Disclaimer: Nope Not Mine.
A/N: Brian decides to walk home, hoping that Justin doesn't do anything stupid, and just goes back to the loft.
Chapter Three: We all need Heroes
Brian had given up his search knowing Justin could be anywhere. Besides he could take care of himself, he's not the baby everyone thinks he is. Well it took Brian a little longer to convince himself that Justin really would be fine. But just maybe Brian might have been a little more worried that he wouldn't go back to the loft. He wanted Justin to feel like the loft was his home too he had even given him his own key, but who knew what would become of everything in a few hours. Even in just a few measly hours anything and everything could change. But Brian hoped nothing would.
Brian continued to walk in the direction of his loft when he heard a muffled noise and went in search of where the sound was coming from.
MMPH!!
The sound had gotten louder and now Brian was turning down an alley hidden from the sun and almost all other light.
MMPH!! MMPH!! Fuck! MMPH!!
At this point Brian was just near the source when he heard someone curse out of frustration.
"Shit, why you-"
Brian could see a door cracked slightly open and a dim light pouring through onto the alley.
SLAP!! MMPH!! SMACK!! MMPH!! MMPH!! CRACK!! The sound of glass shattering and the noise of someone moaning in pain though gagged, was all Brian could make out, but that was enough.
Brian shoved the door open and saw Justin slouched on the floor against a wall. His lip was bleeding and blooding was seeping all over his blonde hair. There were broken shards of glass from a picture frame on the floor near his head.
Brian rushed in and finally saw the other person there. He looked really angry about being interrupted.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Yelled the other guy as Brian tried to get Justin to open his eyes.
"What does it look like I'm doing," Then in a whisper he bent down and told Justin not to move.
Brian turned around and punched the guy in the face. Withdrawing his hand, the other guy took a sucker punch to Brian's gut while Brian held his stomach with one hand he took a broken chair and slammed it onto the other guy's skull.
The other guy fell in a heap and Brian shook his hand out and help Brian to his feet while Justin put his arm around Brian's neck and vice versa. And they both stumbled into the alley and back onto the street where they collapsed on a nearby bench and passed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Some time later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brian was the first to open his eyes. He had heard the sirens and the medics yelling back' n forth. He could remember asking in an ambulance where Justin was, but he never got a response or possibly the medic just didn't hear him.
But now Brian turned his head to see Justin sleeping in a bed next to him, with bandages wrapped around his head where he was hit and two stitches on his lip.
He turned his head to his opposite side to find Micheal sitting there with tears rolling sown his cheeks unaware that Brian was awake.
"Why you crying, someone die?" Brian asked.
"Bri--you're awake," Mike got out of his chair and went to hug Brian "I am so sorry, I thought you were never going to wake up!"
"Well I did, and don't worry about earlier its how you feel. And you were just being honest. Although I have to admit you freaked me out with all that honesty there." Brian said smiling.
But Micheal just stood there and then his stare traveled to the bed beside them where Justin was still unconscious.
Brian followed Mike's eyes and watched Justin's lifeless form. Neither spoke a word, afraid that something might happen and Justin would stop breathing altogether.
Finally Brian broke the silence, he just had to know. "How is he?" Brian asked in a hush barely audible.
"The doctors think he'll either wake up or he won't and stay in a comatose and then finally die years down the road. They are giving him a 50/50 chance for the next 24 hours." Micheal explained.
"So what you're saying is if he doesn't wake up in the next day that he'll never wake up."
"Yeah..." Micheal agreed quietly.
Brian's eyes fell down to his own chest and he closed them silently wishing it were him in the worse condition.
"But on the bright side you only have one bruised rib." Mike said trying to lighten the mood. But Brian just looked at Micheal like he would kill him, and Micheal stared back in utter disbelief and walked silently out of the room.
Brian turned his head, once Micheal had left the room and closed the door behind him, and watched Justin just before closing his own eyes from pure exhaustion and falling into a restless sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Out in the hall~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Micheal what's wrong?" His mother asked in concern as he closed the room's door behind him.
"He woke up."
"Which one?"
"Brian."
"Well that's good news why are you so down."
"He's worried about Justin."
"Understandable."
"I just can't win."
"Micheal, his boyfriend is unconscious, for the second time in less than a year. How can you even think about yourself?"
"I'm trying to see the bright side, ok?! That's all I have right now."
"What bright side that someone may die, our sunshine no less, just so you can have a chance at what you've always wanted with Brian." Deb looked at her son completely dumbfounded and continued to lay the bare facts, "Before Justin came along you two were no more than best friends, and it's not going to change.
