Brian sauntered into the loft (with Justin's hand still in his) and tossed his jacket onto the couch. He was pissy because he was horny (and, in fact, had been all week), so he dispensed with the niceties. He leaned against the bar, pulling Justin against him. Then he grinned and wrapped his arms around the boy, even setting his chin on Justin's shoulder.

He drawled, "So how can we help you? And make it quick. Justin and I have some fucking to do."

Justin entreated, "Brian!" but he had a silly grin on his face.

Brian replied in a soft yet defensive tone, "What? I've been living on phone sex all week, and you've had my dick hard for an hour."

Jennifer sputtered, "We? Since when are you a 'we?'"

Brian replied simply, "Since the night you came storming over here."

Justin was still a bit stunned from the mortification of his mother catching his boyfriend blowing him, but he was also a little confused by the way Brian and his mother were acting. Clearly they knew each other, and he supposed that that made sense. After all, according to Brian, they'd been together for a year before the accident. But still, seeing them spar, particularly his mother, was strange. A thought suddenly occurred to him.

Justin piped up, "Mom, you knew…about me being gay?"

For the first time, Jennifer looked at her son. Really looked at him. Her eyes widened.

She replied, "Oh…well…yeah…"

"Then why did you tell me you hoped I'd meet a nice girl when I said that Daphne and I were going to visit a friend of hers?"

Jennifer just stared at Justin.

After a long tense moment, Justin asked, "Surely you didn't think I'd forget I was gay?"

Brian couldn't stifle a giggle.

Jennifer narrowed her eyes. "Speaking of lying, you never did go with Daphne to visit that friend, did you?"

Justin looked down. "No. I was here."

"How did you even, uh, encounter him?"

"Daphne took me to Liberty Avenue. I'd been dreaming about someone, and I'd hoped to meet him." Justin smiled brightly. "I almost didn't. But then I caught a glimpse of chestnut hair in the shadows, and I just knew it was him."

Brian held Justin's hand a little tighter.

"So are you living here, now? And why didn't you tell me and your father that you were moving out? I went upstairs to give you something, and I noticed that all your clothes were gone. That was a horrible way for me to find out."

Justin sighed. "I just wanted to get settled first. I didn't want you to try to talk me out of it or interfere."

Desperate, Jennifer cried, "Well, you can't stay here with Brian. You barely know him!"

Justin just stared at his mother for a moment. Then he responded flatly, "If you know him by name, how is it that you think I'm unaware of our past?"

Jennifer looked down, inwardly kicking herself.

"I know that Brian and I were together for a year before the accident."

Jennifer's voice was nearly a screech now. "Together? I don't think you can call what you two did being together."

Justin snapped defensively, "What does that mean?" But then he threw up a hand. "Never mind. Brian and I agreed that we were going to move forward and let my memory come back on its own."

Jennifer laughed. She mocked, "Ah. Brian, are you getting a conscience all of a sudden?"

Justin was unsettled by his mother's words, but when Brian started to pull his hand away, Justin was reminded that that hand was the source of the warmth giving him the strength to be frank with her. He held Brian's hand tighter. Whatever Brian had done, whatever they'd been or not been to each other, that was in the past. Right now, Justin had a loving (and hot) boyfriend, who had just offered to move out of his loft, which he treasured, so they could live together. Brian had even planned and executed the sweetest date Justin could imagine. Obviously, whatever his shortcomings, Brian was trying to change. Justin wasn't about to cut him off at the knees by listening to his mother's take on their former relationship.

Justin took a deep breath and declared firmly, "Mom, don't insult my boyfriend in my presence and don't bother telling me stories about our past. What matters is what we have now. Besides, I thought the doctor said that telling me about past events I couldn't recall was dangerous? Are you willing to hurt me to separate us?"

Jennifer was dumbstruck. She just stared at Justin with wide eyes.

Justin continued, "I'm only staying here until Brian and I find a new apartment. But I will continue living with him, in a place that we choose together. You'll have to get used to that."

"And what will you do? Play housewife?"

Justin looked at her coldly. "No. I have a job."

"A job? Where?"

"Torso. It's…"

Jennifer waved her hand and shook her head. Annoyance evident in her voice, she interjected, "I know where it is."

Justin was taken aback. He had a difficult time fathoming what could have led to her being on Liberty Avenue.

She snapped, "So what…you're going to be a clerk for the rest of your life?"

Justin sighed in exasperation. It was like she was determined to see the worst in everyone and everything. "Of course not. But I don't want to go to school for business, and I don't see dad shelling out money for art school. Plus, with my hand, I'm not ready. I need to find a way to do art in spite of my…my condition (his voice broke a little on the last few words). But while I do that, I need to make a life for myself. I can't live with you and dad forever. I'm 18. It's time I started acting like it. So I found a job and an apartment, though, since Brian wants to live together, we're going to find a new one. Something that suits us both."

Jennifer sighed. When her son got an idea in his head, she was hard pressed to convince him to do anything else.

Justin stated brightly, "But when we do find a place, we'll have a house-warming party and send you an invite."

Jennifer looked at Brian and raised an eyebrow. Brian just shrugged and smiled weakly.

She headed toward the door. "I'm leaving, but we will talk about this more later."

Justin smiled. "Ok."

A minute later, she was gone…and Brian had a very naked Justin pinned against a pillar (facing it).

Huskily, Brian said, as he slowly ran his hands over Justin's ass, "I thought she'd never leave…"

Justin laughed happily. "Me, either."