Midnight Whispers
QAF Brian and Justin Fanfiction
Author's Chapter Notes:

The two mothers continue to learn some surprising details about the man who has accompanied Brian to the play. 

 

 

 

Seated in the same row several seats away, and waiting for Gus to make his first appearance on stage, Lindsay's attention was drawn to her friend and the young, handsome blond that had accompanied him to the play - the man who their son seemed so smitten with somehow.  Her mouth hung open slightly as she noticed the two of them sitting closely together, casually holding hands as if it were the most natural thing in the world"I don't believe it," she murmured as Mel turned her head to peer over at her curiously.  She cocked her head toward the far end of the row as Mel followed her gaze to see what she was observing.

 

Mel's eyes widened as she soon noted the focus of her partner's stare.  Brian - and, what was his name?  Yes, Justin. Brian and Justin.  Holding hands.  "Holy shit," she murmured as Lindsay nodded with a smile.  "I...I don't believe it, either," she whispered to her.  "Brian?!"

 

"Yes, Brian," Lindsay replied softly, secretly thrilled that her friend had apparently found someone to care about.  "I'm...happy for him." 

 

"But...Brian?  The man who fucks them once and then dumps them like yesterday's garbage?" She glanced around, noticing some nearby parents peering over at her with disapproval in reaction to her choice of language.  Lowering her voice, she added, "He would never..."  Her voice trailed off, unable to complete the sentence. Just when she thought in her job as an attorney she had seen and heard everything, she was finding out that she had not.  She would have never in her wildest dreams expected what she was seeing; this was not the actions of a man who was normally so cavalier about relationships. He didn't hold hands with one-time fucks, let alone even remember their names or bring to a play of all things.  Without really knowing anything substantial about this man, she somehow knew this person had to be different.  Was it possible?  Could someone like Brian Kinney change?  Even care about someone other than Gus? Because she had to reluctantly admit - when it came to Gus, Brian DID possess feelings, caring feelings, even parental love and affection for their little boy.  But that was the ONLY person he had ever cared that much about. Was that about to change, though? Perhaps she was reading too much into it. But she had to concede that it was highly unusual for him.

 

Just then, the piano at stage right began to play the opening strands of the play's musical score, and everyone's attention was drawn to the stage, including Mel's, Brian's odd behavior temporarily pushed aside.

 


 

One Hour Later....

 

The lights came back up for the last scene of the play - the wedding scene between a now fancily-dressed Gus and his ‘bride,' Belle, a curly-haired moppet named Leah, with cherry-red lips and a cherubic face, dressed in a fancy, satin-and-tulle bridal gown and - by the blissful look on her face -apparently loving every minute of it as she gazed at Gus adoringly.  Gus, on the other hand, appeared decidedly uncomfortable as the ‘priest' - played by one of his classmates and wearing a fake beard and flowing robes - began the marriage ceremony.  He continually fidgeted on his feet, and occasionally pulled at his shirt collar, tiny beats of sweat breaking out on his forehead.  Both Gus and his bride-to-be repeated their lines efficiently, although Leah seemed more passionate in her recitation than Gus, as the little girl reached over unexpectedly at one point to try and hold hands with her new groom - only to have Gus snatch his hand away as if he had been bitten.

 

The crowd tittered in reaction - Brian and Justin included - but then everyone roared with laughter at the pivotal ‘kiss the bride' scene a few seconds later, as the two little thespians turned to look at each other, and Leah impetuously grabbed Gus by the upper arms and firmly plastered one on his lips - only to have a horrified Gus promptly wipe his mouth afterward with the back of his white, silk shirt sleeve and grimace as if he had just taken a big bite out of a lemon.

 

The crowd continued to laugh as the play ended and the curtain closed, signaling the end of the performance.  Several seconds later, the curtains parted once more as each little actor or actress came back out onto the stage in pairs to take their obligatory bows, with Gus and Leah walking back out together as the last couple. The little girl was successfully clutching Gus's hand firmly this time - a fact that Gus seemed none too pleased about as he glared over at her and tried to snatch his hand away again, this time to no avail - but when his two moms, Brian, and Justin all rose to their feet, along with the rest of the audience, to clap enthusiastically and shout their approval at them, Gus promptly forgot about that issue and beamed back at Justin and his parents as the two of them took a bow. 

