Prank Calls III - Brian/Michael fanfic (PG-13)
I started posting this using Google.docs but somehow it doesn't work for me anymore. Sooo, let's try this instead, okay?
Title: Prank Calls III
Pairing: Brian Kinney/Michael Novotny
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Some things usually considered to be funny can be disturbing.
Disclaimer: …I wish.
A few days later Michael had just closed the front door behind him when Hunter came out of the living room, looking irritated.
“Err, I think you should reconsider who you give your phone number,” the young man stated instead of a greeting.
“Thanks for the kind advice. Mind telling me why?” Not that Michael really needed to ask for he was quite certain that ‘unknown’ had called again and, judging from Hunter’s demeanor, repeatedly. But since he didn’t want to tell him that he was well aware of the calls, he had no other way to proceed, had he?
Hunter scowled. “Some stupid fucker called here about every half hour without saying one word. Okay, I refused to answer the calls after the third time, but the constant ringing almost drove me batty and it was...really inconvenient and distracting, you know?”
Forgoing to reprimand Hunter for the language, not because Michael approved it but because he had come to think about the caller in similar terms and therefore he wasn’t really in a position to rebuke his son, Michael raised an eyebrow. “Is that so…”
He shouldered past Hunter who had the annoying habit of planting himself in the middle of one’s way when he wanted to talk about something and shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the coat rack.
“Yes, that is so. I don’t care if you’ve found yourself a new lover, but if they’re not prepared to talk to your kid, then they shouldn’t call your landline,” Hunter suggested. He looked pensive and after a moment he added, “Or maybe they thought I’m Brian? Hmm, come to think of it, do you tell them that your best friend slash man of your dreams is living with you?”
Michael kicked the second shoe he’d toed off forcefully away and turned back toward Hunter. He didn’t even know where to begin. He’d rather die than discuss Brian and what he meant to him with anyone, lately that included even himself. As for going through the clubs and hunting for prey… No that just wasn’t his style and would most probably never be. Somehow he thought Hunter had to know him better than to ask something like that. But maybe he hadn’t meant it quite like that. He had talked about a lover after all and that didn’t imply that person was simply someone to fuck.
Shaking his head at his own silly thoughts because really, whenever someone mentioned Brian he tended to overreact and take things the wrong way, Michael draped his arm over Hunter’s shoulder and steered him toward the living room where they sat side by side on the couch.
“Tell me everything about your new friend. Was this merely a study date or something else? If the telephone bothered you…?”
Hunter blushed but recovered quickly. “You don’t mind that I invited her over, do you? Without telling you first?”
Well, that was not the issue. The issue was that he couldn’t help but feel a bit protective of Hunter and even though he knew he was capable of looking after himself, he didn’t like to think that he had no idea what the kid was up to. But still, Michael trusted him and so he bit back any rash comments.
“No, of course not,” Michael reassured him. “You’re certainly old enough and this is your home, too. But I’ve got to admit that I’m curious and would like to meet her sometime.”
“Phew, okay, yes, ‘course. Actually she’s going to be here Sunday afternoon…”
Michael nodded. “I’ll be here. - Oh, does she have a name?”
“Constance. Or Connie.”
A smile spread over Hunter’s face when he said her name and Michael did his best to hide his grin. Oh, to be young and in love…
~+~+~
A knock on Michael’s door woke him out of his slumber. He jerked upright, the book on his chest tumbling to the floor. He gazed at the clock - shortly after ten-thirty. He hadn’t even noticed that he had been that tired when he settled down with this new book Ted had recommended.
“Mikey, we’ve got to talk,” Brian’s voice announced and his head appeared at the door. He took in the dimmed light and looked uncertain. “I’m sorry, have you been asleep already?”
Michael grunted. “Yeah, but not deliberately… I’ve been reading and must have fallen asleep.”
“That interesting, huh?” Brian chuckled, slipping into the room and closing the door behind him.
“It’s not the book’s fault,” Michael defended it.
Brian shrugged. Having walked over to the bed, he picked it up and glanced at the cover. “Never heard about that…”
“Ted told me about it. He said he couldn’t put it aside when he started reading so he stayed up almost all night and only crawled into bed in the early morning hours.”
