Not a Walk in the Park

Not a Walk in the Park

44/32

Wait and See

"You did it, didn't you."

"I..."

"Don't try to deny it, you had a trick."

"I, uh..."

"Is that all you can say? Did you use a condom?"

"Of course I used a condom, I'm not careless."

"No, just remarkably stupid and selfish."

"We can start all over again, we still get tested, and anyway, we've been monogamous for years, it'll be easy to go back."

"Ten years to be exact and what if I don't want to."

"Don't want to get tested?"

"Don't want to go back, not start again. What if I leave."

"You can't walk out, can't give up on all of this, our life, our love, you can't!"

"You did, watch me. You tricked, why?"

"Don't know."

"You don't know; well maybe I don't know if I still love you, may be I don't know if I want to be your partner. Maybe I don't know if I ever want to see your face again."

"Please don't go, I'm sorry."

"Sorry is bullshit, our life has been bullshit."

"No it hasn't; please it was a mistake, one horrible mistake. Please don't go, don't leave me!"

"Was he any good; did he suck you off better than me; did he fuck you?"

"No, no, no."

"I'm outta here."

*loft door slams shut*

"Please Brian don't go."

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

"Cynthia is he in?"

"Yes but I wouldn't go in there."

"Why, does he have a, is he alone?"

"Yes, he's alone."

"Then why?"

"Justin can I be frank?"

"Go ahead."

"I've never seen him this angry, this upset and I've witnessed the worst of his moods. You need to give him some time to calm down."

"Cyn it's been over a week, he hasn't been home, doesn't call, won't take my calls. He just works then goes to the hotel. What am I supposed to do?"

"Wait."

"For how long?"

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

"For as long as it takes."

"Michael."

"Justin, look I don't know what happened, he didn't say. He just showed up at our door and slept in the guest room, he was gone by morning."

"Michael, what am I supposed to do, he won't talk to me. Will you talk to him for me?"

"I don't think I can do that."

"You mean you won't. You're enjoying this aren't you. You've waited for years for me to fuck up so you can have him all to yourself."

"Justin, you don't mean that. Let me tell you a secret, I always knew you two were made for each other. I may have been a shit now and then but I knew Brian was happy with you. Happier than he's been in his whole life. He can't live without you, he'll come back. Do you still want me to talk to him?"

"Yes, no; god Mikey, I miss him so much!"

"He misses you."

"No, he doesn't."

"Yes, he does. I've been taking him his favorite Thai take out as comfort food, every night, making sure he eats, then I leave."

"Has he been...?"

"Drinking, drugging, tricking? No, nothing; he sits in the dark or works on his laptop, that's it."

"And he didn't tell you anything?"

"No. You know, maybe he's tired of Thai, he's had it for five days straight, maybe a curry would make a nice change."

"He likes that place near Kinnetic, maybe you can, oh, OH! Thanks Mikey."

"You're welcome, Boy Wonder."

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

"It's about fucking time, Mik....what the fuck are you doing here?"

"Brought you dinner, can I come in?"

"Doesn't smell like Thai."

"Curry. Please Bri."

"Justin."

"Please!"

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

"Are you going to eat it or watch it congeal?"

"Lost my appetite."

"Are you gonna come home?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you want to come home?"

"No, yes, I just don't know if I..."

"If you can trust me anymore, is that it? All those years together, you finally learned to trust someone other than yourself and now I've ruined it. In one stupid moment I ruined over ten years of happiness. Ten years of trust in me, gone. Is this how it ends, Bri. All that we've done together, built together, trashed cause I couldn't keep my dick in my pants. Is that what you really want?"

"No."

"Then tell me what I should do, Brian, tell me how to fix this."

"You can't. Thank you for bringing dinner. You should go now."

"Please let me stay or come back with me."

"No. Go Justin, I'll see you at the office."

"Goodnight Brian."

"Night."

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

"Taylor here."

"Novotny here."

"Hi Michael, you need the sketches for Rage."

"Yeah, if they're ready but that's not why I called."

"What's up?"

"Ben and I are having a BBQ, thought you'd like to come."

"Uh, I don't know Michael. He, we're still not..."