Brian loves you but he's not IN love with you. And that's the way it's always going to be. You'll always be a surrogate brother to him. Don't go screwing up a friendship like the two of you have just so you can have what you think you want of a boyhood fantasy." Deb stepped back and surveyed her son for a second before adding, "I love you Micheal but sometimes ....Sheesh" and with that she walked into to the door's window to see both occupants of the hospital room with their eyes shut. With that reaffirmation she took Vic by the elbow and led him home, but stopped by Justin's mother to tell her to call them if anything new happened. Justin's mom already offered to stay the night, just in case.
Micheal turned to look one last time at Brian's sleeping form and Justin's unconscious form, through the room's small door window. He heaved a sigh and followed his mom home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~In the Room, A few hours later~~~~~~~~~~
Brian woke up feeling nauseated and looked at his surroundings, lost in confusion once more as to where he was. When he looked to his left he almost fell out of the bed he didn't know he was lying in. There was Justin, His Justin, mouth slack, skin so pale it would put Goths to shame, and such sullen features that he almost wanted to reach out and mold them with his hands to what Justin's face should really resemble, not this...corpse.
And that's what made Brian quiver, and a shiver run down his back and arms giving him goose bumps the size of candy corn.
Brian sat upright wincing a bit from the sudden movement and his rib's bruise. He yanked the needles and cords out of his arms and hands and tossed them aside as he stood up a little dizzy and stumbled over to Justin, determined to wake him up.
Good thing a chair was in between their beds Brian collapsed the moment he got to Justin's bed. As he sat in the chair he took one of Justin's small, frail, artistic hands into both of his much larger hands and held his hand tightly.
*His hands are so cold,* Brian thought fighting against the memories of what happened not too long ago.
"Justin, can you hear me? Please wake up, you can't leave me. Remember we promised to never leave each other for a long, long time. And now is not that time, we haven't even grown as the picture-perfect queer couple you always imagined us to be." Brian lightly laughed thinking about all those silly thoughts that Brian knew Justin had about their 'relationship'.
"Justin, please don't leave me, I don't even want to imagine my life from this moment on without you. We are two halves of a whole, remember? I know you want me to say the words, but I just don't think that that's what my feelings for you are, they run deeper, and you must already know that. When you wake up maybe we should make up a word that is completely hours that will resemble all that we feel for each other; like Zippity-Yay." Brian let a tear roll down his cheek as his kissed Justin's palm and looked towards the ceiling.
"It hasn't been that long since I last asked you to save this kid, and surprisingly you came through for me.
A lot of people seem to believe in you for some reason or another, and what you did last time for Justin is the reason for me. You know I have nothing against you. But whatever I feel towards you has nothing to do with Justin; I need you to come through this one more time. You gave both of us a second chance that day he opened his eyes. Please don't take him away now, so soon after what you just gave us to work with. I don't want to go on with my life without him..." Brian spoke freely to God, and although he couldn't assure himself right now he was starting to fall into a path towards God. But only if Justin awoke would he recognize that path.
Just then there was a slight push on Brian's hand as he looked up to see Justin's face, but it was the same as it was before, then he looked at his hand and a pushing once again lightly touched into Brian's palm. He pulled one hand away and saw what he had already known Justin was moving his hand, letting Brian know he was aware of him.
Brian looked back up at Justin's face with tears welling up in his eyes he stared at Justin, hoping for a miracle and Justin would open his eyes.
"Bri--" was all Justin managed to get out, barely audible, but Brian heard it.
"Yes, Justin, I'm here." Brian said all choked up as the tears flowed freely and he squeezed Justin's hand with the hand still holding Justin's.
"Ow!" Justin said lightly eyes still closed.
"Oh sorry, sorry, sorry." Brian leaned himself up and lightly kissed Justin on the forehead. "You need some water?"
"Yeah." Justin attempted to affirm his response, but instead winced from the pain.
"Don't move anything, always trying to jump ahead are we? Well hold a sec while I raise the bed." Brian pressed a button on a box connected to the bed lying on the nightstand between the two beds.
The upper third of the bed began to rise, and then the bottom third, too. "Crap!" Brian said as he pressed another button and the bottom third went back down. After a moment Justin's bed had risen up enough for him to sip the water without drowning himself in it.
Brian gave Justin a small paper cup of water from the pitcher of water and stack of cups on the nightstand.
He tried to hand it to Justin, but though better of it and brought it to his parted lips and slowly let the water fall off the cup's lip and into Justin's dry mouth.
