It Won’t Happen Again. I Promise.

Michael’s apartment. The entire family is present with exception of Brian and Justin. A knock at the door, Michael answers. It’s Brian.

Brian enters looking around at the group gathered in Michael and Emmett’s tiny livingroom. ‘Everyone accounted for except Justin. That makes me a little nervous, but no one was crying so, whatever the reason I’ve been summoned to a family meeting, most likely wasn’t tragic. ‘Fuck! Must be something I did.’

"What’s the big dilemma this time Mikey? Another superhero bite the dust?" Brian asked in his usual snarky manner, trying to ignore the tension building in the pit of his stomach.

Michael grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the livingroom. Deb and Vic moved apart to make room as Michael pushed Brian down on the couch between them.

"Christ Mikey! You wanna give me a clue about what I did before you throw me to the wolves." Brian readied himself to be attacked from both sides.

"Shut up and listen." Deb snapped.

"Listening." Brian looked to Michael to begin the tirade he was positive he was about to be the recipient of.

"This isn’t about you Brian." Emmett interjected quickly.

"Then why the fuck am I here?"

"It’s about Justin." Michael started.

"Justin is ‘not’ my business any longer. He made that clear to me while he was packing his shit to move in with the new beau." The words flowed from him more vehemently than he’d intended.

Brian’s reaction to Michael’s statement allowed the group to see first hand that ‘yes’ the great ‘I don’t give a shit about anyone but myself’ Brian Kinney had been hurt deeply by Justin’s abrupt exit from his life.

"Brian don’t. We all know you still care about Justin. Please listen to what Michael has to say." Lindsay spoke softly knowing her words would temper Brian’s mood.

"Well? Continue." Brian pushed his anger away enough to focus on his best friend.

"Ma. Why don’t you start." Michael gave the floor to Deb.

"Justin came on shift this morning with a black-eye. I asked him what happened and he said it happened at school. Someone was coming out a door he was going in and it caught him in the face." Deb spoke with a tightly held anger Brian had never witnessed before.

"And you think what?" Brian pushed. He wanted a direct answer and the evidence to back it up.

"And Justin’s been acting...kind of moody lately." Emmett added.

"Emmett what exactly do you mean? The kid just went through something emotional, of course, he’s going be a little moody." Brian found himself trying to explain away what he knew in his gut they were trying to tell him.

"And when we were working together on ‘Rage’ yesterday, he was nervous about getting home on time. When I asked him why, he just said that he and Ethan had plans and that the guy was kind of anal about getting places on time."

"Will someone have the balls to tell me exactly what you are all getting at because I want to hear the words, not fucking speculation!" Brian stood up and looked at the group.

It was Melanie who found the balls. "We think that this kid Justin is living with may be being abusive."

"And you all think Justin is the type of person that would set back and take it? Fuck! I know him. He wouldn’t let anyone do that." Brian was trying to reason it more to himself than to the group.

"He put up with enough shit from you." Ted threw out the words and watched them pierce right through the wall around Brian’s heart.

Brian averted his eyes from those drilling into his. He couldn’t face them. Fuck! Ted was right. If Justin really loved this kid, would he really put up with physical abuse?

Lindsay walked over to Brian and laid her hand gently on his arm and whispered. "We’ve all tried to talk to him. He just clams up."

"Why do you think he would talk to me?"

"Because if anyone can understand what he might be dealing with, it’s you."

Brian stood quietly for moment as Lindsay backed away. Finally, he looked up to see his son’s bright eyes smiling at him. A mixture of anger and sadness filled him instantly. Anger that someone who swore they loved you would physically hurt you. Sadness because abuse, for the most part, is a learned trait. He had made a vow when he was a kid that abuse was the one Kinney family trait he would not carry on.

"Is he with him now?" Brian asked Michael.

"I think so, but I asked him to come over tonight to work on last minute stuff for ‘Rage’."

"When?"

"About an hour."

"I’ll do this... alone." It was an order.

"But he needs all of us Brian. Sunshine needs to see we are all here for him." Deb argued.

"Deb he already knows that. I can guarantee you he won’t open up in front of an audience."

"Brian’s right. God, I can’t believe I just said that."

"Melanie taking Brian’s side?" Ted scoffed then opened his mouth to continue.

"Shut up Ted." Michael cut him off before he could get off yet another piercing arrow in Brian’s direction.

"You call me as soon as you talk to Sunshine."

Brian nodded. Deb was the first one to make her exit. The rest of the group followed. Brian stopped Lindsay on her way out to give his son a hug and kiss; adding a promise to take him to the park the next day.

**********************************

An hour later Michael’s apartment is empty. Brian answered the knock at the door.

"Brian." Justin was stunned to see Brian standing in the doorway.

"Come in. Michael will be back in a few minutes."

Justin entered tentatively. Brian maneuvered himself between Justin and the door.

"I can come back a little later." Justin’s voice cracked nervously. He knew something was up and he didn’t want to deal with Brian right now.

"It’s okay Justin. I’m not going to pounce on you. Have a seat, relax." Brian motioned to the sofa.

Justin set his backpack on the floor next to the couch and sat down. Looking down he noticed his hands were shaking.

"Nice shiner."

"Yeah...I wasn’t paying attention..."

"At school right? You were going out, someone else coming in, the door caught you in the face. Deb told me the story." Brian spoke keeping his voice flat and emotionless.

Justin tensed he could feel Brian’s eyes on him. He couldn’t bring himself to face his ex...whatever Brian was to him.

"It’s not a story. That’s what happened." Justin tried to push a little anger into his voice.

"Bullshit." Brian sat down on the coffee table in Justin’s direct line of sight.

"This is Bullshit! What is this some kind of fucking ambush? Everyone hiding in the bedroom listening at the door?" Justin jumped up and surveyed the apartment for evidence he was right.