“Lovely. As his employer I hope it was on a weekend.”
“He didn’t say,” Michael said. Well, he had (it was a Tuesday) but there was no reason to rat Ted out to Brian. He was a great accountant even with little or no sleep and it simply wasn’t any of Brian’s business what he did outside of Kinnetic. Especially since Brian, no doubt, would find a reason to make fun of him.
Brian hummed and put the book beside Michael on the mattress. Michael watched him settling into the armchair a few feet away and pushed himself into a more upright position, leaning against the headboard.
“I take it you’re not here to talk about literature?”
“Yes. But just to let you know, this,” Brian pointed at the paperback, “is not literature. Not even close.”
Now it was Michael’s turn to shrug. “Typed words in book form so it can’t be too far off.”
“So you want to tell me comics are literature?”
“I don’t want to tell you anything. You came into my room to talk,” Michael pointed out and then asked, “What can I help you with? Oh, and do you happen to know if Hunter’s home already?”
“Yes, he came home half an hour ago and went straight to his computer, booting it up before he took the time to hunt down something to eat. I really don’t know what’s up with him lately. - Right, okay. Listen, when I came home last night there were about ten calls, all of them without showing a caller ID. There was also no message on the answering machine. Who goes to all the trouble and calls that often without leaving a message? Our answering machine states clearly who lives here and we added the phone number, didn’t we? Yes? Yes.”
Michael blinked. “Hunter’s in love. I’m thinking he rushed to his computer to check for new emails or messages or stuff like that.”
Brian seemed to wait for Michael to continue and eventually he asked incredulously, “And that’s all you’ve got to say?”
“Well, yes.” No, but so far I didn’t discuss that fucker on the other end of the line with you - why the hell would I start now?
“While it’s fascinating and what not that Hunter’s found a girl who’s willing to spend her free time with him, I still believe we should think about getting an unlisted number for this house. Hunter mentioned that it’s not the first time someone called over and over again and I think it’s creepy.”
Michael had to agree.
“And this is why I think being a little more anonymous is not a bad thing. - Did you have the same experience?” Brian asked.
Michael nodded. Now that his housemates knew someone out there was going crazy calling their home, he could safely admit to that.
“Unfortunately we don’t know who they are trying to piss off since they didn’t say anything to anyone. Somehow I don’t believe it’s Hunter because the mess with his mother - I’m tempted to call her his incubator because that’s the only thing she’s ever done for him - is sorted and I don’t see him making enemies, but who can say for certain?” Brian paused to think for a moment. “As for the both of us: I’m not sure what to think. I know there’s are lots of people out there who don’t like me but I’d say most of them are sane enough to ignore me or maybe curse me in silence. You? Nah, people love you, don’t they? But is has to be someone, right?”
Brian looked at Michael for confirmation.
“Sounds logical, yeah,” he said.
“And?”
Someone was starting to get impatient and Michael found he couldn’t blame him for that.
“Then yes, let’s get this unlisted number and hope the calls stop.”
“What is it you’re not telling me?” Brian wanted to know.
“Nothing.” Michael forced his face into a blank mask. Whining that he knew it was him they called because his cell phone and the landline in his shop rang all the time seemed pathetic and so he kept quiet.
Brian was still eying him suspiciously but didn’t press on. “So I’m going to let you go to sleep now, huh? You don’t look particularly awake anymore.”
They talked a few more minutes before they said goodnight and Brian left.
~+~+~
It didn’t take long for them to get a new phone number and soon it was safe to pick up the phone once more. Michael was relieved and called himself an idiot various times. Why hadn’t he thought of doing that sooner?
He started to feel more alive with every night he was able to sleep uninterruptedly. With his alarm clock keeping his cell phone from his room and the landline no threat any longer, his home felt safe. He could deal with the harassment calls in the store, mostly because they became less over time and because it was, after all, work and therefore no intrusion in his private life.
So that aspect of Michael’s life was getting better and he was grateful for it. Another change was the addition of Hunter’s girlfriend to the family. She had visited that one Sunday afternoon and Hunter had introduced her formally. They had talked a bit over tea and coffee and had a great time.
