Through the Rain

Chapter 9

"Mrs. Peterson," said Brian, more out of shock from seeing her waiting at his doorway than in actual greeting. She turned to face them, looking more like Lindsay then he cared to try to deal with right now. Her eyes widened when she saw Justin, looking so tired and frail in the wheelchair. He looked just as surprised to see her. Anger flashed through Justin's soft blue eyes and Brian put his guard up.

"Justin," Mrs. Peterson exclaimed, using the same tone of surprise that Brian had just used in his voice. Justin sat up straighter and held Gus tighter. The small boy turned around in Justin's grasp and looked up at his grandmother with big eyes, his expression unchanging.

"What are you doing here?" Brian asked, feeling his body grow tired. He wanted to get inside and black out until that evening, or next year.

"I came for Gus."

With that statement, Brian wished he were a dog. Because then he could express his reaction to that statement and it would be okay, because he was a wild animal. The fur on his back would rise; he would bare his teeth, growl, snap, and bark.

He would lunge and rip her fucking throat out.

But he wasn't a dog. He was a man. So he clenched his teeth together and took a deep breath. He sensed the tension and anger rolling off of Justin in thick waves, and it only fueled him more. No one was taking his kid away from him. No one.

"What do you mean, you came for Gus?" Brian asked through gritted teeth. He put his hand on Justin's good shoulder and it grounded him. Well, kept him from knocking her down the elevator shaft, at least.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Justin's harsh tone caught Brian by surprise. He looked down at the younger man, his blonde hair matted down by rainwater and blood. He was shaking; Brian could feel it in his fingertips. He squeezed gently and Justin's eyes flicked up to look at him. His expression was grateful before his eyes changed and his gaze was redirected at Lindsay's mother, hurtful, angry.

"Don't take that tone with me young man," the woman admonished, holding out her finger as if she were a grade school teacher scolding a young child.

"Answer the fucking question." Justin took Gus' smaller hand in his own, reassuring him without words that everything was okay, and that he wasn't angry with him. Gus squeezed back; he understood.

"I've come to collect Gus. I will not have my grandchild be raised by that man," she yelled, casting her finger at Brian now. Justin wanted to break it off.

"Gus," he said softly to the little boy. Brian was amazed at how quickly his tone could shift. "Will you go inside and watch television while your daddy and I talk to this lady, please?"

"Sure, Jus'n." Gus carefully climbed off of his lap and Brian unlocked the loft door. The older man watched as he walked to the sofa, climbed on, and tuned the TV to a cartoon. Satisfied, he slid the door shut and took place beside Justin again.

"What exactly makes you think you can take Gus away from Brian?" Justin asked, raising one eyebrow. His tone was now eerily calm, so calm that Brian felt shivers run down his spine.

"Gus can't live here. He needs a stable home, with me. He is unfit to be a parent." Brian's heart sank even more. That couldn't be true, could it?

"You're an unfit human being. Your daughter died last night," Justin reminded her, his voice unsteady. Brian squeezed his shoulder again. Mrs. Peterson looked like Justin had slapped her in the face.

"I am perfectly aware of that, Justin." She let her eyes scan the small landing and tugged on the collar of her coat.

"So why now? You lost a daughter. Gus lost his mothers. Not one, two. Brian lost his best friend, the mother of his child. That poor boy is going through hell and back, and now you want to yank him away from his father, who he loves, and place him in a strange environment and expect him to be okay? What the hell is wrong with you?" Brian felt his eyes tear up yet again.

"Gus is the only piece of Lindsay I have left," she whined, trying to seem like the perfect parent.

"As of two months ago, you told Lindsay you didn't want her or her son in your life. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I didn't mean that," she stammered unconvincingly.

"I think you did. You barely even acknowledged Gus' existence. Then Lindsay needed you, she asked you for help, and you pushed both her and Gus away. Pushed them aside like they didn't even matter." Tears were welling up in Justin's eyes now, but he didn't care.

"I'm Gus' grandmother," she pushed. Justin wasn't having any of it.

