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Brother's Keeper
by Vamphile
One
Justin was washing paintbrushes when he heard the persistent knocking on his door. He left them soaking and wiped his hands against his shirt before he answered it.
He stared at the kid in front of him for a minute wondering what he was selling, and knowing he didn’t really have the money to buy it anyway… but the silence went on too long.
“Can I help you?”
“Christ I hope so.”
Justin raised an eyebrow, arms crossed against his chest now. Waiting.
“I’m Aaron.”
Justin continued staring.
“Aaron Beckman-Taylor.”
Justin cocked his head to the side questioningly.
“I’m…” Aaron ran his hand through his hair once. “I’m kinda your brother. I thought you knew who I was.”
”Fuck off, I don’t have a brother.”
“Half brother. Craig’s my dad.”
“Yeah well he’s not mine. What the fuck do you want?”
“You said you’d help.”
“When did I say that?”
“Well you asked if you could.”
Justin sighed, “That’s an expression. Like ‘have a nice day’ or God bless you’”
The kid was practically wringing his hands. “So you won’t help?”
They both stood staring for a moment. Justin relented and moved aside, gesturing for Aaron to come in. “Can we start from a little further back?”
Aaron looked at him questioningly.
“You’re Craig Taylor’s son.”
“Yeah, same as you.”
“Not quite but okay. You are Craig. Taylor’s. Son.”
“Yes.”
“Who’s your mom?”
“Alicia Beckman.”
“And how old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
“That fucking piece of shit.”
“You really don’t know about me?”
Justin stood up and moved to the sink to finish cleaning his brushes. There should be a million questions running through his mind at the moment but there weren’t. It all seemed pretty clear. Craig had knocked up this Alicia and then never bothered to mention it. “You know, when a guy goes around cheating on his wife, newborn daughter and seven year old son…he usually doesn’t share the information with them.”
Justin glanced towards the boy on the futon and realized maybe he was being a little harsh. Craig was an asshole but at sixteen Justin sure as hell hadn’t figured that out yet… odds were this kid hadn’t either. Justin was wrong.
“Look.” Aaron started with a shaky voice. “I know he’s an asshole. It’s not like, news. But he’s my…our dad, and I figured maybe you could help.”
“Okay, you keep asking for help, what the fuck do you need help with?”
“He’s pissed.”
Justin snorted. “He lives in a state of perpetual aggravation. I need you to be more specific.”
“He kind of went ballistic when he found out I was gay.”
Justin dropped his paintbrushes. “You’re gay.”
“Yeah, and he found out, and now he’s refusing to help my mom anymore, and refusing to even talk to me.”
Now Justin had a million questions. How often did he talk to him before? How was he helping this kids mom out? Financially? After he’d bailed on Justin’s college, and put the screws to his mom and Molly. He turned to Aaron about to start the interrogation when his phone rang.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Can I call you back?”
“Got someone there with you.”
“Yeah kind of.”
“Anyone interesting?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Okay, later, but Deb’s been nagging me all day about my coming to dinner this weekend. Are you gonna be able to make it back to town?”
“It honestly doesn’t look like I have a choice.”
“Huh?”
“I promise I’ll regale you with the whole thing tonight.”
“Promises promises.”
“Brian.”
“I know, you’re busy.”
“Bye.”
Justin turned his attention back to Aaron. “So was my dad around a lot when you were a kid?”
“No. He was always at work or away on business.”
It sounded awfully familiar to Justin. “And he was helping your mom financially.”
“Yeah, it’s weird, he’s been around kind of a lot lately.”
“And then he found out you were gay.”
“Yeah.”
“And he flipped.”
“Guess you know all about this.”
“I do, but I don’t know about you…how do you know about me?”
“Well, you’re kind of famous.”
“I am?”
“Cause of the um…the prom thing…”
Justin nodded.
“And then all these magazines keep writing about you and how you’re successful with all these shows in New York.”
“Three, I’ve had three minor shows. And never a solo show.”
“Whatever, they kept writing about it, and I thought it was weird, cause my mom isn’t exactly into art. But she always read those articles. Then I saw your last name… and a picture. And I put two and two together.”
“Okay, so you figured that much out. But why did you come here? What is it exactly you think I can do?”
“I don’t know but he said if I came back home he’d kill me.”
“He won’t kill you.”