Even though Brian had come home an hour later, things had gone smoothly. The girl, being already informed about him living with them, hadn’t batted an eye, and had shown herself generally unimpressed that three men lived together. Michael didn’t know whether Hunter had told her about him being gay and he hadn’t asked, but somehow he was sure it’d be all right.
The only unresolved issue was the situation with Debbie. Of course, they’d been in contact from time to time but it hadn’t seemed quite right. Feeling that he had nothing to apologize for, Michael had done his best to ignore the strained air between them and carried on as if nothing was wrong.
~+~+~
It was Wednesday night and Michael had just finished loading the dishwasher when Brian entered the kitchen.
“Oh, Mr. Kinney. As usual, just in time for the last of the housework,” Michael greeted him with a grin. Leaning back against the sink he finished the rest of the beer bottle he had opened for dinner.
Brian grinned back halfheartedly and grunted.
“Whoa, I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean it,” Michael backpedaled instantly. And he really hadn’t. Brian, despite having been used to his cleaning lady and the loft not always being in its best shape between her visits, was doing his fair share of housework. On the contrary, when Ben had gotten ill he had done most of it without comment.
Shaking his head, Brian said, “Forget it.” He heaved a sigh. “Would you mind if we had a visitor for the weekend?”
That depended on who it was, Michael thought but out loud he said, “No, of course not.”
When Brian looked partly relieved and partly something else, Michael couldn’t be sure, he asked if Brian had remembered they didn’t have a guestroom anymore.
“That won’t be an issue. It’s Justin.”
Damning himself to hell for not asking about the identity of the visitor beforehand, Michael swallowed his initial response upon hearing that name and stated, “Well, it’s your decision who you invite into your bed, isn’t it?”
Brian rolled his eyes. “Oh, don’t be like that! It’s not like I begged him to stay with me. He’s going to be here for some exhibition or other and thought it’d be a great opportunity to catch up and yes, maybe to save a few bucks at the same time.” And to do that any sane person would stay with their parent living in the same town, right? So that led to only one conclusion.
“And getting decent sex? Who knows how lucky he was in the meantime,” Michael couldn’t help but add.
“Very mature, Michael. Yes, I’m sure that’s why he wanted to see me. It’s after all what I’m known for nationwide.”
“Come off it! I believe I’m allowed to wonder why the guy you broke up with a year ago suddenly wants to stay with you. Or, well, I understand that he never wanted not to be with you, but I wasn’t aware that you had any interest in spending time with him. Apparently I was wrong, though. Kindly excuse me…” …while I go be sick.
“You’re being an ass,” Brian told him and stormed out of the room. Seconds later Michael heard the front door open and shut quite forcibly.
Scowling, Michael left the kitchen as well. He headed for the bathroom, suddenly craving a long hot shower, hoping that it’d help calm him down enough to be able to sleep sometime during the night.
If someone asked him right now, he wouldn’t be able to explain what had just happened. Michael hadn’t wanted to fight with Brian. He never wanted that. But even though it was long ago, Justin, or just his name, still was a trigger and Michael rarely managed to stay calm - outwardly. Inwardly it was more like never.
Justin was living in a different city, in a different state. There was nothing he did that Michael could accuse him of, or at least not to his knowledge. Justin was, as far as Michael had been concerned, no longer part of their lives. Apparently, not everyone around him thought the same way. That thought was discouraging.
~+~+~
When Justin arrived early Friday evening, Michael made sure he was occupied outside his home. He didn’t want to welcome him and he certainly didn’t want to witness Brian welcoming him. He simply didn’t want to be present, period.
He waited until it was likely that Justin was out, seeing friends or family, before he dared to set foot in his own house. And saw at once that he had miscalculated. Justin was there, and not only Justin but his mother as well. And Debbie. And Daphne, Justin’s friend from high school. Not to forget Brian, of course.
But Brian didn’t look happy, did he? He seemed to be looking for a way to escape and Michael felt rather satisfied. At least he wasn’t the only one suffering that night and Brian, though he invited the devil and company into their house, had the decency to not let them have free reign which somehow made Michael hate him less.
