Justin's arms began to shake as he and Michael reached the top of the stairs with Justin's new bed. Well... mattress.

"Are you sure about this, Michael?" Justin asked one more time, to be sure.

"Bit late for me to ask for it back now." Michael jokingly replied, whilst helping Justin position the mattress on the floor of his new apartment.

"Michael." Justin looked at Michael seriously as he stood up from his previous crouching position and dusted off his hands.

"Yeah he's... he's not coming back Justin." Justin felt bad for Michael, but was postive that Hunter would return. Someday, anyway. Justin knew about Hunter's upbringing, and he knew enough about people to understand that someone who had gone through that much shit in their past - especially family related shit - would not stay away from the prospect of two loving parents. Maybe he just wasn't used to having someone care. Maybe that scared him.

Justin said his goodbyes when Michael mentioned having to get back to his store. He had to go out soon anyway. He'd promised Lindsay he would meet her and Gus for Gus' birthday. After Brian left, Justin had spoken with Lindsay and Melanie about how they didn't have to stay friends with him now. This had just made Lindsay go into a lecture about how they liked him for him. That he was a person, not just an extension of Brian, and Melanie just made some quip about how she always had liked him more than Brian. Justin had looked up then, shocked that she should make such a comment so soon after his leaving, but Melanie was smiling sadly at him and he could see that she wasn't quite so pleased with Brian's leaving as she made out to be.

Around three years after Brian left, Justin realised that the whole 'no looking back' speech was only for him. Brian made regular contact with not just his son, but Lindsay, Michael and the rest of the boys too. He called them a few times a week and even paid for them to come and see him in New York. Justin never even recieved a text message. He'd had a lot of time to think about this over the remaining two years, and even now often wondered if it was him who made Brian leave. Was Brian getting away because he knew that they were wrong for each other? That no matter what, a couple needs to be headed in the same direction and it doesn't matter if they love each other, if either of them changes that would be sacrifice, not love? Because Brian knew that eventually... in years to come, maybe, but eventually Justin would want marraige, a home, a family. And Brian planned on fucking around until he was a pensioner. Maybe even as a pensioner?

Justin shook his head. He was going to that place again. Of course Brian didn't leave because of him. Brian had plans of New York since he started in advertising. Justin was just a one-night stand who never went away.

"Justin has to work now, Gus. We'll go to his new place to visit him soon. Won't that be nice."

Gus squealed with excitement and reached up to Justin for a goodbye hug. Justin lifted the giggling young boy onto his hip and laughed somewhat bitterly at Lindsay's words.

"Not too soon, I hope. I don't have any food. Or an oven to cook it with if I did. Or a table to eat it at. Or chairs. Or..."

"Or anything?" Lindsay laughed as she took her son back from Justin. "You'll get it furnished and looking lovely in no time at all, Justin. I know you've never lived on your own before but I swear it'll be fine."

"I hope so Lindsay, I jus-"

"Sunshine!" A loud voice called from behind the counter. "Get to work!"

"That'll be my queue to leave." Lindsay said, rolling her eyes at Debbie. She leaned in to give Justin a quick peck on his cheek before exiting the Diner.

Justin immedietly put on an apron, went round to the other side of the counter and started to pour coffee for the agitated customers.

A few hours later and it was almost the end of Justin's shift. He'd had to cut his hours since he found an agent to help show off and sell his art, he needed to be able to attend any gallery where his work had been shown, just in case someone important came along. Hours cut or not, Justin was still glad his shift was almost over. Debbie had gone home a few hours prior, and although the other workers were pleasant enough, without Deb's incessant chatter, work quickly got tedious.

Just as things were slowing down and Justin was about to remove his apron and wait for the night shift worker to come and take his place, someone sat down in front of the counter with his face buried in a newspaper. That was odd, thought Justin. People hardly ever read the paper in the evening.

Justin shook his head and asked - politely, as always - "Would you like to order something? Some food? Or do you just want coffee?"

"I would like some coffee, actually." Came a deep, muffled voice from behind the paper. "Black, two sugars, and with a side order of Sunshine."

Justin stopped pouring, even though the cup wasn't full. He looked up, and waited for the man lower the newspaper. He didn't need to though. He already knew.

Brian.

Justin did his best to keep his cool and seem as disinterested as possible.

"Hey stranger. You new in town?"

"No, actually. I lived here a few years back. Five, to be exact."

"Huh, that is weird. I don't remember you at all."

"Drop it, Justin."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Brian." Justin smiled up at the man. His feelings were all over the place, his heart taking off like a rocket. But he could do this. He would be the nonchalent one this time.

He finished pouring Brian's coffee, before taking off his apron and walking back around the counter. He wrapped his arms around Brian's neck and for a few seconds, let himself pretend that everything was ok. That he was seventeen again, and was able to be with this man - as much as Brian would let him anyway.

After what felt like half a second, but was probably a few minutes, Justin gathered his thoughts up again, took a deep breath and pulled away from Brian.

"How long are you down here for?"

"For good. My job in New York was for shit. They fired Cynthia and make me run errands. So I decided to start my own company. Of course, I can't afford the property for it down there, so back to the Pitts I go..."

How are you supposed to feel when someone who stabbed you in the heart and left you rotting on the ground strolls casually back into your life? Are you angry? Are you remorseful? Are you scared because you fear he will do it again? Or do you just let yourself be happy, because you loved him once. Justin wanted nothing more than to throw himself onto Brian and fuck like rabbits in the Diner's bathroom stalls... But Brian hurt him more than he had ever been hurt. Anyway, he was a grown man now. Not some crushing teenager.

So he smiled, stood and placed a hand on Brian's shoulder. "You should call it Kinnetik. With two ns."

Brian turned, intrigued by Justin's suggestion but when he looked round Justin was already half way out the door.

"You look good, Sunshine." Brian muttered to his coffee before downing the whole thing in one.