 


"Bravo, Sonny Boy!" Brian shouted at him as everyone continued the prolonged appreciation.  "Way to go, Gus!"  Inserting his two fingers between his lips, he let out an ear-piercing whistle, causing the parents around him to wince in reaction to the sound.  Finally, after several more seconds, the young students scurried backstage, and the crowd began to filter out or mingle in small groups as they waited for their children to join them. 

 

"Well, you were right about Gus having to kiss his classmate," Justin said with a laugh as the two of them stood at the side of the aisle, waiting for Gus to change backstage.  "He didn't seem to like that kissing scene one bit."

 

Brian grinned.  "I told you," he said.  He leaned in closer to Justin to whisper in his ear, "He doesn't know what he's missing," causing Justin to blush under the glare of the theater lights overhead.  Pulling back, Brian flashed his companion a sexy smile.   "We can practice our technique some more after I take Gus back home."  Brian paused as he cleared his throat, again feeling somewhat unsure around this man - and how being around him made him feel.  "That is...if you're planning on staying with me tonight."

 

Justin's pulse raced in reaction merely at the thought. Would it always be this way? He wondered.  And just how in the hell could he hope to go to work for Brian, knowing this sexy man was in the same building with him? It didn't matter if he was working in the Art Department, and Brian was in his own office somewhere else; just the thought that they would no doubt be working on ad campaigns together made him wonder how he was ever going to be able to properly concentrate on his job. But now that he was getting more accustomed to the idea, he knew there was no way he would possibly change his mind; the idea of working with Brian was much too intriguing to pass up. 

 

He sighed regretfully.  "Brian, I haven't been back to my dorm room at all today, remember?  Despite your attempt to ‘clean me up' earlier, I need my own change of clothes and a toothbrush."  He shuddered.  "I feel like some dumpster diver in this outfit." 

 

"I can provide you with both back at the loft," was the quick reply.  "Next objection?" 

 

Justin laughed softly.  "Brian..."  The other man rolled his lips under like a little boy hoping to get permission to bring home a puppy; a gesture that Justin found extremely endearing. It also made it very difficult to say no.  "Fuck, Brian," he complained quietly, reaching over to clasp his hand and squeeze it before letting it go.  "Look....I love spending time with you - and Gus..."

 

Brian peered intently into the sky-blue eyes.  "But..."    

 

Justin sighed as he brushed his right hand through his hair awkwardly.  "...but I need...I need to keep my own identity, too.  I need to remember who I am, and where I came from."

 

Brian frowned, noticing Mel and Lindsay approaching them out of the corner of his eye.  He knew they would not have much time to discuss this, and he needed to find out more.  "I don't understand, Justin.  I thought you enjoyed being at the loft with me - and Gus. You just said that."

 

"I do," was the firm reply.  Justin turned his head then, noticing Gus's two moms walking over; there would be no time to finish their discussion, at least not for the time being.  He shook his head regretfully.  "Can we talk about this later?" he asked.

 

Brian nodded, his lips pressed firmly together in what appeared to be irritation.  "Count on it," he replied a little curtly, his brows narrowed.

 

Justin nodded back at him, feeling a little bad that Brian was apparently upset with him.  He needed to make him understand how much he appreciated what he had done for him. But he also had to make him realize he needed to feel somewhat independent.  After his father had issued his ultimatum about either denying who he was or leaving his house, he had been forced to make his way relatively alone, although having Daphne's support had meant a great deal.  He had surprisingly found, though, that even during the lean and stressful times they had shared, the two of them had endured. They had survived, and even found satisfaction in what they had accomplished.  For the first time, he had found himself able to be fairly self-sufficient and make his own decisions, good or bad, and he had liked that feeling.  How could he explain that to Brian, though, so it didn't sound like he didn't want to be with him? Because he did. He loved being with this man - and his son.  And he loved what he was willing to do for him. He was so torn over how to reconcile that at the moment. But somehow he had to try and explain that to Brian; he knew the man well enough by now to know he would not drop the subject. 

 

Lindsay walked up and smiled at the two men, recalling seeing them together during the play and how comfortable they had seemed with each other.  "Justin," she greeted him with a nod.  "Brian." 

