“Okay, once again from the beginning and slowly please.” Daphne said.

Justin gripped the handle of the phone and took a deep breath.

“Brian knows that I’m pregnant.  He found out last night when he came to my room.   We made love, Daphne.  It was so great and I truly felt like I was floating.  He was so careful and he couldn’t stop rubbing by belly.  He told me not to go.  But then this morning he was gone and I tried calling him, but he won’t answer.”

“Maybe he just needs to clear his head.”

“What if he doesn’t want to see me?”  Justin asked.

“That’s crazy talk.”  Daphne told him.  “Just take it slowly.  See what happens and when you see him again, if he ignores you, then you can tell me and I’ll kill his fucking ass and you can come back with me.”

Justin giggled.

“How’s the baby?”  Daphne asked.

“Okay.  I’m taking care of it.”  Justin told her.

“Did you cut back the hours at the diner?”  Daphne asked.

“Yeah.”  Justin told her.

“For how much?”  Daphne asked.

“By five hours.”

“Each day?”  Daphne asked.

“No.  In general.”

“Justin!”  Daphne yelled into the phone.  “That’s nothing.  You are not taking care of yourself.”

“I’m okay, Daphne.”  Justin assured her.

“God, what am I going to do with you?”  Daphne asked.

“Look, I have to go.  Vic is up and I promised I would make him breakfast because he said he would like to taste my food one more time.  I have to tell them now what’s going to happen.  I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay.  And, Justin, please take care.”

“I will.”  Justin told her, smiling.

When Justin hung up, he turned around and smiled at Vic.  He went into the kitchen, ready to make breakfast.  He felt better after talking to his friend, but still he felt like he could crumble at any minute.  He needed to know that Brian was okay with him having the baby.  Justin turned to look at Vic who was sitting at the table and reading the paper.

“So, what do you want?”  Justin asked.

“What about some pancakes and scrambled eggs, oh, and some sausage?”

Justin smiled and nodded.

“What time are you leaving?” Vic asked opening the newspaper, knowing that he wasn’t leaving since he had heard the whole conversation that Justin had with his friend Daphne.

Vic wasn’t snooping around.  It just happened that when he was coming down the stairs, he heard Justin’s frantic voice and he froze to the spot.  He still couldn’t believe that Brian was going to be a father.  He wanted to tell someone but he knew it wasn’t his place to tell anyone.  Justin turned around to look at Vic and gave him a little smile.

“I’m not.”  Justin whispered after a while.

Vic looked up at him and smiled widely at Justin.  

“Justin, if you ever need to talk about anything, I’m here for you.”  Vic told him.  “Anything, anytime.”

Justin bit his lower lip and nodded.  Vic then went back to his newspaper and waited for his breakfast.

***

Michael opened the door and got in.  He found Brian sitting on the sofa looking at the floor and holding a bottle of whisky.

“Brian, I have been waiting for you at Woody’s.  You were supposed to be there remember?”  Michael asked.  “We were celebrating that Justin is staying.”

“Anything serves as an excuse for you guys to drink.”  Brian retorted. 

Michael laughed a little.

“So why didn’t you come?”  Michael asked. 

“I always cum, Mikey.”  Brian told him.

Michael rolled his eyes and looked at his watch.

“It’s only eight.  We can make it.”  Michael told him.

“No.”  Brian said and took a sip from the bottle.

“Are you drunk?”  Michael asked as he took the bottle away from Brian.

Brian got up and walked to the kitchen where he grabbed a beer from the fridge.

“What’s with you now?”  Michael asked.

Brian stayed with his back to Michael and thought of what to say.

“I’m talking to you.”  Michael said as he searched for the bottle cap.

“I’m going to be a father, Mikey.”  Brian told him.

“What are you talking about?”  Michael asked as he spotted the cap just under the coffee table.  

Michael bent down to pick it up and quickly got up to look at Brian.

“I’m talking about me being someone’s father.”  Brian said.

Michael frowned as he closed the bottle and walked closer to Brian trying to digest what his friend was telling him.

“Do you mean to tell me that Lindsey and Melanie finally convinced you to give them your sperm?”  Michael asked.  “I thought you hated Mel.”

Brian shook his head and took a sip of his beer.

“I still hate that bitch and no, they didn’t convince me.”  Brian told him.

“Then how are you going to be a father, Brian?”  Michael asked.

“Justin is pregnant.”  Brian said.

Michael looked at the back of Brian’s head with wide eyes.  His mouth was hanging open and he couldn’t blink for anything in the world.

“Say something.”  Brian told him.

“Is it yours?”  Michael asked.

“Does ‘duh’ answer your question?”  Brian asked as he turned around to look at Michael.

Michael stared at his friend amazed by what Brian was telling him.

“When did he tell you?”  Michael asked.

“He didn’t.  I found out last night.”  Brian said.

They stayed quiet for a while.

“That’s why he was acting so strange.”  Michael said.

“I think he’s always been like that.”  Brian said smirking.

Michael smiled.

“Oh, no wonder he was sick.  He would run away from Ma’s food.”

