Listen to Your Heart

Part 19

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The rest of the trip back to Pittsburgh was fairly uneventful. Brian’s fears about Justin were somewhat calmed by the phone call to his doctor in L.A. The man had reassured Brian that all of Justin’s symptoms were normal but if Justin grew worse or started to experience any severe pain to get him to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. The doctor had even admitted to feeling encouraged by the turn of events though he warned Brian that they shouldn’t get their hopes up too high.

Justin rode in the passenger seat next to Ben as they began to get closer to home. He wanted to catch the first glimpse of his hometown that he had been away from for so long. Michael sat on the couch behind them with Brian’s head in his lap as the two talked about whatever it is that best friends that go way back talk about. Brian was feeling mellow from his latest pain pill and Michael was just feeling pretty content in general these days.

“So what happens when we get home?” Michael asked Brian softly as he gently ran his fingers through his best friend’s hair, “what’s Justin going to do?”

Brian unconsciously shrugged and then winced from the pain; “I’m not sure yet. So far we’ve just been concentrating on getting us home in one piece. I still want him to get his degree.”

“Will that be possible?”

“He’s deaf not brain damaged Mikey.”

“Yeah, unlike some people,” Michael gently flicked Brian‘s forehead and Brian responded by sticking his tongue out at him, “very mature Brian. I just meant will he be able to go back to PIFA?”

Brian’s face grew serious; “I don’t know, maybe with an interpreter. I’ll deal with all of that when we get home and get settled.”

“Is he moving back in?”

Michael couldn’t help the slightly wistful tone in his voice and Brian smiled fondly at his friend who still could not hide that tiny spark of resentment he still held for the young man in Brian’s life. “Yes he is,” Brian answered simply, “I actually asked him before he left, but we decided to wait until he got back.”

“I’m happy for you,” Michael responded, “I’m happy you found someone to share your life with. I knew you could fall in love, it just took the right person to make it happen,” Michael’s voice sounded pensive again.

“I don’t do...” Brian tried to answer with his habitual reply to anyone accusing him of actually loving Justin.

Michael cut him off by pinching his cheeks together with the fingers of one hand; “do not give me any of that ‘I don’t do love’ bullshit you asshole. You do love, you’ve been doing love ever since that kid up there took a bat to the head, if not before. It’s time to grow up and knock it off. I mean it Brian, just tell him.” Brian opened his mouth to speak but Michael cut him off; “I know that he knows Brian and that you show him all the time, but sometimes we need the words. After all that he’s lost and been through, I don’t think a few words are too much for you to give.” Michael gently lifted Brian’s head up and stood, placing a pillow where his legs had been, “I’m going to make us some lunch,” he said quietly.

He moved to the kitchen area leaving as silent Brian alone with his thoughts.

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The four men stood waiting for their cabs having met the man from the rental agency and leaving the motor home with him. “It’s good to be home,” Justin spoke. He turned to Ben and Michael, “thanks for coming to get us. I could’ve handled it,” he looked down at his feet, “you know if things were different,” he continued looking back up to his friends.

<“You’re very welcome, and you dealt with things just fine,”> Michael replied, <“you saved Brian’s life. I would call that handling it.”> Michael pulled Justin into a hug, which Justin returned with a smile.

Michael pulled away as the cabs approached and Ben and Justin began to busy themselves with getting the bags in the trunks; “don’t forget dinner at Ma’s tomorrow night,” he called out to Brian.

“Christ, do we get no rest?” Brian griped.

“You knew she would want to throw a big fucking welcome home party for boy wonder. You’re just lucky I held her off until tomorrow. She wanted us to go to her house first thing when we got back to town, before we even went home.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Brian waved off his friend with his good hand as he lowered himself into the back of the cab next to Justin. <“You ready to go home Sunshine?”>

“Only for the last five years,” Justin responded with his beaming smile and a tender kiss.

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Later that night Brian crept carefully out of bed, trying hard not to disturb Justin. He was having a hard time sleeping due to the pain in his ribs and realized that in their haste to sleep (and do other things) in their own bed he had forgotten to take his pain pills. He moved slowly down the steps into the living area of the loft trying to remember where he had dropped his bag. They hadn’t unpacked at all, taking advantage of the fact that they were truly alone for the first time in days.

Finally he found the bag where he had dropped it on the couch. He rummaged through it in the dim light feeling for his bottle of pills. His hand brushed against a velvet box, which he picked up, running his thumb slowly over the soft texture. He opened the box and stared at the object for a moment, Michael’s words coming back to him, ’I don’t think it’s too much for you to give.’ He thought that Michael didn’t really understand for once just how much it would cost him, but as he ran his finger over the contents of the box, then let his eyes wander to the beautiful man in their bed, it didn’t seem like such a high price anymore.

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