“Have you talked to him lately?”
“Not for about a year.” Justin grimaced. The last time he’s spoken to his father had been in front of his store, when he’d had him arrested.”
“Well he’s um. He’s… angry.”
“How angry.”
“Possibly dangerously angry.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, but I’m not fucking going back there.”
Justin pinched the bridge of his nose. “You can’t stay here.”
“But you’re my brother.”
“I don’t even fucking know you.”
Justin's phone rang again.
“What?”
“Justin, a hello would be nice.”
“Hi mom. What?”
“Justin have you had a visitor lately?”
“Things became more clear. “You met Alicia?”
“You know.”
“Found out five minutes ago.”
“So he’s there?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Because his mother is worried sick. It’s scary when your son runs off to New York.”
“Stop it mom, I came back.”
“Yes, but it’s fun to tease you.”
“Grrr, tell Alicia he’s fine, and I’ll have him back home by…what day is today?”
“It’s Thursday.”
“We’ll be there tomorrow night, I was coming back into town anyway.”
“You were? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You really want me to answer that?”
“You and Brian wanted some alone time so you decided not to tell anyone.”
“See, it’s like we don’t even need to talk.”
“So are you flying?”
“Yeah, make dad pay for the kid’s ticket, I’m tapped out this month.”
“Honey do you need anything?”
“Mom, I’m fine. I’m just not in a place to buy a ticket from New York to Pittsburgh.”
“I’ll have it arranged, what flight are you on?”
Justin shuffled through some papers until he found his flight info. He rattled it off to Jenn and then said his goodbyes eliciting a promise that SOMEONE would be there to pick the kid up from the airport. He was NOT coming back to the loft with Brian… no fucking way… they had very important private plans.
Jennifer promised and Justin turned his attention back to the still shell-shocked kid sitting on the futon.
“If you’re so successful how come this place is such a dump?”
“Fuck off.”
“I mean you must be rich, so is this just like your studio?”
“I’m not rich. Getting written up in a couple of Pittsburgh local rags doesn’t make you successful or rich. This is where I live. And tomorrow, we’re both going back to where you live. And you and your mom… and YOUR dad can figure out what to do with you. I have plans.”
He saw Aaron's face fall. “You’re gonna make me go back?”
“Did you expect me to just hug you and make you my roommate?”
Justin could tell from the look on his face that that’s exactly what Aaron had expected, or at least hoped for.
He relented a little. “Look, you can sleep on the futon tonight. Tomorrow, I was flying back anyway, and you’ll come with me. We’ll talk to your mom and things will work out.”
Justin sounded far more sure than he was. He’d never actually gone back to live with his dad once he’d come out. But then again, Craig wasn’t living with Alicia. And this wasn’t, ultimately, his problem.”
Justin heard the kid’s stomach growl, and realized he was hungry as well. “Pizza?”
“Yeah but I’m allergic to mushrooms.”
Justin smiled. “What else are you allergic to?”
“Everything. Cats, codeine, Tylenol.”
“Yeah, me too, it’s a pain in the ass.”
“Especially when that’s all the nurse at school will give you for a headache and she won’t believe you’re allergic to it.”
Justin winced at less than fond memories. “Yeah, I know.”
For the first time Justin REALLY looked at Aaron. He wasn’t blonde, more sandy brown. He had blue eyes though and Justin realized he really must have gotten them from his father. He was small, but Justin guessed if he stood up he might actually be about the same height, and he wasn’t done growing yet. And he was hot. Justin tried to put the thought away. This was his fucking brother, but the kid had something. Good shoulders, nice chest, from what he could see, a killer smile, and as Aaron stood up to move his duffle bag closer so that he could retrieve something he noticed that apparently his bubble butt was a genetic trait as well.
He called and ordered the pizza, deciding that of all the things he wanted least in his life, Brian meeting Aaron had just moved to the top of the list.
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
By the time the pizza arrived Justin had gotten the logistical details out of Aaron without too much coaxing. He’d grabbed what cash he’d saved from mowing lawns and a recent part time job and bought a bus ticket. He’d found the gallery at which Justin had last shown his work, and somehow managed to charm the receptionist into giving him the artist’s home address.
Justin fumed at that. Giving people his home address was NOT okay. He made a mental note to ream someone out tomorrow. Once he finally calmed down a little more he actually stopped pacing. He was just about to get to the rest of the story when the pizza arrived.