"I feel like I'm too old to be still alive." Justin said after downing a little more water, attempting a joke.
Brian laughed, "Why don't you open your eyes the only lights are the ones from the streets lamps a floor below."
"I know."
"How--"
"My eyes are open; my eyelids just feel really heavy."
"Oh," and as he said this Brian lowered his head and turned it to the side, and sure enough Justin's eyes were open, they were small, small slits, but open nonetheless.
Justin smiled seeing Brian. "I told you."
"Well I was just checking." Brian put the empty cup on the night stand and poured more water into it for later. "Should I call the nurse?"
"In a sec, come closer," as he said this Brian brought his head face to face with Justin's.
"Yeah?" Brian asked.
"I Zippity-Yay you, too."
Brian smiled, *so the little rascal caught that part* Brian made a mental note.
Brian leaned down and placed a loving kiss on Justin's dry lips. Brian then proceeded to lightly lick them so they would moisten.
Justin turned his head up a little and lightly kissed Brian's slightly parted lips.
They both smiled and Brian brought his other hand to Justin's face to push aside his runaway locks and to softly caress Justin's face. First the sides of his eyes, then his cheekbones, and then his lips, and finally his chin.
Squeak! The door opened to their room and Justin's mom entered her eyes wide in disbelief. "So you two are both finally up. Well what a relief." She went over to the opposite side of Justin's bed and leaned down and gave her son a quick kiss on the forehead, she brought her head up and looked at her son happy he'd awaken.
"What about Brian?" Justin asked with a slight smile, knowing his mom's feeling towards Brian, but also knowing she wouldn't deny her son, well at least not when he was in this state.
Justin's mom looked at him pensively, and swallowing her pride went around the other side of the bed, while Brian straightened in his chair with a smug look on his face.
"Wipe that look off your face first." Brian did so, but looked at Justin out of the corner of his eye and they both smiled.
Justin's mom leaned over and patted Brian's head. "Mommmm!" Justin said annoyed. "Fine," and with that she placed a small kiss on Brian's fore head, but not before swallowing her pride for a millisecond.
By that time Brian had turned in his chair so his back was leaning against the back of the chair and was relatively side by side with Justin. They were still holding hands, neither wanting to let go, ever.
A/N: Brian decides to walk home, hoping that Justin doesn't do anything stupid, and just goes back to the loft.
Chapter Three: We all need Heroes
Brian had given up his search knowing Justin could be anywhere. Besides he could take care of himself, he's not the baby everyone thinks he is. Well it took Brian a little longer to convince himself that Justin really would be fine. But just maybe Brian might have been a little more worried that he wouldn't go back to the loft. He wanted Justin to feel like the loft was his home too he had even given him his own key, but who knew what would become of everything in a few hours. Even in just a few measly hours anything and everything could change. But Brian hoped nothing would.
Brian continued to walk in the direction of his loft when he heard a muffled noise and went in search of where the sound was coming from.
MMPH!!
The sound had gotten louder and now Brian was turning down an alley hidden from the sun and almost all other light.
MMPH!! MMPH!! Fuck! MMPH!!
At this point Brian was just near the source when he heard someone curse out of frustration.
"Shit, why you-"
Brian could see a door cracked slightly open and a dim light pouring through onto the alley.
SLAP!! MMPH!! SMACK!! MMPH!! MMPH!! CRACK!! The sound of glass shattering and the noise of someone moaning in pain though gagged, was all Brian could make out, but that was enough.
Brian shoved the door open and saw Justin slouched on the floor against a wall. His lip was bleeding and blooding was seeping all over his blonde hair. There were broken shards of glass from a picture frame on the floor near his head.
Brian rushed in and finally saw the other person there. He looked really angry about being interrupted.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Yelled the other guy as Brian tried to get Justin to open his eyes.
"What does it look like I'm doing," Then in a whisper he bent down and told Justin not to move.
Brian turned around and punched the guy in the face. Withdrawing his hand, the other guy took a sucker punch to Brian's gut while Brian held his stomach with one hand he took a broken chair and slammed it onto the other guy's skull.
The other guy fell in a heap and Brian shook his hand out and help Brian to his feet while Justin put his arm around Brian's neck and vice versa. And they both stumbled into the alley and back onto the street where they collapsed on a nearby bench and passed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Some time later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brian was the first to open his eyes. He had heard the sirens and the medics yelling back' n forth. He could remember asking in an ambulance where Justin was, but he never got a response or possibly the medic just didn't hear him.