"And Brian is Gus' father.  Listen, Mrs. Peterson, I know you are in a lot of pain. I lost my daughter as well. Granted, she wasn't even born yet, but it hurt like I had raised her my entire life. You aren't the only one in pain." Brian's eyes locked on Justin in that instant. He had just confirmed his suspicions. Justin's eyes went glassy and he slipped inside of himself as he thought about what he had lost back then and today.

"That just goes to show, fags aren't meant to raise children. I tried to tell Lindsay that." Brian's eyes snapped up and in that moment he didn't care, dog or not, he wanted to hurt her. He walked over to her, not stopping until he was right in her face.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Brian screamed, taking pleasure in watching her eyes widen in fear. "NOW! You will never take Gus away from us, never. Get away from me, you shriveled up old bitch." Brian watched her with an intimidating gaze until she was standing in front of the lift, pushing the button to take her back to the ground level.

With a grunt, Justin raised himself out of the wheelchair and hobbled over to the woman, pain etched in every step.

"The girls will have had a will. They would never leave Gus in your care," he told her. "You will never get to see him grow, you will never see the amazing man I know he will become. He is in the best of hands. I just hope Brian will allow me that privilege." She lifted the gate and entered the lift. Justin slammed the gate down and gave her one more hateful gaze. "And I hope you go to hell."

Once she was out of sight, Justin turned and slumped against the wall, panting with the pain he refused to show her. Brian hurried over and took him in his arms to steady him. He stared into Justin's eyes with such gratitude that Justin had to smile.

"I don't know what I'd do without you there to keep on saving the day," Brian told him, only half joking.

"You'd figure something out," Justin replied. Their noses brushed together on accident, and then Brian did it again on purpose. They locked eyes for what seemed like days. Justin tilted his head upwards and Brian slowly lowered his lips until they came in contact with Justin's. The kiss was soft, tender, fucking beautiful.

Brian felt electricity run though his body as Justin sank against him with the intensity of it all. Brian softly lapped at Justin's bottom lip before sliding his tongue between his lips briefly, feeling intoxicated by him.

Brian was the one to break the kiss, panting against Justin's lips while sliding the tip of his nose along the side of Justin's. The younger man's smile was radiant. Brian felt something wake up inside of him and kissed the blond again.

With Justin, he didn't feel like he was dying inside.

"Daddy?" Justin pulled away from Brian's lips as the taller man tensed at the sound of his son's voice. He turned slowly, both of them blushing like mad. They hadn't heard the door slide open. Gus stood in the doorway, little hands on slim little hips. He wore Brian's smirk like he invented it.

"Yes Gus?" Brian asked, clearing his throat.

"Why are you kissing my babysitter like that?" Gus asked, teasing them both. The raised eyebrow was a dead giveaway. He was a walking Xerox of Brian Kinney.

"Because I like your babysitter," Brian replied, tongue in cheek. Gus nodded thoughtfully.

"You guys kiss like my mommies kissed. They looked at each other like there was nothing else in the whole wide world but them." Brian swallowed hard and picked Gus up. He held him against his hip while he pushed Justin into the loft.

"Well, we're going to go inside and lock the door. And for today, there will be no one in the whole wide world but the three of us."

"I like that idea, Daddy."

"Me too," Justin agreed. Gus yawned, which resulted in a yawn from Justin. Brian nodded to himself.

"It's nap time for you two." He carried Gus up to the bedroom and playfully tossed him on the bed. He helped Justin up the stairs and into bed. He kissed them both on the forehead and started back down the stairs.

"Daddy wait!" Gus shouted. Brian immediately turned around, raising his eyebrows in response. "You nap too." Brian's eyes shifted to Justin, who nodded.

"Yeah, you nap too."

"Alright." Brian crawled into the large bed on the other side of Gus. The three of them molded together. Brian absently stroked Gus' hair as he stared unabashedly into Justin's eyes. They held their gaze until they both drifted into unconsciousness, silently praising the small boy between them for bringing them together.

Return to Through the Rain