"Coup de Foudre" 132
First, I need to apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out.
My recovery from the loss of Charles De Gallbladder has been a lot
slower than I'd hoped for, so it's been difficult to get back into my
regular routine. I'm hoping that I've now turned that corner.
And so…
It's Sunday at Debbie and Carl's...
By Gaedhal
Pittsburgh, August 2016
“Do you think he’ll come?” Gus asked anxiously. “I mean, do you think he wants to come?”
“Jesus, kid, give it a rest,” said Michael under his breath.
“Justin said he’d do everything he could to get him over here,” Debbie said reassuringly. “And Sunshine can be pretty persuasive. Why, anybody who can get Brian Kinney to almost say ‘I do’ is pretty fucking persuasive!”
Gus frowned. “But Ron actually got him to say ‘I do.’ I know because I was at the wedding.”
“Yeah,” said Michael. “So was I. I was the Best Man.”
“No you weren’t!” Gus retorted. “I was Dad’s Best Man!”
“You were just a kid… and I was the Best Man!” Michael shook his head. Fucking brat!
“No you weren’t!” Gus dug in his heels.
“Basta!” Deb yelled. “Enough! You’re like a couple of fucking five-year-olds. So do something productive. Michael, you clean off the picnic table. And Gus open up the grill and make sure there’s enough charcoal. And no bickering! If I’m sick of it then imagine how much Brian is going to hate it. You want him to leave before he even eats a hot dog? Keep up this shit and he will. Is that what you two want?”
Both boys hung their heads.
“No,” said Michael. “But he started it.”
“I did not!” Gus bristled.
“Shut the hell up!” said Carl, coming up from his basement man-cave. “You two are louder than the ballgame.”
“Sorry, hon,” said Debbie, kissing her husband. “They’re all keyed up because Brian is coming over.”
Carl snorted. “Like the guy has never been to this house before? Get a freaking grip!”
Debbie put her hands on her hips. “You heard Carl - now get out there and get that stuff ready for the cookout. They should be here soon.” She waited a moment. “I said move your asses!”
They moved their asses.
Michael and Gus sullenly did their chores, eyeing each other suspiciously.
“This reminds me of when Justin was living here,” Michael finally said as he wiped down the picnic table with a wet rag.
Gus set down the bag of charcoal. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, I was always bitching at Justin and he was always bitching at me. He was like a pain-in-the-ass little brother - just like you!”
Gus frowned. “I didn’t know you two lived here at the same time. I thought you moved out before that.”
“I did,” said Michael. “But I was over here every day to see Ma and Uncle Vic. And a lot of my stuff was here. He was living in my bedroom and I didn’t want him to touch my things!”
“And they're still here,” Gus added. “Those comic book curtains are pretty ragged. And those ballerinas on the wall! Sweet! Or did Justin put those up there?”
“Those curtains are Captain Astro!” said Michael defensively. “And Ma put the ballerina prints up. I think she was trying to make me gay.”
“I guess it worked,” Gus sniped. “So Uncle Vic was in the other bedroom? Did he like those purple curtains? And the bedspread?”
“Emmett brought those with him when he lived here. Vic wasn’t big on purple curtains.” Michael ripped off some more paper towels and dried off the picnic table.
“Is there anybody who didn’t live in this house?” Gus asked.
“Brian,” Michael said. “I tried to tell him that he could move in when we were in high school. That’s when he was having trouble with his father.” Michael paused. “Although that was all the time. But especially right before he… never mind!”
“Before he ran away, you mean,” said Gus. “To New York.”
“He could have lived here! Ma said it was okay. And his crappy parents wouldn’t have cared! They barely cared when he ran away. And they sure didn’t care when he came home. That’s what gets me - they didn’t give a shit!”
“I know,” said Gus. “When I met my… my grandmother at the hospital after the accident… she was such a bitch! And Dad’s sister - my aunt, I guess. What a pair of cunts!”
“You said it. They’ve always been like that. I could never understand it. Brian was always… always so great! He was smart and handsome and tall… and everything I wanted to be. Everything.” Michael looked away.
“You really loved him, didn’t you?”
“No comment,” said Michael.
“You still love him,” said Gus. “I know you do.”
“I love Ben,” Michael asserted. “He’s my husband and we’re happy. I finally have the life I always dreamed about but never thought I could have. And that’s the truth.”
“But you still love my dad,” Gus stated the obvious. “You’ll always love him. And he knows it. He’s always known it.”
Michael stared at the kid. “No shit, Sherlock. Just finish with that grill and stop the psychoanalysis.”
“You know, if Brian had stayed here and not gone to New York, then he never would have met Ron.”
“So?” What was the kid’s point?
“Then everything would have been different. Just one different thing happens in your life and everything is different! Did you ever think about that?”