But now Brian turned his head to see Justin sleeping in a bed next to him, with bandages wrapped around his head where he was hit and two stitches on his lip.
He turned his head to his opposite side to find Micheal sitting there with tears rolling sown his cheeks unaware that Brian was awake.
"Why you crying, someone die?" Brian asked.
"Bri--you're awake," Mike got out of his chair and went to hug Brian "I am so sorry, I thought you were never going to wake up!"
"Well I did, and don't worry about earlier its how you feel. And you were just being honest. Although I have to admit you freaked me out with all that honesty there." Brian said smiling.
But Micheal just stood there and then his stare traveled to the bed beside them where Justin was still unconscious.
Brian followed Mike's eyes and watched Justin's lifeless form. Neither spoke a word, afraid that something might happen and Justin would stop breathing altogether.
Finally Brian broke the silence, he just had to know. "How is he?" Brian asked in a hush barely audible.
"The doctors think he'll either wake up or he won't and stay in a comatose and then finally die years down the road. They are giving him a 50/50 chance for the next 24 hours." Micheal explained.
"So what you're saying is if he doesn't wake up in the next day that he'll never wake up."
"Yeah..." Micheal agreed quietly.
Brian's eyes fell down to his own chest and he closed them silently wishing it were him in the worse condition.
"But on the bright side you only have one bruised rib." Mike said trying to lighten the mood. But Brian just looked at Micheal like he would kill him, and Micheal stared back in utter disbelief and walked silently out of the room.
Brian turned his head, once Micheal had left the room and closed the door behind him, and watched Justin just before closing his own eyes from pure exhaustion and falling into a restless sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Out in the hall~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Micheal what's wrong?" His mother asked in concern as he closed the room's door behind him.
"He woke up."
"Which one?"
"Brian."
"Well that's good news why are you so down."
"He's worried about Justin."
"Understandable."
"I just can't win."
"Micheal, his boyfriend is unconscious, for the second time in less than a year. How can you even think about yourself?"
"I'm trying to see the bright side, ok?! That's all I have right now."
"What bright side that someone may die, our sunshine no less, just so you can have a chance at what you've always wanted with Brian." Deb looked at her son completely dumbfounded and continued to lay the bare facts, "Before Justin came along you two were no more than best friends, and it's not going to change.
Brian loves you but he's not IN love with you. And that's the way it's always going to be. You'll always be a surrogate brother to him. Don't go screwing up a friendship like the two of you have just so you can have what you think you want of a boyhood fantasy." Deb stepped back and surveyed her son for a second before adding, "I love you Micheal but sometimes ....Sheesh" and with that she walked into to the door's window to see both occupants of the hospital room with their eyes shut. With that reaffirmation she took Vic by the elbow and led him home, but stopped by Justin's mother to tell her to call them if anything new happened. Justin's mom already offered to stay the night, just in case.
Micheal turned to look one last time at Brian's sleeping form and Justin's unconscious form, through the room's small door window. He heaved a sigh and followed his mom home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~In the Room, A few hours later~~~~~~~~~~
Brian woke up feeling nauseated and looked at his surroundings, lost in confusion once more as to where he was. When he looked to his left he almost fell out of the bed he didn't know he was lying in. There was Justin, His Justin, mouth slack, skin so pale it would put Goths to shame, and such sullen features that he almost wanted to reach out and mold them with his hands to what Justin's face should really resemble, not this...corpse.
And that's what made Brian quiver, and a shiver run down his back and arms giving him goose bumps the size of candy corn.
Brian sat upright wincing a bit from the sudden movement and his rib's bruise. He yanked the needles and cords out of his arms and hands and tossed them aside as he stood up a little dizzy and stumbled over to Justin, determined to wake him up.
Good thing a chair was in between their beds Brian collapsed the moment he got to Justin's bed. As he sat in the chair he took one of Justin's small, frail, artistic hands into both of his much larger hands and held his hand tightly.
*His hands are so cold,* Brian thought fighting against the memories of what happened not too long ago.
"Justin, can you hear me? Please wake up, you can't leave me. Remember we promised to never leave each other for a long, long time. And now is not that time, we haven't even grown as the picture-perfect queer couple you always imagined us to be." Brian lightly laughed thinking about all those silly thoughts that Brian knew Justin had about their 'relationship'.