 

Brian rolled his eyes upon noticing the amused expression on his friend's face.  What now?  "Lindsay," he responded tentatively.  "Mel," he added as his ‘not-so-favorite' person joined them.

 

"How did you like the play, Justin?" Lindsay asked politely.

 

Justin smiled warmly at her.  "It was great! Gus was very entertaining as the Beast.  That last scene was hysterical, even though I imagine it wasn't supposed to be quite that funny." 

 

Lindsay laughed.  "No, it wasn't. I watched him in rehearsal, and Belle was supposed to kiss him on the cheek, not on the lips.  Gus wasn't the only surprised one!" 

 

Justin nodded at her.  "Well, it was very cute," he decided.  "He had a real stage presence up there. He's a very charming little boy - and full of energy, too." 

 

The two women exchanged a look between them before Mel commented, "You seem to know Gus pretty well; that's a good description of him." 

 

Justin glanced over at Brian, who nodded slightly as if to say it was okay to explain.  "Well, I've known him for a while."

 

Mel's brows rose in surprise.  "A while?"

 

"Mel..." Lindsay warned her quietly about her insistence on not dropping the subject, even though she was certainly curious as well. By now, a lot of the theatergoers had left the audience area, leaving the four of them relatively alone near their block of seats. 

 

"No, Lindsay, it's a normal question.  This is about my son, too, you know." 

 

Brian snorted under his breath; Mel always DID like to mention that fact, ever since he had agreed to sign over his parental rights to her.  One thing he would never give up, however, was the shared custody agreement they had settled on; he would never allow them to keep him away from Gus.  Thankfully, they had never tried to do that. Even Mel obviously realized his love for his son was genuine. 

 

Mel glared over at him briefly as she studied the young man standing next to her.  She wondered just how old he was; it was obvious he was much younger than Brian. HAD they met at one of the bars or clubs in town?  Or somewhere else?  "Just how long have you known Brian - and Gus?" she probed.

 

"Well...I first met both of them about a year ago," was the surprising disclosure.

 

"A year ago?"

 

Justin nodded.  "When they were on vacation down in Pigeon Forge. They came into the restaurant where I worked, and I wound up serving them."  He deliberately didn't say anything about Gus almost choking to death; he wasn't sure Brian had ever mentioned that, and something told him it might not be a good idea to bring it up at the moment. 

 

"Oh, now I remember!" Lindsay exclaimed in realization. "You're the one who gave Gus his train whistle! He told us about you when he got home! In fact, he wouldn't stop talking about you for weeks!"

 

 

"Yeah," Mel joined in.  "And he drove us nuts with that whistle, too!"

 

 

Justin blushed.  "I'm sorry," he told them.  "I guess I should have given that more thought.  But I knew how much he seemed to love trains..."

 

 

"You don't need to apologize, Justin," Lindsay assured him quickly with a smile.  "He loves that whistle!  We just had to put some constraints on when - and how much - he can use it."  She laughed.  "He would wear it to bed, if we let him. But we compromised, and he puts it on top of his dresser every night - right next to his Thomas the Tank Engine lamp."

 

 

Justin smiled at the thought of him providing so much pleasure to their little boy.  "I'm glad he likes it so much," he told her.

 

 

"So you're a waiter from Tennessee?" 

 

 

Brian interjected, "He WAS a waiter from Tennessee."

 

 

Mel frowned.  "So you're not just visiting?" she asked as Justin shook his head.  "Well, how did you wind up being a waiter here, then?"

 

 

Brian shook his head in irritation; he was already a little perturbed over the thought of Justin pulling away from him earlier.  He didn't need Mel to add to his consternation.  "He's not a ‘waiter.' He's an art student at PIFA.  And a damn good one, too."  He considered whether to mention Justin was about to come work for him, but decided against it for now. There was no reason they particularly needed to know that at the moment.

 

 

Justin flushed over the praise as Lindsay gasped in awe, just as Brian had hinted she would.  "You're an art student, Justin?  I'm an artist, too! What sort of art major are you?" 

 

 

"Mainly painting," he told her with a smile.  "I enjoy different media, but mainly acrylics and pencil sketches.  I also enjoy working with graphic arts.  Do you paint, too?"

