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Brother's Keeper
by Vamphile
Fourteen
Justin and Aaron were both wasted. Brian tried to herd them both into the elevator but it was like wrangling cats. One would start laughing. The other would duck out of the elevator for one reason or another and then he’d go get his errant twink. Once he dragged the wandering twink back the other one was off somewhere.
He sighed. Then he grabbed Justin by the waist, wrapped his fingers around Aaron's wrist and pulled them both. He practically held them against the wall with one hand while he pulled the gate down with the other.
They could take the steps, but fuck, he didn’t feel like running up and down between floors retrieving one or the other.
Safely ensconced he hit the button and when the thing lurched the both of them fell to the ground giggling uncontrollably. He was not as highly amused. Or as high as either one of them.
Justin had gone from giggly to morose and back to giggly throughout the rest of the evening. He realized now he should have tried this when Justin was in the morose stage. He was far more easily managed then.
They were still laughing, tears were streaming down Aaron’s face as he said something that Brian couldn’t quite understand. Justin seemed to because he was laughing too.
Brian lifted the gate and left them sitting there while he unlocked the door and disabled the alarm. He came back to find them play fighting and wrestling on the hallway floor. he grabbed Aaron by the collar of his shirt and pushed him into the loft. He picked up Justin and flung him over his shoulder. Justin was still laughing and slapping Brian's ass while he made some highly inappropriate comments considering his brother was now sprawled across the sofa.
Brian put Justin down once they were inside the loft and then locked the door and set the alarm. It was after four in the morning. They’d both wanted breakfast at the diner but he really wasn’t interested in seeing the Technicolor chunks that would create in a couple of hours so he’d brought them back here instead.
Aaron was now rummaging through the kitchen. “I need chips or something.”
Justin shrugged. “You’re outta luck… no chips. Nothing greasy. He’s old and afraid of fat. He thinks if he keeps it in the loft it’ll attack him in the middle of the night.”
Brian almost laughed. Instead he went to the closet and grabbed an extra blanket and a pillow. He threw them over the back of the sofa and grabbed a trashcan and put it there too…if the kid ended up hung over he’d rather throw out the trashcan than have to have the carpet cleaned or the floors refinished.
He turned around and Justin was wrapped in the blanket snuggled into the sofa.
“Nope, sonny-boy, sofa’s for the half-breed. You’re coming to bed with me.”
“Are you gonna take advantage of me?”
“Not tonight. Kid, in the room…right over there.”
Aaron snorted. “Like that stops you two.”
“Nothing can stop us.” Justin smiled up at Brian. “We’re unstoppable.”
“And you’re wasted. What the fuck did you take?”
“Stuff Matt got me. It’s aaaaamaaaaazzzing…you should try some.”
“Maybe next time.” Brian was liking Matt less and less. “C’mon, time for bed.”
“Howcum you’re the only one who can make that sexy?”
Brian decided the question wasn’t worth an answer. He offered Justin a hand and he took it. He pulled him off the sofa and led him to the bedroom where he shut all the louvers to provide the smallest modicum of privacy.
He lay Justin on his own side of the bed and then went to the kitchen. He handed Aaron a bottle of water. Drink this or you’ll have a headache. Aaron shrugged, giggled and drank. He handed him another bottle… for when you wake up with cottonmouth. Now go to sleep.
He turned and walked away with two more bottles not sure how he’d ended up with this job. Justin was already asleep and Brian took off his shoes, and socks and jeans. He left his shirt on. He hated to wake him but he had to.
“Justin.”
“Mmmmmm sleeping.”
“Wake up, you need to take your fucking allergy pill and drink some water. I don’t’ want a grumpy twink who can’t breathe whining to me in the morning.”
Justin sat up slightly. He swallowed the pill and drank half the water. “Fuck me.”
“Kid, in the room, right there.”
“Fuck him.”
“Nope, not fucking either of you.”
“Having a brother sucks.”
“You should try having a boyfriend with a brother.”
Justin gave a looped sunshine smile “you keep calling me your boyfriend.”
“You said not to call you my partner.”
“I think you can use partner again.”
“S’okay, you smile better when I say boyfriend.”
“You think I’m not going to remember you said that tomorrow.”
“You’re not.”
“I should write it down.” Justin made an attempt to get up but Brian pushed him back.
“I’ll write it down for you.”
“You’ll write it down wrong.”
“I think I can spell all those words.”
Justin nodded. “Okay.” And before Brian could respond Justin was asleep.
