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

Brian awaits the arrival of his son, Mel & Lindsay with anticipation.  Gus's best buddy?  Not so much. Will Tricky have mellowed since the last visit?

 

 

 

One Hour Later...

 

"Okay...chocolate milk."

 

"Check."

 

"Juice packs."

 

"Got it."

 

"Grapes."

 

"Enough to start a vineyard."

 

"Studded dog collar."

 

Brian unsuccessfully tried to ignore the sharp, puppy yip that responded to his use of the word ‘dog.' He peered down at their latest member of the household, who was currently staring up at him through dark, luminous eyes, some type of odd, green, bumpy stick held between her large paws that Justin had said was good for her teeth and her breath, which, with all the puppy chow she had been consuming lately, was in dire need of some doggie Scope.  The latest addition to her ever-growing supply of dog toys and accessories - an obscenely large, round dog bed with the initials XTK inscribed on the front (which, to Brian, was not only ridiculous, but also sounded suspiciously like a model of Jaguar) - was currently being utilized by the beast as both a cushion to recline on, and - more to Brian's thinking - a satellite location from which to spy on him and his fiancé.  He shook his head in slight irritation before Justin's next comment made him refocus on his human company.

 

"Huh?  Xena and Tricky already have collars."

 

Brian smirked. "I meant for Mel."

 

"Brian! You promised!"

 

"Okay, okay," Brian grumbled, as he made a symbolic zipping motion across his lips while he stood in the kitchen, coffee mug in hand.  He took a quick sip before explaining, "You know what they say about bad habits dying hard.  She's just too easy a target."  Truthfully, he and Mel had slowly developed a more stable relationship; he wasn't quite sure he would call it cordial, but at least they could be civil with each other now, especially in light of how often Gus was in their presence. 

 

Justin rolled his eyes as he shut the refrigerator door.  "Brian, I don't need any more stress right now," he told his fiancé as he turned to face him. 

 

Brian had to laugh at that comment.  "Really?  If you hadn't wanted to be stressed out, Sunshine, you should have rethought your idea of bringing that into our house."  He peered down at Xena, whose ears perked up as if she knew he was talking about her. He scowled.  "At least Cujo never ate one of my Armani shoes.  She could have at least chewed up one of your sneakers instead.  But no, she has to have good taste." 

 

"Brian, I told you, she..."

 

"Yeah, yeah," he interrupted him with a shake of his head.  "She ran into the house when you opened the door...and bolted straight toward our walk-in closet like my shoe was a homing beacon.  How quaint.  At least she chose one of my shoes from last year, instead of one from the new spring collection." 

 

"Well, that's not exactly how it happened," Justin recalled with an amused smile.  "But I did think she was still out back inside the fence."  Justin rolled his lips under as he added, "Besides, if anyone should understand what it's like to have a leather fetish, it should be you." 

 

Brian scoffed.  "It's not just leather, Sunshine.  Toilet paper, our bathroom towels...this morning, I found the rubber bathtub mat chewed up in Gus's bathroom!"  He sighed wearily. 

 

"What?  You mean the one with Spiderman on it?" 

 

Brian nodded. 

 

Justin's mouth fell open in confusion. "How did she get a hold of that?  It was inside the bathtub."

 

"How do I know?  But look at her," he urged his partner, as he stared down at the puppy, who was currently oblivious to their conversation taking place about her as she returned to her chewing toy.  "All I know is that Spidey is missing an arm now."  He shuddered.  Poor superheroPoor HIM for falling love with such a tenderhearted man in the first place.  "Justin, I know I relented in allowing Cujo, Jr. here more access to the house...but you have got to try and keep a better eye on her...and my wardrobe.  All I had requested was that you keep our bedroom door closed when she's on the prowl...I don't think that's too much to ask." 

 

"I'm sorry, Brian."  Justin nervously threaded his fingers through his hair, glancing down at the newest member of their family.  He knew the timing had been bad in light of their upcoming wedding, but he just couldn't bear having one of Cujo's puppies winding up at the local high-kill animal shelter.  If Gus had ever gotten wind of that, he couldn't have lived with himself. The little boy would have been absolutely crushed. "I'll try to keep better control over her," he softly promised. 

