“I never realized how much fucking stuff I own.” Brian groused as he continued to add boxes to the steadily growing pile near the door to the loft. “Well, just think.” Justin rationalized. “There’s plenty of room for it at the new house.” Brian just rolled his eyes. “Knock. Knock.” Came Emmett’s voice from the opened loft door. “Come on in, Em.” Justin called. “The movers haven’t gotten here, yet so you have time to -.” “Make popcorn.” Emmett sing-songed. “Popcorn goes with all forms of entertainment.” Brian laughed as Emmett hurried into the kitchen. “All the pots are packed you’ll have to use the microwave.” Emmett gave him the thumbs up. “Weren’t the movers supposed to be here by 9?” He added turning to Justin. “Nope. Ten.” He walked into the kitchen area and noticed that most all of the kitchen stuff was packed. “Why are you so fast and so good at this?” Brian asked. Justin just shrugged. “Well, the entertainment center is boxed up and the bathroom is done. The kitchen and the bedroom are done. All we have left is my desk and the computer and stuff and what little is left in here.” “What about the storage area downstairs?” Justin asked. “Hell, I forgot about that.” Brian said. “I don’t even remember what’s down there if anything.” “We can check it our while the movers are putting all this stuff on the truck.” Justin offered. “Ooo, yes, then I can keep a close eye on the movers while you two go down to storage. A very close eye.” Emmett said with a wink. “So long as they actually get something done, Em.” Brian warned causing the other man’s grin to widen. -- As the movers began to haul out all the boxes, furniture, etc., Brian and Justin disappeared down to the basement of the building to check the storage unit. It took Brian several tries with several different keys before he found the one for the storage room door. There was very little in the storeroom. “Not much in here.” Justin said stating the obvious. “What’s in those?” He asked pointing at a couple of tattered boxes sitting at the back wall. “Not a clue.” Brian said with a shrug. “We’ll have the movers take them to the house and sort it there.” “Maybe you have some unknown treasure trove.” Justin offered. “You know like those people on ‘Antique Road Show’ that find priceless paintings and stuff in some old attic.” “Yeah, right.” Brian said one of the two boxes and heading to the elevator. “Grab that one and come on.” He called. -- “Uncle Bri, I’m starving.” John called as the last of the boxes came off the moving van. “Me, too.” Justin agreed. “We aren’t going to start unpacking boxes tonight anyway, are we? I mean all we need is the beds and then we can tackle to big stuff tomorrow morning, right?” “I guess.” Brian said. “But, after we eat, we need to at least make things a little neater. Then, I’m going to set up the entertainment center. I refused to be bored.” “Cool.” John said brushing his hands together. “I’ll go make up my bed and get the boxes out of the middle of the room.” “Good.” Brian said. John disappeared up the stairs. “He really loves his room.” “Of course he does.” Justin said shoving a large box into a corner by the hall door. “Now, he doesn’t have to listen to us fuck.” Brian rolled his eyes. “Go get started on making our bed and I’ll order food.” Brian said heading toward the phone. “Just hurry up, Mister.” Justin called back. “Don’t think I’m going to do this all myself.” Brian rolled his eyes and dialed the number of a local pizzeria/deli and ordered a large pizza for the ‘kids’ with everything and a large garden salad for himself. With that done he headed up the stairs toward his and Justin’s bedroom. Justin was just finishing putting on the fitted sheet when Brian walked in. “Here.” Justin said handing Brian one end of the top sheet. Together they got the bed made in no time then stacked the boxes neatly along one wall. Brian’s suits had been hung up neatly in the walk-in closet first thing. And his shoes lined one side of the closet walk. “I think you have a shoe fetish.” Justin said off handedly. “Nope.” Brian corrected. “I’m just hopelessly addicted to shopping. Especially for designer labels.” “Well, Mel doesn’t call you a ‘Label Queen’ for nothing.” Justin teased. “However, I don’t think there is a single thing in this closet that I haven’t seen you wear.” “That’s because unlike other shopaholics, I only buy serviceable items.” Brian explained. “Most everything I buy goes with something I already have.” Just then the doorbell rang. “Dinner is served. Come on.” John was already at the door waiting. “That’ll be $17.50.” The delivery guy said as John relieved him of the pizza and Brian’s salad. Brian paid him with a nice tip. He moved into the kitchen where he found John and Justin setting