Author: Tina
Homepage: http://www.oocities.org/weird4182/index.html
LiveJournal: http://www.livejournal.com/users/weirdqafan/
Pairing: Brian and Justin
Rating: R
Category: AU, Drama
Summary: Someone pays Justin a visit.
Warnings: None
Spoilers: Seasons 1-3
Disclaimer: If this were a utopian world they could belong to all of us, but it’s not, so they don’t. Sadly, they belong to Cowlip.
Feedback: Yes, please. Send it to Weird4182@yahoo.com
Author's Notes: Post Season 3. Brian & Justin were never caught doing the anti-Stockwell campaign. Brian’s still partner at Vanguard, as well as financially sound, & Justin’s still at PIFA, as a junior.
~*~
The only noise that could be heard in the apartment was soft music and the sounds of quiet eating. Justin sat at the head of the small table, with the man he loved more than anything on one side, and the sister that he’d loved and idolized his entire life on the other. Brian and Alex had been very polite when he introduced them, maybe a little too polite. He watched as they subtly glanced at each other, sizing the other up.
‘And I thought it was awkward when my mom and Brian were in a room together. I want to break the tension, but I know them. They’re the most stubborn people on the planet. I can’t force them into anything. They have to get to know each other on their own. They’re waiting each other out, to see who will cave first. Christ, it’s almost like a fucking pissing contest. Gross!’
Finally, the silence became too much for Brian to bear. Besides, he was curious.
“So Alex, I hear you moved to New York after you graduated high school. Any particular reason to settle there?”
Alex looked up at the man that she had heard both good and bad about for the past three years. She hadn’t formed any opinions about him yet. Unlike with everyone else, when talking to her, Justin was very honest about his relations with Brian. Good or bad. She didn’t make judgments, so he didn’t have to defend Brian or try to portray him as a saint to her. She smiled at the man across from her.
“That’s where I went to college.”
Seeing that Alex wasn’t going to elaborate, Justin stepped in. “Alex got a full academic/athletic scholarship to Cornell University. She majored in Dramatic Arts Design and Psychology.”
“Interesting combination.”
“It was helpful in my career of choice.”
“I heard you are a professor at NYU.”
Alex chuckled. “I’m a glorified drama teacher. I was fortunate enough to get a job at a university immediately after I got my masters.”
Brian concealed his impressed reaction. ‘I knew Justin was smart. It obviously runs in the family, except for the parents. Maybe it skips a generation.’
“Let me guess. Masters in Psych.”
“Yup. From Columbia University.” Justin answered, beaming proudly at his sister.
“So, where do you live in New York?”
“The West Village.”
Brian quirked an eyebrow and shot a quick glance at Justin. “The West Village? Where specifically?”
Alex smiled. “Chelsea. I figured it was appropriate to live so close to Broadway. Plus I love the artsy feel of the neighborhood and the diversity. It’s a great area.”
While Alex talked, Brian was remembering something that was said to him almost three years prior. ‘He’s going to become a go-go boy in Chelsea. And he’s going to be very successful.’ He was also remembering finding a certain blond twink in a hotel in Chelsea, as well as a certain credit card bill. He spoke to Alex, but kept his eyes on Justin.
“So the little boy lost over here didn’t run away to the big scary city alone. He ran to you.”
Justin’s eyes widened slightly as he took a sip of water. Brian was never supposed to know about that part of his excursion to The Big Apple. He never thought it would come up if he and Alex met. Before he could try to come up with an excuse or reason, Alex responded quickly, defending him.
“Of course he came to me. What else was he supposed to do? I’m not completely excusing him, especially about taking your credit card, but desperate circumstances call for desperate measures. You helped ensure that he wouldn’t be able to return home and then you kicked him out, because of a mistake. What was he supposed to do? Sleep on the streets?”
“He had options. He could have stayed with Daphne, or Deb, or the Merry Munchers. He didn’t have to be a drama princess and run away. And why did I find him in a hotel anyway? If you were there, why wasn’t he with you.”
At that, Alex took a second to glare at Justin, who remained silent.
“He wasn’t with me because the brat over here didn’t call me to tell me what happened until he arrived in NY. He knew that if he had, I would have convinced him to stay in Pittsburgh. When he did call, he found out that I was in Los Angeles, visiting a friend of mine who was in the hospital. I told him to find a hotel, a decent hotel and check in. He checked in using your card, but then we had the hotel change the charges to my card. Didn’t you pay attention to your bill? You weren’t charged anything after that first night. Just the plane ticket, the cab ride and the initial night’s fee. And you didn’t have to pay to feed the bottomless pit over here.”