 

Seeing the look of anxiety on Justin's face, Brian sighed as he placed his coffee mug down on the counter and walked over to his partner, placing his hands on either side of his neck.  He lazily rubbed the soft skin there as he scolded him.  "You worry too much.  We've waited this long, Justin.  Everything will turn out okay. Even if we DO have a mini-version of a trash compactor living with us now."

 

Justin laughed softly then.  "Oh, my God. You're being the optimist here? With Tricky AND Xena about to be in the same house?"  He made a show of looking behind Brian's back as if he had lost something.  "Oh, I get it!  Some alien kidnapped the real you, and you're just a clone.  Somewhere on the planet Doofus, the real Brian is fucking everything that walks on two legs - or maybe even four for all WE know. And fur.  Lots and lots of fur. But don't worry about the REAL Brian; they might just have two cocks, too."   

 

"Very funny," Brian commented dryly.  "Made you forget your stress, though, didn't it?"  He pointed out.

 

Justin nodded with a half-smile of concession, sliding his hands up Brian's chest to link them behind his neck.  "Yes, you did. But I just don't want anything to go wrong," he explained softly.  "I...We've waited so long, and it's not like you can repeat it if something goes wrong.  You only get one shot at the wedding ceremony." 

 

"We'll only need one time," Brian reassured him.  Justin nodded, still not totally convinced, as he raised himself up on his tiptoes and pulled his fiance's head down for a kiss.  It was quickly interrupted, however, by the ringing of the doorbell, and Xena barking excitedly in response...their very own version of a miniature alarm system to supplant the one they already had.

 

"Showtime," Justin murmured, pecking Brian once more on the lips as they separated.  

 

Brian nodded, at once both dreading part of what was coming and also looking forward to it.  "Batten down the hatches, Sunshine.  A Godzilla El Nino is about to blow in."  Reaching for Justin's hand to give it a brief squeeze, the two - along with a small, furry bundle scampering along behind them - headed toward the front door.  He paused for a moment after a few steps.

 

"What?" Justin asked a little worriedly.

 

"Promise me you won't bring out the family photos."

 

"I don't have any family photos of you with me, unless you mean the ones with Gus."  Sentimentalist that he was, he always carried a few snapshots of them in his wallet wherever they went.

 

"You know what I'm talking about.  I mean...I can't even believe it I'm saying this, even now...the ones you have of you and Xena, the wonder dog.  I saw them the other day when you pulled them out to show Em at the diner, remember?"

 

Justin opened his mouth, but then closed it. What could he say?  He couldn't lie that they existed; he had made the mistake of whipping them out right in front of Brian to show Emmett the other day at the diner, just like a proud father.  Could he help it if Xena was so photogenic? 

 

He rolled his eyes.  "Okay, okay," he grumbled.  "Sheesh, you take the fun out of everything." 

 

Brian couldn't help pressing his lips tightly together to keep from smiling.  "I'll try to keep the fun in our fucking at least," he promised. "Who knows? I might even let you be the 'engineer' tonight - if you're lucky."

 

"Gee, thanks.  Ever the altruist."

 

Brian grinned as they headed down the hallway, pausing as they neared the door.  "Here we go."  Shaking his head slightly in disbelief that he had agreed once more to turning his house upside down, he took a deep breath, preparing himself (as least as well as he could) for the return of Cujo and company. 

 


 

Several seconds later...

 

"Brian, would you get your ass over here, and stop hiding behind Sir Lancelot?" Justin turned to stare over at his partner in exasperation as Brian stood to the side of their metal replica of a knight in full armor, complete with chainmail, sword, and shield.  "He's not that big, and they promised to have him on a leash, anyway." 

 

"Unless it's a towing chain, it won't hold him." 

 

Justin laughed.  "Come on, he's gotten better.  He's not THAT bad!"

 

"Right...that's what the passengers said on the Titanic about their captain - just before the iceberg hit."  The closer they had gotten to the door, the more Brian had become convinced that he should not be quite so foolish as to think Tricky would be well-behaved.  He somehow knew better than that. He might appear 'normal' to most people, but for some reason whenever that mutt saw him, his split personality emerged.