 

 

Lindsay nodded.  "Not as much as I would like," she admitted.  "Gus keeps me pretty busy. But I used to teach art at one of the schools here.  I'd like to get more involved with it again one day soon." She added, "I'd love to see some of your work." 

 

 

Justin beamed.  "That would be great!  I'd appreciate your opinion."

 

 

Brian cleared his throat.  "You've already seen some of his art work, Lindsay."

 

 

His friend frowned.  "I have? When?  Where?  Are you exhibiting some of your works some place, Justin? That would be quite an accomplishment for a student at PIFA."  So Justin must be in his late teens or early twenties?  He WAS a lot younger than Brian, then, adding even more to the mystery regarding their relationship.

 

 

Justin shook his head.  "No, but I would love to do that one day."  He glanced over quickly at Brian, making one more internal decision:  he wasn't going to disclose that he would be working in all likelihood at Kinnetik come Monday.  He didn't know enough about these women to accurately gauge what their reaction would be, especially the more cynical one named Melanie.  Besides, he technically wasn't employed there yet; he knew all too well by now that sometimes things don't go the way you plan, so he decided it was best to just leave that little piece of information out.

 

 

Lindsay nodded.  "Well, it's quite an accomplishment, just getting accepted into PIFA," she observed.  That had actually been one of her dreams a long time ago; but it had never materialized. To this day, she wondered if it would have made a difference if she, too, had obtained the proper mentoring and training to go along with her raw talent.  The old motto of ‘Those that can, do; those that can't, teach,' came to mind as she winced slightly, the hurt still there, albeit deeply hidden by now. 

 

 

"He wasn't just accepted into PIFA, Lindsay," Brian quietly informed her.  "He was given a grant to attend." 

 

 

Lindsay's eyes widened in astonishment as she turned to stare over at Justin.  "Not the Livingston Endowment Award? The one that's only offered to one student a year?"

 

 

Justin's face turned red as he nodded. She knew about that? 

 

 

"Wow!  You must really be smart AND talented, then, Justin, because that is a highly sought-after award," she told him with grudging admiration. She still didn't quite understand the dynamics involved between him and Brian, but her opinion of this young man suddenly rose dramatically.  She knew all too well how desirable - but also how competitive and difficult - it was to obtain that generous grant. 

 

 

 

"Thank you," Justin told her softly, feeling somewhat embarrassed by all the attention.

 

 

Brian couldn't help the pride from showing on his face. He didn't know if he had a right to that feeling - after all, he hadn't been responsible for Justin's success, it was mainly his friend Daphne's intervention and Justin's abilities and intelligence that had secured it - but nonetheless he still felt proud FOR him. 

 

 

"Brian, you mentioned I've already seen some of Justin's work.  If he hasn't been exhibited anywhere, how is that possible?"

 

 

"Remember the sketch you saw in my office of Gus with the engineer from our trip? The one you tried for weeks to wrestle away from me?"  Justin had wound up giving him that sketch before he and Gus had returned home as a remembrance of their time together, and because he had admired it so much.  What Justin didn't know, though, was that he had paid a hefty price to have the smallish sketch properly framed, and it was prominently sitting atop his credenza behind his desk at Kinnetik.  Lindsay had come to visit one day soon after he had placed it there, and had fallen in love with it. Despite her fervent and persistent pleas to have it, Brian resisted her request.  He would never part with that picture in a million years, just like the ‘outlaw' photo he had of him, Justin, and Gus all dressed up in cowboy gear.  He knew that Gus kept a copy of the same photo in his nightstand drawer to look at - claiming it was a ‘secret' between just him and his father, because ‘outlaws had to protect their true identities' - but he often wondered how neither one of the Munchers had ever seen it. If they had, he was sure they would have asked him about the other man in the portrait, and it was obvious they didn't recognize Justin.  His son could apparently be quite the secret keeper when he wanted to be. 

 

 

"Oh, my God!" Lindsay shrieked as she stared over at Justin in disbelief.  "YOU drew that?"  Justin nodded again as Lindsay felt just a twang of jealousy flare up.  If only SHE could draw that way...

