January 26

Brian leaned his head back against the couch cushion, barely paying attention to the movie playing on the TV. He couldn't even remember what it was about; it was something Justin had been keen on watching, but given that he was laying against Brian's chest, sound asleep, it was little more than background noise. Even Gus had stopped watching it in favor of watching something on his iPad.

He supposed he could have turned it off, or even paused it; but he was feeling far too lazy to reach down for the remote at his feet. Plus, moving would have meant potentially jostling Justin and waking him up. And after spending two restless nights, tossing and turning, and generally being unable to sleep, Justin really needed the rest.

Neither of them slept very well without the other these days.

Running his hands through fine blond hair, Brian pressed his lips to his sleeping husband's brow and closed his eyes as he slumped down further into the couch. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this content and relaxed. It seemed that between Kinnetik, Justin's show and everything to do with Sunbeam, they were always on the go lately and had little time for these quiet moments.

He'd even risked the wrath of Deb and told her that they wouldn't be at the family dinner that night because Justin was worn out. Not exactly a lie either. And, of course, if it meant her Sunshine needed to stay home because he was taking care of himself and the baby, she was more than happy to overlook it this once.

Sliding his hand down, Brian rested it against Justin's stomach and smiled; it wasn't quite a bump yet, just a swelling of his stomach, but it was irrefutable proof, outside the sonogram, that Sunbeam was a reality. And Brian couldn't help loving it. He loved all the changes Justin's body, could deal with all the mood swings and the cravings and even deal with a queen out or two, because it meant that soon they would have a child of their own.

Hopefully, one with Justin's sunshine smile.

Pressing his face against Justin's hair he inhaled the soft scent of apples and drifted between sleep and wakefulness; as he hadn't gotten much sleep either. And long gone were the days where he could stay up all night and still function at full speed the next day. He'd just about fallen asleep himself when a loud laugh startled him into wakefulness.

Justin snuffled and stirred, murmuring incoherently as his lashes fluttered. Brian shushed him quietly, running his hand soothingly over his back until he drifted off once more and then looked over at Gus. His Sonny Boy smiled sheepishly and mouthed an apology before going back to what he was watching with a wide grin.

"What are you laughing at, Sonny Boy?" Brian asked, curious as to what had his son so entertained that he'd completely forgotten that he and Justin were there.

"Huh?" Gus asked reflexively, before flushing guiltily and looking away, a shifty expression on his face. "Oh, uh nothing."

Brian stared at his son with narrowed eyes, instantly suspicious by his reaction; he knew his Sonny Boy far too well, and that look didn't bode well for his peace of mind.

"Really?" Brian said, his disbelief evident as he arched a brow.

"It's just a just a video on YouTube," Gus said, trying to play it off once more, even as he squirmed uncomfortably under Brian's doubtful gaze.

"Oh," Brian said, all faux innocence as he held out his hand. "Well, hand it over then; your old man could use a laugh."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Gus said hesitantly, chewing on his lip in a very Justin-like manner; the very mannerism Justin employed when his little twat was trying to talk his way out of something that he knew would irritate Brian to no end.

"What?" Brian simply stared at Gus, an unreadable expression on his face; which only served to make Gus even more nervous. "Surely you don't think I'll be offended; I doubt there is anything in it that I haven't seen before or that could shock me.

"You'd be surprised," Gus muttered under his breath, and then shot a wide, worried look Brian's way, as if realizing he'd said that out loud rather than in his head as he intended.

"Well, now you've really got my curiosity up," Brian said with a frown, wondering why Gus was being so resistant to showing him.

There were very few things that angered him these days and he tried to be fair in allowing Gus to make his own decisions when it came to his entertainment choices. Within reason, of course; the obvious things weren't allowed.

"I suppose you wouldn't just believe me when I said you really don't want to see it?" Gus asked, making one last ditch attempt to thwart Brian.

Brian just raised an eyebrow and held out his hand.

"Didn't think so," Gus muttered and handed him the iPad before flopping dramatically on the floor, his face buried in his arm. "Jus is going to kill me."

"Why would…" Brian trailed off as he stared in bewilderment at what looked like a list of videos that featured some very familiar people. "Is that Michael, Daphne and Justin?"

"Yeah," Gus huffed, but didn't provide any more information.

Brian looked at his son, who blatantly ignored it, and the he huffed. Obviously it was going to take some more prodding to get the necessary information out his Sonny Boy.

"Why is there a YouTube video of Mikey, Daphne and Justin?" Brian asked point blank, so that there was no way Gus could mistake him and muddy the water with half answers. "And why haven't I heard about this until now?"

"Uh, Aunt Daphne got mad at Uncle Mikey and kind of told him off at the Big Q?" Gus said, before clamming up and looking at his hands.

As if Brian hadn't noticed his lack of forthcoming information on the why of it. Brian turned back to the iPad with raised eyebrows and a small frown on his face. Justin hadn't mentioned this last night; or today either for that matter. Brian sighed internally. But, then again, the twat wouldn't because he was used to Michael's temper tantrums and wouldn't want to cause issues between him and Mikey.

Running his hand through Justin's hair, he stared in exasperation at the sleeping man and vowed that he and a certain little twat would be having a conversation on keeping him informed of what was happening in his life. Even if meant telling him about Mikey's latest tantrum; especially if it dealt with Mikey's latest tantrum.