Debbie avoided Michael’s gaze when he walked into the living room and he felt partly elated and partly sad. He tried to feign a smile and waved hello to everyone.
Justin waved back and thanked him for letting him stay for the weekend. Michael nodded back graciously. It wasn’t thanks to him.
“Mikey, hey…” Brian had gotten up and was at his side almost instantly. “I’m sorry about that. Justin asked if he could ask Daphne in for a moment before they left and before I knew it they were here for half an hour. Then his mother called him to ask where he was and so she came here. On her way over she had informed Debbie that Justin was here and well, what can I say?”
“I’d start with sorry,” Michael hissed.
“Okay. But don’t you see? It’s not like I asked them to come here!” Brian whispered back furiously.
“No. But you also didn’t tell them to go and celebrate their reunion somewhere else.”
Brian grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room.
“What do you expect me to do? I haven’t been told who I’m allowed to invite and who’s not welcome since I moved into your home. And now you start with this shit. Do you want me to move to a hotel? I will. I won’t stay here and overstress your hospitality.” Brian looked seriously put out.
Michael sighed. “I don’t want you to go but I won’t hold you up. You decide. Also, I don’t tell you what to do, I’m merely pissed because my living room is invaded with people who… I don’t know.”
For a moment Brian mentally seemed to pack his suitcases but then he shrugged. “One weekend, Michael, that’s how it is. I’m not going to kick them out now but I promise to find another solution next time.”
And he went back to his visitors, leaving Michael to tear his hair. Next time?!
~+~+~
Not everything that weekend had been bad. They’d had a nice enough time over breakfast on Saturday and when Michael had come home that night Justin was still out. On Sunday he slept in and when he got up in time for lunch, Michael found the anecdotes he told from the exhibition quite amusing.
Well, Hunter’s presence in both cases helped immensely, but he had to admit that Justin wasn’t as bad as he used to be. Brian was taciturn but not hostile, so Michael wasn’t overly concerned and when he offered to drive Justin to the airport Michael didn’t think the worst of Brian. Maybe he had really just tried to help.
Justin left early Sunday evening and the next night Michael was woken by the phone ringing.
~+~+~
--TBC--
Title: Prank Calls III
Pairing: Brian Kinney/Michael Novotny
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Some things usually considered to be funny can be disturbing.
Disclaimer: …I wish.
A few days later Michael had just closed the front door behind him when Hunter came out of the living room, looking irritated.
“Err, I think you should reconsider who you give your phone number,” the young man stated instead of a greeting.
“Thanks for the kind advice. Mind telling me why?” Not that Michael really needed to ask for he was quite certain that ‘unknown’ had called again and, judging from Hunter’s demeanor, repeatedly. But since he didn’t want to tell him that he was well aware of the calls, he had no other way to proceed, had he?
Hunter scowled. “Some stupid fucker called here about every half hour without saying one word. Okay, I refused to answer the calls after the third time, but the constant ringing almost drove me batty and it was...really inconvenient and distracting, you know?”
Forgoing to reprimand Hunter for the language, not because Michael approved it but because he had come to think about the caller in similar terms and therefore he wasn’t really in a position to rebuke his son, Michael raised an eyebrow. “Is that so…”
He shouldered past Hunter who had the annoying habit of planting himself in the middle of one’s way when he wanted to talk about something and shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the coat rack.
“Yes, that is so. I don’t care if you’ve found yourself a new lover, but if they’re not prepared to talk to your kid, then they shouldn’t call your landline,” Hunter suggested. He looked pensive and after a moment he added, “Or maybe they thought I’m Brian? Hmm, come to think of it, do you tell them that your best friend slash man of your dreams is living with you?”
Michael kicked the second shoe he’d toed off forcefully away and turned back toward Hunter. He didn’t even know where to begin. He’d rather die than discuss Brian and what he meant to him with anyone, lately that included even himself. As for going through the clubs and hunting for prey… No that just wasn’t his style and would most probably never be. Somehow he thought Hunter had to know him better than to ask something like that. But maybe he hadn’t meant it quite like that. He had talked about a lover after all and that didn’t imply that person was simply someone to fuck.
