The Nature of Things

Chapter 3

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Lindsay was cleaning up the kitchen while Brian sat motionless in front of his computer. He'd been trying to work on Eyeconics new layout for the last ten minutes with no results. His mind kept wandering back to the first time he brought Justin back to the loft.

Closing his eyes he smiled to himself at the thought of that beautiful blond beneath him for the first time.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Lindsay turned from the dishes and gasped out loud. Without looking Brian knew it was Justin.

"Did you forget something in your haste?"

"Brian, be nice." Lindsay crossed the room and kissed Justin softly on the cheek. Turning back to Brian, she smiled sadly. "I'll leave you two alone. Brian, call me if you need me."

"Yeah, I'm not a fucking dyke Lindz." Seeing her shoulders slump, Brian felt bad and offered, "But thanks."

Lindsay left without looking back and hoping that Brian wouldn't fuck up his second chance.

"Brian, can we talk?"

"Now he wants to talk. Say your peace, clear your conscience and go back to your happy, Kinney free life."

"I knew this would be useless. You just can't believe that I really want to talk to you."

"I believe you want to talk, Sunshine. What I don't believe is that it will do any good."

"I thought we were past this, Brian. I thought we had something special, something different."

"Nope, we're just like every other dysfunctional hetero family. Sorry to disappoint you, Sunshine. No happy homo home for us."

"Just fucking stop it. I didn't come here to fight with you."

"Why the fuck did you come exactly?"

Watching as Justin sat across from him and tried to think of what to say, Brian lost the little patience he had.

"I don't need your explanations or apologies, Justin. I always knew that you'd leave someday. I'm never wrong about these things."

"So you just push me away. I meant so little to you that you can't even stand to talk to me anymore?"

"No, I just don't need to hear all of your excuses. I'm not some little housewife who will just curl up and die because her hubby left her. I'm a fag, I'll survive."

"Yeah, I'm sure you will. Fuck this. Just go back to your pain management and your tricks. It's not worth it."

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"I can't fucking believe how insensitive he was. I mean I know he's Brian Kinney and all, but fuck, we've spent so many years together. I thought he would've at least listened to me."

"Sunshine, he's hurt. He loves you so much that it scares the shit out of him. You've seen his heart. You know it's bigger than his balls, so imagine how he feels right now. You're the only person he ever really let into the inner sanctuary of his fucked up life."

"Fuck, I should've known better. I should've just stayed the fuck away."

"Even I'm smart enough to know that isn't ever going to happen. Brian's your chocolate chocolate chip double fudge cake. You just can't help yourself."

"No he's a fucking virus. What the fuck was I thinking? That he'd just listen to me and try to fix things? I'm such a stupid little faggot."

"Sunshine, you know I'd rather chew off my own tongue than interfere, but why did you leave him?"

"God, Debbie, why didn't I leave him sooner?"

"Do you even know?"

"Yeah. He just changed. He's not the man I fell in love with. He works non-stop. He doesn't ever want to go out any more. We never have date nights now.  He is constantly worried about some campaign or some client. He never pays attention to me. I'm always home alone and he's never there."

"So let me get this straight, you left him because he grew up? Are you out of your fucking mind, Sunshine? After all these years of bitching that you wished he'd grow up and now when he does you leave?"

Debbie was interrupted by the appearance of a tall dark haired young man. Looking up from her seat across from Justin she shook her head and sighed deeply.

"So, is this the replacement? The new and improved model?"

"Hi, I'm Casey," he said extending his hand to Deb. "Justin, are you ready?"

"Now just a minute, we aren't done here, Sunshine."

"I'm done, Deb. I'm so far beyond done it isn't funny."

Justin stood, took Casey's hand and left Debbie speechless for only the second time in her life.

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