Michael closed his eyes. “Yes, I’ve thought about it. But this is the life we’re living. With these choices we’ve made. That’s the reality. You can’t go back and change things - unless you’ve got a time machine.”
“Or a Tardis,” Gus smirked.
“I didn’t think you were a Doctor Who fan,” said Michael in surprise.
“I’m not,” Gus returned. “I think it’s stupid. Like comic books. Except for ‘Rage’ - that’s awesome.”
“Only because it’s Brian,” Michael pointed out. “But you’re right. It IS awesome.”
“So are you and Justin really going to work together again on ‘Rage’?” Gus had seen the storyboards Justin made over in Michael’s office at Red Cape.
“We’re trying,” Michael admitted. “‘Rage’ was never the same after Justin stopped drawing him. Maybe we can get the old feeling back. Make it cutting edge again.”
“It’s been over ten years. They could try to make that movie now,” said Gus. “There are more gay characters in comic books now. And in the movies, too.”
Michael shrugged. “Brett Keller let the option lapse a long time ago. But you never know.”
“If Dad had never met Ron, then he wouldn’t have gone out to California. They never would have gotten married! And I wouldn’t have gone out to live with them. I’d still be up in Toronto, miserable!”
“Maybe you’d have been here in the Pitts, living with Brian… and Justin.”
Gus blinked. “You think?”
“They would have gotten back together,” said Michael. “It was inevitable. It’s always inevitable with those two. Look at now. They’re back together again. A little late, but still together. You know what I mean?”
Gus looked pained. “I know what you mean. But it’s hard. I don’t like sharing Dad with anyone, let alone Justin!”
“Welcome to the club, kid!” Michael said. “But the more you fight it, the more you’re going to piss off Brian. And don’t you want him to be happy? Because I think he deserves to be happy. And Justin… yeah, he’s a bratty kid brother, but he was there when Brian got hurt. And he’s still here.”
“But is he going to stay this time?” Gus asked.
Michael sighed. “Who the fuck knows? But he’s here now. And I think they love each other, even after all the shit they’ve put each other through.”
“Maybe,” Gus conceded.
“And Justin loves you, too. You might not want to believe it, but he does. I was there the night you were born and so was Justin. I saw him around you for five years. He loved you… and you loved him.” Michael stopped and turned his head. “I hear the Jeep. It makes more noise than a fucking truck!”
Gus straightened his tee shirt and ran his hands through his tousled hair. “They’re here. Finally.”
“Yes,” said Michael. “Finally.”
My recovery from the loss of Charles De Gallbladder has been a lot
slower than I'd hoped for, so it's been difficult to get back into my
regular routine. I'm hoping that I've now turned that corner.
And so…
It's Sunday at Debbie and Carl's...
By Gaedhal
Pittsburgh, August 2016
“Do you think he’ll come?” Gus asked anxiously. “I mean, do you think he wants to come?”
“Jesus, kid, give it a rest,” said Michael under his breath.
“Justin said he’d do everything he could to get him over here,” Debbie said reassuringly. “And Sunshine can be pretty persuasive. Why, anybody who can get Brian Kinney to almost say ‘I do’ is pretty fucking persuasive!”
Gus frowned. “But Ron actually got him to say ‘I do.’ I know because I was at the wedding.”
“Yeah,” said Michael. “So was I. I was the Best Man.”
“No you weren’t!” Gus retorted. “I was Dad’s Best Man!”
“You were just a kid… and I was the Best Man!” Michael shook his head. Fucking brat!
“No you weren’t!” Gus dug in his heels.
“Basta!” Deb yelled. “Enough! You’re like a couple of fucking five-year-olds. So do something productive. Michael, you clean off the picnic table. And Gus open up the grill and make sure there’s enough charcoal. And no bickering! If I’m sick of it then imagine how much Brian is going to hate it. You want him to leave before he even eats a hot dog? Keep up this shit and he will. Is that what you two want?”
Both boys hung their heads.
“No,” said Michael. “But he started it.”
“I did not!” Gus bristled.
“Shut the hell up!” said Carl, coming up from his basement man-cave. “You two are louder than the ballgame.”
“Sorry, hon,” said Debbie, kissing her husband. “They’re all keyed up because Brian is coming over.”
Carl snorted. “Like the guy has never been to this house before? Get a freaking grip!”
Debbie put her hands on her hips. “You heard Carl - now get out there and get that stuff ready for the cookout. They should be here soon.” She waited a moment. “I said move your asses!”
They moved their asses.
Michael and Gus sullenly did their chores, eyeing each other suspiciously.
“This reminds me of when Justin was living here,” Michael finally said as he wiped down the picnic table with a wet rag.
Gus set down the bag of charcoal. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, I was always bitching at Justin and he was always bitching at me. He was like a pain-in-the-ass little brother - just like you!”
Gus frowned. “I didn’t know you two lived here at the same time. I thought you moved out before that.”