Shaking his head at his own silly thoughts because really, whenever someone mentioned Brian he tended to overreact and take things the wrong way, Michael draped his arm over Hunter’s shoulder and steered him toward the living room where they sat side by side on the couch.
“Tell me everything about your new friend. Was this merely a study date or something else? If the telephone bothered you…?”
Hunter blushed but recovered quickly. “You don’t mind that I invited her over, do you? Without telling you first?”
Well, that was not the issue. The issue was that he couldn’t help but feel a bit protective of Hunter and even though he knew he was capable of looking after himself, he didn’t like to think that he had no idea what the kid was up to. But still, Michael trusted him and so he bit back any rash comments.
“No, of course not,” Michael reassured him. “You’re certainly old enough and this is your home, too. But I’ve got to admit that I’m curious and would like to meet her sometime.”
“Phew, okay, yes, ‘course. Actually she’s going to be here Sunday afternoon…”
Michael nodded. “I’ll be here. - Oh, does she have a name?”
“Constance. Or Connie.”
A smile spread over Hunter’s face when he said her name and Michael did his best to hide his grin. Oh, to be young and in love…
~+~+~
A knock on Michael’s door woke him out of his slumber. He jerked upright, the book on his chest tumbling to the floor. He gazed at the clock - shortly after ten-thirty. He hadn’t even noticed that he had been that tired when he settled down with this new book Ted had recommended.
“Mikey, we’ve got to talk,” Brian’s voice announced and his head appeared at the door. He took in the dimmed light and looked uncertain. “I’m sorry, have you been asleep already?”
Michael grunted. “Yeah, but not deliberately… I’ve been reading and must have fallen asleep.”
“That interesting, huh?” Brian chuckled, slipping into the room and closing the door behind him.
“It’s not the book’s fault,” Michael defended it.
Brian shrugged. Having walked over to the bed, he picked it up and glanced at the cover. “Never heard about that…”
“Ted told me about it. He said he couldn’t put it aside when he started reading so he stayed up almost all night and only crawled into bed in the early morning hours.”
“Lovely. As his employer I hope it was on a weekend.”
“He didn’t say,” Michael said. Well, he had (it was a Tuesday) but there was no reason to rat Ted out to Brian. He was a great accountant even with little or no sleep and it simply wasn’t any of Brian’s business what he did outside of Kinnetic. Especially since Brian, no doubt, would find a reason to make fun of him.
Brian hummed and put the book beside Michael on the mattress. Michael watched him settling into the armchair a few feet away and pushed himself into a more upright position, leaning against the headboard.
“I take it you’re not here to talk about literature?”
“Yes. But just to let you know, this,” Brian pointed at the paperback, “is not literature. Not even close.”
Now it was Michael’s turn to shrug. “Typed words in book form so it can’t be too far off.”
“So you want to tell me comics are literature?”
“I don’t want to tell you anything. You came into my room to talk,” Michael pointed out and then asked, “What can I help you with? Oh, and do you happen to know if Hunter’s home already?”
“Yes, he came home half an hour ago and went straight to his computer, booting it up before he took the time to hunt down something to eat. I really don’t know what’s up with him lately. - Right, okay. Listen, when I came home last night there were about ten calls, all of them without showing a caller ID. There was also no message on the answering machine. Who goes to all the trouble and calls that often without leaving a message? Our answering machine states clearly who lives here and we added the phone number, didn’t we? Yes? Yes.”
Michael blinked. “Hunter’s in love. I’m thinking he rushed to his computer to check for new emails or messages or stuff like that.”
Brian seemed to wait for Michael to continue and eventually he asked incredulously, “And that’s all you’ve got to say?”
“Well, yes.” No, but so far I didn’t discuss that fucker on the other end of the line with you - why the hell would I start now?
“While it’s fascinating and what not that Hunter’s found a girl who’s willing to spend her free time with him, I still believe we should think about getting an unlisted number for this house. Hunter mentioned that it’s not the first time someone called over and over again and I think it’s creepy.”
Michael had to agree.
“And this is why I think being a little more anonymous is not a bad thing. - Did you have the same experience?” Brian asked.