"I know but I cleared it with Brian, quote, your BBQ, your guest list, unquote."

"In other words, my call."

"Yes."

"When?"

"This Saturday, about four, bring dessert."

"Sure."

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

"Hi Michael, hi Ben, Hunter."

"Hey Boy Wonder."

"Hi Justin."

"Yeah, hi loser."

"Hunter, you're not too old to spank."

"Aw, Debbie."

"Don't ‘aw Debbie', me; hiya Sunshine, give me a hug. How are you baby?"

"Ma, he'd be a lot better if you weren't turning him blue."

"Oh, sorry; how have you been?"

"I'm okay."

"He still not home?"

"No."

"Christ, it's been..."

"Three months, two weeks, four days, and..."

"Sixteen hours."

"Hi Brian."

"Hi guys, Deb."

"Hey kiddo, how are you?"

"I've been better. Can I borrow Justin for a minute?"

"Sure honey, besides we can help Michael cook."

"Maaa!"

"Well honey, BBQ was never your forte."

"Justin, can we talk?"

"Sure Bri, out front?"

"Yeah."

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

"Brian/Justin."

"You go first, Bri."

"Can I come home?"

"Do you want to come home?"

"Yes."

"Then come home. Do we start all over?"

"I guess we're going to have to."

"I mean..."

"I know what you mean and yes we start all over."

"I got tested again last week."

"I know, I saw you leave the clinic as I was getting there. Negative?"

"Negative. I'm gonna go back once a month for a few more months then every six months like we used to."

"Okay. This doesn't change anything."

"It's a start."

"Yes, it is."

"Brian, I'm sorry."

"I know you are, I'm sorry I freaked."

"Brian, do you think they'll miss us if we leave?"

"Probably not."

"I can follow you back to the hotel, help you with your stuff."

"No need, it's all in the jeep."

"Can we go home?"

"Yeah."

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

"Ma, do you think they'll be alright?"

"I don't know sweetie, we'll just have to wait and see."

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

"Home."

"Yeah, home."

"Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks. Shit, Justin! What did you do, cancel the cleaning service? My desk is covered in dust."

"I didn't have the heart to have them touch it; it's just how you left it."

"Justin, I didn't die, just took an extended leave of absence."

"Brian will you ever forgive me?"

"Did you forgive me?"

"Never had too."

"Why?"

"Cause you never promised me anything."

"But you did."

"Yes I did and I broke the promise, broke the rules. I'm a sanctimonious piece of shit."

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am, I rant and rave about commitment, yet I break that commitment for absolutely no reason other than my dick spotted a nice piece of ass."

"Justin."

"No, Bri, how can I ask you to forgive me when I can't forgive me. Maybe you should have stayed away, maybe I should move out."

"Stop it! Just Stop it. Come here, give me your hands. Now repeat after me, I, Brian Kinney."

"I, Brian Kinney."

"No, asshole, your name."

"I, Justin Taylor."

"Take you, Justin Taylor."

"Fuck, will you cooperate."

"This is stupid, Brian. What are we doing?"

"Humor me, let's start again."

"I, Brian Kinney, take you Justin Taylor."

"I, Justin Taylor, take you Brian Kinney."

"As my life partner."

"Forsaking all others."

"Unless hit by some overwhelming urge that makes my dick do something stupid like a meaningless trick."

"Unless..."

"Say it, baby."

"Unless hit by some overwhelming urge that makes my dick do something stupid like a meaningless trick."

"I, Brian Kinney, promise to be forgiving, non-judgmental and not freak over a one night stand."

"I, Justin Taylor, promise to be forgiving, non-judgmental and not freak over a one night stand."

"This I swear to you because I love you more than anything in this world, more than my life, more than my Armani suits."

"This I swear to you because I love you more than anything in this world, more than my life, more than my cargo pants and grey hoodie."

"Let's go to bed cause I missed you."

"You didn't have to repeat that."

"Yes, I did."

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

"We okay, Bri?"

"We will be. I'm still a stubborn asshole and your still a tenacious twat. We'll make it work."

"How long do you think it'll take before we can breathe again?"

"Don't know, we're just gonna have to wait and see."

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