It Takes All Kinds

Go!

Someone in the house was busy killing a cat. Either that or they were imitating a banshee. Gus was too groggy to decide which one it was. As his hazel eyes fluttered open, he realized three things. One, today he finally, finally turned nine. Maybe now he could convince the adults in his life to explain all the things they told him he had to be older to know. He already had his list made up.

Two, today was Friday, which meant he had one more day of school before he and his dads hit the road for their vacation. Gus was looking forward to that-well, not the school part, but the trip…

And three, the caterwauling he heard was actually his dads, attempting to sing 'Happy Birthday' as they walked down the hall to his room.

Gus loved his dads-he really did, but their singing… well, let's just say it left a lot to be desired. His Nana Jen said Pops couldn't sing his way out of a paper bag and Gus had to agree. Dad was no better and when the two of them got together, it was sheer torture-for the listeners.

He hid his head under his pillow and held it tightly against his ears, but unfortunately, he could still hear the painful ditty. Finally giving up, the newly turned nine-year-old sat up in bed and patiently waited for the next part of the Kinney-Taylor birthday tradition.

His door opened slowly, revealing his dad and Pops standing there. Pops was holding a breakfast tray and Dad a wrapped present. The tortured cat impression continued, only now Gus could hear the words. He closed his eyes, knowing it had to end-hopefully soon.

"…irthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, dear Gus, Happy Birthday tooooo yooouuu!" One of them, most likely his dad, had attempted a dramatic finish-always the drama queen.

With the last notes thankfully fading away, Gus opened his eyes again. Now came one of the enjoyable parts of the ritual. For as long as Gus could remember, his dads had woken him up on his birthday in the same manner. First came the singing, then he was presented with his favorite breakfast-Belgian waffles smothered with fresh blackberries and real whipped cream-served to him in bed.

His dads would sit with him as he ate, usually drinking coffee. Whenever he tried to feed some to his dad, the man would wrinkle up his nose and pass on the offer. He said that two boys on a sugar high were all the loft could stand. Gus thought it was weird that his dad called Pops a boy-after all, he was a fully-grown man.

Whatever. Adults could be really silly sometimes.

"Morning, Sonny Boy. Ready for your big day?" Brian leaned over and ruffled his son's hair as he placed the package on the bed next to the boy.

"Sure am. After school today, Pops and me are going to a movie then he promised to take me to the Big-Q so I could get some things for the trip." Gus shot a quick look at his Pops, who had set the tray on the bed and was busy arranging the food on it, "You did remember about the store, right Pops?

"Absolutely Gus. Did you write up a list of what you need?" Justin smirked at Brian as Gus nodded.

Brian groaned as he perched on the end of the bed and took the coffee cup Justin handed him. "Fuck Justin, can't you take him somewhere better than the Big-Q?"

"Riiight, like he needs to get designer labels on things like batteries, GameBoy™ games and puzzle books. I don't think either Prada or Armani manufacture those, do they?" Justin laughed and set the tray in front of Gus. "Here you go, buddy. Dig in." He took his own cup off the tray and sat in the chair next to the bed, propping his feet up on the mattress.

The trio chatted about the plans for their trip as Gus finished his breakfast. Finally pushing the tray back, Gus sighed, "Pops, that was great. I'm stuffed. Can I open my present now?"

His dad laughed and said, "Go for it, Gus."

Smiling, Gus picked up the package and ripped the paper off. He already had a general idea what his gift was. It was the third part of the tradition. The first present of the day was always a new outfit for him, already washed and ready for him to wear to school. Opening the box, he pulled out a pair of black jeans and a dark red long-sleeved pullover. "Cool. Thanks Dad, Pops. I love them. Guess I should get dressed now, huh?"

The two men nodded and stood to leave. "I'm going to go get ready for work, Sonny Boy. I'm dropping you off at school and Pops is picking you up, so get moving. Don't forget to brush your teeth either, brat."

