Gob kept kissing him, and he moved Michael's knees out of the way so he could half sit on him. Then the kisses became more than mere comfort, and he passionately pressed Michael down on the bed. He nibbled Michael's ear and slid his knee between his legs

Michael groaned beneath him, and said, "God, you're insatiable." Maybe it was just the years apart, or how Gob got used to having constant sex with the entourage, but he seemed to recover quickly, like in the old days when they were younger. Michael was eager to keep up with him, for he was plenty horny from being alone so long. Getting off by himself would never be the same as actually having Gob in his arms.

Gob started undressing Michael, and he liked the way he smelled, fresh from the shower. This bedroom looked enough like Michael's master bedroom at the model home that he found the idea of doing him here exciting. The one place they could never risk being together was at the model home, and he said with a laugh, "No more George Michael down the hall."

"Yeah," Michael smiled back. The Fünkes living in the house had been an obstacle too, but Michael had always been most concerned about traumatizing his son.

Michael started to unbutton Gob's shirt, which was actually his own borrowed shirt. He was glad that Gob hadn't put on a t-shirt beneath, and he could already feel his chest hair and muscles once again.

Gob was undoing his belt when he paused. "Damn, the CD's in the limo." Then he also remembered, "You don't even have a player."

Michael suggested, "We don't need it this time, do we?" After all, they had sex many times before Gob ever made the CD for him. And Gob could sing the songs himself, if he insisted. "But you should go get the condoms. I only have lube here."

"Oh, right." Gob felt slightly guilty about being reminded of why he couldn't risk infecting Michael.

Michael frowned and also tried not to think about the orgies with the entourage and pills. He didn't want to ruin the mood now, and he thought he could talk to Gob some more about the forget-me-nows later.

Gob decided once again not to tell Michael about the syphilis, but as he got up to go to the limo, he glanced at his watch and realized how late he was. "Damn, I forgot about Mexico."

Michael sat up and protested, "No, Gob, don't go."

"But I have to, Michael. I'm already running late, and I gotta get back in time tonight."

"But why do you have to? You don't need those pills."

Gob got dressed anyway, though he did realize that Michael might think he was ashamed of him. "I wouldn't use them to forget you. I never would."

"I know. Then why do you have to get them for those kids?"

Gob shrugged, really not having time for this argument. "It's not for them. It's my prescription." He often got annoyed if one of the entourage borrowed the drugs that he'd paid for. "I just-even when I just drive them around and wait in the car, they'll already have their own pills to get high on. And the girls..." Gob couldn't even remember what exactly happened with them, only that it must be shameful if he took the pills to forget. "It's just Hollywood, Michael. I mean, Lindsay Lohan's a hot mess, and that's normal for celebrities. Besides, I take the pills afterward, not during the sex. It's so I can sleep."

Michael considered that Gob might be telling the truth about only drugging himself, but Gob's memory could not really be relied upon, and he didn't like the idea that Gob's job was so unpleasant that he constantly needed pills just to get by.

"You shouldn't live with them," Michael said suddenly.

"What?"

Michael nodded. "It's not healthy for you. You should stay at the hotel with me. I can help you sleep. I can help you forget any crap they put you through."

Gob stared at him like he was suggesting the impossible. "I-I can't. They pay me to be there at all hours, and entertain them with magic or stories if they're in the mood. I couldn't live somewhere else, and they really wouldn't let you move in with me." How would he explain having a brother that he fucked? Even if they lied about who Michael was, Gob would have to erase that lipstick message off the bathroom mirror. "If they fire me, then I wouldn't be able to pay for a hotel room and everything else."

"Maybe we could live here instead." Michael thought that Gob's health was worth a sacrifice. "Gob, do you have any savings? What if you quit and went back to your bee business? Or you could do your magic again. Perform illusions at the Gothic Castle instead of for Mark Cherry." Surely Gob's current fame would help, and Michael could try to learn enough to help him develop a new act that could work.

But Gob did not appreciate this suggestion at all. He was surprised and hurt. "You said I didn't have to quit my job, Michael."

"But it makes you unhappy. I want to help you, Gob. Don't you miss doing magic? And why do you keep your bees in the hospital if you're not going to do anything with them? Why not just release them into the wild?"

"Johnny Bark says they're sick, and that bees are endangered or something." He only half remembered now what the tree hugger said, but it was supposedly his fault for using the magic smoke on them. "And I don't have savings, and-" Gob spoke bitterly, "I can't go back to my magic, Michael! My ruined wedding illusion got covered in Poof magazine, and it was all over TV for weeks. I was humiliated in front of all of Christendom."

He was exaggerating, of course, but Michael did feel bad for not being there for his brother. "Oh Gob." He got out of bed and tried to take Gob's hand.

Gob pulled away, though, and he accused, "You're ashamed of me. You said you weren't, but you are. I'm rich and successful, and it's still not good enough for you."

"No, Gob-"

"You just want to control me and change me, 'cause you're still listening to Tracey."

"No, I don't mean-!"

"You can't just love me the way I am. You hate me, just like all of them!" Gob stormed out of the room and down the stairs.

Michael ran after him, but Gob took his keys and exited the house, slamming the door and breaking the glass. Michael had to put on some shoes and step around the shards.