"Justin, please don't leave me, I don't even want to imagine my life from this moment on without you. We are two halves of a whole, remember? I know you want me to say the words, but I just don't think that that's what my feelings for you are, they run deeper, and you must already know that. When you wake up maybe we should make up a word that is completely hours that will resemble all that we feel for each other; like Zippity-Yay." Brian let a tear roll down his cheek as his kissed Justin's palm and looked towards the ceiling.
"It hasn't been that long since I last asked you to save this kid, and surprisingly you came through for me.
A lot of people seem to believe in you for some reason or another, and what you did last time for Justin is the reason for me. You know I have nothing against you. But whatever I feel towards you has nothing to do with Justin; I need you to come through this one more time. You gave both of us a second chance that day he opened his eyes. Please don't take him away now, so soon after what you just gave us to work with. I don't want to go on with my life without him..." Brian spoke freely to God, and although he couldn't assure himself right now he was starting to fall into a path towards God. But only if Justin awoke would he recognize that path.
Just then there was a slight push on Brian's hand as he looked up to see Justin's face, but it was the same as it was before, then he looked at his hand and a pushing once again lightly touched into Brian's palm. He pulled one hand away and saw what he had already known Justin was moving his hand, letting Brian know he was aware of him.
Brian looked back up at Justin's face with tears welling up in his eyes he stared at Justin, hoping for a miracle and Justin would open his eyes.
"Bri--" was all Justin managed to get out, barely audible, but Brian heard it.
"Yes, Justin, I'm here." Brian said all choked up as the tears flowed freely and he squeezed Justin's hand with the hand still holding Justin's.
"Ow!" Justin said lightly eyes still closed.
"Oh sorry, sorry, sorry." Brian leaned himself up and lightly kissed Justin on the forehead. "You need some water?"
"Yeah." Justin attempted to affirm his response, but instead winced from the pain.
"Don't move anything, always trying to jump ahead are we? Well hold a sec while I raise the bed." Brian pressed a button on a box connected to the bed lying on the nightstand between the two beds.
The upper third of the bed began to rise, and then the bottom third, too. "Crap!" Brian said as he pressed another button and the bottom third went back down. After a moment Justin's bed had risen up enough for him to sip the water without drowning himself in it.
Brian gave Justin a small paper cup of water from the pitcher of water and stack of cups on the nightstand.
He tried to hand it to Justin, but though better of it and brought it to his parted lips and slowly let the water fall off the cup's lip and into Justin's dry mouth.
"I feel like I'm too old to be still alive." Justin said after downing a little more water, attempting a joke.
Brian laughed, "Why don't you open your eyes the only lights are the ones from the streets lamps a floor below."
"I know."
"How--"
"My eyes are open; my eyelids just feel really heavy."
"Oh," and as he said this Brian lowered his head and turned it to the side, and sure enough Justin's eyes were open, they were small, small slits, but open nonetheless.
Justin smiled seeing Brian. "I told you."
"Well I was just checking." Brian put the empty cup on the night stand and poured more water into it for later. "Should I call the nurse?"
"In a sec, come closer," as he said this Brian brought his head face to face with Justin's.
"Yeah?" Brian asked.
"I Zippity-Yay you, too."
Brian smiled, *so the little rascal caught that part* Brian made a mental note.
Brian leaned down and placed a loving kiss on Justin's dry lips. Brian then proceeded to lightly lick them so they would moisten.
Justin turned his head up a little and lightly kissed Brian's slightly parted lips.
They both smiled and Brian brought his other hand to Justin's face to push aside his runaway locks and to softly caress Justin's face. First the sides of his eyes, then his cheekbones, and then his lips, and finally his chin.
Squeak! The door opened to their room and Justin's mom entered her eyes wide in disbelief. "So you two are both finally up. Well what a relief." She went over to the opposite side of Justin's bed and leaned down and gave her son a quick kiss on the forehead, she brought her head up and looked at her son happy he'd awaken.
"What about Brian?" Justin asked with a slight smile, knowing his mom's feeling towards Brian, but also knowing she wouldn't deny her son, well at least not when he was in this state.
Justin's mom looked at him pensively, and swallowing her pride went around the other side of the bed, while Brian straightened in his chair with a smug look on his face.
"Wipe that look off your face first." Brian did so, but looked at Justin out of the corner of his eye and they both smiled.
Justin's mom leaned over and patted Brian's head. "Mommmm!" Justin said annoyed. "Fine," and with that she placed a small kiss on Brian's fore head, but not before swallowing her pride for a millisecond.
By that time Brian had turned in his chair so his back was leaning against the back of the chair and was relatively side by side with Justin. They were still holding hands, neither wanting to let go, ever.