He checked on Aaron, who was pretty close to passing out himself and then stripped off his own clothes, and pulled on a pair of boxer briefs. He didn’t care, but Justin was gonna get pouty if Aaron kept gawking at him. He sprawled out on his own side of the bed and Justin rolled onto his arm. He tried to push him off but that only made Justin crawl closer. Soon he was wrapped in twink. He closed his eyes and wondered how he’d ever get the feeling back in his arm. And how he was gonna manage to sleep again once Justin was back in New York.
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
Aaron woke up first. The other two seemed dead to the world. He felt fine. And even better after a huge glass of some weird juice he found. He pulled on his jeans and turned the TV on, keeping the volume low.
He’d found a couple of bagels and was finishing the second one and reflecting on how much fun he’d had the previous night when he heard movement from the bedroom. Justin was up, looking a little worse for wear. He stumbled into the bathroom and Aaron decided to just ignore him for a little bit. He was probably more grouchy in the mornings than he was the rest of the day.
He found a station playing music videos and sat back curled up on the sofa with a blanket around him. The place didn’t seem all that comfortable when you first looked at it… but the couch was really comfy. He fell back asleep.
Justin brushed his teeth wondering what had crawled into his mouth and died there last night. He brushed a hand through his hair. It was getting really long again. He needed to get it cut. He added that to his mental list of things to do once he got home.
He tried to ignore the small pang in his chest. Home. He didn’t know why after ten months New York still didn’t’ feel like home. He had friends, he had connections with a couple of galleries, and he had a graphics firm that threw some freelance work his way once in a while. He had his own place, his own dishes and silverware and… it just still never quite felt like home.
But it’s where he had to be. And he liked it there. He didn’t sit around moping. He wasn’t miserable and pining. The clubs were amazing. The guys were hot. This was home. He heard Brian groan as he stretched. Brian was where home was. But maybe he’d be done soon. Maybe he’d make enough connections to be able to come back.
He had told himself that once he knew he was okay. Once New York felt like home, then and only then would he come back to Pittsburgh. He didn’t want to end up like Michael, unable to succeed anywhere outside the tiny world of liberty avenue. He needed to be an adult. And he was working on it. And he knew that this feeling was part of it.
He pushed all the thoughts away as he started the shower. He needed to clear his head.
It worked, the siren song of hot water and naked blonde drew Brian into the bathroom before he was fully awake. Justin smiled and Brian wrapped his arms around him. They kissed for a few minutes, letting the water pound down on them. Justin turned so that Brian was shielding him from most of the stream and reached around to increase the hot water. Brian sighed into it and curled his body around Justin's.
He started kissing his neck. And neither spoke a word but Brian managed to do exactly what Justin had asked by turning on the shower in the first place. He cleared his head.
By the time they were both dry and clothed it was almost eleven. “You have to take Aaron home?”
“Alicia had an appointment in the city she’d picking him up in about a half hour.”
“You going to the studio today?”
Justin shrugged. Not sure yet. Still enjoying a little lazy Brian time.”
“Mmm.”
The sat down on the floor in front of the sofa and Brian took the remote turning it to CNN. They watched the world collapse for a while until they heard Aaron's stretch and moan.
“Hey, you guys are awake.”
“Yeah, and you’re mom’s going to be here in fifteen minutes. Put a shirt on.”
“She’s seen me without a shirt.”
“Has she seen those?” Brian asked poking at a few bit marks that Zack must have left when he was so expertly working his nipples. Or maybe it was that other guy later. Aaron had only a hazy memory of the evening after he and Justin had their little confrontation. Guys were buying him drinks. And there was a really hot one he’d made out with for a while. They’d sucked each other off….
“Kid. Shirt. Now.”
Aaron realized he’s zoned. “Sorry. Yeah. Shirt. Good point.”
Brian and Justin both shook their heads and when Aaron stood up to get his shirt they stole his spot on the sofa.
“See.” Brian whispered into Justin’s hair “he’s fine. He had a good time and he’s not even hung over.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
The buzzer sounded and Justin got up to answer it. He let Alicia up and invited her in. “Coffee?”
She smiled. “I’d love some.”
Justin started the coffee and Aaron came out of the bedroom looking less rumpled and fully clothed. “Hey mom.”
“Hi honey, did you guys have a good time last night?”
Justin glared at Aaron who smiled back. “Yeah, we went shopping and ordered pizza and then we watched some TV.”
Justin had to admit he was impressed. None of that was a lie. It just omitted most of the truth at the same time. He nodded in agreement.
Justin poured the coffee. “Milk, cream, sugar?”
“Black’s fine.”
He poured himself and Brian a cup. “You drink coffee punk?”
“No. I’ll have a soda though.”
“You know where they are.”
Aaron slid off the stool and got himself a mountain dew. Brian grimaced. He didn’t know why he let Justin keep those things in the loft, then he remembered he’d picked up a case last week knowing Justin was coming in for the weekend. This whole Justin not being around thing was getting old.