He paid quickly and grabbed a beer for himself. Aaron headed toward the ‘fridge and retrieved one as well and Justin sighed taking it from his hands and replacing it with a bottle of water. “I’m not contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”
“Right, like you never drank before you were twenty-one.”
Justin took a long pull from his own bottle. “Doesn’t matter what I did. I’m not bringing you back to your mother hung over and covered in vomit.”
“Pfft. I’d have to be a fucking lightweight to get drunk from one beer.”
“And I’d have to be a fucking idiot to give you one so shut up and eat your pizza.”
They both ate in silence for a few minutes before Justin broached the subject they were both avoiding. “So what exactly happened between you and Craig?”
Aaron shook his head. “Don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Then it can’t be that bad.” Justin knew he was just baiting the kid but he wanted to know what the fuck he was dealing with. Had Craig really gotten more dangerous?
“He’s always been kind of… in the picture. So he knows about my grades and classes and meets and shit.”
“Meets?”
“I’m on the swim team, and the varsity wrestling team too.”
“And he didn’t know you were gay?”
“Shut up, they’re not all gay.”
“Not even the swimmers?”
“Okay, most of the swimmers are gay, but that’s not the point. No. Okay, he didn’t know I was gay.”
“But you told him.”
“Fuck no. I’m not an idiot. Have you ever heard him spout his ‘god doesn’t approve, I can’t believe what they’re letting fags get away with these days’ bullshit?”
Justin nodded. He’d heard it once or twice. “So you were stupid enough to get caught fooling around at home?”
“Something like that yeah, except it wasn’t at home.”
Justin waited.
“It was after swim practice and Joey and I were messing around and one of the guys from the wrestling team saw us. I guess he told the coach, cause I got kicked off the team.”
“Well yeah, who wants to roll around on the floor with a fag.”
“I do.”
“No shit.” Justin said.
“So dad went ballistic.”
“Define ballistic.”
“Screaming, ranting, raving, ‘no son of mine…’ blah blah blah. Thought he was gonna have a stroke in the middle of the living room.”
“The vein on his forehead start throbbing?” Justin asked casually.
“It was purple. I was staring at him and all I could think was that if someone were to like poke it with a toothpick it would just spurt all over the house.”
Justin laughed at that. “Yeah, it gets very…pronounced when he’s really pissed.”
“No shit.”
“So he was screaming…”
“And he was going on and on about the ‘no son of mine’ thing” which is when I kind of mentioned you.
“That was a bad idea.”
“No shit.”
Justin finished his beer and grabbed another one cursing himself for not having something stronger around.
“So then he starts on this whole… thing.”
“Said some nasty shit about me?”
“Yeah. I guess.”
“Okay, then what?”
Aaron shrugged. “He told mom he was not supporting her or me if she was gonna let this go on.”
“How was your mom about it?”
“She’s freaked. She’s like, religious.”
“So she agreed.”
“Yeah, then the rules.”
“Justin nodded…I know those rules.”
Aaron started to count them off on his fingers. “No going to clubs. No talking about my ‘lifestyle’. No dating older men. That one made no sense.”
It made sense to Justin.
“And then he goes off on this whole thing that made no sense at all. I mean the whole older man thing… it was a HUGE issue with him.’
Justin couldn’t help it… he laughed. “You have no idea.”
“And he kept going on about not being replaced in his son’s life by some sugar daddy club freak child molester.”
“That’s Brian.”
“Who’s Brian?”
“The sugar daddy club freak child molester.”
“But why would I want to date some old guy? I mean I asked him that, cause he wouldn’t get off the age thing. And I told him I didn’t want some gross old guy touching me.”
“That must have made him feel much better.”
“Yeah well, I didn’t think the whole thing through before I started yelling back at him. Finally I just got pissed and left.”
“And came here.”
“Yeah.”
“So he didn’t hit you?”
“Might have if I didn’t leave, but no. He did convince my mother to send me to one of those therapist retreat things.”
“Oh Christ, really?”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much why I had to leave. I’m not going off somewhere to be reprogrammed.”
“Yeah, you’re not.”
“I’m not?”
“No, ‘sokay, I’ll figure something out.”
“You will. You’ll really help.”
