Thanks to all who make this story possible Brian’s POV I feel consciousness pulling at my eye lids and I don’t want to wake up so I roll towards Justin, not liking that he is not in my arms. Suddenly my eyes snap open and my eyes see what my hand had already known, Justin wasn’t in bed with me. “Justin?” I call out even though I somehow know that he isn’t in the loft, it’s like I have a homing device in me when Justin is in the general vicinity. When he doesn’t answer, I’m not at all surprised but knowing it was going to happen didn’t lessen the hurt I feel. Why did he leave? Why, after a night like we had, would he not be here when I woke up? I don’t know how I know but I know that he isn’t just down at the corner store getting something for breakfast; the sheets are too cold for that, not to mention the feeling of dread that has once again settled into my stomach. Finally after another few minutes of trying to figure out why Justin has left and basically just wallowing in self-pity, not that I would ever admit that, I climb out of bed. I refuse, that least for this moment, to look out of the bedroom for fear of seeing the door that Justin walked out of. So instead I head for the shower and hope that under the pounding water I can forget the pain. Half an hour later I’m buttoning the last button on my shirt when the phone rings and even though I would deny this if ever asked, I run to the phone praying that Justin’s on the other end. I look at the caller ID before I pick it up and nearly sigh in disappointment when I see it’s Lindsay. I wonder what she wants and I know that whatever it is, isn’t going to make me happy. “Hello?” “Brian, so I see that you’re afraid you’re going to lose, huh?” “What?” “Well, I’ve thought about it and I’m going to agree to Justin’s plan.” She says, ignoring my question. “What the fuck are you talking about Lindsay?” I almost scream at her. “Well, you don’t need to be such an asshole about it. I’m talking about the agreement with Justin, that he’ll stay away from you as long as I stop giving you a hard time about seeing Gus. So I’m calling to tell you that I considered it and I agree.” I can’t believe what she is saying but it sounds like Justin. He’s trying to fix everything for me even when he doesn’t have to. I thought that he understood that I had Lindsay under control; but apparently he is still afraid that she will be able to take Gus away from me. Well first, I’m going to tell this bitch off and then I’m going to find Justin, beat his ass for trying to run my life and for walking out on me and then I’m going to take him to the lawyers so he gets that I have Lindsay over a barrel. “Lindsay, I don’t care what Justin said to you, there will be no deal. If you want to continue to mess with my parental right, I will see you in court. Goodbye.” I say and then hang up the phone in her ear. I run around grabbing my things and calling my lawyer as I run out of the loft. I tell him that I will need to see him and why as I race towards Justin. Once I get to where I know Justin will be hiding out with his thoughts, I take a moment to calm down. I’m pissed at Justin for doing this but I know why he did. I know that I would do the same for him so I have to calm down before I see him. Once I have my breathing back to normal, I head inside the Pittsburgh Museum of Fine Art. I just know that he will be here because he told me that his mother took him here as I kid and that since then he has come here when he needed to think sometimes and I just know that this is where he is now. I walk around the second corner, heading to the impressionistic section and I catch sight of that blond mop I’d know anywhere. I stop and study him for a second because well, he’s beautiful, but also because he seems to be in so much pain. I know that the pain he is in right now is self inflicted but it doesn’t make it hurt any less to see him in pain. “Hey Blondie.” I say as I wrap my arms around him from the back. He stiffens in my arms for less than a second and then relaxes completely against me. “What are you doing here?” “Lindsay called me and said she agreed with your plan.” I say blandly and he stiffens once again and I hear a little gasp of pain that he can’t quite hide. “Then really, what are you doing here? The deal was I’d stay away from you.” Justin answers, trying to struggle out of my arms but putting little effort into it because he knows just as much as I do, that all he wants to do is be in my arms. “Because I thought I had gotten through to you yesterday. I have nothing to worry about with the custody case. She is so fucked but I guess you don’t believe me, so come on.” I say and grab his hand, dragging him to the entrance. “Where are we going?” Justin asks desperately, while he tries to keep up with my long strides. “We’re going to my lawyer’s office so maybe you will understand that Lindsay is fucked, and not in a positive life affirming way. Plus, he has some news for me on the court date; apparently he got it pushed up.”