Brian was quiet as he thought this over. He hadn’t stormed out, so Justin took this as a good sign and spoke up.
“I couldn’t stay with Deb or Linds and Mel. I thought about it, but I didn’t want to take the chance of pissing you off when you found out. Daph was already going through a lot of shit because of me at school, and at that point school wasn’t exactly a picnic for me either, so I thought it was best for me to leave the Pitts and go stay with Alex. I had already tried to go home and my mom told me that I couldn’t. I thought it was my best option.”
“When did you try to go home?”
Justin looked Brian in the eye and said, “The day you were robbed.”
“You never told me.”
Justin shrugged casually. “I didn’t think it would change anything.” He saw the pain and guilt in Brian’s eyes. “But that was a long time ago. And things didn’t turn out too badly. You came and got me and I got to live with Deb and work at the diner. That was probably a better solution than mine anyway. I liked living with Deb and Vic.”
Seeing that discussion end and wanting to move to a safer subject, Alex addressed Justin.
“By the way, Ganma says ‘hi’.”
Justin smiled broadly. He looked at Brian. “Our maternal grandmother lives on Long Island. I’ve mentioned her before. She’s the alcoholic grandmother I told you about. She’s also the one that I write to who joined PFLAG and sent me that book on homosexual icons in art history. She’s whom Alex got her looks from”
“Ganma Ailey is Irish. It’s where all the red comes from.”
Justin laughed. “When I came out, Ganma said that as long as I wasn’t ‘fucking a child or some sort of farm animal’, she didn’t give a shit. Who I fuck is my business.”
“Why did you get in touch with her when you weren’t in contact with your parents?” Brian asked.
“When I moved to NY, I went to see her. I wasn’t sure what she knew or how she felt about my situation, but I took the chance. I didn’t exactly have much to lose. She was always the most fun at holidays, seemed to be more liberal than any other relatives and loved to antagonize Craig, so I figured she might not react too badly. Besides she always used to talk about this neighbor of hers, who she adored, that I thought was gay.
“The one she’d describe as ‘fruity’?” Justin asked remembering.
“Yeah. I met Peter. He’d make Emmett seem butch.” They all laughed at that thought.
“Anyway, she didn’t care and I’d visit her whenever I had the chance. Besides Justy, she is the only relative I’m in contact with.”
They all ate quietly for a moment.
“Have you lived in Pittsburgh your whole life, Brian?” Alex asked
“Unfortunately.” He said with distaste in his voice.
“Any plans of relocating in the near future?”
“None.”
“Then why complain?” Alex asked with her right eyebrow raised.
Brian raised his own eyebrow in response, so Alex continued.
“If you actually hated it here like you seem to want people to think, wouldn’t you have plans to leave, or have actually left a long time ago?”
Brian offered no response and just stared at the girl.
“That fact that you haven’t left and haven’t actively looked for opportunities to leave, would leave one to believe that you possibly prefer it here. Maybe it’s familiar and comforting in its own way.”
Justin tried to hide his smile. Alex had Brian pegged.
“If I want to be psychoanalyzed, I’ll look someone up in the fucking yellow pages.”
Brian couldn’t help thinking, ‘Now I know where the little twat gets it from. Only she’s worse, she’s actually qualified to see past the surface, to get in my head and pull things apart. And she’s not doing it to be a bitch or smug, and she’s doesn’t have an attitude. She’s just using logic and being rational and asking me legit questions. If it wasn’t directed at me, I’d appreciate her way of thinking and analyzing things.’
Brian took a long sip of water. ‘Maybe she’s not so bad. I never thought any member of Justin’s family would tolerate me, let alone willingly share a meal with me. Who knows, maybe we might actually get along. At least she hasn’t tried to kill me.’ He looked at Alex closely. ‘Yet.’
Alex finished her drink and saw Brian watching her. She flashed her Sunshine smile at Brian. ‘He’s quite the enigma.’ She watched him smile as Justin began clearing dishes off the table.
Justin looked between Brian and Alex pleased at how the meal progressed. ‘No one got hurt and no one stormed out. That’s better than I expected.’
“Are you guys ready for dessert?”
End Chapter 6