A/N: This is my first QAF fic and I haven't been a fan of the show for that long so please be gentle with me. This is set sometime (lets call it 6 months) after the last episode.

D/C: I own nothing and make no money!! I'm just a poor student who is unwilling to accept of the official ending! =D

"And then Hunter was…" Michael looked at the glassy expression on his friend's face. "…dancing in a tutu for money," he finished.

"That's nice," Brian mumbled, running his finger around the rim of his whiskey glass. Michael sighed. He wasn't exactly surprised that Brian was ignoring him. It happened every now and again, the 'I don't give a fuck' exterior would crumble and he'd sit at the bar in Woody's like a pathetic love-sick faggot.

"You could ring him if," Michael suggested.

Brian's eyes slid suddenly sideways in their sockets and he stared at him.

"Ring who?" he muttered.

"Oh don't give me that bullshit. You haven't been the same since Justin left for New York."

Brian didn't reply. He just went back to staring at his whiskey.

"Say something," Michael encouraged.

"What do you want from me, Mikey?"

"I want you to ring him."

"And say what?"

"Find out how he is, ask him how his painting's going," Michael paused, before adding, "tell him you miss him."

"I'm sure he's fine. We all know he's the next Picasso. And, he already knows. There." Brian turned to look at Michal with a smug expression on his face. "I don't need to phone him."

Michael sighed again and squeezed Brian's shoulder comfortingly, before taking a long swig of his own drink.

"I'm selling Babylon," Brian suddenly announced.

"What?!" Michael exclaimed, glad for the sake of the barman that he'd swallowed his drink before Brian had spoken.

"I've been thinking a lot recently."

"That's worryi-"

Brian suddenly put his hand over Michael's mouth and squeezed a little.

"Don't say it. It's cliché Mikey," he warned. Michael nodded and Brian let go and continued, "I was thinking about what you said about things never changing in Babylon. And you're right, Babylon doesn't change. It isn't supposed to change but … well, I think I am. I'm getting too …." He stopped and sighed heavily, "I'm getting too old."

"I don't believe what I'm hearing."

"Yeah, well believe it. It's time I grew up Mikey. It's time I became more like you."

--

"He said that?" exclaimed Debbie, after Michael finished explaining what had happened the night before.

"Yeah, just before he told some really hot guy he wasn't in the mood and went home … alone." Michael thought for a second before concluding, "Do you think he's sick?"

"Yeah, love sick maybe. Sounds like Sunshine leaving like that has really got to him." Debbie put a cup of coffee and the diner's best lemon slice in front of her son.

"Thanks." He took a sip of his drink. "And ofcourse Justin leaving got to him. He did ask him to marry him," Michael pointed out. "Brian Kinney actually opened up and said he loved someone and then that person left. I don't understand. How could he do that to Brian?"

"Do what to me?" Brian asked slumping in the chair next to Michael. He was wearing his most expensive leather coat and his favourite suit, which he always did when he needed to cheer himself up. And then there were his sunglasses, hiding the million secrets that his eyes would reveal.

"Er, nothing." Michael lied. Brian stared at him for moment but he didn't say anything, he just took Michael's coffee and began to drink.

"So, er, what are you planning on doing tonight?" Michael asked.

"Finish work at six. Six, thirty at the gym. Dinner at eight." he droned in a monotone, "Woody's by nine. Ten o'clock, mope about like some lovelorn breeder. Ten thirty, write a romantic letter. Eleven o clock suicide."

"What?"

"I'm kidding. Will you stop worrying about what I'm doing every minute of the day. You never worried this much before. Being a housewife must have rubbed off on you."

"I'm not worried. Just I'm busy tonight and so're Emmet and Ted. I just don't want you to be alone."

"I'm never alone," Brian promised. "I've always got somewhere to be; someone to fuck."

"Right," Michael nodded. "Well, I better go, I'm meeting Ben."

"Away to married bliss," scorned Brian as his friend left the diner.

"Hey!" Debbie called at him from the other side of the counter.

"What now?"

"It wasn't so long ago you were considering getting married yourself. There's no need to go back to hating it."

"Why not? It doesn't work. I didn't even get to the aisle and it didn't work. I say we leave marriage for the god-fearing breeders and they can leave us to what we do best."

"And what exactly would that be Brian?"

"Sucking and fucking."

"Really? Coz word on the street is, you ain't been doing much of either of those lately."

"What lying piece of shit told you that?"

"It's not just one person."

"Well they're all lying," he said, and; "Can I get a goddamn coffee!? I'm in a rush!"

Debbie slammed the cardboard cup in front of him.

"Thanks," he said picking it up with a tired smirk, before getting up to leave.

Just as he reached the door to the diner, he heard Debbie call his name. He span around to look at her.

"What?"

"Nice necklace," she said. The smallest of knowing smiles pulling at the sides of her mouth.

Brian didn't say a word. He just took another sip of his coffee and walked out onto the cold streets. As he walked down liberty avenue, his hand found it's way to his necklace. He tugged it free from it's position tucked under his shirt. It wasn't anything special, just a chain like any other he might wear, but on the end of the chain were two identical rings. When it had come down to it, he hadn't been able to return them. Because when it had come down to it, he hadn't been able to give up all hope. Not just yet.

It's only short to get me started and make sure I've got the characters and Americanisms okay.

Please review! xx