Set after Brian confronts (amongst other things) Justin in the hotel room in
New York. They're back at the place Brian and the other's arranged to meet.
*
"What are we doing here?" Justin asked.
"Waiting for the others," Brian checked his watch. "They should have been here ten minutes ago."
"The others?"
"Debbie sent us out as like a fucking search party," Brian explained, leaning against the closest building.
"Debbie?" Justin asked. He knew he was going to be in trouble if Debbie had found out he'd run away. He'd hoped that the only person who'd know would be Brian but it seemed the whole goddamn family had been told.
"Yeah, if it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be here. Apparently you're like a 'son to her'," Brian mocked and then his face smoothed out and he smirked, as an idea came to him. "I bet she'd let you live in Michael's old room," he thought aloud and he couldn't stop a grin invading his face as he thought about how much that would annoy Michael.
"Live at Debbie's?" Justin asked unenthusiastically, swinging his duffle bag from one shoulder to the other.
"Better than living on the street," Brian shrugged. They waited a few more minutes in silence but from the way he kept sighing and checking the time, it was obvious Brian was getting more and more fed-up by the second.
"I'm cold," Justin moaned.
"Don't be such a princess," Brian snapped but he didn't stop Justin from squeezing up close to him, to help share body heat. And then of course, it was just more comfortable for Brian to put his arm around the kid. Justin smiled and placed his head tentatively on Brian's shoulder. Sometimes, Brian would bite his head off for doing things like this, sometimes, he just let him get on with it and this appeared to be one of those times. Suddenly, Justin found himself being thrown off and he heard Brian's voice angrily demanding,
"Where the hell have you three been?"
"We went to this bar," Michael beamed, "you should have seen it, it was just like…"
"Yeah, I don't care," Brian cut in. "Let's just get out of here," he turned back to see Emmett smothering the blonde twink with relieved hugs and thankful kisses, "now!"
Justin crushed himself between Emmett and Ted in the back seat. It was a tight and somewhat uncomfortable fit, not that he'd of complained. Not when Ted elbowed him in the ribs as he tried to fasten his seatbelt, not when Emmet, in a bout of overexcitement, thumped him in the face with a flailing arm during a story about his hometown or when the flamboyant man was offering him food, despite him refusing just seconds before.
"You hungry, baby?" Emmet asked offering the kid a half-eaten, family size bag of chips.
"Erm, no … thanks," he smiled politely.
"Justin won't need to eat for at least a week," Brian said through gritted teeth, "he ordered room service … lot's of it."
"Is that what you did?" Michael smirked cruelly, "sat in your room eating room service waiting for us to come and rescue you?"
"No. Little Justin went out to the clubs," Brian said, putting his foot down and racing onto the highway. "Danced until," he eyed Justin in the mirror, "did you say six in the morning?"
Justin nodded. "It was amazing," he lied. "The guys were amazing."
Brian drew his lips into his mouth to stop him from smirking.
"You've taught him well Brian," Ted said. "No matter what the situation, get out to the clubs and check out the guys."
"Mmm," Brian nodded, unable to stop the smirk any longer as he caught Justin's eye in the mirror. Justin smiled back. Just as Michael was picking up on the subtle exchange between the two, Brian looked away and continued, "but don't think you're not gonna pay me back every cent. You can get a fucking job as soon as we get back to Pittsburgh."
"But…" Justin began to protest.
"Unless, you've got some money stowed away in some Swiss bank account?"
"No," Justin shook his head miserably.
"Right, then get a job. You owe me about a hundred dollars."
Michael spluttered but Brian shot him a look so venomous it stunned Michael into silence.
It wasn't until Brian had dropped Emmett and Ted off at home and had pulled up outside Debbie's house that Michael finally spoke his mind. Justin was managing to fuck up getting his bag out of the trunk so Michael took the few moments alone with his friend to say,
"A hundred dollars?!"
"What?" Brian shrugged with faux-confusion.
"Well, I doubt that even covered the cost of the hotel ."
Brian shrugged again, "he must have got it on sale."
"I heard him talking about the four rooms he had, there was no way he got that place cheap and didn't you say he flew first class and he had room service. That must have cost at least $500."
"Well, it didn't," Brian snapped. Then calmly, he added, "so, give it a rest Mikey."
"Buy why are you doing this? Why are you helping him? He should be in prison but you're just letting him get away with it."
"He's not getting away with anything. He's paying me back."
"Not enough!" Michael exclaimed, as Brian rang Debbie's doorbell. She opened it almost immediately. She'd been a nervous wreck ever since she'd heard of Justin's disappearance. She'd been on the phone to Michael every five minutes asking how it was going.
"Michael, Brian." she peered around them anxiously. "Where is he? Is he hurt?"
"He's right over there," Michael sulked. As they all looked over to the twink who managed to pull his bag free and send it crashing into the jeep hard.
"Hey, watch it asshole," Brian scowled.
"Sorry," Justin gave a pathetic smile.
"Oh Sunshine," Debbie rushed over to him and enveloped him in a lung-crushing hug. "Thank God you're okay," she breathed out thankfully. "And next time this asshole," she shot Brian an evil look, "mistreats you, you come straight here, you got it?" Justin nodded awkwardly as his face pressed right against her bosom.
"Well, actually …" Brian grinned. "We were wondering what you'd think about letting Justin live here … full time."
"What the fuck!?" Michael shouted.
"Aww, that's a fantastic idea," Debbie beamed, ushering the three boys into her house.
"It is?" Michael was outraged as his mother forced him through the door.