"Sit down." Brian gently pushed Justin back onto the sofa. "Look at me." When Brian had Justin’s full attention he continued. "Did Ethan hit you?"

"Why the fuck do you care? We’re not together." Justin found the anger that had avoided him seconds before.

Brian didn’t allow Justin’s anger to piss him off. Deep down Justin knew the score and he wasn’t about to dignify his allegation with an answer. Brian used the tactic of silence to break him down.

"It’s not like you think."

"I think he hit you." Brian forced himself to remain calm.

"Ethan’s been under a lot of pressure with school, money problems and the contest. We argued. I said thing’s, he said things we both got angry. It just happened....he didn’t mean it. God, right after he was so sorry." Justin tried not to sound like he was defending what Ethan did. He was just trying to get Brian to see it was no big deal.

"Let me guess. Then he brought home a bouquet of flowers and said he was sorry a thousand times while he was making love to you. Right?"

"Brian he had every right to be pissed at me. I said some really mean things. We had plans and I was late. Ethan’s particular about being on time and it was important that we be on time, and I wasn’t thinking." Justin continued stumbling.

"So you’re telling me you deserved the black-eye?"

"No. I’m trying to explain to you that it’s not ‘at all’ like everyone thinks. It only happened once. Ethan apologized. It won’t happen again."

"And you know that how? Because he promised?"

"Yes. He doesn’t really even have a temper. It’s just all this stuff going on right now."

"Stop it Justin. He hit you. A person who swears he loves you. That you are all he wants, hit you. Don’t make excuses about that to me. It will happen again and there will be more I’m sorry’s and more flowers and nothing will change. You know that. Walk away, now."

"How fair is that? Not give him a second chance? I can’t do that Brian."

"How many second chances Justin? How many times are you going to excuse it away?" Brian yelled unleashing the emotion he swore to keep in check.

"Back off Brian! It’s none of your business or anyone else’s." Justin got up and grabbed his backpack. Brian didn’t know Ethan, none of them did. They didn’t see the instant regret on his face when he realized what he’d done. Ethan had more than made up for the mistake by the way he touched him and made love to him after.

Brian took his arm before he could leave.

"You deserve someone who loves you. Ethan may say he loves you, but how can he? Be honest with yourself Justin. What happens the next time you’re late? Or the next time he thinks you’re cheating on him?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Again, I’m guessing."

Justin’s silence told Brian he was right.

"If you really need to give him a second chance, fine, but don’t go back there. Stay with Deb for awhile or your mom."

"I can’t live with them again. It’s like going backwards."

"It’s not going backwards. Think of it as just a side step until you can get a place of your own."

"Who are you kidding Brian? I can’t afford a place of my own and go to school. Besides I have to go back; all my stuff is there."

"Maybe something can be worked out for you to get your own place, and I’ll go with you to get your stuff."

"No that wouldn’t be a good idea. He knows I still....I mean he thinks..."

"Ben. I’m sure Ben would go with you."

"Ben?"

"What? You’d feel safer with Michael?"

"True. What about Deb?"

"No...she’d probably kill the little rat faced... Uh, sorry. I mean Ethan."

Justin is silent for a moment noticing that his hands had stopped shaking.

"Brian?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think what happened..."

"It wasn’t your fault."

"I know. But I mean me defending him. You must think I’m pretty stupid."

"I could never think that Justin."

"Will you call Deb for me and Ben?"

"Sure. Why don’t you sit down and relax."

Justin nodded then dropped onto the couch. He could feel the muscles relaxing in his body and the blanket of uneasiness he’d been wearing the last week falling away. How would he ever be able to love someone else knowing how much Brian cared about him. Worse knowing how much he still loved and cared about Brian. Why couldn’t the man just admit he loved him? Justin decided then to not push anything. Let Brian be there for him if he wanted to. It was enough for now. Then there was Ethan to consider. He still cared about him, but he had found himself walking on eggshells around Ethan afraid to set him off again. He did forgive him, but it was hard not to replay the moment over and over in his head.

********************************************

Following evening at Deb’s. Justin is snuggled comfortably on the couch after a full day of being pampered by his surrogate Mom and Uncle. Relieved that they had both finally gone to bed upon his insisting he was fine. Flipping through channels he found one of his favorite movies "The Birdcage" and settled in with a large bowl of freshly nucked popcorn. Just as the opening credits rolled there was a knock at the front door.

He tensed hoping desperately that Ethan hadn’t found out where Deb lived. The confrontation when he and Ben had gone to get his things had been heart wrenching and a little scary. Ethan begging him to stay not knowing Ben was just outside the door. Then he become angry accusing Justin of using him to make his boyfriend jealous. It was all over when Ben stepped inside to ask Justin if he needed help. Through it all Justin couldn’t help feeling Ethan was, in a way, right about using him. It wasn’t about making Brian jealous. It was about wanting something he thought Ethan could give him.

The knocking continued bringing Justin back to the here and now.

"Who is it?"

"It’s me."

Justin opened the door to see Brian standing timidly on the porch.

"Hey. You wanna come in?"

"I just came to see if....you know, if you’re okay."

"I’m okay, just going to watch a movie. You wanna join me?"

"What’s the movie?"

"The Birdcage."

"I love that movie."

"You do?"

"Yeah, Nathan Lane’s hysterical."

Brian followed Justin inside making sure to lock the door behind him. Justin grabbed the bowl of popcorn from the coffee table and curled up on the couch. He patted the space next to him and Brian joined him.

Deb snuck quietly down the stairs to see who was at the door. A wide smile crossed her face when she saw her two boys curled together on the couch watching TV and laughing.

‘They’re gonna be fine.’ She spoke softly to herself before returning to bed.