Michael nodded. Now that his housemates knew someone out there was going crazy calling their home, he could safely admit to that.
“Unfortunately we don’t know who they are trying to piss off since they didn’t say anything to anyone. Somehow I don’t believe it’s Hunter because the mess with his mother - I’m tempted to call her his incubator because that’s the only thing she’s ever done for him - is sorted and I don’t see him making enemies, but who can say for certain?” Brian paused to think for a moment. “As for the both of us: I’m not sure what to think. I know there’s are lots of people out there who don’t like me but I’d say most of them are sane enough to ignore me or maybe curse me in silence. You? Nah, people love you, don’t they? But is has to be someone, right?”
Brian looked at Michael for confirmation.
“Sounds logical, yeah,” he said.
“And?”
Someone was starting to get impatient and Michael found he couldn’t blame him for that.
“Then yes, let’s get this unlisted number and hope the calls stop.”
“What is it you’re not telling me?” Brian wanted to know.
“Nothing.” Michael forced his face into a blank mask. Whining that he knew it was him they called because his cell phone and the landline in his shop rang all the time seemed pathetic and so he kept quiet.
Brian was still eying him suspiciously but didn’t press on. “So I’m going to let you go to sleep now, huh? You don’t look particularly awake anymore.”
They talked a few more minutes before they said goodnight and Brian left.
~+~+~
It didn’t take long for them to get a new phone number and soon it was safe to pick up the phone once more. Michael was relieved and called himself an idiot various times. Why hadn’t he thought of doing that sooner?
He started to feel more alive with every night he was able to sleep uninterruptedly. With his alarm clock keeping his cell phone from his room and the landline no threat any longer, his home felt safe. He could deal with the harassment calls in the store, mostly because they became less over time and because it was, after all, work and therefore no intrusion in his private life.
So that aspect of Michael’s life was getting better and he was grateful for it. Another change was the addition of Hunter’s girlfriend to the family. She had visited that one Sunday afternoon and Hunter had introduced her formally. They had talked a bit over tea and coffee and had a great time.
Even though Brian had come home an hour later, things had gone smoothly. The girl, being already informed about him living with them, hadn’t batted an eye, and had shown herself generally unimpressed that three men lived together. Michael didn’t know whether Hunter had told her about him being gay and he hadn’t asked, but somehow he was sure it’d be all right.
The only unresolved issue was the situation with Debbie. Of course, they’d been in contact from time to time but it hadn’t seemed quite right. Feeling that he had nothing to apologize for, Michael had done his best to ignore the strained air between them and carried on as if nothing was wrong.
~+~+~
It was Wednesday night and Michael had just finished loading the dishwasher when Brian entered the kitchen.
“Oh, Mr. Kinney. As usual, just in time for the last of the housework,” Michael greeted him with a grin. Leaning back against the sink he finished the rest of the beer bottle he had opened for dinner.
Brian grinned back halfheartedly and grunted.
“Whoa, I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean it,” Michael backpedaled instantly. And he really hadn’t. Brian, despite having been used to his cleaning lady and the loft not always being in its best shape between her visits, was doing his fair share of housework. On the contrary, when Ben had gotten ill he had done most of it without comment.
Shaking his head, Brian said, “Forget it.” He heaved a sigh. “Would you mind if we had a visitor for the weekend?”
That depended on who it was, Michael thought but out loud he said, “No, of course not.”
When Brian looked partly relieved and partly something else, Michael couldn’t be sure, he asked if Brian had remembered they didn’t have a guestroom anymore.
“That won’t be an issue. It’s Justin.”
Damning himself to hell for not asking about the identity of the visitor beforehand, Michael swallowed his initial response upon hearing that name and stated, “Well, it’s your decision who you invite into your bed, isn’t it?”
Brian rolled his eyes. “Oh, don’t be like that! It’s not like I begged him to stay with me. He’s going to be here for some exhibition or other and thought it’d be a great opportunity to catch up and yes, maybe to save a few bucks at the same time.” And to do that any sane person would stay with their parent living in the same town, right? So that led to only one conclusion.
“And getting decent sex? Who knows how lucky he was in the meantime,” Michael couldn’t help but add.