 

 

His fiancé rolled his eyes as he walked up to the door and grasped the brass handle, struggling to hold a squirming Xena against his body.  Silently he had to admit one thing - Xena WAS getting heavy from all her dog chow; soon he wouldn't be able to hold her with one - or BOTH hands, he conjectured.  "Be brave, Brian," he replied with a smirk as Brian huffed in indignation from behind his place near the steps. 

 

"This had nothing to do with bravery," Brian told him.  "It's the survival of the fittest...and I'm afraid I'm going to come out on the bottom of the food chain.  Just remember to put something meaningful on my headstone, like ‘he went out in style.'  Promise me," he commanded sternly.

 

Justin giggled.  "I promise.  Now get over here, and say hello to your son."  After a brief hesitation, Brian reluctantly joined his partner, closing his eyes as if in prayer to steel himself before nodding.  It wasn't that he wasn't looking forward to seeing his son and Lindsay - and even Mel; well, maybe that was going a bit too far.  But Gus's favorite buddy and life-long pal?  Not so much.  "Okay, I'm ready...I think." 

 

Justin nodded.  "It'll be fine; you'll see," he told Brian as he turned the handle and swung the door open slightly, smiling radiantly at Gus, who was standing next to Tricky; the two mothers directly behind them. 

 


 

The door had barely swung open, however, when a hulk of light blond fur came rushing inside with Mel desperately attempting to hold onto his leash.  "Tricky, stop!" she shouted in alarm. But it didn't take long for a euphoric Tricky to break free from her hold - and to barrel straight toward Brian, who threw caution to the wind, dashed over to the steps, and grabbed the shield that normally was held by the knight.  He held it in front of him defensively as Tricky tried frantically to reach Brian, jumping up on his hind legs and barking joyously before he promptly pushed both man and armor down onto the steps.  The metal shield clattered down onto the floor as Tricky pinned Brian against the staircase, his tail wagging furiously as he gifted Brian with wet swipes of his tongue to his face.

 

Lindsay winced at the cymbal-like sound of the shield falling to the floor, peering over in horror as Tricky continued her idol worship of Brian; Mel tried to pull the dog away from him, but she was simply no match for his bulky weight.  Lindsay had sworn to Brian that she and Mel would keep a close eye on him, and that promise had quickly been shot to hell.  "Tricky!" she exclaimed as she hurried to Brian's side and tugged on his collar.  "Come here, boy!  Brian, are you all right?"

 

"Am I all right?" Brian huffed out breathlessly, feeling like a two-ton anvil was on his chest.  "Off!  Pull him off me!  I'm going to die of asphyxiation!"

 

"Hold on, Brian!" Lindsay called out to him as he twisted his head from side to side in an attempt to evade the dog's saliva-coated tongue.  "Tricky!" she admonished the dog, who proceeded to totally ignore her; he was much too excited over seeing Brian again after being separated from him for several months to pay her any mind. Sighing in exasperation, she called over to their son as a last resort, "Gus, try to help get Tricky off your father, okay?" 

 

Gus rushed over to his father to peer down at him and his dog as Brian continued to flail about on the steps.  He temporarily forgot what he was supposed to do as soon as he took a look at his father's flushed face. "Daddy! Are you sick?"  He scrunched up his face worriedly, totally ignoring the fact that Tricky was continuing his onslaught of affection.  Gus stooped down and placed his hand on his father's forehead.  "You don't feel hot, Daddy," he decided with relief.  He rose to place his hands on his hips as he studied his father, noting that he did appear a little red in the face, though.  "You're not going to die!"  He scolded him with a giggle.  "Daddy, Tricky is SO glad to see you!  Me, too!" 

 

"Arrgh!" Brian grunted out incoherently.  "Justin!  Leash!  Bulldozer! Anything!" he growled as his partner rushed over to try and help extricate him.  His concern focused on his fiancé, Justin made the mistake of placing an excitable Xena down onto the floor as he tried to assist him, which only resulted in two dogs ganging up on his partner.  "Shit! Xena! Come here!" He scooped her up into his arms as Lindsay and Mel finally succeeded in pulling Tricky away from Brian, who sputtered and gasped for air as he slowly rose to his feet, holding onto the stair's bannister for support until he could catch his breath again as he kept a wary eye on his adversary.  What in the hell had possessed him to agree to have Tricky here at Britin in the first place?  And especially just before he and Justin were about to be married, and hold a wedding out back?  Had he finally gone crazy?  He sighed as he peered over at his partner, realizing the truth.  Yeah, he was crazy...crazy in love. That had to be the only explanation. 

