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

I just realized that Justin's agent and Cody Bell had the same name. I didn't want any misunderstanding over the fact that they are not related in any way. So I edited the previous chapters and Catherine Bell is now Catherine Dell (I know I'm terrible at finding names). Sorry for the mistake.

 

 

 

On Sunday, Justin had to meet with his agent for lunch before she flew back to New York. Brian was considering taking a nap after a sleepless night in a cell and a sleepless morning having sex, when his phone rang.

 

“Lynds, what a pleasant surprise” he said in a sarcastic tone.

 

“Brian, why did you invite that bitch agent to your gala? She was so rude ! I went to introduce myself and she didn't even say hello, she looked at me as if I was dirt and said that there never would be a Justin Taylor exhibit in a second rate gallery. And then she turned her back on me!”

 

“Yeah, she is a bitch and no, I didn't invite her, she invited herself.”

 

“And why did you invite all those gallerists ? It was disgusting, they were all fawning over that bitch and Justin. I just can't wait to see their faces when I invite them all to my showing.”

 

“What are you talking about? What showing?”

 

“Well, Justin's, of course. Brian, you should have told me that you two were together, I think it's wonderful, and you make such a lovely couple!”

 

“Lynds, we're not a couple, we enjoy each other's company and yes, I'm perfectly aware this is not my usual pattern, but in a few months he'll be gone. What's it got to do with your gallery anyway?”

 

“Well, it's quite obvious! Justin's part of the family now, surely he won't refuse to give me a few of his works ?”

 

Brian was regretting not to have let her call go to voicemail.

 

“Lyndsay, listen carefully : if you want Justin to expose at your gallery, you'll have to convince both him and his agent from hell. But don't expect to be taken seriously if the family card is the only argument you have. This has nothing to do with family or friendship, this is strictly business. I've got to go now, goodbye Lynds.”

 

Brian turned of his cell and went to sleep. He woke up a few hours later when he heard Justin's voice on his answering machine. He rushed to pick up the phone and automatically walked to his window. Sure enough, Justin was on the window sill, sitting cross legged.

 

“Hey, how did lunch go?”

 

“Awful, she almost had a heart attack when she saw my eye.”

 

“She so cares about you, isn't it sweet...”

 

“Yeah right, more like what would have happened if I had broken a bone and couldn't work. She was furious. Otherwise, she explained to me why she wanted so badly to be here and it's such fantastic news, but I'd rather not talk about it, it's not a done deal yet and I don't want to jinx it.”

 

Justin paused and all excitement was gone from his voice when he spoke again.

 

“Brian?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I saw you dancing with Catherine yesterday, what did she tell you?”

 

“What makes you think she wanted to tell me anything? You do know that straight women and gay men are all desperate for a moment in my arms.”

 

“Yeah, cut the crap, I know her, she doesn't even like dancing. So?”

 

Brian took his time before answering, slowly lighting a cigarette and taking a few drags.

 

“Why didn't you ask her?”

 

“I did. All she was willing to say was that she wanted to get to know you, I don't buy it for a second.”

 

“Well, roughly speaking, that was it.”

 

There was a silence.

 

“Brian? Catherine is my agent, that's all. She's not some kind of surrogate mother, she's not even my friend. She is not protective of me, she is protective of her investment. It's strictly business between us, so, whatever she really told you and that you do not want to tell me, keep that in mind.”

 

Brian smiled. “I will, Sunshine, I will. Care to cross over ?” Justin nodded eagerly and Brian watched him a few minutes later cross the street.

 

* * *

 

The Friday after the gala, they were all expected to have diner at Debbie's. While getting ready, Brian reflected on the past week and the routine that they had fallen into.

Brian would come home from work, shower and change, have diner, and around 9 his phone would ring. He would sit on his window sill and the 2 men discussed, of everything and nothing, sometimes laughing, sometimes complaining. Sometimes, Justin would use an earphone and draw Brian while talking.

 

Brian refused to analyze this too deeply, because he always thought that spending hours on the phone with someone you saw everyday was a teenage girl's trademark, but he genuinely enjoyed those talks, was looking forward to them. He felt totally relaxed at those moments, that always ended with one of them asking “Cross over?”.

 

The most curious was that, most nights, it was Brian who crossed the street and spent the night at Justin's apartment. It was not convenient, because Brian got up earlier and had to go back home to shower and change. But he enjoyed watching Justin's progress in his project (even though Brian still had no clue to what the final artwork would look like) and, even though he had always liked clean spaces and hated clutter, felt totally comfortable in Justin's messy apartment, littered with sketchbooks, crayons, pencils..., posters taped on every available place on the walls.

 

It should have felt domestic but it didn't. And now he was picking up Justin to attend his first diner at Debbie's.

 

* * *

 

The diner could have been worst, he supposed. Emmett, Ted, Justin and Debbie were going along great and obviously had a good time. Carl didn't talk much, as usual, but seemed relaxed. Michael -whose nose turned out not to be broken- was a bit quiet, and Brian suspected that Debbie, who like Brian kept telling him to move on from Ben, had given him a lecture before they arrived. Lyndsay, however, was the worst.

