"What if ..."

Brian Shared the joint with Justin instead of Debbie.

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Brian sprinkled some weed into the paper, and flinched when he heard the door open. He dreaded hearing that door - the sound symbolized his demise now. He opened the door to chaos last night, and closed it on his career - figuratively, and literally.

Seeing Justin both pleased and pained Brian - he hated to break the news to him, but he had a right to know. He'd only told Justin and Deb, knowing that the Liberty grapevine would take care of the rest.

Justin wasn't sure he was supposed to be there, but he couldn't stay away. He knew that Brian was probably hurting after losing his hard-won partnership. And he felt partially responsible for things going this way, but he wouldn't back down if Brian chose to berate him.

"Hey," Justin said softly.

"Hey."

"This wasn't what I wanted to happen."

"Vance was counting the days when he could get rid of me since the beginning, so I'm not surprised. The pisser was being escorted out of my office, and off the premises by a security guard, without so much as a ballpoint pen."

"Shit."

Justin sat on the sofa as Brian finished rolling the joint. Brian lit it, took a hit, and passed it to Justin.

"So, what's going to happen now," Justin asked as he passed back the joint.

"I'm going to get blitzed and fuck my brains out."

"That's mature."

"Since when have you known me to be mature? Right now I feel like the biggest loser - like everything here that I've worked for was for nothing."

"Brian, I put you in that position. I used my relationship with you in the office to bring down Stockwell. This is as much my fault as it is yours."

"No, Justin - I won't let you take all of this on your shoulders. I was blind. I wrongly assumed that nothing I was doing for Stockwell was hurting anybody. I figured everything was okay when I was able to talk him into leaving Ted alone.

When he was talking all that trash months ago about cleaning up Liberty, I thought he was full of shit like all the other politicians. I never expected him to deliver on his promise. When I started seeing padlocks popping up all over the place, I knew he wasn't joking. You were so busy making me aware, and I ignored you in favor of business, when I should have been ignoring business in favor of you."

"You really freaked me out," Justin said. "When you sold yourself out with Stockwell, I felt like I'd lost you. You were always selfish and thinking of yourself, but this was beyond the pale. I couldn't believe you would throw Liberty Avenue to the lions. But you pulled back and sided with me. At that point, I knew there was still a good man inside of you."

Brian let out a laugh, and said, "What am I, Charlie Brown?"

"Cut out the bad boy shit, Brian. You're too old for that, and it isn't you. Why can't you just admit you sacrificed your career for a piece of blond boy ass," Justin said.

Brian stiffened at the reference he'd made all those weeks ago. He was tweaked out that night, but not so tweaked that he didn't remember slapping Justin with his words. He kissed Justin and said, "You're not a piece of blond boy ass. You're my ballsy, outrageous, smart and wonderful boyfriend."

"Did you just say 'boyfriend?'"

"Yeah - got a problem with that?"

"None whatsoever. So where does this leave us?"

"We'll be Rage and JT fighting Stockwell's campaign and making sure he doesn't become Mayor."

"On that note, let me find something to eat."

Brian laughed. It always amazed him how many people got the munchies when they got high. Not him, though - it just mellowed him out enough to think about things, but never increased his appetite.

Leaning his head back on the sofa cushions, he thought about the events of the past twenty-four hours. He knew Stockwell wasn't stupid and would put the pieces together. Justin organized the whole thing, but Brian took the fall. He knew Justin would be kicked out of Vanguard as well. He felt horrible about that, but what was better, for the two of them to pretend Stockwell wasn't attacking everything they held dear for the sake of business?

Justin snapped him out of his reverie by snuggling beside him with a bag of chips. "You're a good man, Charlie Brown," Justin said, and laid his head on Brian's shoulder. Brian chuckled and pulled him closer.

"So are you, Sunshine," Brian whispered into the blond's hair. He knew they would figure something out eventually career-wise, but right now he wanted to enjoy Justin's comforting presence. The thought of the two of them against the world made him smile.

 

 

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