| "What the hell is he doing
here?" Brian demanded seeing Justin step into the room carrying
a big, elaborately wrapped present. With him was a young, attractive
man that Brian knew as Galen, Justin's new lover. "He shouldn't
be here, this is my sons birthday." "Brian, Justin is a part of Gus's life too." Lindsay said. "And I wanted him here. I practically begged him and Galen to come." "I'm leaving. I'll pick Gus up tomorrow morning and take him to the park." Brian said reaching for his jacket. As he was pulling the sleeve over his arm he saw something that disturbed him. As Justin lifted Gus up over his head, the sleeve of his shirt fell down and Brian saw bruises all over his arms. "Brian, you can't leave your own son's birthday party." Michael chastised him. He then saw that Brian's gaze was transfixed on Justin. "Do you see that, Mikey?" Brian said. He didn't wait for an answer, he simply strode over to Justin and led him away from the group and upstairs to Lindsay and Melanie's bedroom. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Justin demanded. "You can't just lead me around like a toy anymore." "How are things with Galen?" Brian asked trying to mask his anger at seeing his perfect boy's skin marked with dark bruises. After his attack 2 years ago, Brian couldn't stand to see Justin hurt, especially when it was at someone else's hand. "Things are good with Galen. He's exactly what I've been waiting for." Justin said trying to sound selfassured, but sounding more like he was afraid to say anything else. "Justin, take off your shirt." Brian growled. "I'm not going to fuck you, Brian." Justin said in disbelief. "My boyfriend is downstairs." "Justin, take off the fucking shirt. Now!!" Brian was now pacing the room. He couldn't believe his own almost irrational reaction. "No, Brian. There's no reason." Justin was standing firm, but Brian saw the fear in his eyes. Justin reached for the door handle. "Justin." The demanding way that Brian barked his name made Justin freeze in his tracks. He turned and looked at Brian directly in the eye. "Take off the shirt or I'll take it off for you." Brian said through clenched teeth. "Brian, I can't." Justin said weakly. He was ashamed of what Brian would see. "Justin." This time the name was said softer, more pleading. It was this that Justin reacted to. He reached under his shirt and pulled it over his head. Brian nearly fainted at what he saw there. There was one big purple bruise on Justin's left side, his arms were covered in finger bruises, and there was a long, jagged scrape on his shoulder blade. "What the fuck did he do to you?" Brian said in disbelief, he didn't understand how anyone could do such ugly things to someone so incredibly beautiful. "It's nothing. I tripped." Justin said. "What did you trip on? Galen's fist while he was hitting you?" Brian demanded. The range of emotions that he was experiencing was vast. "We got in a fight, it wasn't a big deal. He lost his temper and he shoved me. It was my fault, my stupid coordination... I fell against a table at his apartment." Justin was searching for excuses. "What are you thinking?" Brian exploded. "You can never do anything so terrible that your boyfriend has a right to kick the shit out of you." "He didn't. He just shoved me. He's really sorry." Justin stuttered his way through the explanation. "He doesn't mean to hurt me, I just keep doing stupid things." "This happens a lot?" Brian helped Justin put his shirt back on and pulled him towards the bed. They both sat on the edge and Brian gently put his arm around Justin. "No." Justin said. "Just sometimes I do things and I make him so mad." He leaned closer to Brian, feeling safer than he had felt in months, probably safer than he had felt since Brian and he had parted ways not-so-amiably about ten months earlier. "What did you do to make him mad this time?" Brian asked gently. He was starting to feel Justin open up and he knew that was the only way he could help him. "I asked him if we could go to Babylon. He thought I wanted to trick." Justin said. "I just missed going out to places I like to go." "That's no reason for him to hit you. I know where you're at, Justin." Brian said. "Let me ask you something." "Ok." Justin said a little uncomfortably. "Do you remember a time when I was so mad at you that you thought I might hit you?" He asked. Justin winced a little. "Only when the loft got robbed." "But I didn't hit you, Justin." Brian said. "I would never hit you. You should never let someone hurt you like that. And you should never believe that you deserve it." "Brian..." Justin wrapped his arms around Brian's torso and hugged him close. "Isn't this cozy." Galen said from the doorway. "We're leaving, Justin." "Ok, Galen." Justin