Epilogue:

Brian almost hated to wake him. Justin looked so beautiful, lying there, naked on top of the duvet and snoring quietly into his pillow.

Indeed, it wasn’t even daybreak when Brian roused him and with the younger man still half asleep, Brian took him into the bathroom for a leisurely shower, which had the hoped for effect of bringing him gently awake.  Justin smiled at him, and though Brian hadn’t intended to linger, the opportunity to make love just couldn’t be denied them.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“Wear this,” Brian told him, as he laid out the loose fitting white cotton suits on the bed. He still had his towel wrapped around his waist and Justin was drying himself off.

“Why those … and it isn’t even light yet,” complained the younger man, gesturing towards the windows.

“It won’t be long,” stated Brian and he frowned at him. “Indulge me.”

Justin groaned and it was on the tip of his tongue to remind Brian there was a time he hardly saw sun up. And when he did, it was usually when he was coming in from a night on the town, not getting up.

He was still confused as to why Brian would want to rise so early and head out at this time, but doing as Brian requested, they dressed in the suits the man had bought for them a few days earlier. Then, both still barefooted, Brian led Justin outside and down the pathway into the dunes, the light now just enough to enable them to find their way.

“Can’t you tell me why it’s so important we’re doing this … now?” asked Justin again, but Brian merely grinned back at him.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


At the shoreline, the sea lapping at their toes, the sun was just starting to creep above the horizon, its light spreading out across the ocean.  The early morning air was already warm and promising to be a real scorcher.

Brian stopped and turned to face him, smiling at the puzzled expression on the younger man’s face and hoping to God he hadn’t got this wrong.

“Today … is about new beginnings,” stated Brian and he took a deep breath.   Romantic gestures had never come easy, but he knew Justin would never make fun of him and this was something he felt he had to do. 

“I once asked you to marry me,” Brian reminded him and Justin nodded.

“Yes … and I said I would.”

“But that was a long time ago, Brian … a lot has happened since then … we don’t need a marriage ceremony … we can leave all that to Ben and Michael,” stated Justin.  In all the time they’d been on the island, or even before that, despite the fact that both of them felt they’d never been more of a couple than now, neither of them had talked about the possibility of them actually getting married this time and Justin didn’t want Brian to feel obliged.  Being back together was good enough.

“So … you don’t want to be traditional?” asked Brian, though Justin thought he could detect a slightly mocking tone. Justin shrugged and then frowned and then looked out at the rising sun before looking back at him.

“We don’t need to state in front of everybody how we feel … we both now how much we love each other … and how much space to give … so we can still be our own person,” Justin told him and Brian nodded but stayed silent.  Justin frowned.  This might not be a wedding ceremony in front of all their family and friends as such, but Justin was beginning to wonder.

“Is that what this is?” asked Justin, looking back at him and beginning to understand what was going through Brian’s head right now and the older man nodded.

“You’re right,” Brian agreed with him.  “We don’t need to make statements … or vows … to anyone else.”

“But it is a new day … a new start, Justin.”

“A new life … for you and me,” confirmed Brian and Justin fought to keep the tears from welling up. Maybe Justin didn’t need conventionality, but deep down, Brian knew that the very least Justin wanted was commitment. And that was something Brian was more than ready to give.

“You and me,” came Justin’s quiet confirmation, his voice betraying his emotion and he then saw Brian frown.

“Okay … but if you say we don’t need a fancy ceremony … how about rings?”

Again, Justin shrugged. “We don’t need rings to prove we love each other, Brian,” stated Justin earnestly and Brian nodded.

“True … but what if we had them … would you wear it?”

“I know it would make me the proudest man alive to have you wear my ring,” stated Brian and facing Brian square on, Justin took Brian’s hands in his own.

“Of course I’d wear your ring … but we don’t have rings …”

Brian nodded and then loosening Justin’s hold on his hand, he reached into his pocket, but then suddenly, he paused.

“Tell me you won’t hate me,” requested Brian, suddenly concerned and Justin chuckled.

“Why would I hate you?” he asked him.

“I can’t think of anything else you could possibly put me through that would make me hate you now,” Justin answered, in exasperation.

Risking a smile, slowly, from his pocket, Brian brought out a ring box and looked rather sheepishly at Justin, who slowly recognized what he was looking at.

“Oh my god!“

“You kept the rings?” Justin asked him in astonishment and guiltily, Brian nodded.

“I kept the rings,” confirmed Brian.

“I thought they’d been stolen … I looked everywhere for those,” stated Justin and he saw Brian swallow.

“I know I shouldn’t have taken them … but when it came to it … at the very last moment … I couldn’t leave them behind.”

“Would you still wear it?” asked Brian and Justin nodded and smiled. “Of course.“

“How could I refuse?”

Slowly, Brian opened up the ring box and took out the smaller of the two rings; two matching rings, with the initials B and J entwined on the outside.