 

 

"Well, I'm no artist," Mel interjected from beside her.  "But I know enough to know talent when I see it.  That portrait you drew was amazing."  Lindsay had managed to snap a photo of it to show her later, and even without seeing it in person, she could see it was incredibly detailed and realistic.  She turned to Brian to mutter, "You're a lucky son of a bitch to have that drawing."  She would have loved having that particular drawing to place in her own office. But she knew from the way Brian was fixated on it that he would never part with it.  Besides, she knew even if he didn't like it so much, he would never let her have it just out of spite. 

 

 

Justin blushed.  "Thank you," he murmured.  He was about to tell her that he would be willing to draw something else for her when they were interrupted by the thundering of small feet running toward them from the stage's steps. A now normally dressed Gus came charging up to them, chock full of energy.  "Daddy!" he yelled, making a beeline toward his father, who squatted down like a baseball catcher just before Gus arrived, scooping him up into his arms and picking him up to support him under his butt, just like he used to do when he was a toddler.  "Did you see me on stage?  I was really good!"

 

 

All of the adults laughed at his self-made critique as Brian smiled affectionately at him. "Yes, you were, Sonny Boy.  You were definitely the star of the show!" 

 

 

"You certainly were, Sweetheart," Lindsay praised him as she leaned over to peck him on the cheek.  "You were great, wasn't he, Mel?" 

 

 

Mel nodded.  "Yes, you were," she told him warmly with a smile, reaching over to briefly tousle his hair.  "You were a natural up there." 

 

 

Gus beamed as he turned to eye Justin.  "Justin, did you see me?" he asked, his eyes lit up with excitement.

 

 

Justin smiled.  "I sure did. I enjoyed your performance immensely." 

 

 

Gus scrunched up his face.  "What does immensely mean?  Is that good?" 

 

 

"Oh, it's very good," Justin reassured him.  "And you were very handsome up there during the wedding scene," he added.

 

 

"Yeah, Sonny Boy, how did it feel to kiss the bride?" Brian teased him, knowing precisely what sort of reaction he was going to get.

 

 

Gus huffed in irritation.  "Daddy, she kissed me on the mouth!  I told her NOT to do that, but she did it anyway! And she grabbed my hand, and wouldn't let go. She said she's going to marry me for real when we grow up, too!  What is wrong with that girl?" he asked, sighing heavily.  "

 

 

The adults burst out laughing over his reaction as Gus looked at them in confusion, wondering what was so funny. 

 

"That's girls for you, Gus," Brian quipped.  "Very unpredictable."  He turned to look at Justin next to him as he added, "That's why I much prefer boys."  Just like he figured, Justin's face turned red - just before Justin reached over and impulsively smacked him on the arm, making Gus giggle. 

 

 

The two women exchanged a surprised look over how easily the three of them interacted with each other, like some long-time family unit.  Justin was a lot younger than Brian, but it obviously didn't affect - or bother - either one of them.  And Gus was definitely enjoying being in their company.

 

 

"Ready for your meat lover's pizza, Mr. Beast?" Brian asked his son, who nodded enthusiastically.  He turned to the two women to advise, "I'll drop him off after dinner."  Lindsay nodded at him in agreement as Brian turned to go, Justin hesitating for a moment.  "Justin, coming?" he asked.

 

 

Justin nodded as he turned to face the two women.  "It was nice to meet you both," he told them politely.

 


"You, too, Justin," Lindsay told him with a slight smile. 

 

 

"Yeah, nice to meet you, Justin," Mel joined in as Justin nodded back at them. The two women watched as Justin walked over to father and son to join them and Brian gently lowered his son to the ground between them.  Gus promptly grabbed both men's hands and began to walk off with them. The two women watched as their son skipped happily between them - and then as if on cue, Brian and Justin raised their hands just enough to lift Gus off the ground so he could swing lightly between them. They heard him shriek in delight as the three disappeared out the exit door and into the lobby. 

 

 

"What do you make of that?" Lindsay mused as she shook her head in amazement.  "It's as if they've know each other for ages.  Gus is never like that with strangers." 

 

 

Mel shook her head as well.  "No, he isn't."  She paused for a moment before turning to face her partner.  "But something tells me we're going to be seeing a lot of Justin." 

 

 

 

You must login (register) to review.