Gus stuck his tongue out at his dad as he and Pops left his bedroom, taking the dirty dishes with them. Gus jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom. He figured he had better brush his teeth before he forgot-again.

Flipping on the light, he stood in front of the sink and giggled. Sitting on the counter was a small, gaily wrapped package, with his name neatly written on the card. Quickly opening it, he found a fancy new toothbrush with his favorite cartoon character on it.

The fourth part of the birthday tradition consisted of Gus finding little presents stashed here and there throughout the day. They would be small things, such as a miniature action figure, a certificate to a fast food place or tickets to a movie. Gus knew that his Pops was the one behind the hidden presents. His dad didn't really do birthdays-he was constantly muttering about accomplishments being the only thing worth celebrating. Pops always laughed and said that surviving another year with Dad was definitely an achievement worth celebrating. Dad would shut up after that, usually after smacking Pops on the butt.

Gus finished brushing his teeth and combing his hair, then he reentered his bedroom and quickly dressed. He picked up his homework and reread the completed outline for his project. The written portion would consist of a diary he was planning on keeping during the trip. The visual section would be in two parts-the video and a photo album. He was pleased with his plan and hoped Mrs. Mitchell would approve.

The birthday boy joined his father near the front door. His dad was holding Gus' jacket and backpack and handed them to him when he approached, saying, "Here you go, Gus. Be sure you button it up this morning-it's sleeting outside. JUSTIN, where the hell are you?"

The blond rushed into the room, carrying a tray of cupcakes. He handed them to Brian and said, "Here, don't drop them. Deb spent most of last night baking them and she'll have your balls if they are ruined. Don't forget them in the car, either."

"Shit Justin, how on earth did I manage the first twenty-nine years of my life without you bossing me around?" Brian raised a sarcastic eyebrow.

"It's a mystery, Brian. I'm going to spend the day finishing up the packing-is there anything special you want to make sure we have?" Justin helped Gus get his jacket on as he spoke.

"Make sure we each have a suit packed, we'll need them. Other than that, nothing." Brian opened the sliding door and stepped out after dropping a quick kiss on Justin's mouth, "Come on Gus, we gotta go." He pushed the button to the elevator and turned, "Oh, Justin-don't forget to take the SUV in and have it checked out. The last thing I want to deal with is breaking down in the middle of fucking nowhere."

Justin nodded and reminded Gus, "Hey buddy, don't forget your backpack. I'll see you this afternoon. Have a great party at school, guy."

Gus grabbed his almost-forgotten pack and swiftly hugged Justin, "Love ya, Pops. See you later." Gus followed his dad into the elevator, waving goodbye as Justin pulled the door shut.

Most of the lessons that day didn't hold Gus' attention. Mrs. Mitchell had to call on him several times, reminding him to concentrate on his work. Each time she did, the small boy would attempt to apply himself, but his mind would soon be on other things once more. Sometimes he thought of his birthday party tonight, over at his Nana Jen's condo-other times he reflected on his upcoming trip.

As the class filed out for recess, Rachel sidled up to Gus and whispered, "Hey Gus. Did you get your outline done? My mom helped me with mine. She and I are going to put together a scrapbook about our family. She even called my step-mom and asked her to give me some pictures. I think that's the first time the two of them actually talked without screaming at each other. Maybe this project will help them become friends, ya know."

"That's a cool idea, Rach. I'm glad they're talking nice to each other. It's no fun when the parents fight. I did get my outline finished, without Pops and Dad finding out about it." The two children went out onto the playground while Gus explained his idea to his friend.

Gus looked around the playground, trying to find out where Matthew Godwin and Joshua Maguire were. He and Matthew had been warned to stay away from each other and Gus wanted to make sure he didn't accidentally run into either one. Not seeing them, he moved to the swings and sat down, Rachel sitting in the one next to him.

The friends chatted idly about different things, until suddenly, Joshua was standing in front of the swings. Gus stopped the motion of his swing, watching the bigger boy warily.

"Hey Gus." The other boy looked around self-consciously and continued, "I was wondering… umm… would it be possible… naw, this is a stupid idea." Joshua shook his head and began to leave.