 

She had given a bit of the cold shoulder to Brian but had been charming to Justin. But during the meal, she had taken every opportunity to make allusions to the fact that her gallery needed a push.

 

It started when Gus asked if he could go to Disneyland when she answered: “Gus, mommy will love to take you but right now, she has no money. You know she just started her business, it takes some time, or some opportunity.”

 

Then Emmett described to Justin how he had started his catering business in the gallery in which Lyndsay was employed, and she exclaimed “It was only natural, we're a family, we support each other including in professional opportunities.”

 

And when Debbie explained that Michael got the money to buy his comic book shop by making a big sale on eBay, she sighed “this is exactly what I need, to make a big sale and then my gallery will be doing fine.”

 

At that point, Brian got up, let his hand trail behind Justin's neck, and walked out on the back porch for a smoke. As usual, he hadn't been there a minute when the door behind him opened. He was expecting Michael, maybe Justin but was surprised that it was Carl that came to stand beside him.

 

“Don't tell me you have to hide from Deb to catch a smoke, Mr Homicide Detective?”

 

Carl shook his head, obviously embarrassed. Brian was already resigning himself to have yet another straight man hitting out on him, when Carl cleared his throat.

 

“You know, I wasn't on duty when you got arrested on Saturday”.

 

“It's okay, Carl, no grudge, your colleagues managed to refrain themselves from beating up the fags.”

 

“That's not what I meant! Listen, one of my men that was working Sunday when you got bailed out, saw something, something that I don't like. That pink posse thug, a guy named Cody Bell, went talking to Justin and it didn't seem friendly talk. Thing is, for Cody, this arrest is one too many. He's going to be doing jail time. He had it coming, of course, stupid trouble maker, always looking for a fight. But during their statements, he and his pals kept blaming Justin for the bar brawl. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to get even with Justin before he's sentenced. So you might want to keep an eye on him.”

 

“Did you tell this to Justin?”

 

“Yeah, I gave him a call yesterday but he doesn't seem to be taking this seriously.”

 

“Why I am not surprised?” whispered Brian. Justin hadn't even mentioned Carl's call when they had talked last night.

 

“See, he's not from here, and from what he told me he seems to think that since he survived New York, he'll be fine here; I wouldn't want him proven wrong.”

 

Carl gave him a friendly slap on his shoulder and went to go back inside the house when Brian called after him.

 

“Carl? I need some more information.”

 

* * *

 

On the ride home, Brian decided to discuss security issues with Justin, without mentioning Carl's intervention.

 

“Justin, you know the guys we got in a fight with? They're quite infamous around here; they think they're some kind of vigilantes fighting homophobia, but truth is they're thugs.”

 

“Yeah, I figured, so what?”

 

“Nothing, you know, just keep an eye for them and if you spot them, walk away. I know you can fight, but these guys are not really into loyal fights. They're like, the more against one, the merrier.”

 

“Yeah, nothing new, Brian, there are guys like these everywhere.”

 

“Yeah, but you don't seem conscious that they could be dangerous. It's like that Anatol guy.”

 

“Brian, not with Anatol again, I told you he's not dangerous. Come on, you saw him at the bar, he didn't punch anyone, didn't even try. He talks, and yes it's pretty annoying, but that's all he ever does.”

 

“Justin, the man's unstable, just because he hasn't murdered anyone yet doesn't exactly make him a safe person to have an argument with.”

 

“OK, Brian, you don't have my background. For years, I've lived among junkies, thieves, drunks, thugs, hustlers and pimps and yes, just plain weirdos. I've know Anatol since I was 18, he's one of those guys that always hang up around underground art places, he goes to museums the days they're free of admission. He really likes art. Everybody knows him, he's part of the New York underground art scene folklore”.

 

“So why did you have a restraining order back then?”

 

“Because at one time he was getting out of hand; he would follow me in the streets yelling, show up at my studio door like 10 times a day. I just had enough but he never laid a finger on me. Come on, you've seen him, he could crush my skull with one punch”.

 

“So you admit he's potentially dangerous?”

 

“No! Listen, one day, I saw him getting beat up by one guy not bigger than me. Guy was drunk, Anatol was yelling some nonsense as usual so the guy punched him, and kicked him when he fell to the ground. We had to pull the guy away from him. Anatol just laid crying and wailing, he never tried to defend himself. So trust me, he's anything but dangerous.”

 

Brian let it drop but he still wasn't convinced. It didn't matter anyway, he was going to care of both Cody Bell and Anatol soon.

 

On Saturday morning, Brian waited for Justin to leave for his weekly public visits; he checked out of the window that the private guard was there and dialed the number that Carl had given him.

 

He knew Justin would be furious if he knew but he wasn't taking any chance. The blond seemed to attract trouble. Not only had he imported his own private nut case from New York, he had to alienate the local ones. Of course, Justin was strong and capable of taking care of himself but that was absolutely not the point.

 

He had a long talk on the phone, made all the arrangements necessary until he was certain everything would be taken care of to his satisfaction. When he hung up, he felt a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. From now on, and unbeknownst to him, Justin would be 24/7 under the very discreet protection of a bodyguard.

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