"And this is the video of it?" Brian asked, frowning when he noticed that earphones were missing; and then felt almost absurdly proud as he noticed them clutched in Gus' hand.

His Sonny Boy knew that he wouldn't play it without the earphones for fear of waking his Jus up; the clever little devil. Well, he wasn't going to win this time.

"Uh…there's actually a longer one," Gus said, sitting up and leaning over to touch the screen, pulling up the description area. "Apparently this is just the highlights reel."

"It has a highlights reel?" Brian asked incredulously, wondering how something that happened only two days ago, was so popular that there was a highlights reel. "And you never answered me; why haven't I heard about this until now?"

"It went viral, Dad," Gus huffed, his lips pursing mutinously. "I'm surprised you're just finding out about it because it's all the Avenue is talking about. Why did you think Michael hasn't been around?

"He told me he had the flu," Brian said, and then wanted to smack himself for believing the lie; because since when did Mikey ever go silent when he was sick? He was one of those people that believed that if he was suffering, then everyone around him had to suffer too.

"No," Gus snickered, a very Kinniesque smirk on his face. "More like he couldn't walk down the street without someone asking if he'd managed to scrape his balls off the floor after Daphne was done eviscerating them."

"Eviscerating them?" Brian asked, suddenly dreading what he was about to see. It was a well-known fact that Daphne didn't like Mikey; but she usually steered clear of him because she didn't think he was worth her time or verbal genius.

"You have to see it," Gus bubbled, a starry-eyed, awed look on his face; and Brian almost laughed at that. His Sonny Boy had long had a crush on Daphne and it looked as if it were still going strong. "She was brutal; but, of course, she would be because she was defending Jus and you know how Daphne is about Jus. She's nearly as vicious as you."

"What do you mean she was defending Justin?" Brian asked sharply; and Gus instantly clammed up once more, his eyes wide as he realized what he said.

"Uh, you know," Gus said, getting up and trying to leave, the earphones still in his hand. "There is this report I have to do and I should probably…"

"Gus," Brian said firmly, letting his Sonny Boy know he meant business; he didn't use that tone often as Gus was a good kid, but when it did happen Gus froze instantly in his tracks. His Sonny Boy turned around with an unhappy look; one that deepened when Brian held out his hand and commanded. "Hand them over."

"Fine," Gus said, his shoulders slumping as he walked back over to Brian. "But you didn't hear about it from me. Everyone has been hush-hush about it and I don't want to hear about it from Eema. The one on the screen is the highlights reel, but there is a link in the description that takes you to the original video."

Gus handed the earphones to Brian and then beat a hasty retreat, obviously not wanting to be around for the fallout of whatever Brian was about to see. Placing the ear buds into his ears, Brian tapped the replay button and his ears were immediately assaulted by a song he hadn't heard in years – Platypus (I Hate You) by Green Day. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he watched Daphne rip into Michael with a viciousness that left even him breathless, her little gems interspersed the lyrics.

You know, even if Brian wasn't satisfied with his sex life; which, trust me, he is given the stories I've heard. He still wouldn't be into you. And that's the real problem, isn't it?

He, at the mere age of seventeen, was far more of man than you could ever hope to be.

Newsflash Mikey – if he hasn't sucked your dick in the twenty-eight years that he's known you, he isn't going to.

He was a teenager and really just interested in someone else's hand on his dick.

Bitch please; sell it to someone who's buying.

Poor little Mikey needs someone to hold his hand through his life and make all his decisions for him. Doesn't have a mind of his own; always conforming to what his partners think is best.

And just what are you going to do about it, huh? Run to mommy and complain that the mean girl is picking on you?

You are nothing but a spineless, petty, jealous, sorry excuse for a man who hides behind his mommy and has yet to realize that he wore out his welcome a long ass time ago.

Brian frowned; while he had to admit that the video was amusing, and the song choice suiting, the fact that it existed at all disturbed him. Not because Daphne went off on Mikey; he was surprised that it had taken this long for it to happen. But that something had pushed her to the point that she'd felt the need to do it at all. Unfortunately, the video didn't tell him the why it happened.

Scrolling down a bit, he clicked on the link for the original video; and then scowled when Michael's face filled the screen, sneering at a placid Justin, and spouting off his usual venom, asking why Brian hadn't told him that he was leaving on a trip. And why it mattered to him, Brian didn't know as he'd thought they'd gotten over all this shit years ago when Brian told him point blank to butt the fuck out of his life.

He did smile faintly when Justin blandly pointed out the obvious and continued holding his own without even looking ruffled until Daphne came onto the scene and ripped Mikey a new one. And really, he didn't blame her one bit. Had he been the one to overhear that, Justin and he would be driving out to the woods to hide a body.

Setting the iPad on the ground, Brian frowned pensively and contemplated Mikey's recent tantrum, wondering just what the fuck had gotten into his friend of late. He thought Mikey had gotten over this bullshit when Justin and he'd gotten married. But ever since they'd announced Justin's pregnancy, it was like they'd slipped right back to the beginning and he was more than a little tired of constantly having to deal with this shit.

Something had to be done; and sooner, rather than later. Justin didn't need this stress.

"Brian?" a soft voice jolted him out of his reverie.

Brian looked down into the sleep-dazed, blue eyes studying him; he traced the soft pink lips that frowned pensively up at him and arched a brow.

"So, Sunshine, when were you going to tell me about the Mikey and Daphne smackdown YouTube video that went viral?"