 

From nearby, Gus's eyes grew large as he realized who Justin was talking to.  He had heard about the latest addition to the Taylor-Kinney family, but he hadn't had a chance to meet her in person yet.  "Papa!" 

 

Justin's heart skipped a beat, just like it always did whenever Gus called him that.  "Yeah, Buddy?" he replied with a smile. 

 

"That's Tricky's baby?" he asked excitedly as he rushed over to better inspect the puppy.  Tricky - fearing his master might be planning on leaving and noticing the wriggling, furry bundle being held in Justin's arms - temporarily forgot Brian and trotted along behind Gus to see what all the fuss was about, finally giving his father a chance to gulp in some much-needed air.

 

"She sure is," Justin told him with a smile. 

 

Gus eyed her in fascination as he walked over to get a closer look, reaching out to stroke the soft, medium-brown fur on top of her head.  Xena squirmed in Justin's grasp, trying furiously to break free, but Justin fortunately had better luck with restraining her than Mel had had with Tricky.  The little boy frowned.  "She doesn't look like him," he astutely pointed out.  He giggled as the young dog reached out and licked him on the arm, the only part of Gus she could reach at the moment. 

 

Justin grinned.  Gus always had been a very smart boy.  "No, she takes after her mother.  She's a chocolate lab."  Except for a small tuft of white fur on her chest, Xena was pure Sadie...with Tricky's rambunctiousness mixed in. That could be a deadly combination - or at the very least a challenging one.

 

Gus laughed.  "You're silly, Papa! She's not made out of chocolate!"  Deciding that maybe she was called that because she smelled like chocolate, he leaned in to give the puppy a sniff, giggling again and pulling back as Xena promptly licked him in the face.  "She just smells like a puppy to me," he decided in confusion, wiping his face as Xena wagged her tail at him.

 

All the adults laughed.  "No, that's what they call a Labrador that's the color of chocolate," he told him.  He grinned at the almost disappointed look on Gus's face. 

 

Gus nodded as he turned around. "Look, Boy! This is your kid!"  Gus informed Tricky, whose ears perked up in interest.  Tricky lifted his head to give Xena a sniff, his tail wagging furiously behind him now that he had found someone of his own ‘kind.'  This was quite an exciting development to him, which - fortunately for Brian - gave him a brief but welcome respite. 

 

That is, until Gus turned to his father to ask, "Daddy, how did the puppy get here?" 

 

"It wasn't my idea, trust me," he told his son as he peered over pointedly at his fiancé.  "Ask your papa over there.  It was his idea to make that...shredding machine a member of the household." 

 

Justin explained, "Our next door neighbor asked if we wanted one of Tricky's puppies...and I said yes." He looked over at Brian before adding, "Your Daddy needed a little more time to be convinced, though." 

 

"I can imagine how you had to 'convince' him, too," Mel spoke up then, snickering as Justin blushed. She was enjoying this little encounter.  Like everyone else, though, she wasn't really surprised that Justin had been able to persuade Brian to do something he would have rather not done.  "Is...what's her name again?"

 

"Xena," Justin told her as Mel chuckled at the odd choice. 

 

"You'd better not believe in a self-fulfilling prophecy with THAT choice of name," she commented.  She turned to Brian then to ask, "Is Xena going to be your flower girl, Brian?"

 

Brian snorted.  "Hardly," he told her with a scowl.  "Neither one of those mutts is getting anywhere near our wedding," he avowed.  "Anyway, Sonny Boy, that's how she wound up here."

 

But Gus shook his head.  "No, Daddy. I want to know how she got born." 

 

"Yes, Brian. We would all like to know that," Mel piped up with a smile. "How was she born?" She and Lindsay had been spared ‘that talk' when JR had been born by merely telling Gus that she had been born from ‘love.'  He had seemed satisfied at the time with that explanation, fortunately enough, but apparently Gus's curiosity was not going to be assuaged quite so easily this time.