And Justin saw the bravado slip. Aaron was scared. “I’ll help. But you can’t stay here. You can’t stay in New York. You’ve gotta finish school and, I don’t know… go to college or something.”
“I do?”
“Seriously, you thought you’d just come to New York, sponge off your rich older half brother you’d never met, drop out of school and do what exactly?”
It was Aaron's turn to shrug. “Get a job I guess.”
“Yeah well, school. Then whatever. You can probably stay with Michael and Ben… they have an extra room. It’s pink, but Jenny Rebecca’s hardly ever there.”
“Who are Michael and Ben? Who is jenny Rebecca?”
“Oh, you’re gonna have fun this weekend.”
“I am.”
“Yeah, you’ve got a whole fucked up family you’ve never even met.”
“You mean your mom?”
“No, my mom’s okay, but…” Justin shook his head. “Trust me…it’ll be an eye opener.”
Justin grabbed the phone and made a few calls then. First he talked to his mother, who promised to try to talk some sense into Alicia, but if she couldn’t he figured there were back up plans.
He called Michael and Ben who did promise they’d put him up for a couple of days.
He called Debbie, who said the spare room was still free if the kid needed it. Justin hoped for the kid’s sake he didn’t… Deb, Carl and Emmett were three very strong personalities to contend with.
The last call he made was the one he had been dreading… he put it off.
First he gave Aaron some extra blankets and showed him where the bathroom was. Gave him the grand tour of the apartment. It involved spinning around once to survey the single room and short hallway that led to the bathroom and Justin’s bedroom.
The bedroom was small, and the bed dwarfed it but Brian had been a control freak about Justin not having anything smaller than a king sized bed. Justin had sworn that it was insane. Brian had sworn that he wouldn’t come to New York to fuck him if he had to sleep in some tiny little bed with no space for them to actually sleep.
Justin held his tongue about the fact that Brian was a stealth cuddler in the middle of the night. They went to sleep on their own sides of the bed, and somewhere in the middle of the night Brian would just wrap and arm around Justin and pull him closer. But he acquiesced, especially since Brian also insisted on paying for the bed.
But none of that was Aaron’s business so when the kid commented on the fact that he must do most of his entertaining in there Justin dipped his head and said nothing.
Once Aaron was settled in he closed the bedroom door and called Brian back.
“You okay?
“Why wouldn’t I be?
“Your mother called asking if I’d heard from you.”
“Yeah, there’s this um… thing.”
“Thing?”
“Did you know I had a brother?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
“Justin.” Brian's tone was warning.
“Seriously Brian, turns out, Craig not only had another son living across town but, are you ready for this? He’s gay.”
Brian laughed then, really loudly.
“Oh and my dads new nickname for you is sugardaddyclubfreakchildmolester.” I think it’s spelled as all one word if you want to get business cards made up.
Brian laughed louder.
“So anyway, long story, getting longer, kid got outed, dad got insane, he ran away to New York, like a good teenaged Taylor drama princess, and I’ve got to bring him back and find him somewhere to stay.”
“Your dad doesn’t live with his mom does he?”
“No but his mom’s a religious woman who wants to send him to that reprogramming camp.”
“Those don’t work.”
“No shit.”
“So he’ll go, he’ll be un re programmed and he can go live with mommy, why is this your issue.”
“Brian.”
“Okay, why is this MY issue.”?
“Because that weekend we had planned?”
“Yeah?”
“Um, I’m not looking for it to become a threesome with my underage brother.”
“I don’t know, underage Taylor men are hot.”
“I’ll still be there, but first we have to take Aaron, that’s his name by the way, in case you care, to Michael and Ben’s.”
“Did you call Mel, see how arrested you’re gonna get for kidnapping?”
“Yes. She says if he’s sixteen he can get a job and become emancipated.”
“Why didn’t you do that?”
“I had a sugardaddyclubfreakchildmolester. I didn’t need emancipation. Plus I was almost 18 when you met me.”
There was silence on the other end.
“Are you mad?”
“No, I was just hoping no one would find out you were coming into town.”
“Me too. I’m gonna have to have lunch with my mom now.”
“That’s two hours less of having my dick buried deep into your ass.”
Justin moaned a little. “Don’t remind me.”
“So you’re plane gets in at four?”
“And you’ll be in by four thirty.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too.”
“G’night.”
“Night.”
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