Gus didn't stop to think, he just called out, "Joshua-is there something wrong? You've never wanted to speak to me before-what's up?"

The fifth-grader cautiously walked over and asked, "Umm, Gus, could I talk to you about something? It's kinda weird and you… well you're the only person I know that might… umm… understand what I'm going through." He looked expectantly at the auburn-haired boy, obviously not expecting a positive response.

Gus quietly contemplated the other boy, thinking, 'Okay, this is really strange.' After a minute, he said, "Sure, Joshua. Whatcha want?"

Joshua glanced at Rachel, saying, "Umm, no offense, but could you leave? I want to talk to Gus alone."

Rachel nodded and got up from the swing. "You're not going to cause any trouble, are you? Cause if you are…" When Joshua shook his head no, she left, tossing over her shoulder, "See you later, Gus."

Joshua sat down in the abandoned swing and stared silently forward. Gus started to get nervous after a few minutes and decided to begin, "Joshua, you asked Rach to leave so you could talk to me, but you're not saying anything. What's up?"

The other boy ran his fingers through his hair, noticeably frustrated. "Geeze, Gus-I don't know where to start." He looked over at Gus, who smiled encouragingly and finally began. "See, it's like this. A few weeks ago, my older brother and my dad were fighting in the living room. I was sitting in the other room, watching TV and I could hear what they were screaming about. It seems… well I guess… it sounded like Jordan, that's my brother, well… I think he told my dad he was gay."

Gus could only gape at Joshua, "Wow, Josh, what happened?"

Joshua gave a bitter laugh, "Oh, my dad hit the roof, to put it mildly. He just went crazy, yelling and throwing things. Jordan took off out of the house and hasn't been home since." He peeked over at Gus, tears misting his eyes. "I love my brother-I miss him. I've always thought he was so cool-he's a senior in high school, you know. I wanna go see him, but I'm scared."

"Why on earth are you scared? You don't think he'll yell at you, do you?"

Joshua shook his head, almost violently, "No way. Jordan's always looked out for me. He can be kind of a pain sometimes, but if I ever really get in trouble, he's right there. He helps me with my homework, takes me to movies if I get sad or…" He stared down at his feet for a second before adding, "I think I know where he's staying but… everything's different now."

"I don't understand-why is everything different?" Gus looked puzzled as he tried to work out what the other boy meant. Joshua just shrugged in response. "Well, I think you ought to go talk to him. He's still your big brother, and if he's always been there for you… well, maybe it's your turn now. Fair's fair."

Joshua slowly stood up, a smile creeping across his face. "Yeah, fair's fair." He laughed suddenly, "Now maybe I can play big brother and give all sorts of stupid advice. That could be fun!" Looking over at Gus, he said, "Thanks Gus."

It was Gus' turn to shrug, "I didn't really do anything."

"Yeah, but you listened to me. No one at home has wanted to talk about it with me. My dad just storms out of the room, mom starts crying and my big sis… well, she's more interested in her boyfriend than talking to me, ya know."

Gus untangled himself from the swing and got to his feet. "Good luck, Joshua. I hope everything's okay." He turned to walk away then paused, glancing back at the other boy. "You know, it was kind of nice talking to you too." He smiled and headed off to class.

That afternoon, Mrs. Mitchell announced that she would be coming around to each desk and collecting their outlines for their social studies project. While she was doing that, they were to work on their assignment in math.

Gus placed his outline on the corner of his desk, removed his math textbook and began working on his problems. He had finally figured out his multiplication tables, so the problems were a breeze. He was almost finished with them when Mrs. Mitchell approached his desk.

"So Gus, let's see what you came up with." The young teacher smiled down at the boy as she picked up the papers on his desk. "Hmm-oh, this is a very good idea, Gus. I'm looking forward to seeing your presentation." She patted him on the shoulder as she moved away, "Everything will work out fine-you'll see." She continued around the room, collecting the other outlines, then walked to the front of the room and faced the class.