 

His breath regained now, Brian took a moment to straighten out his rumpled shirttails, while using it to also buy him some time, as he slowly ambled over to the others, grateful that Lindsay now had a strong grasp on Tricky's leash.  He figured he was safe - for now. At last safe from physical harm; now he had another challenge to face as his son peered over at him expectantly. 

 

"Well, Daddy?" Mel prodded him.  "Gus wants to know."  She grinned sweetly at him as Brian glared over at her.  "We're all waiting for your explanation."  Everyone peered over at him - human and canine - as he rolled his eyes in disgust, feeling like the perpetual deer in the headlights. 

 

"Uh...Well, Sonny Boy...it's like this," he began, faltering.  Gus stared into his face with rapt attention.  "When you have a boy dog and a girl dog...and they really, really like each other..."

 

"Does it have to be a boy and a girl, Daddy?  I bet if YOU were a dog, you would want another boy dog." 

 

Justin giggled in amusement as Brian bestowed him with a death glare; he would expect it from Mel, but his partner was enjoying his discomfiture way too much.  Justin grinned over at his partner, his one free hand lightly resting on Gus's shoulder.  "Go ahead...Daddy," he urged him, his smile broadening in reaction to the look on his fiance's face.  Lindsay chuckled then, making Brian pull on his collar, suddenly feeling warm.  He cleared his throat.

 

"Well, you're right, Gus," he told his son after a few moments, deciding to ignore his partner, at least as much as he could, along with the two women.   "I would definitely prefer another boy dog if I were a dog.  And no matter what type of dog I was, I would definitely be an alpha dog."  His eyes bored into Justin's as he explained, "That means that I would be the TOP dog." 

 

A harrumph of indignation erupted from Justin as he continued, "Well...when the boy and girl...meet...it's like this..."  He hesitated, feeling everyone's eyes boring into him, even two pairs of canine ones. He took a deep breath and let it out, feeling decidedly out of his element.  "I'll tell you what. Why don't we talk about this later, Sonny Boy?" he suggested, promptly wimping out.  "Justin made some chocolate chip cookies earlier today, your favorite, just for your visit."

 

Just as he hoped, Gus jumped up and down, causing Tricky to bark, even though he had no idea what was so exciting!  "Yay!  Chocolate milk, too, Papa?"

 

Justin couldn't help smiling as he nodded.  "You bet."  They're in the cookie jar."  That was all it took for Gus to totally forget his previous conversation as he turned and ran down the hallway to make a beeline toward the kitchen.  Lindsay gave up trying to hold onto Tricky as the dog pulled on his leash in an attempt to follow his master; she knew he would not sit still while he was gone.  Letting go of the leash, she called after him, "Gus! Let Tricky out back!"

 

"Okay, Mommy," he replied after several seconds, his voice muffled no doubt by a huge bite of cookie now.  "I'm going out, too!"

 

"All right...but stay away from all the wedding decorations - and the pool! I'll be right out!"  Peering over at the two men helplessly, she told them, "I'd better go keep an eye on him; he finds that pool way too attractive.  Mel and I will get our luggage out of the car later." 

 

Justin shook his head.  "Don't worry about it," he told her.  "Brian will be glad to bring your luggage upstairs. Won't you, Brian?" he grinned at his fiancé as the other man narrowed his eyes at him.  "I kind of have my hands full," he explained as he pulled Xena closer to his body.  He shrugged. "Sorry."  He smiled sweetly at his partner, not sorry at all, actually.  "I'll stay right here," he told him helpfully.  "You go right ahead." 

 

Brian gave him a death glare as he walked by him, slightly limping from his previous encounter over by the steps.  "You'll pay for this later, Dog Whisperer," he muttered under his breath in his partner's ear, making Justin shiver in anticipation.  He didn't see it as a threat at all; he could vividly recall some of his previous ‘punishments.'

 

"I'll be looking forward to it," was the saucy reply as he grinned.

 

Brian smirked as he peered over at their guests, his hand on the doorknob.  "No problem. But I'll need someone brawny to help me.  Mel?" 