“Of course the date’s wrong,” admitted Brian, sadly, his stomach in a knot as he tried to forget all those wasted years, but Justin merely took Brian’s hand in his own and he stepped in even closer, forcing Brian to look him in the eyes.

“That doesn’t matter,” whispered Justin.

“Because I don’t love you any less now then I did back then,” and then Justin let go of Brian’s hands, enabling the man to slip the ring onto his finger.  Brian’s heart missed a beat as he did so, having feared all those years ago that he would never get to do this.

Trying to stop from shaking, Justin retrieved the remaining ring and taking Brian’s hand in his own, placed the ring on Brian’s finger and then held on to him; their hands clasped together.

Maybe they didn’t need to say vows to know what they were confirming, promising and undertaking.  But if Brian couldn‘t say those things to Justin, then who would he ever be able to say them to?  He’d once thought he never would, but with the affirmation of a love he thought he’d never know reflected in Justin’s eyes, Brian had no difficulty in saying them now.

“I love you Justin … now and forever.”

“I will never stop loving you … and I want to spend the rest of my life with you … loving you.”

With the increasing light, Justin could see the tears glistening in Brian’s eyes and, choking back his own tears, Justin stretched up on tiptoes, but before finding Brian’s mouth with his own:

“I love you too, Brian,“ declared the younger man with all his heart and if anyone had been watching them, they couldn’t have failed to see the love these two men shared, mirrored in each other’s eyes.

“Together forever,” whispered Justin, the words on his lips that met Brian’s in a kiss that sealed their love, for eternity. 

Eventually, the kiss was broken and both men smiled and Justin looked down at their rings.

“We’ll never get away without some sort of party … when everyone sees these,” he chuckled and Brian nodded.  “At least that will keep Em happy,” smiled Brian, but in fact, he actually didn’t mind in the least, the thought of getting together with everyone back home and sharing their happiness with them.  But then suddenly, Brian became serious again and both men fell silent.

Turning to face the horizon, their arms wrapped around each other‘s waist, Brian and Justin stood to watch the sun rise; on a new day and a new life, together.

Breaking the spell at last, Brian took Justin by the hand and led him to the nearest sand dune, where there had been set down a blanket and on it lay an ice-box containing a bottle of Champagne, two glasses and a dish of strawberries.

But Justin gasped when he saw what else was laying on the blanket.

“Golden Gardenias?” choked Justin in surprise and he stooped to retrieve the beautiful spray of flowers as Brian opened the Champagne, deciding it was never too early to celebrate.

“You remembered,” stated Justin and clutching them with one hand, with the other, he took the glass from Brian.  Brian smiled. “How could I forget?

It didn‘t need stating that these were the very first flowers that, in the end, Brian had ever bought Justin.  But somehow, they both knew that they probably wouldn’t be the last.

Justin chuckled and shook his head as he watched Brian pour out their toast; only he could have arranged something like this and get it delivered at this unearthly hour.

Silently, they linked arms in the age-old tradition as they sipped their drinks and then kissed, tasting the Champagne on each other’s lips.  Then Justin saw Brian frown.

“What? What are you thinking?” asked Justin, hoping and knowing that Brian would always surprise him.

“Are you hungry?” asked Brian, indicating the strawberries and Justin shook his head.

“No … not particularly.  Why?”

“Good,” stated Brian.

“Because I can think of a much better use for that blanket …”

Justin laughed, maybe Brian was predictable after all and how grateful he was for it.  

Putting down their glasses, Justin then placed the flowers on the sand.  Slowly, they undressed each other before lying down on the blanket, their bodies joining as one as they declared their undying love.

Justin smiled as he ran his fingers through Brian’s hair.  Brian had given him so much over the years and he knew that having won his heart, the man would never fail him.  Nor indeed would he.  After all, Brian had been more than willing to give up his own happiness and even his life, to keep Justin safe.  What more proof did he need of Brian’s love?

So finally, a man who once failed to comprehend his worth; a man who hadn’t understood the power of love until Justin entered his life, had become a loving, committed partner and soulmate to Justin and a real father to Gus.  

Brian smiled up at Justin in return, thanking with all his being for the younger man’s willingness to forgive him the heartache and pain he’d put him through.  

Traditional or not, their love gave each other room enough to allow each other to breath and space to allow each the freedom to be the man they are and yet remain a loving, committed couple.

With everything that had ever happened to them, if proof of the power of love were ever needed, this was it.  Nothing or no one would ever keep them apart.  Brian and Justin’s love would grow ever stronger, ever determined to face the future and whatever life has to hold for them.  Together, now and forever.  Their commitment to each other an undying and enduring testimony to love.


The End.
August 2007

With many, many thanks to Judy and Lois and to everyone who has supported me through a very difficult time.  Julia