“Could you stop asking me,” Brian almost hissed as he and Justin walked to the diner.  He had picked the blond up at the gallery to go to lunch.  They did that often to keep appearances that they were a normal, healthy couple.

“I just want to know what happened last night,” Justin pointed out.  “You’re acting so weird.”

“Fuck off,” Brian hissed and then they entered the diner. 

The two of them interlaced hands and walked to a booth.  They sat on the same side and waited for someone to take their order.  

“Do you regret that I fucked you?” Justin asked in a really low voice.

Brian turned to glare at the blond.  “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“So, that’s it,” Justin said finally happy that he knew for sure what was bothering the brunet.  “It doesn’t mean anything.”

Brian frowned.

“I mean,” Justin said.  “It was wonderful, Brian. But it’s like you said.  It’s just sex.”

Brian wanted the blond to shut the fuck up.  He wished he could get up and leave him there and that he didn’t have to see the blond ever again.  He was angry at the feelings that Justin was stirring in him.  “Look,” Brian said getting really close to Justin’s ear.  “I figured that it would only be fair to let you top me.  Now we’re even. And it’s never going to happen again and you don’t have to tell me it didn’t mean anything because I know that.”

Justin flinched.  He knew he had said the wrong thing.  “Brian,” he tried to talk.

“Shut the fuck up,” Brian gritted and started playing with the napkin holder.

Justin pouted and stared at the table.  He visualized himself hitting Brian on the back of the head like he had seen Debbie do a number of times. 

“Hello boys,” Debbie said.  “What can I get you?”

“I just want a cup of coffee,” Brian grunted.

“I’ll have a soda,” Justin told her.  “Thanks.”

Debbie stopped writing on her pad and looked at them.  “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Justin told her looking up.

“What do you mean nothing?” Debbie asked.  “Look at you two?”

Brian and Justin looked at each other and then back at the woman.

“Everything is fine,” Justin told her.  He grabbed Brian’s hand in his.  “We just came to sit down for a while and spend some time together.  I ate earlier with a co-worker and Brian has lunch with a client in a little while.”

“Oh,” Debbie said not at all convinced.

“You can also bring us some lemon bars,” Justin added and smiled at her.

Debbie nodded and left.

“Try to look more cheerful,” Brian grunted.  “I’m supposed to be the perfect guy that has you smiling all the time, remember?”

“Hardly,” Justin muttered.

“What was that?” Brian asked raising a brow.

Justin rolled his eyes and pulled his hand away from Brian.  He frowned not sure how to make things right.  He wasn’t sorry that he had fucked Brian.  It was the best thing ever.  And he wished he could tell the brunet but he was scared.  Scared that Brian would see through him and call the whole thing off.

“What?” Brian asked as he watched the blond.

“Nothing,” Justin muttered.  “Let’s just go in a while.”

Brian nodded.  

“Here we go,” Debbie said as she came back with their order.  “Are you guys sure that everything is okay?” she asked.  She had been watching them and they looked like they were arguing.

“Perfect,” Brian said and threw his arm around Justin’s shoulder.

Justin smiled at Debbie.  “Thanks,” he said when she handed him a plate of lemon bars.

Debbie nodded and once again left them alone.  She watched them as best as she could until they left.  She could tell that they were arguing and she was a bit scared.  She didn’t want them breaking up because she thought that they made the perfect couple and she was happy that Brian had finally found someone he loved.

***

Brian watched the dance floor as he stood next to Justin.  They weren’t talking to each other now.  They had barely said five words to one another during the evening when they were alone.  When the guys were present they moved closer to one another.  Then they would talk and touch each other but it was getting harder and harder.

“Guys,” Ted said when he approached them.

Brian put his arm around Justin’s waist.  Justin smiled at Ted.

“What’s up?” Ted asked noticing that they looked somewhat somber.  

“Nothing,” Brian answered.  “Life couldn’t be more perfect.”

“Right,” Ted agreed and frowned.

“Want to dance?” Brian asked.

“No,” Justin answered curtly.

Brian was getting angry.  He pulled his arm away and controlled his fury.

“I...” Justin said and stopped.  “I’m not feeling too well.”

“Do you want to go?” Brian asked happy that they could leave.

“Yeah,” Justin told him.

Brian nodded and put his beer away.  “Say bye to Michael for me,” the brunet said and moved away.

Justin waved at Ted and followed Brian.

Ted looked at them and frowned.  He looked at the dance floor and went to where Emmett, Michael and Ben were dancing.  “Guys.”

“What’s wrong?” Emmett asked.

“What’s wrong with Brian and Justin?” Ted asked intrigued.

Emmett shrugged and Ben shook his head to let him know that he didn’t know anything.  

“Ma said that they were fighting,” Michael said.  “But that she wasn’t sure.”