“Very mature, Michael. Yes, I’m sure that’s why he wanted to see me. It’s after all what I’m known for nationwide.”
“Come off it! I believe I’m allowed to wonder why the guy you broke up with a year ago suddenly wants to stay with you. Or, well, I understand that he never wanted not to be with you, but I wasn’t aware that you had any interest in spending time with him. Apparently I was wrong, though. Kindly excuse me…” …while I go be sick.
“You’re being an ass,” Brian told him and stormed out of the room. Seconds later Michael heard the front door open and shut quite forcibly.
Scowling, Michael left the kitchen as well. He headed for the bathroom, suddenly craving a long hot shower, hoping that it’d help calm him down enough to be able to sleep sometime during the night.
If someone asked him right now, he wouldn’t be able to explain what had just happened. Michael hadn’t wanted to fight with Brian. He never wanted that. But even though it was long ago, Justin, or just his name, still was a trigger and Michael rarely managed to stay calm - outwardly. Inwardly it was more like never.
Justin was living in a different city, in a different state. There was nothing he did that Michael could accuse him of, or at least not to his knowledge. Justin was, as far as Michael had been concerned, no longer part of their lives. Apparently, not everyone around him thought the same way. That thought was discouraging.
~+~+~
When Justin arrived early Friday evening, Michael made sure he was occupied outside his home. He didn’t want to welcome him and he certainly didn’t want to witness Brian welcoming him. He simply didn’t want to be present, period.
He waited until it was likely that Justin was out, seeing friends or family, before he dared to set foot in his own house. And saw at once that he had miscalculated. Justin was there, and not only Justin but his mother as well. And Debbie. And Daphne, Justin’s friend from high school. Not to forget Brian, of course.
But Brian didn’t look happy, did he? He seemed to be looking for a way to escape and Michael felt rather satisfied. At least he wasn’t the only one suffering that night and Brian, though he invited the devil and company into their house, had the decency to not let them have free reign which somehow made Michael hate him less.
Debbie avoided Michael’s gaze when he walked into the living room and he felt partly elated and partly sad. He tried to feign a smile and waved hello to everyone.
Justin waved back and thanked him for letting him stay for the weekend. Michael nodded back graciously. It wasn’t thanks to him.
“Mikey, hey…” Brian had gotten up and was at his side almost instantly. “I’m sorry about that. Justin asked if he could ask Daphne in for a moment before they left and before I knew it they were here for half an hour. Then his mother called him to ask where he was and so she came here. On her way over she had informed Debbie that Justin was here and well, what can I say?”
“I’d start with sorry,” Michael hissed.
“Okay. But don’t you see? It’s not like I asked them to come here!” Brian whispered back furiously.
“No. But you also didn’t tell them to go and celebrate their reunion somewhere else.”
Brian grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room.
“What do you expect me to do? I haven’t been told who I’m allowed to invite and who’s not welcome since I moved into your home. And now you start with this shit. Do you want me to move to a hotel? I will. I won’t stay here and overstress your hospitality.” Brian looked seriously put out.
Michael sighed. “I don’t want you to go but I won’t hold you up. You decide. Also, I don’t tell you what to do, I’m merely pissed because my living room is invaded with people who… I don’t know.”
For a moment Brian mentally seemed to pack his suitcases but then he shrugged. “One weekend, Michael, that’s how it is. I’m not going to kick them out now but I promise to find another solution next time.”
And he went back to his visitors, leaving Michael to tear his hair. Next time?!
~+~+~
Not everything that weekend had been bad. They’d had a nice enough time over breakfast on Saturday and when Michael had come home that night Justin was still out. On Sunday he slept in and when he got up in time for lunch, Michael found the anecdotes he told from the exhibition quite amusing.
Well, Hunter’s presence in both cases helped immensely, but he had to admit that Justin wasn’t as bad as he used to be. Brian was taciturn but not hostile, so Michael wasn’t overly concerned and when he offered to drive Justin to the airport Michael didn’t think the worst of Brian. Maybe he had really just tried to help.
Justin left early Sunday evening and the next night Michael was woken by the phone ringing.
~+~+~
--TBC--