"Okay, listen up. Has everyone finished their math?" Receiving mostly nods, she continued, "Those who haven't finished please keep working. Everyone else, clean up your area. There is," a quick glance at the clock gave her the time, "about twenty minutes until the bell. Once everything is put away, we get to have cupcakes, courtesy of Gus' family. Today is his birthday. So let's get moving."

The kids bustled around, picking up the classroom while Mrs. Mitchell pulled out the cupcakes. When the room was straightened, the teacher led the children in a rousing rendition of the birthday song, and then handed out the treats.

Gus hit the door at a near-run about two seconds after the last bell rang for the day. He was officially on vacation and couldn't wait to get started. He darted outside, spotting the blue SUV and his Pops and threw himself at the blond man.

Pops caught him, twirling the boy's small body around and laughing, "Wow. It looks like someone's happy to get out of school. What, do you think it's your birthday or something?" Justin carefully put his son down near the SUV and gave him a gentle push towards the door. "Get in, bratling, we've got a lot to do."

Gus chattered happily as the vehicle wended its way through the busy streets, telling the amused man all that had happened in school that day. They finally reached the Big-Q. As Justin searched for a parking space, Gus reached into his backpack and pulled out his list of needed things for the trip.

They entered the store and quickly found everything they needed. On the way to check out, they were passing the infant section when something caught Gus' eye. He picked it up, an evil grin on his face, and called out to Justin, "Hey Pops, what do you think? Should we get this for Aunt Molly?"

Justin turned and saw what Gus was holding. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Have a death wish, do you? If you want to risk it, it's alright by me-but you're the one who's going to take the heat, not me. Got that, buddy?" When Gus smirked and nodded his head, Justin burst out laughing. "Oh, this should be priceless. I'm just thankful she can't run very fast. The look on her face… I need to make sure I have the camera ready!"

Justin paid for their purchases and they soon were on their way to the movies, pleasantly squabbling about which one they should try to see. Finally agreeing on the latest science fiction/romance movie, they spent the next couple of hours munching on popcorn and making fun of the special effects showing on the screen.

As they exited the theater, Justin told Gus, "So, birthday boy, we need to make a quick stop at the loft, then we'll head over to Mom's place for your party. Your dad is meeting us there."

Gus nodded absently as his Pops spoke; his attention was on two other moviegoers. As he watched, Joshua looked up and spotted Gus. He waved and then began tugging on the arm of the teen standing next to him. The two boys walked over to where Gus was waiting with Justin.

Joshua introduced the teen to his friend, "Hey, Gus. This is my brother, Jordan." He beamed up at his brother and stated, "Jordy, this is Gus. He's the kid from school I was telling you about."

Jordan held out his hand to Gus, who shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you, Gus. Thanks for what you did for Joshua this afternoon. I really appreciate it." The teen smiled at the fourth-grader then turned to Justin. "Hi, I'm Jordan Maguire. I wanted to tell you that you have a great kid here. He really made my baby brother feel better today-good enough to come track me down so we could talk."

Justin looked confused, "Umm… thanks. Gus is a good kid. He didn't tell me what went on today but…" He glanced down at his son, who was busy blushing, "He has a good heart."

"Yeah, Gus, I wanted to say thanks for today, too, I found Jordan hanging out at his friend's house. Boy, was I happy to see him." The two siblings grinned at each other, the affection each held for the other obvious. "He's going to come over to the house tomorrow and try to talk to Mom and Dad. I'll let you know how it goes on Monday, okay?"

"Sorry, Joshua. I won't be at school then. Dad and Pops are taking me to Disneyland-we'll be gone for two whole weeks. In fact, we leave tomorrow."

"Cool, wish I could go. I guess I'll see you when you get back, then. Hope you have fun." Joshua waved as he moved closer to his brother and slipped his arm around Jordan's waist. As they strolled away, Jordan slung his arm around his brother's thin shoulders, pulling him closer.