“That’s just perfect,” Ted said smiling.  “I knew it.  He won’t last much longer.”

“Teddy, I can’t believe you’re saying that,” Emmett protested.

Ben rolled his eyes.  “I didn’t know you could be this cold.”

Ted sighed.  “Would it make you happy if I didn’t take the money when this is all over?”

“No, it’s not about the money,” Ben replied.  “Justin is still getting hurt in all this.  Don’t you think that should be the main focus?”

Ted cleared his throat and didn’t reply to that.

“We’ll see what happens,” Michael muttered.  “Let’s go get a beer.”

All of them walked back to the bar.

“You know,” Ted said.  “They’re not really a couple and this is what the bet is about.  Because you and everyone here know that Brian can’t keep a boyfriend.  He’s not capable of doing so.  And I know that Justin is the one getting a bad deal out of this but he will be okay.  He’s young he will get over it.  I mean people break up all the time.  I just want to...”

“To what?” Ben asked.

“I want Brian to see that he’s not that perfect,” Ted said in a low voice.  “I’ll show him.  He’ll stop bothering me about how I can’t have a relationship or that no one wants me.  Well, he can’t either and I’ll prove it.”

They all looked at each other.  They knew that Brian teased Ted all of the time and it was all in fun but apparently it had gotten to Ted.

“So you want some kind of vengeance?” Ben asked.

“Is not like that,” Ted protested.  “I just want him to see.”

Emmett put his arm around Ted’s shoulder.  “This should have never happened.”

“To late for that,” Michael said. 

Now all they could do is wait to see how things played out.

***

“Thanks for bringing me home,” Justin said as they walked to the door of his apartment.  They had gone out to Debbie’s house to have dinner and no one was the wiser.

“Yeah,” Brian muttered.

Justin took out his keys and opened the door.  Then he turned to look at Brian.  “I’ll call you tomorrow and you’ll let me know if you want me to make an appearance.”

“Right,” Brian said.

“Okay, goodnight,” Justin told him.

“Look, um,” Brian said.  “I think it will be for the best if we kept this relationship strictly about business.”

Justin knew what Brian was saying.  He nodded slowly.  “No problem with me.”

“Good,” Brian muttered.

“Fine,” Justin replied.

“Okay then,” Brian told the blond and took a step back.  “I guess I’ll call you later or whatever.”

Justin nodded slowly as he stared at the carpet on the hall.  He wondered where they had gone wrong.  It had been so perfect.  He had Brian in his bed and even though he wished he had Brian’s heart too, it had been good.  Now he had nothing.  

Brian sighed and finally walked away.

Justin entered his apartment and locked the door once he closed it.  He put his keys on the table in the foyer along with his wallet and his cell phone.  He felt his eyes water and took a deep breath.  He was not going to let the whole situation get to him.

He decided to take a shower and just go to bed.  It would be for the best.  He was walking to the bathroom when the house phone started ringing.  He picked it up when he saw that it was Daphne on the caller I.D.  

“Justin?” Daphne asked.

“I’m here,” Justin answered.  “What’s up?”

“Hey,” Daphne was going to tell him about her date but stopped.  “Hey,” she said again but this time in a different tone.  “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Justin assured her.

“Bullshit,” Daphne said.  “What’s wrong, Justin?”

Justin sighed as he walked to his bedroom.  He sat on the bed and kept quiet for a long time.

“You’re scaring me,” Daphne muttered into the phone.  She sat down because if she didn’t she would walk all around her house; up and down and every other direction possible.  One of her legs was moving uncontrollably but she couldn't stop it.

“Daphne, I’m just tired,” Justin finally said.

“Justin Taylor!” Daphne hissed.  “Cut the shit and tell me what’s wrong?  Oh, wait, are you and Brian fighting?”

Justin sniffed.  “It’s not that.”

“Did he do something to you?” Daphne asked worried.

Justin shook his head.  “No,” he said.  “This is just...it’s so complicated.”

“Tell me,” Daphne told him.  “You can tell me anything and you know it.”

Justin closed his eyes and leaned back on his bed.  “I love him.”

Daphne frowned not sure what was going on with the blond.

“Oh god, I’m so in love with him,” Justin said and curled into a fetal position.

“What’s wrong with that?” Daphne asked confused.

“He doesn’t feel the same, Daph,” Justin informed her.  “This is so fucked up.”

“Did he tell you?” Daphne asked sighing.

“No,” Justin responded.  “But I know.  I just do.”

Daphne shook her head not sure what to say.  If it had been something else maybe she could have helped the blond.  But she couldn't force the brunet to love the blond just because that’s what she and Justin wanted.  She shook her head and wondered when Justin would find someone worthy of his time.

***

“I’m full,” Emmett said when he finished his burger.