said hurriedly. Brian was amazed at how when Galen said "jump", Justin said "how high?" Justin looked at Brian. "It was nice seeing you again, Brian." And then he was gone. Brian was left glaring at Galen. "Stay the fuck away from what's mine, Kinney. You had your chance and you blew it." Galen said angrily. Before he could turn to leave the room, Brian had him against the wall by the neck. "If you put another bruise on that boy's body, I am going to kill you." Brian said. "And don't think that I won't find out. I know your little secret now." Brian let go of Galen's neck. "Fuck you, Kinney. Stay out of our lives." Galen said. He turned on his heel, far too cocky for Brian's comfort, and left the room. He led Justin, who was still making excuses for having to leave, out to the car and then they were gone. "You think he's what?" Emmett exclaimed when Brian told the guys about Justin and Galen's relationship that night at Woody's. "Let's go over there and kick the shit out of that little fucker!" "I agree with Emmett." Michael said. "It won't work. The only way that Justin can get away from there is if he leaves on his own." Brian said. "Fuck!" "Maybe Lindsay can talk to him. Or maybe we should tell his mother." Michael suggested. Brian looked at him and pondered it for a moment. "If we do that, they are both going to freak out and worry about Justin, we can't put them through that." Brian said. "I don't know how we can help him." He leaned his elbows and looked down at the table. "Holy shit...." Michael breathed. He grabbed Brian's arm and pulled on it. Brian looked up and saw what had Michael shocked. There, in the doorway, stood Justin. His eye was swollen shut, he was holding his arm against his chest and his lips was swelled up. Brian was up and over near Justin in a flash. "He fucking did this to you?" Brian demanded. "That fucking bastard did this to you?" "Brian, I need your help." Justin said. "I think I need..." and that was the last words Justin's said at Woody's that night. He passed out and Brian caught him just before he hit his head on a stool. "Hospital. We have to get him to a hospital." Ted said. "Brian, give me your keys and I'll go get the Jeep." Michael said hurriedly. "We need to get him to the doctor right away." Brian handed his keys to Michael before lifting Justin into his arms and carrying him out of the bar. ... one hour later... "Brian!" Jennifer Taylor called as she ran down the hospital corridor towards where Brian sat. "Where is he? Where's Justin?" "He's sleeping, Jen." Brian said. "What happened?" Jennifer asked sitting next to Brian, who gently took her hand. She looked at him pleadingly and he realized he had to tell her the truth, it would all come out eventually. "Galen happened. He had a thing for kicking the shit out of Justin." Brian said. "I didn't know until I saw the bruises at Gus's party today, but there was nothing I could do. Justin went with him." "Have you called the police?" Jennifer asked. "They're on their way, or so they say." Brian said. "Jen, when you see his face it's going to look worse than it is." "Oh god." Jennifer started to cry. Her son had been through so much in his twenty years, and everytime something terrible happened to him she felt like she should have helped him. "If I had known...." She let Brian take her in his arms and hold her. "I said the same thing to myself." Brian sighed. "Brian?" Justin asked when he woke up the next morning. They had given him something to take down the swelling so he could open his eye, but it was still really bruised. "What are you doing here?" "Where else would I be?" Brian asked. "You came into Woody's last night looking like you had been in a boxing match." "Galen... is he.....?" Justin looked up at Brian with fear flickering in his eyes. "The cops picked him up this morning. He's in a holding cell downtown." Brian took Justin's hand. "They need to know if you want to press charges." "Yes." Justin said and Brian saw a look in his eyes that he recognized. It was the strength that he once glowed with. "I want him to in jail." "Justin, if he goes to trial, it isn't going to be easy." Brian told the boy. "I talked to Mel on the phone this morning and she said that domestic violence is hard to convict." "I don't care. I want him away from me. I want a restraining order too." Justin had obviously seen what he needed to see the night before. "Officer Baker is out in the hall, he wants to talk to you." Brian told Justin. "You're going to have to explain everything that happened. I'll stay with you the whole time if you want me to." "I want you to." Justin sat up. "Thank you for being there for me. After what happened last year I know you didn't have to." "Actually, I