He took his coffee from the counter and went back to watching the news, letting the family bond.
He almost interrupted, or choked on his coffee when he heard Justin extend an invitation to family dinner at Deb's on Sunday. He was surprised when Alicia accepted the invite. Justin said his polite goodbyes and closed and locked the door behind them. He set the alarm.
He was sitting down on the sofa, his back against Brian’s chest. His head resting on his shoulders. Brian’s legs on either side of his own.
“You invited them to Deb’s.”
“She asked me to.”
“They’re going.”
“I figured they might.”
“Are we going?”
“I figured we should.”
“Deb’s gonna need to get a bigger table.”
“There’s space since Mel and Lindsay aren’t gonna be there.”
“Yeah.”
“You miss them.”
“I really don’t miss Melanie.”
“You miss Lindsay though.”
“And Gus.”
“And Gus. But they’re coming for thanksgiving. You going to Deb’s for that?”
He felt Brian shrug against him. “Probably.”
“You know I’m sure my mom would be happy to have the three of you.”
“You know I’m sure Deb would be happy to have your mom and molly since you’re gonna be there.”
“I am.”
”You don’t want to see Gus?”
“Fuck off you know I miss him too.”
“So tell your mom she doesn’t have to cook.”
“Okay.”
Brian held Justin’s hands between his. Justin moved one hand to turn Brian’s wrist so he could see the bruised knuckles on his hand. “Still hurting?”
“It’s fine.”
Brian ran his thumb over Justin’s markedly more damaged hand. “Christ, it’s swollen again.”
“I hit a brick wall.”
“What the fuck was that about.”
“Aaron wasn’t listening.”
“Hitting a brick wall helped.”
“I was angry.”
“You’ve been really angry a lot lately.”
“Fucking half-breed.”
“Before that.”
“What?”
“Fuckthesunshine?”
“I’m angry because of my username?”
“No, I’m not sure why you’re angry.”
“I’m not.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t believe me.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Because you’re currently yelling at me for no reason.”
Justin leaned his head back against Brian's shoulder again. “I’m just a little tired Brian. And this thing with my brother hasn’t helped.”
“Tired?”
“I work, I paint, I go out, I live, but…”
“But?”
“Nothing, it doesn’t even make sense.”
“‘S’okay, I’m used to your twisted logic.”
“Mine’s not half as twisted as yours.”
“True. So what’s going on with you?”
“Seriously nothing.”
“nothing nothing, or nothing I have to worry about nothing.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Not even close.”
“Let’s go with nothing nothing for now.”
“Which means it’s something, and probably something I should worry about.”
“Would you stop fucking worrying about me.” Justin launched himself out of Brian’s embrace and off the sofa completely. “I’m not some little kid who need your protection.”
“Who the fuck said you were?”
“You, acting like you have to worry about me.”
“Do you worry about me?”
“What?”
“You heard the question.”
“Of course.”
“Am I a little kid who needs protection?”
Justin snorted. “Only from yourself.”
“Okay. So this is that same twisted hypocrisy you are so good at. You can worry about me. Specifically about me shooting myself in the foot but when I see you suddenly losing your temper over well, everything. I’m supposed to just accept that you’re an adult.”
“Right.”
Brian leaned back and sighed. “I won’t tell you when I worry.”
‘What?”
“It pisses you off, I wont’ tell you. I can’t stop doing it. So I’ll just stop telling you.”
“Bullshit. We had a deal. No holding shit back if we were in separate cities.”
“Okay, but I’m not gonna make an effort to make you angrier.”
Justin sat down facing Brian. “I’m okay. And you’re allowed to fucking worry. Just not too much, because I am okay. I’m just in New York, and I think the whole New York attitude thing is rubbing off on me.”
Brian gave a half smile. “Don’t get too rude. We can’t both be unbearable assholes.”
“I know. How the fuck did I get stuck being the nice one?”
“Compared to me everyone is.”
“It’s insane you know. I fucking hate people.”
“I know. And then I get blamed when you’re in a bad mood.”
“Well those are usually your fault.”
“Yeah, this whole week, you’ve been running around punching things because you’re pissed at me.”
“This week, you’re the only thing not working my last ounce of control.”
“I haven’t made you lose control? I must be slipping.”
“Not what I meant.”
“I know this thing’s pissing you off. And I know you are pissed at me about something. When you figure it out…will you let me in on it.”
“I promise.”
“You hungry?”
“Not for food.”
“Good.”
Once they were hungry for food they ordered in. Brian wasn’t sure anything had been settled. And Justin wasn’t sure he’d completely convinced Brian that he was okay. But they were okay together, and the rest just didn’t seem to matter right now.
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