the table laughing and kidding the whole time. Shaking his head he walked in to referee them and eat dinner. -- After dinner as he had promised, Brian set up the entertainment center and was setting the remote control when Justin came in carrying on the of the old boxes from storage. “Curiosity is killing me.” Justin said. “We have to go through this tonight.” “It’s just some old stuff, Justin.” Brian said dismissively. “It probably isn’t worth our time. I should just put them in for donation.” “No, now come on.” Justin said. “We can sit here in the living room and find out what’s in the boxes.” “Okay. Okay.” Brian said. “Set them by the couch. We’ll get to them in a minute.” “Hey, Uncle Bri.” John called a few minutes later causing Brian to turn from where he was working on setting the remotes for the entertainment center. “What’s this?” John had opened one of the boxes and had pulled out a couple trophies. “Holy shit.” Brian said under his breath. “I forgot all about those.” He set the remote down and walked over to where John was kneeling on the floor. “I used to run track in school.” Brian explained. “That must have been from my junior year.” Brian took one of the trophies and looked at it. “We won All-State that year.” Brian said lost in thought for a moment. “I thought Mom still had them in the attic, but when I couldn’t find them after she died, I assumed she threw them out.” He ran his finger along his name on the plate at the trophy’s base. “What else is in there?” He pushed open the flap of the box and began to rummage through it. “What’s up?” Justin said coming down the stairs. “Look at this, Justin.” John said handing the trophy to Justin. “Nice.” Justin said. “You were a runner.” “Pretty good one, too.” Brian said nodding. “Holy fuck.” Brian exclaimed as he came across a black leather case. “I haven’t seen this since, since my freshman year at college.” He opened the case to reveal several sketches and Polaroid pictures. “Christ. I forgot all about these.” Justin pulled the sketches out and looked at them. “These are really good, Brian. Why didn’t you tell me you could draw like that?” “I guess I forgot.” Brian said. “I took this art class in college. I forgot all about it. I only signed up for it because the instructor was really hot.” “Don’t tell me.” Justin interrupted. Brian snorted a laugh. “No, we didn’t.” Brian explained. “Turns out he was the straightest boy on the planet.” John laughed out loud at that. “But, the class, the class was great. And, it’s where I met Lindsay.” He took the Polaroid pictures out of the bag next and looked through them. “Oh, God. Angst-full youth.” Brian said as he handed them to Justin. “Part of the class was to take pictures of stuff and then interpret them into drawings.” “But, these are good, Brian.” Justin said comparing the Polaroid pictures to the drawing Brian had done of them. “Really good.” “Thanks, Sunshine.” Brian said with a lop-sided grin. “But, I don’t think I’ll be rivaling you anytime soon.” “Is that a Boy Scout neckerchief?” John asked. “Yep.” Brian said pulling out the red plaid cloth. “Weeblos to be exact. It was as far as I got before we moved and Mom and Dad never really looked for another pack in the new neighborhood.” Brian smirked. “Besides, they wouldn’t have wanted my kind in BSA anyway.” John frowned. “They don’t allow fags in, John.” “Oh yeah.” John said. “Duh.” “My vest with all my patches on it should be in here, too.” Brian said moving things around. “God Damn.” He cursed and pulled out a tiny cap gun and holster. “That’s awfully small.” John said. “When did you play with that? In the crib?” “I didn’t.” Brian said. “It used to be attached to diaper pin.” He explained. “Mom got two of them as a shower gift.” He stared at the tiny gun for a second. “They’re real cap guns, too. I never got to play with them, though. Too young.” “You okay, Uncle Bri?” John asked. “Yeah. It’s just been awhile.” Brian sighed. “I think my mother actually loved me there for little while. At least until Jack beat it out of her.” “Mom always said that you were treated special.” John said. “That you got away with murder while she had to do everything for Grandma and Grandpa.” John looked thoughtfully up at his uncle. “That’s not true is it?” Brian shook his head slowly. “I wish things had been different. I wish you and Mom had gotten along. I wish you and Gran had gotten along.” Brian pursed his lips. “I wish it hadn’t taken losing Mom and Gran and Danny for me to get to know you.” “Me, too.” “So,” Justin said, “still want to send it to the Goodwill?” Brian smirked then shook his head. Justin smiled rubbing his hand along Brian’s back. “Didn’t think so.” Brian shrugged. “The ties that bind.” “And gag.” Brian joked. The end.