Gus smiled at the sight as Justin said, "Soooo, you gonna stand here all day or do you want to go eat some birthday cake? My vote is for the cake-it's too damned cold to stay here for long." Justin gave a mock shiver as Gus laughed up at him. The two raced for the SUV, Justin pretending to trip and stumble along the way.

"You're so weird, Pops."

"Get in the car, brat or I'll show you weird!"

Justin pulled out of the parking lot onto the main road, then casually asked, "So, little man, you going to explain what that was all about or just let me guess?"

Gus told the blond man about his afternoon encounter with Joshua. He explained about the fight when Jordan came out to their parents and how Joshua hadn't seen his brother for weeks. Justin looked thoughtful as the small boy spoke.

"Jordan was right, Gus. You are a good kid. I'm proud of you." Justin paused for a second then asked, "Gus, does it bother you-you know-about your dad and I being gay?" He watched the young boy from the corner of his eye, waiting for a reaction.

Gus swiftly responded, "Shoot no, Pops. Why?"

"I know how kids can be, believe me. They can tease someone unmercifully if there is something odd about them." He shot a quick look at Gus then continued, "You would tell us if you're having any problems, wouldn't you?"

"Sure." Gus smiled innocently at Justin

They dropped off their purchases at the loft, changed clothes and were heading toward Jennifer Taylor's condo within minutes. When they arrived, Justin parked the SUV and opened the back door, pulling out several large wrapped packages.

"Hey, I didn't see those in there! They're for me, right?" Gus was getting wound up. His family always gave him really cool gifts and he couldn't wait to see what he got this year.

"No, I thought we'd start a new birthday tradition. I think instead of getting presents, the birthday boy should give them-to all of his family. Naturally, he should spend his own allowance on them, as well." Justin smirked as he watched Gus begin to pout. "Of course they're yours, bratling. Now, don't be greedy and help me with the door."

Cries of "Thank goodness! The Dynamic Duo has arrived! We're starving! Where the hell have you been?" greeted them as they entered the condo. The last came from Brian, who was sprawled out on the stairs up to the second floor. He stood up and hugged Gus while Justin put the presents on a nearby table.

Gus gazed about the room, trying to see if his aunt and uncle were there. It looked like everyone except them had already arrived. He bounced over to his Nana Jen, giving her a tight squeeze and asked, "Where's Aunt Molly and Uncle Jake? Pops and I got her something and I wanna give it to her."

Jennifer hugged her grandson back, answering, "Happy birthday, Gus. Uncle Jake's plane was delayed, but they called and said they were on their way. Now, why don't you go tell everyone else hello while I finish dinner."

"Sure thing, Nana. Hey Grandma Deb."

The cheery redhead was busy chopping vegetables for the salad when Gus called out to her. She looked up and grinned. "Hi sweetie. Get your butt over here so I can give you your birthday spanking!" She made as if she were going to chase him while Gus backed away, laughing.

"Na uh, Grandma, I don't think so. I'm too old for that now-I'm nine, you know." Gus announced proudly. He shrieked as Hunter snuck up from behind, picking him up and depositing him directly in front of Deb.

"Now I've got you, little boy!" Hunter helped hold the squirming boy as Deb playfully swatted him on the bottom. "Six, seven, eight, nine… and one to grow on!" She gave him a swift kiss on the cheek and sent Hunter and him out of the kitchen, saying that unless they wanted to cook, they needed to get out of her way. The guys hurried into the living room, aware that she would follow through on her threat.

Hunter went to sit next to his wife, Marie while Gus challenged his Uncle Mikey and Uncle Ben to a game of Uno™. Emmett and Daphne joined the three card players and soon shouts of triumph and frustration were ringing through the house. Gus was studying his cards, trying to decide whether to reverse back to Daphne or make Ben draw two when the front door opened and Molly and her husband Jacob entered.

With a whispered, "Watch this," Gus went to greet his very pregnant aunt. After hugging her and giving her time to settle down into the couch, he presented her with a small wrapped package. Smiling mischievously, he nonchalantly headed toward the kitchen, calling out, "Pops said it reminded him of you."