did have to. There's something about you that I have to protect." Brian pressed a gently kiss to Justin's temple before walking to the door and telling the police officer he could come in now. "Hello, Justin. I'm Officer Baker, you can call me Tom if you want." The officer was probably in his mid-forties with a round belly and a thick moustache. "Ok, Tom." Justin said quietly. Brian sat back down next to him on the bed and took his hand, ready to give a gentle squeeze if Justin got upset. This was sure to be an emotional conversation. "Justin, can you tell me when the relationship became violent between you and Mr. McClellan?" The officer began. "About three months ago. I came home late. Me and a few friends from school had gone out for a coffee. Galen had been waiting for me at his apartment. When I got there he was so mad. He said I was cheating on him." Justin's voice was shaking a little. He was starting to see that it really wasn't his fault. "What happened then, Justin? Take your time." "He grabbed me by my arms and yelled at me, he was really close to my face and he was holding my arms so hard he was hurting me. The he pushed me away and he slapped me across the face." Justin felt tears welling in his eyes and he tried to blink them away. "How often did instances like this occur?" The officer was writing down notes like a madman. Justin took a deep breath before continuing. "About twice a week. Sometimes they weren't so bad. Just a slap and some mean words and then he would leave. When he came back he always had a little present. He would apologize and tell me it was just because he loved me. And that would be it. The bruises would fade and I would forgive him and try harder. But then there were times when he would hurt me so badly that I couldn't go to school or work for a couple of days. I couldn't forgive him for those as easily, but he would bring more presents and tell me he loved me more often. He knew just what to say." Justin was shaking and crying at this point. "I only have a couple more questions, Justin. Do you need anything? Would you like me to get you some water or something?" Justin shook his head. "Ok, then, let's continue. What, if anything, happened last night to make him angry?" "We went to Gus's party. Brian saw the bruises and took me upstairs to talk. When Galen came in we were hugging. He accused me of cheating on him, of not loving him, of loving Brian more. The thing is, this time I didn't tell him he was wrong. I told him I wasn't cheating on him, but he was right about me not loving him, and he was right about Brian meaning more to me than him." Justin said. He gulped and avoided Brian's eyes. "That was when he went crazy." "Ok, Justin. If there's anything else I need to know, I'll be in touch." The officer offered a slight smile and left the room. It was then that Justin broke into a fit of sobs. Brian wrapped his arms protectively around Justin and said nothing as he waited for the sobs to run out. "Justin, honey, I really think you should come stay with me for a while." Jennifer said as Justin got ready to leave the hospital. Justin looked at his mom pleadingly. "Mom, really, I'll be fine. The dorms are really safe." He offered her a smile that looked so out of place on his bruised, swollen face. "Justin, I think your mom's right. You shouldn't be alone right now." Brian said. "I'm sure Deb would love to have you stay with her. Or you could come stay with me at the loft." "At the loft?" Justin repeated. "You'd let me stay with you?" "Of course." Brian looked at him as if he was from Mars. "You lived there for over six months, why wouldn't I let you stay with me now? "I dunno." Justin shrugged. "If you guys insist that I stay with one of you, Brian, I'll stay at the loft. But only for a few days. When I start feeling better I'm going back to the dorm." "Ok, honey." Jennifer smiled. She was relieved that Justin would be staying with Brian. "I'm almost ready to go. Just let me use the washroom." Justin said. He turned and stepped into the washroom. "How did you know that would work?" Jennifer asked Brian who smiled. "I just figured he wouldn't want to go back to living with a parent figure. If he had the option of staying with you or with me, he would choose me because he wouldn't feel like he was too weak to survive without mommy." He shrugged. "Have I told you lately that I'm glad you're in his life?" Jennifer reached over and quickly hugged Brian. "Don't worry, Jen, I won't tell." "Ok, let's go." Justin said when he walked out of the washroom. To Be Continued... PART 2 - LOVE WENT BLIND & YOU WOULD MAKE ME SEE |
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| Part 1 : I'd Live
For Your Smile & Die For Your Kiss By HannahKelli |