“I did,” said Michael. “But I was over here every day to see Ma and Uncle Vic. And a lot of my stuff was here. He was living in my bedroom and I didn’t want him to touch my things!”
“And they're still here,” Gus added. “Those comic book curtains are pretty ragged. And those ballerinas on the wall! Sweet! Or did Justin put those up there?”
“Those curtains are Captain Astro!” said Michael defensively. “And Ma put the ballerina prints up. I think she was trying to make me gay.”
“I guess it worked,” Gus sniped. “So Uncle Vic was in the other bedroom? Did he like those purple curtains? And the bedspread?”
“Emmett brought those with him when he lived here. Vic wasn’t big on purple curtains.” Michael ripped off some more paper towels and dried off the picnic table.
“Is there anybody who didn’t live in this house?” Gus asked.
“Brian,” Michael said. “I tried to tell him that he could move in when we were in high school. That’s when he was having trouble with his father.” Michael paused. “Although that was all the time. But especially right before he… never mind!”
“Before he ran away, you mean,” said Gus. “To New York.”
“He could have lived here! Ma said it was okay. And his crappy parents wouldn’t have cared! They barely cared when he ran away. And they sure didn’t care when he came home. That’s what gets me - they didn’t give a shit!”
“I know,” said Gus. “When I met my… my grandmother at the hospital after the accident… she was such a bitch! And Dad’s sister - my aunt, I guess. What a pair of cunts!”
“You said it. They’ve always been like that. I could never understand it. Brian was always… always so great! He was smart and handsome and tall… and everything I wanted to be. Everything.” Michael looked away.
“You really loved him, didn’t you?”
“No comment,” said Michael.
“You still love him,” said Gus. “I know you do.”
“I love Ben,” Michael asserted. “He’s my husband and we’re happy. I finally have the life I always dreamed about but never thought I could have. And that’s the truth.”
“But you still love my dad,” Gus stated the obvious. “You’ll always love him. And he knows it. He’s always known it.”
Michael stared at the kid. “No shit, Sherlock. Just finish with that grill and stop the psychoanalysis.”
“You know, if Brian had stayed here and not gone to New York, then he never would have met Ron.”
“So?” What was the kid’s point?
“Then everything would have been different. Just one different thing happens in your life and everything is different! Did you ever think about that?”
Michael closed his eyes. “Yes, I’ve thought about it. But this is the life we’re living. With these choices we’ve made. That’s the reality. You can’t go back and change things - unless you’ve got a time machine.”
“Or a Tardis,” Gus smirked.
“I didn’t think you were a Doctor Who fan,” said Michael in surprise.
“I’m not,” Gus returned. “I think it’s stupid. Like comic books. Except for ‘Rage’ - that’s awesome.”
“Only because it’s Brian,” Michael pointed out. “But you’re right. It IS awesome.”
“So are you and Justin really going to work together again on ‘Rage’?” Gus had seen the storyboards Justin made over in Michael’s office at Red Cape.
“We’re trying,” Michael admitted. “‘Rage’ was never the same after Justin stopped drawing him. Maybe we can get the old feeling back. Make it cutting edge again.”
“It’s been over ten years. They could try to make that movie now,” said Gus. “There are more gay characters in comic books now. And in the movies, too.”
Michael shrugged. “Brett Keller let the option lapse a long time ago. But you never know.”
“If Dad had never met Ron, then he wouldn’t have gone out to California. They never would have gotten married! And I wouldn’t have gone out to live with them. I’d still be up in Toronto, miserable!”
“Maybe you’d have been here in the Pitts, living with Brian… and Justin.”
Gus blinked. “You think?”
“They would have gotten back together,” said Michael. “It was inevitable. It’s always inevitable with those two. Look at now. They’re back together again. A little late, but still together. You know what I mean?”
Gus looked pained. “I know what you mean. But it’s hard. I don’t like sharing Dad with anyone, let alone Justin!”
“Welcome to the club, kid!” Michael said. “But the more you fight it, the more you’re going to piss off Brian. And don’t you want him to be happy? Because I think he deserves to be happy. And Justin… yeah, he’s a bratty kid brother, but he was there when Brian got hurt. And he’s still here.”
“But is he going to stay this time?” Gus asked.
Michael sighed. “Who the fuck knows? But he’s here now. And I think they love each other, even after all the shit they’ve put each other through.”
“Maybe,” Gus conceded.
“And Justin loves you, too. You might not want to believe it, but he does. I was there the night you were born and so was Justin. I saw him around you for five years. He loved you… and you loved him.” Michael stopped and turned his head. “I hear the Jeep. It makes more noise than a fucking truck!”
Gus straightened his tee shirt and ran his hands through his tousled hair. “They’re here. Finally.”
“Yes,” said Michael. “Finally.”