“Mikey, I run away from your mom’s food.”  Brian mocked.

Brian and Michael laughed.

“So what now?”  Michael asked.  “Is he going to move in with you?”

“This place is too small for two people let alone three.” Brian told him.  “I think I’ll find a house or at least something bigger.”

“Brian?”

“What?”  Brian asked.

“You know that you can still support him and not have to live with him.”  Michael pointed out.

“I know.”  Brian said.

“That means…you care for him.  You love him.”  Michael said, his eyes getting big.

“If you repeat that to anyone, I will cut off your balls.”  Brian threatened.

“Oh my god.  You do.  You are in love with him.”  Michael gasped.

Brian turned and once again gave his back to his friend.  

“No wonder you were always telling me he had a boyfriend.  You were fucking jealous.  Oh my god.  You are so busted.”  Michael yelled.  “Brian fucking Kinney was jealous.”

“Shut the fuck up, Mikey.”  Brian told him.

Michael laughed.

“Oh my god.”  Michael shouted once again.

“What now?”  Brian asked.

“I’m going to be an uncle.”  Michael said suddenly.

Brian turned around to look at him with a smirk.

“When is he due?”  Michael asked.

Brian shrugged.

“You don’t know?” Michael asked.

“He’s about five months pregnant.”  Brian said.  

“How did this happen?”  Michael asked.

“I’m sure it all started on my birthday.”

“Explain.”  Michael said sitting down.

“I met him on my birthday after I left you at Woody’s.  We came here and fucked and the condom broke.  We got tested and we were fine.  It had to be then because ever since, we have used condoms.”

“Wow.  Some fucking present that is.”  Michael said smirking.  “You guys still do it?”

Brian smiled and nodded.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”  Michael asked.

Brian shrugged.

“So how’s Justin doing?”  Michael asked.

“He’s okay.  You should have seen his little belly.  He looks so fucking hot.”  Brian told him.

Michael looked at his friend with a smile as Brian told him about Justin’s belly.  He could see his friend was in love and he was happy for him.  He couldn’t wait to meet his little nephew or niece.

***

Justin was sitting on the couch trying to focus on what Vic was saying but failing miserably.  It had been two days since he had last seen Brian and he was starting to think that Brian didn’t want anything to do with him.  That Brian had thought things through and decided he didn’t want to change anything about his life, that he didn’t want any responsibilities.  Justin was sad and it didn’t matter how many times Vic tried to make him smile, he just couldn’t.  

“Justin, are you okay?”  Vic asked.

Justin looked at Vic and nodded.  He was about to get up when the door burst open and Michael came running in.

“I want to see.”  Michael demanded.

“Shut the fuck up.  No one knows.”  Brian told him, coming behind him.

“Knows what?”  Vic asked, pretending like he didn’t know what they were talking about.

“Nothing.”  Justin, Michael and Brian said.

“I see.”  Vic said smirking.  “I’ll go up to my room and let you guys talk about nothing.”  

Once Vic was gone Michael and Brian practically jumped onto the couch.  Michael was to Justin’s right and Brian to his left.  Brian started to lift Justin’s shirt when Justin swatted his hand away.

“What are you doing?”  Justin asked.

“I want Mikey to see.”  Brian told him.

“I feel like I’m fifteen again.”  Michael said, thrilled to see Justin’s stomach. 

Justin still was looking up at Brian in awe.  He could feel tears of joy threatening to come out.  Brian bent down and kissed Justin passionately.

“Hey, hey, hey stop that.”  Michael told them.  “Now show me.”

Justin smiled and watched as Brian lifted his sweater.

“Wow.”  Michael whispered.  “Can I touch it, Justin?”

Justin nodded.

“Oh my god.”  Michael murmured.  “Holy Christ, it feels so weird.”

“It does not!”  Justin argued.

“Mikey, you have never touched a pregnant person in your life.”  Brian said.

“I know.”  Michael told them.

“Then how the fuck do you know it feels weird.”  Brian pointed out.

“It’s just…it doesn’t feel like when you touch a guy’s stomach.”  Michael said.

Justin smiled and moved Michael’s hand so he could feel the baby.

“It’s moving!”  Michael shouted.

“I want to feel it.”  Brian said as he pushed Michael’s hand away.

“Here.”  Justin said as he placed Brian’s hand on his belly.

Brian waited and smiled when he felt a little push against his hand.  He turned Justin’s head towards him and kissed him hard.  Justin was ecstatic.

“What the fuck are you guys doing?”  Debbie asked as she came into the house.

Justin lowered his sweater quickly and got up.

“Are you having a threesome on my couch?”  Debbie asked smiling.  “Justin, come and help me with the groceries.”

Justin had moved forward when Michael and Brian jumped from the couch.

“I’ll do it.”  Michael said.

“I’ll help.”  Brian told them.

Debbie and Justin stayed rooted to the floor as Michael and Brian went outside for the groceries.

“Well, the fucking world must be ending.”  Debbie said as she walked with the bag she already had to the kitchen.

Justin couldn’t stop smiling.