A week.  A fuckin’ week.  That’s how long Brian had been waiting for Justin to wake up.  In that time, he kept constant vigil by his blonde’s side, the farthest he ever went being the hospital’s cafeteria.

After everyone left that first night, Brian had called Cynthia and filled her in on what had happened.  The surprisingly distraught woman wanted to come to the hospital and be there for Brian, but he had told her she could be of the most use by holding down the fort at Vanguard since he wouldn’t be coming in for a while.

She completely understood and through her tears told Brian not to worry, that she would explain the severity of the situation to Vance, and take care of all of Brian’s meetings.  Brian was surprised by Cynthia’s emotional reaction, but then again, he had yet to see one person meet Justin and not instantly fall for him.  Cynthia was no exception.  They had become fast friends during the times Justin would come to Vanguard.

Brian had grown into a routine during his time at the hospital.  Someone, usually Debbie, would drop off clean clothes for him every other day, usually accompanied with containers of food, and pick up his dirty laundry and wash it at her house.  Once every couple of hours, he would take a walk around the hospital to clear his head.  During this time would be when he would go to the cafeteria to get some sort of brown liquid the staff called ‘coffee’.

These walks were not his choice.  He would have gladly stayed by his lover’s side all day and all night, just watching the blonde sleep, but, during his stay, he had become acquainted with the staff, all of which had grown to love him.

There was one nurse whom Brian had seen as a female version of himself named Rae.  She shared his brutally honest attitude and cynical demeanor.  She had told him that if he didn’t get out of the room at least every two hours, she would personally rip his balls off and shove them up his ass, causing his eyes to pop out of his head.

Needless to say, the next day Brian was out discovering all the hospital had to offer.

So, here he was.  A week had gone by and still his Sunshine had yet to open those ocean blue eyes of his.

He had been sitting in his usual spot, eating Deb’s latest delivery, conversing with her as well as Em and Jen whom had stopped in to check on the young blonde.

As Emmett was attempting to make conversation, talking about what had been going on in the world as of late, he was cut off mid-sentence when the door swung open.

Everyone looked up to see a very angry Michael stomp through.  He walked up to Brian and began his inevitable whine Brian just knew had to be coming.

“Brian!  What are you still doing here?!  It’s been a fucking week and he hasn’t woken up.  I doubt he’ll miss you if you’re gone for a day or two.  Fuck you have a business to run, not to mention other people you are forgetting about here, people who have known you a lot longer than HE has.”

Everyone in the room, Brian included, seemed to be in shock.  Before he could find the right words, Michael continued.

“Come on Brian don’t pull this guilt shit again.  I told him you took him in ‘cause you felt guilty about what happened.  Don’t let him do that to you again, Bri!”

“What the fuck are you talking about?!  You told him what?”  As he said this, Brian was on his feet in Michael’s face.  His temperature began to rise as his stomach plummeted.  His anger and fear of what Michael could have possibly done battling to become the dominant emotion.

“The day of the accident, Brian.  He was mad about finding you on the couch with a trick.  I couldn’t understand how he could be upset.  I mean, you’ve always tricked.  That’s who you are.  I told him that.  That you were never going to change.  He asked why he was staying with you if you weren’t willing to be monogamous.  I just told him the truth.  I told him you felt guilty for the bashing him living with you was your way of gaining redemption.”

As soon as Michael was finished he was on the floor.  Brian’s fist had connected with his left eye causing the shorter man to fall flat on his side.  Brian didn’t give him time to recover, though.  He soon picked him up by the collar of his jacket and threw him against the wall.

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” Brian growled in the other man’s face.  I’ve never done anything for anyone out of pity or guilt, except maybe hang out with you during high school!  I wanted Justin to live with me.  It was never an inconvenience or a chore.  I didn’t want to leave him when he got out of the hospital in the first place.  The only reason I stayed away was because Jen asked me to.  It fuckin’ killed me to turn him away!  That’s why when she showed up at my place asking me to take him back in I jumped at it without thinking twice.  I wanted him with me!  I still want him with me!  I fucking love him!”

At that everyone’s eyes widened, including Michael’s.  His in pure shock, everyone else’s in shock that what they knew all along, or for Jen, what she’d known for that past week, was finally being expressed verbally by Brian.

“Brian!  You don’t know what you’re saying!  Don’t say that!  You’ve been cooped up in this hospital too long.  You need to get out and live again.  Become the Brian Kinney I know.  The Brian Kinney who never gave two shits about anyone but himself!  Come on Brian!!!”

“I’M NOT THAT PERSON ANYMORE, MICHAEL!”  Brian screamed at the top of his lungs.  “I’m not fuckin’ fourteen anymore.  I will never go back to that.  I’ve grown up.  You should think about doing the same!”

“Brian?!”  Michael asked in a mix of disbelief and hurt.

“Get the fuck out, Michael!  Don’t come back until you grow the fuck up!”

“BRIAN!” Michael whined.

Brian was about to respond when he heard probably the quietest sound he ever heard, a whispered plea of “Stop.”