them could share. Then Jen could decide if she would tell Craig. As far as Justin was concerned that part of his life was over and would never be revisited. While he still fondly remembered his childhood, he would never forgive Craig for sending him to jail over his Prop 14 protest near Taylor Electronics AND accusing him of being the cause of his parents’ divorce. That was the moment that Justin realized that his father was dead to him. He shook his head to avoid allowing himself to wallow in self pity and started at his tasks.

 

*~*~*~*~*
 

On the other side of town, after Brian had made a brief stop to check on things at Kinnetik, he took off to visit Ben. He called ahead and found out that Michael was going to spend the morning with his mom and then had an appointment with the insurance adjuster and after that he was going to the library to look up the value of the items that Brian had given him.

When he spoke to Ben on the phone he told him to stay in bed. He had the spare key they’d given him in case of emergency or to water their plants, whichever came first.

Brian walked upstairs and found Ben wrestling with a fitful coughing attack. “You didn’t fucking tell him, did you?”

“You’re wrong. I told him everything.” Ben coughed out.

Brian went downstairs and got Ben a glass of water and put up the kettle to bring him a cup of tea. “Here, drink this slowly since it’s from the refrigerator. The hot water is heating up.”

“Thank you,” Ben sipped his water. “As I was saying I did tell him everything.”

“Then why isn’t Michael here hauling your ass to the hospital where it, and you, should be.” Ben just turned his head away and took another sip of water. The kettle began to whistle and Brian left the room.

“Fuck him and his holier than thou attitude.” Ben mumbled to himself and then coughed one more time.

“Here, this will settle your cough. Did you take those horse-pill sized antibiotics?”

“Yes, I did. Right on schedule.”

“When are you supposed to call your doctor?”

“Tomorrow at 11:00 AM when he’s back from his hospital rounds.”

“Which is where you should fucking be right now!”

“Brian, you don’t know anything.” Ben tried to raise his voice but he was too weak to have any impact.

“I know that you must realize that you’re wrong, and that you know that Michael would insist on you being in the hospital under the appropriate care, if he knew. That’s why you’re keeping this from him.”

“You think you know everything. My doctor wouldn’t have allowed me to go home if he didn’t think I could handle this.”

“Professor, you can’t con an ad man. I’m pretty sure I have the picture in clear focus. The doctor says go to the hospital and the wise professor says that he can’t possibly do that. It would worry his poor husband and he couldn’t possibly add to poor little Mikey’s stress. Well, Michael is a grown man, and at the moment he’s a hell of a lot stronger than you are. And what’s more—he loves you and deserves to have you around for a long time. So don’t fuck this up like the last time.”

Ben was taken aback by Brian’s passionate words, “Last time?”

“Yes, Mr. Roid Rage. Last time you thought you could take care of yourself and wound up plowing me into a locker and scaring the fuckin’ shit out of your partner.”

Clearly Michael had never told Brian about the catalyst that got him out of his downward spiral into addictive steroid use. Otherwise he was sure Brian would have brought that up too. “Brian you don’t understand.”

“You’re right, I don’t understand what it’s like to be HIV positive, but I do know what it’s like to love someone and feel betrayed. That’s what it must have felt like when you learned your lover gave you a little present to remember his infidelity by.

“I also know what it feels like to lose someone to AIDS. I knew Vic a lot longer than you did, and Mikey doesn’t need to go through that pain again. Only this time it would be magnified ten-fold because that was his uncle, his mentor, but YOU are the one he picked to marry and have a family with.

“Don’t fuck this up, Professor. Whatever is scaring you and making you feel like you need to be a martyr, or maybe even leading you to deny how bad off you are, suck it up and do what’s right. Believe me, you’ll cause Michael and Hunter, both, much more pain if they have to grieve over your fucking grave.”

“Brian when I call the doctor tomorrow, if I don’t feel any better I’ll have him arrange for me to be admitted to the hospital. I promise…for real this time.”

“Good.” And with that Brian left chez Novotny-Bruckner, walked to his car and headed back to Kinnetik.


 

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