He peeked around the corner and watched as Molly opened the gift. She stared blankly down at it then yelled, "JUSTIN, I'M GONNA KILL YOU-PROVIDED I CAN CATCH YOU!" She struggled to get up from the couch as everyone around her started laughing.

Justin, deep in conversation with Brian and Daphne's boyfriend Matthew, glanced up, baffled as to why his sister was currently bearing down on him. Looking down at the bright yellow rubber duck she had in her hand, he decided discretion was the better part of valor and took off toward the back door, singing, "Duck, duck, waddle, waddle, duck, duck, quack, quack."

Jennifer called out, "Children! No fighting OR running in the house."

Molly gave up with a laugh and told Gus to go fetch his Pops-they would call a truce for now. When Justin reentered the room, she smirked, "Just remember, Justin, revenge is a dish best served cold."

Justin peeked at Gus, who was trying to look innocent and replied, "Yeah, Molly. I wholeheartedly agree." He leaned over and whispered in his son's ear, "Better watch out, buddy. When you're least expecting it, expect it."

They both started snickering when Gus avowed, "Yep, but you know what, Pops? It sure was worth it!"

After dinner, everyone settled down in the living room while Gus opened his gifts. When he neared the end of the pile, Ted stood up and handed the next one to him. "Gus, this is from everyone. We thought it would come in handy on your trip. Happy birthday."

Gus swiftly tore the wrapping paper off the box and sat there, speechless. The gang had given him a brand new digital camera. He looked around at everyone and said, "Wow guys, this is great. Thanks a whole lot. I love it." The camera certainly would be useful on their vacation. He had an old 35 mm camera, but it wasn't always reliable. He opened the box and pulled everything out, trying to figure out how to work it.

Brian smiled at his son, saying, "I'm going to bring my laptop, so you can download your pictures every day. You should be able to get some nice shots, considering some of the places Justin has planned for us to go see."

After Gus finished opening his gifts and thanked everyone, the gang helped to clean up the trash and discussed the trip. Justin told everyone that the first couple of days would be spent in Indianapolis, visiting the speedway there for Gus' sake and Chicago.

Brian interrupted his lover and queried, "Did I remember to tell you that I have a meeting with Leo Brown on Monday? He wants me to meet some up and coming hotshot executive he just hired to work in their internal marketing department." He inwardly flinched at the sight of Justin's face. He had deliberately not told the other man about his plans earlier, knowing how upset he would become. Brian had hoped that announcing the meeting while in front of their family would lessen Justin's reaction. It didn't work, judging by the blonde's face. Brian rolled his lips inward and continued to confess, "I'm to have lunch with them then spend the afternoon discussing some new concepts for the company."

Justin spoke with barely contained anger, "Fuck, Brian! We're supposed to be on vacation. You do understand the concept, don't you? That means You. Don't. Work." He growled in frustration, "You've been fucking working fourteen to sixteen hour days for months now. God damn it!"

"What the fuck am I supposed to do, Justin? Leo found out I was going to be in town and called me the other day to make arrangements. You know how important this account is to Kinnetik." Brian tried to defend himself, "It's only one afternoon-we're going to be gone for two fucking weeks. There'll be plenty of time for us to sightsee."

"Riiight. I'm supposed to believe that you haven't scheduled more 'impromptu' meetings in any of the other cities we'll be in-you haven't, have you?" When Brian remained silent, Justin nodded furiously, "I fucking knew it. You son of a bitch. We might as well not even bother with the fucking trip." The blond artist stormed into the kitchen.

Suddenly a small voice broke the silence, "Dad, are we still going? I really want to see Disneyland." Gus watched his dad, trying desperately not to cry. "You don't have to work while we're in Los Angeles, do you?"

Glancing between his son and the kitchen where his lover was hiding, Brian took his time answering. "Sonny Boy, the trip's still on. I'll talk to Justin when we get home, okay? I probably shouldn't have sprung it on him like this." He locked eyes with his son and smiled wryly, "Sometimes I do stupid things, you know. This looks like a colossally dumb stunt to me. What do you think?"

