Brian sat down on a bench in the jail cell and sighed. He wondered whether the cops were ever going to let him make his one phone call. He didn't want Justin to worry, and he'd been gone for hours now.

Thinking back to a few mornings ago, he remembered watching Cinderella with Gus. He still couldn't believe how much his son loved that movie. (Was that a sign he was gay? Was he waiting for his prince to come along and take him to a ball?)

In the movie, Cinderella wished really hard, and her fairy godmother appeared to make her wishes a reality. Maybe if he wished hard enough Justin would magically walk through those doors, perhaps guessing that Brian had been arrested or maybe Emmett would arrive to bail Brian out (he was the biggest fairy Brian knew). Perhaps Emmett just happened to be doing one of the younger cops.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He was seriously losing it. He berated himself internally, not only because these had to be the silliest thoughts he'd ever had but also because Justin didn't even have a car (and suffered from a people problem), and Emmett was not known for an attraction to the boys in blue. Brian sighed. He'd just have to wait, though, as he'd told Justin but a couple nights ago, patience might be a virtue, but not one of his.

Suddenly, the door leading into the room with the cell in it swung open, and someone seemed to emerge from the sun itself. Brian knew that this was because the room with the cell in it was dark while the hallway was bright, but, still, what an entrance!

Brian's eyes widened (almost to the size of saucers) when he saw who it was: Justin. Against all reason, he was here. Brian jumped up and started to smile, but, then, frowned when he saw that a cop was leading Justin in…Justin was cuffed. Brian just stared. When Justin caught sight of Brian, he laughed and then smiled.

The cop uncuffed Justin and pushed him into the cell. Then he took his leave.

Justin exclaimed, "I can't believe that you're here!"

Brian smirked and said, "That goes double for me, Sunshine. What could you possibly have done to get arrested?"

Justin wrinkled his nose. He stated, "Some freaky weirdo with black hair came to the loft and flipped out when he saw me. I tried to explain, but that just made matters worse. He called the cops immediately."

Brian rubbed his forehead and groaned. Then he looked back up at Justin and smiled a little. "You just met my best friend, Mikey."

Justin raised an eyebrow.

"Despite the insanely terrible impression he must have made on you, he's not all bad. He's just a little possessive and he has a flair for drama."

Justin started laughing. And kept on laughing (for several minutes). Brian was beginning to worry, when Justin stopped (well, mostly). Amidst giggles, he managed to ask, "That, that…was…your…best…best…friend?"

Brian just nodded. But his eyes were dancing. He liked seeing Justin happy, well, laughing and giggling anyway.

Justin looked serious for a moment but then burst out laughing as he asked, "So whaddya in for?"

Brian couldn't help but join him. When they finally managed to get ahold of themselves, they collapsed on a bench next to one another.

Justin asked again, this time more seriously, "So what happened?"

Brian smirked and replied, "I got your money back."

Justin's eyes widened. "Oh no! This is all my fault!"

Brian bumped Justin's shoulder and shook his head. "It isn't your fault."

Justin asked nervously, "So…what happened exactly?"

Brian answered carefully, "I went to the apartment and retrieved the money with little difficulty. I was about to leave when I saw something that pissed me off…and I might have lost it a bit."

Justin asked nervously, "What did you see?"

Brian shrugged. As nonchalantly as he could manage, he replied, "It doesn't matter now."

Justin sighed. "Don't do that, Brian. Don't 'protect' me from the truth. Whatever it is, I can take it."

Brian rolled his lips into his mouth. Then he responded slowly, "Ian had someone there."

Justin stiffened, but said quickly, "I don't care. He and I are broken up. He can see whomever he wants."

Brian sighed. "Ian has been seeing that person since before we even started emailing. Maybe a year."

Justin's eyes lost focus as he repeated softly, "A year?"

He stood up and walked over to the bars, leaning his head against one. He was mortified. Every single person he'd ever known, well, except Brian (so far), had betrayed him in one way or another.

Tears sprung to Justin's eyes. When Brian heard a quiet sniffle, he moved so that he was behind him, arms around his waist, face buried in Justin's longish silky blond hair.

Justin cried, "Do I have 'doormat' printed on my head? Am I cursed? Has no one ever genuinely cared about me?"

Brian lifted his head up, turned Justin so that he was facing Brian, and asked, "Is that what you think? That one day I'll betray you, too?"

Looking into Brian's eyes, mesmerized, Justin replied softly, but confidently, "No. No. I don't think you're selfish like my parents, narrow-minded like my so-called friends, or cruel like Ethan. I've known you the shortest amount of time, and yet, you seem to understand me in a way no one else has, not my ex-best friend or my first boyfriend, first lover, the man I spent three long years with."

Justin's eyes lost focus as he said the last sentence.

Brian wanted to punch something. He couldn't help but think that Justin still loved that evil fuck and that made him crazy. It took all he had to act indifferent as he said, "Even though you've broken up, it's normal to be hurt that he cheated (I think I heard Dr. Phil say that)…You probably still (pause) love him…"

Justin burst out laughing. He said, "Brian, you are so fucking adorable right now…but you are way WAY off."

Brian quirked an eyebrow.

Justin explained, "I'm hurt, yes. Angry, yes. Betrayed, yes. But not because I care that someone else was…suffering through second- or third-rate sex."

Brian chuckled.

"But because I care that I had to suffer through it. I stayed because I thought he loved me...needed me. Yes, I was afraid, but I mostly felt trapped. Terribly guilty every time I thought about leaving. And all that time…he was cheating on me. Fucking bastard! I hope you really hurt him."

Brian laughed. "Would I be here if I hadn't?"

Justin just smiled.