Right Beside You
Alicia and Sage
Disclaimer: We do not own the show QAF or it's characters. We're just borrowing them for a while, we'll promise to put them back. A little more damaged than normal, but only slightly. Characters/settings belong to CowLip, but the generalization of the story belongs to us.
Feedback: It would be greatly appreciated, but no flames if you can help it.
Summary: Strong, unemotional Brian. Something happens to him at Babylon, can he over come this, or will he be dependent on Mikey forever? Takes place before Season 1 finale. Justin is away on a little pre-college trip.
Authors' Note: Story is finally complete!


"Come on Ted, they're playin' my song!" Emmett dragged Ted onto the dance floor with a perky wiggle. Ted groaned and mouthed "Help me" to Brian and Michael standing at the bar.

"Well Ted's having fun." Michael laughed.

"As usual," Brian said turning around and leaning against the bar, "Some people just dont know how to have fun." He winked at the bar tender.

"Christ, Brian. Skip a night." Babylon was packed and Brian scanned the room for someone new.

"Oh, what about him?" Brian pointed toward a man in a white shirt leaning against a pole behind the dance floor. He was very handsom, and surrounded by men.

"Haven't you already had him?" Michael asked sarcasticly.

Brian smirked, "I'll see you later." He pushed his beer toward Michael and started toward his newest trick.

Michael shook his head with a small grin, wondering if Brian was ever going to settle down. He knew it would be a sad day in the gay community if he did. And especially sad for Michael. But he was with David now. He had someone to love him, and take care of him. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to finally be with Brian. The way others night after night were with him.

"Christ, Mikey, get over it already." he whispered to himself. Finishing up his beer he turned and made his way to the dance floor and fell into place beside Emmett, earning an appreciative nod from Ted who walked away quickly.

On the otherside of Babylon, Brian was heading towards the guy in the white shirt. He didn't bother to learn their names, he wouldn't remember it anyway. Reaching him, he leaned in and whispered his magic words into the guys ear. Smiling, he grabbed Brian's arm and led him into the backroom.

That was where the real action happened. The back room. The smell of sex and sweat evaded your nostrils before you even opened the door. It was also an addicts dream. Every kind of drug you could possibly think of made it to your hands as soon as you stepped into the room.

But Brian didn't want any of that tonight. Sex was his favorite drug. Just the thought of it put him in an ecstacy driven high. He'd been like that since a young age. Even before he'd met Mikey. He always had a need to get off, but always felt incomplete afterwards.

"So whats your pleasure?" Brian said with a cocky smile.

"Turn around." The stanger said in a stern voice.

He turned Brian around and pressed against him. Brian was usually the firm one but he was willing to take the less aggressive role for a change. He kissed down Brian's neck and backed him into the corner of the room.

"Take your shirt off." The man said in a rough whisper. Brian reached for the bottom of his shirt, but the man, growing impatient, pushed Brian's hands away and pulled his shirt off himself. "Easy big fella-" Brian said becoming concerned at the man's belligerence. He pressed his body against Brian, pushing him into the wall. Suddenly he stopped kissing him.

"Whats the matter, shoot your wod already?" Brian said looking back with a sarcastic smile.

"Shut up!" the guy screamed into Brian's ear. "I'm not gay!" He yelled angrily.

"Better tell that to your dick." Brian said laughing at him.

"Shut up!" The man grabbed him by the hair and slammed his face into the wall. Nobody in the room was really paying them much attention, and probably wouldn't have helped him anyway. Brian let out a groan as the pain shot through his face. The guy tightened his grip on Brian and pulled his head back, planning on slamming it back into the wall. Brian managed to turn around before he could, and tried to kick the guy in the groin. But the man moved out of the way before he could make contact, and punched Brian in the face with his free hand.

Blood poured out of his nose as he slid to the ground, wavering in and out of conciousness. The man reared back and kicked Brian in the side, the crack of a rib echoing through his body. The guy reached down, grabbed Brian around the collar and hauled him to his feet.

"You're the queer!" The stranger screamed into Brian's face, spit landing on his cheeks, mixing with the blood that ran in a steady stream from his broken nose.

Brian, usually being able to hold his own in such cases, but being too weak from the many beers he downed minutes before, moaned in response.

***

"Emmett!" Michael yelled over the music.

"Not now baby.. I'm busy." Emmett ran his finger down the chest of a large man in a police uniform.

"Emmett have you seen Brian?" Michael said worriedly.

"No. didnt he leave with that guy, like an hour ago?"

Michael shook his head "No, they were just going to the ba-" Michael could tell Emmett wasn't listening, so he decided to go look for Brian himself.

Michael scanned the bathroom quickly, yelling Brian's name into the stalls. "Hey!" a man yelled to him. "Are you looking for Brian, Brian Kinney?"

Michael walked over to the man and nodded. "Yeah do you know him?"

The man laughed, "Everyone knows Brian."

"Well have you seen him lately?" Michael said growing impatient.

"The last I saw he was headed to the back with some guy. There's a shocker," he laughed.

"Yeah, thanks." Michael groaned.

As he walked out of Babylon to make his way to the back room, he could hear the sound of men moaning. Michael never went to the back room, unless he was looking for Brian. He hated it, and was always disappointed to find Brian there.

"Brian!" he yelled waving smoke from his face. "Brian c'mon. I wanna leave." As he neared the center of the room he noticed a small red stain on the floor. "Brian. Brian! Answer me.. I dont like it here and I wanna go." He drew closer to the edge of the room and noticed a small red puddle on the floor. Michael ran to the corner to see what it was, the room was very dark and he couldn't tell if it was blood.

He leaned over the puddle and realized there was a trail leading to the wall, it was definitely blood. He saw a man at the end of the trail and ran to his side.

"Someone call 911!" he yelled checking for a pulse. "Someone help me!" The room was packed, but to spite Michael's screams, no one reacted. Suddenly the man put his hand on Michael's arm "Mikey." he said in a soft, faint whisper. Michael raised his chin to look at him. He was completely covered in blood.

"Brian!?" Michael said beginning to cry.