A small smile peeked through the tears, "Yeah, it wasn't the smartest thing you've ever done." Gus gazed at his dad, hope lighting up his eyes. While Dad was very talented at setting his Pops off, he was also very good at calming him down. It made for an interesting home life.

Glancing at the clock, Brian began collecting Gus' gifts and putting them by the door. He turned to his son and announced, "Okay, Gus. It's eight thirty, so we need to hit the road. We're getting up very early tomorrow, so you need to get to bed on time tonight, birthday or not. Now, tell everyone goodnight, alright?"

Gus was concerned that his Pops hadn't returned to the living room yet. He noticed his dad talking to his Nana Jen, who had been in the kitchen with Pops, then he went into the kitchen and was gone for a few minutes. He soon returned and moved to help Gus with his coat.

"You're going to ride home with me, Sonny Boy. Pops will come later with your presents. He wants to help his mom clean up the kitchen a bit." Brian slipped into his own leather jacket then dangled his keys in front of Gus' face. "Tell you what. Since it's your birthday, I'll let you start the car, so let's go." He laughed when the small boy took off without a word, thrilled by the offered treat.

When they entered the loft, Gus headed directly to his bedroom. It had been a long day and he was tired. He quickly washed up and changed into his pajamas. As he crawled into bed, there was a light knock on his door and his dad poked his head in.

"You all set, Gus?" Brian approached the bed and helped his son arrange his blankets. He gazed down at the sleepy boy, biting his lip in thought. "I don't want you to worry about the trip, Sonny Boy. You know adults sometimes argue-God knows you've seen Justin and I do it enough. As soon as he gets home, we'll get everything straightened out, so get some sleep. Six a.m. comes awfully early in the morning." He leaned down and softly kissed Gus' forehead. "Love you, Gus. Happy birthday."

Brian flipped the lights off as he exited the room, pulling the door closed. Gus settled down into the mattress and sleepily stared at his walls. He could barely make out the painted racetrack that encircled his room in the glow of the nightlight. He couldn't believe it-tomorrow he would actually get to see where they ran the Indianapolis 500. He rolled over and closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep-dreaming about the roar of the revving engines.

Gus woke up feeling thirsty. Blinking drowsily at the clock, he saw that it was midnight-nowhere near time to get up. Deciding he would get a glass of juice, he turned on the lamp on his bedside table, tossed back his blanket and climbed out of bed.

As he made his way down the dark hallway toward the kitchen, he became aware of the sound of music softly playing in the family room. He cautiously inched toward the door and peeked in, surprised by what he saw.

The lights were off and candles, dozens and dozens of candles, were lit and scattered throughout the room. A bottle of champagne rested on the hearth, two half-full flutes nearby. The futon mattress had been dragged in front of the fireplace and two pillows placed upon it. In the center of the floor, his father and Pops were entwined in each other's arms, moving slowly to the music.

Brian looked down at the blond in his arms, softly kissing him and whispered, "Nine years… nine years ago tonight, my life changed when two little boys entered my life. Little did I know that night how very much I would come to love them both. Happy anniversary, Justin."

Justin gazed up at Brian, his eyes glowing, "I love you Brian, so much. I wouldn't trade the past years for anything. Happy anniversary to you, too." He tangled his fingers in Brian's hair and drew him down for a tender kiss, which became more intense as the seconds passed.

Gus hastily retreated into the hallway when Brian pulled Justin's shirt over his head. His dad had explained about sex but he really wasn't interested in watching his dads do that. 'Eeww. They're my parents, for crying out loud. They aren't supposed to be interested in stuff like that,' he thought as he crawled back into bed.

As Gus drifted back to sleep though, a faint smile graced his lips. His dads had obviously made up, if the mushy stuff was anything to go by.

It looked like the trip wasn't ruined after all.

Return to Sterling Dragonfly's