Meanwhile Gob got in the limo and started the engine. However, the Franklin CD began to play again, and he realized that he was still wearing Michael's ill-fitting clothes. He ejected the CD and picked up the nearby CD case to put it away. But then he looked at the card with Michael's face on it and it made him sad. Gob turned off the engine and just sat there miserably.

Michael ran out to the limo, but Gob locked all the doors so he couldn't get in. Michael kept pounding on the door and calling out his name.

Gob turned on the engine again and blasted the radio loudly so he wouldn't have to hear him. He moved to the other seat and sighed, weighing his options.

What was he doing? He only came here to gloat about his success and punish Michael for leaving the family. For leaving him. But somehow Michael manipulated him into feeling shame and loneliness again. He tempted him with his beautiful body, his loving words, and his eyes that relieved the darkness inside him. Gob had made stupid romantic promises, and Michael didn't even properly appreciate that. He still wanted to control him like always. It was this unpleasantly suffocating aspect to Michael's love which had stopped Gob from trying to make up with Michael before now. What did he need with a nagging wife? A ball and chain? It was why he'd planned to escape his wedding too.

Gob knew he shouldn't get tangled up in his brother's life again. He should just leave now and never come back. But Michael had made him very late for Mexico, and he could get fired if he didn't get back in time to Malibu. He needed to change back into his normal clothes, and he needed some pills so he could forget about Michael. Forget this whole disappointing day.

But he could still hear Michael pounding on the window, trying to be heard. Why wouldn't he leave him alone? Gob saw the opened box of condoms in the back, and he felt like shoving them out the window in defiance, so he grabbed the box and pressed the button to lower the window. But before he could throw the box at Michael and shout something about them being over for good, he saw Michael's face, and he stopped.

Michael had been crying, and he looked broken and miserable. Relieved that Gob had lowered the window, he leaned in and clung to the door while he spoke, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Don't go, Gob. Don't leave me. Please, I..." He knelt by the car and broke down in tears again. "You just came back. You just-Please!"

Dropping the box, Gob turned off the radio and the engine. He didn't say anything at first but he listened to Michael's apologies.

"I love you! I don't hate you. I'm not ashamed of you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I made a mistake. Forgive me. Please."

Gob thought about this and moved tentatively back to the driver's seat. "You really mean it?"

Michael nodded and tried to grab hold of his arms. "I'm sorry! Don't go. I'm not trying to change you like Tracey. I'm not. I love you. I love you so much."

Gob finally let Michael touch him, and he leaned near, feeling the hot tears on Michael's cheeks. Then he pulled him close and tasted the tears. Real. Human. Not like a robot anymore. He kissed Michael's mouth then, and Michael clung to his shoulders.

After a moment Gob pulled away and pushed Michael backwards. Michael panicked for a moment, but saw that Gob was just opening the car door. So he got out of the way, then rushed in to hug him.

Leaving the door open, Gob pulled Michael into his lap and held him, letting Michael cry against his shoulder in relief. He patted his head and frowned; he knew he was getting trapped again, tangled up with his brother because he was too weak to look away from him. Even if he could miraculously get to Mexico in time now, he couldn't just take a pill and forget him.

Gob glanced up in the mirror and looked at the two of them. Such a miserable pair of discarded Bluths. Michael was in many ways still that desperate little boy waiting for his dad to take him fishing, even though he hated fishing, just because he wanted Dad to keep one promise to him. It was so fucked up and typical. So why did Gob have to keep the promise to him? Why did he have to be the one to make Michael feel better, when he himself was hurt that Dad never even told him about the cabin in Lake Tahoe, and never made a promise to him in the first place? How could he fix someone else when he was broken too?

He sighed and kissed Michael's ear as he whispered, "I'm here."

"You won't leave me?"

"No, I won't."

"Oh Gob." Michael hugged him in gratitude.

Gob shrugged in resignation. He couldn't go. He couldn't leave the only family he had left, and the only one that loved him, even in a fucked up way.

When Michael calmed down a little, Gob met his eyes and asked, "Mikey, you still want to come with me, don't you?"

"Yeah." He clung to him desperately.

"Then don't argue with me about my job, okay? You're wrong. It doesn't make me unhappy. I like it. It's great and it's fun. It pays well and I've finally got friends, you know."

Michael tried to believe that, and he kept his doubts about the roofies to himself. Gob had been lonely for so long. He needed friends. "That-that's good."

"Yeah. You've gotta trust me, Mikey. I mean, I'm already giving up the orgies for you, aren't I?"

Michael nodded.

"So don't worry. I don't know why it bothers you anyway. It's no worse than when I was a pimp or a stripper."

Michael considered that. It was also better than Gob following people to their cars. "Yeah. I know. I know. I'm sorry. I'm not ashamed of you, Gob," he repeated. "I do love you, just the way you are."

Gob searched in his eyes to be sure that he wasn't lying. They were Bluths after all. Finally he said, "Then I forgive you." Gob gave him a long, deep kiss to show his forgiveness.

Michael melted and let his legs dangle out of the car. He asked in Gob's ear, "Can we go upstairs? I still want you in that bed."

Gob nodded, reaching for the box of condoms. "Well we have time, since I'm not going to Mexico."

"Really?" Michael smiled appreciatively.

Like he had a choice? "Yeah." Gob pushed him off his lap and back toward the house. Then he pulled out the car keys and got out of the limo, shutting the door behind him.

Michael put an arm around him and they walked back to the house.