Justin smiled and nodded to signal that he too had reached his limit.  “They’re good.”

“You’re nuts,” Brian told him.  “This food is horrible.”

Justin looked at Brian and shrugged.

Ted elbowed Emmett and then nodded to Brian and Justin who were staring at each other with an unreadable expression.

“So,” Michael said slowly as he looked at his friend.  “Do you guys have plans?”

“Not really,” Justin replied before Brian could say anything.  “I have a lot of work to do, you know.  And we haven’t been able to catch a break.”

Brian stayed quiet and grabbed his cranberry juice.  He drank from it and looked at Ben who was staring at him.  He frowned under the intense scrutiny and looked away.

“Well, let’s go to Babylon,” Michael said.

“Sure,” Brian told him.

“I have work to do,” Justin said as he looked at Brian.

Brian wanted so much to glare at the blond at that second.  Justin leaned closer and kissed Brian.

“Why don’t you go?” Justin asked.  “Have fun.”

Brian nodded slowly.

“Oh come on,” Emmett said.  “You have to come.”

“Really,” Justin said.  “I have things to finish.”

“Do you need a ride home?” Brian asked.

“No,” Justin said.  “I’ll be okay,” he assured the brunet and got up.  “You know I like walking around.”

Brian nodded slowly and watched him go.  When he turned to look at the guys they were all silent and staring at him.  “What?”

“What’s going on, Brian?” Michael asked.  “You guys look...miserable.  Hell, you two are making me depress and I don’t even know why.”

Brian shrugged.  “He’s been working his ass off and so have I.  I guess we’re just exhausted and plus we’re always with each other.  I guess he’s getting too much of me.”

Emmett frowned.  “I couldn’t get too much of the man I love.  That’s weird.”

“Everyone is not the same,” Brian quickly added.

Ted smiled.  He knew that Brian was falling down and would soon be making a crash landing.  They left the diner and went to Babylon.  They danced and drank and were having a good time; all except Brian who stayed at the bar the whole time.

Ted walked to the bar and saw Brian talking with a trick.  “What are you doing?”

Brian glared at him.  “Fuck off, Theodore.”

Ted frowned.  “He’s taken.”

The trick looked at Ted and then at Brian.  “Are you two together?”

Brian smirked at the trick.  “Do I look brain damaged to you?”

Ted frowned and glared at Brian.

“What’s going on?” Emmett asked when he came with a trick towards them.  He was just saying goodbye to all of his friends.

“If you go and fuck him it’s over,” Ted said.  “Because like in any relationship someone is bound to see you and tell Justin.”

“That’s not true,” Brian pointed out.  “Don’t fuck with me.”

“It could happen,” Emmett replied.

“Guys,” Michael said coming up to them.  He could see that Brian looked beyond pissed.  Ben was behind him wanting to know what was happening.

“Oh come on, Brian,” Emmett said.  “We went over this.  Just because our baby is not here doesn’t mean that the rules change.”

“He’s not yours,” Brian spat out.

“He’s not fucking you,” Ted said looking at the trick.

“You guys are making a big deal out of this,” Brian spat out.

“You were the one that said that you could do it,” Ted said crossing his arms.

Brian smirked and put his arm around the trick’s waist.  “Who is going to tell Justin, you?”

“Those are the rules, Brian,” Michael replied.  “Just because your lover is away doesn’t mean that you can fuck whatever moves.”

“That’s such a hypocritical thing to say,” Brian hissed.  “You cheated on David once.”

Ben frowned.  He had known about David and he knew that Michael had done so because his partner had told him so.  But he still didn’t like hearing it.  He wondered sometimes if Michael would do that to him as well.

“And it didn’t last!” Michael shouted back at his friend.  “Unless you want to start signing that check right now for Ted you’ll have to refrain from fucking that trick.”

Brian glared at Michael.  He smirked and backed away from him.  “Okay, I’m going home and fuck you all!”

The trick looked at Brian’s retreating back and then at them.  “You guys are all nuts.”

“I think he might be right,” Ben added.

Ted sighed and asked for a beer.  “I don’t care if he’s arguing with Justin or not.  Maybe the blond is not giving him any but tough.  I’m going to win this not him.”

“Okay then,” Emmett said.  He thought that Ted was becoming obsessed with the whole thing.

Michael sighed.  “He must be going out of his mind.”

Ben shrugged.

“I fear this is not going to end well guys,” Emmett said.  “I guess I’m going to go as well.  I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Michael nodded and watched his friend go.  He grabbed Ben’s hand and walked with Ben back to the dance floor.

“You do know that Brian is in love with Justin, right?” Ben asked.

“What?” Michael asked.

Ben laughed and shook his head.  “Never mind,” he replied.

Michael bit his lower lip and as he danced a plan formed in his head.