 

Mel rolled her eyes, not surprised at all by the comment. "Nice to know some things haven't changed," she muttered. But nevertheless, she followed Brian out the door to go retrieve their luggage, which was substantial, despite not having all the members of their family with them. JR would be following later with Michael, Ben, and crew, having been dropped off at their house on the way out to Britin.  The next couple of days would be very hectic and busy, filled with family and friends.  But for now, it would give them a chance to catch up on their lives before the main event took place.

 

"I see you're still your same, old charming self, Brian," Mel remarked as she raised the back of the SUV's trunk and grabbed one of the lighter bags. 

 

Brian chuckled.  "Well, you know how delighted I am to always see you, Mel," he replied with a grin, forcing Mel to respond in kind. It was the game they played; they both acted like they detested each other.  But in reality, in a lot of ways they were too much alike to really feel that way. But nevertheless, it was still fun to play the role.  "Here, let me get that," Brian offered as he reached for the largest and heaviest of the suitcases.  "I wouldn't want you to hurt your delicate back."  He laughed as Mel snorted back at him in indignation; if it was one thing she disliked, it was being made to feel inferior as a woman, and Brian knew just how to push all her buttons. 

 

"Oh, you're so manly, Kinney, helping out little ole me," she quipped in a Southern accent as they walked back side by side to the front door.  "You can cut the bullshit." He grinned back at her as she peered over at him, her previous banter pushed aside.  She smiled.  "I can't believe you're really doing it."

 

"I've been doing it for years, Mel.  Have your forgotten?"

 

She smirked.  "Not that," she told him.  "You know what I mean.  Actually getting married." She said the last word as if it were a disease to Brian; something detestable and unpleasant.  Truthfully, she knew by now how much Brian deeply loved his partner.  Justin had accomplished something she never thought she would ever see; he had found Brian's heart, and had captured it firmly, so firmly that he had made the ultimate commitment to the man.  But the degree to which Brian had fallen in love still surprised her.

 

He shrugged as if it were no big deal, even though they both knew otherwise.  "If it makes him happy..."

 

"Shit," Mel responded sharply, not buying it for one minute.  "That old story again? You never do anything you don't want to do, Brian.  You're not doing it for him; at least not only for him." 

 

Brian was silent for several seconds as he opened the door and they reentered the house.  Locking eyes immediately on his partner, he considered that as Justin smiled back at him, and he felt his heart contract.  How did he do that with a mere smile? he wondered.  But as he smiled back at him in return - and thought about what he had agreed to do over the years, and how his life had changed - he found that he couldn't disagree with her assessment.  "No," he responded truthfully as he looked over at her.  "No, I guess I'm not," he admitted softly as she nodded in satisfaction.

 

"Brian, up to playing barbeque chef this afternoon?" Justin called over to him.  "I bought some T-bones, and hot dogs for your little eating machine at the grocery the other day."

 

"I thought you would have preferred the steaks, Sunshine," Brian responded with a grin, as he hefted the suitcase a little higher to balance it.

 

Justin rolled his eyes.  "You know who I mean, you asshole.  Take the suitcase upstairs, and I'll fire up the grill.  Go." 

 

"Bossy," was the remark as Justin grinned.  "Yes, Sir." He saluted his partner, as he and Mel ascended the steps, heading toward one of the guest bedrooms. 

 

"Come on, Xena," Justin addressed the soft bundle in his arms, wondering how long he would be able to carry her.  He surmised it wouldn't be long at all, especially if she took after her father.  "Time for you and your daddy to get better acquainted."  He smiled as the puppy cocked her head, her ears raised as she listened to Justin's soothing voice.  "You little flirt," he softly accused, laughing as she unexpectedly licked him on the face before he had a chance to avert it.  "Like I said...flirt," he told her with a smile.  Setting her down onto the floor, she followed him down the hallway toward the kitchen located at the back of the house.  A few moments later, Justin had slid one of the back doors open, and watched as the puppy, Tricky, and Gus joyously began to get to know each other better.  He knew it would be mayhem for much of the time that Tricky and Gus were here. But he wouldn't have it any other way, he decided, as he walked over to join Lindsay at one of the patio tables.

You must login (register) to review.