Golem

Friday came, and Brian picked up Julian en route to Lindsey and Melanie's. Julian was obviously nervous; he fidgeted and station surfed on the car radio until Brian snapped at him. He was more subdued after that and remained mostly still and quiet for the remainder of the ride.

Lindsey opened the door almost as soon as Brian knocked and ushered them inside. Brian brushed a kiss across her cheek as he stepped past her into the house.

"Where's Sonny Boy?" he asked.

"He's playing in his room," she replied. She then turned her attention to Julian, extending her hand to him. "I'm Lindsey," she said.

"Julian," he replied, taking her hand in his and bowing low over it. "Thank you for inviting me tonight, Lindsey."

"Make yourself at home," Lindsey invited, frowning slightly at Brian who had flung his jacket over the back of a chair and was sprawled on the sofa.

Julian hung his jacket on the peg Lindsey pointed out to him and then perched uneasily on the edge of the sofa, forearms resting on his knees and hands clasped loosely in front of him. He popped up again as Melanie stepped into the room.

"You must be Julian," she said offering him her hand and a less than sincere smile. "I'm Melanie."

Julian gave her hand a brief, firm shake. "Pleased to meet you, Melanie," he said.

Melanie made a non-committal sound, and Lindsey not-so-discreetly elbowed her, frowning at Mel's lack of social grace.

"It's all right, Lindsey," Julian assured her. "I understand that you've been put in an awkward situation. I...If you'd rather I go, I'd understand completely."

"No," Brian said, suddenly standing by Julian's side. "You're not going anywhere."

"Since when do you call the shots in my house?" Melanie demanded hotly.

"Melanie, Brian..." Lindsey said, her voice calm but threatening. "Julian is our guest," she said to Melanie. "He's here at my invitation," she reminded her. "Brian's right. You're not going anywhere," she told Julian with a warm smile.

Julian relaxed slightly and gave Lindsey's hand a grateful little squeeze.

"Can you two play nicely while I go and check on dinner?" Lindsey asked of Brian and Mel. They each gave a little snort, almost in unison, and Lindsey smirked slightly as she headed to the kitchen.

"So," Melanie said, searching for something to talk about. "How did you meet Brian?"

"Actually...through Vangard. Business, you know?" Julian answered vaguely as he returned to his seat on the sofa.

"Isn't it a bit unethical to sleep with your clients?" Mel asked Brian.

Julian rolled his eyes. "We're not..." he began, but Brian cut him off.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Brian told Mel, his voice tight with barely restrained hostility.

"It became my business when your boyfriend spent half the night crying on my shoulder because you lied to him and fucked around on him," Mel snapped.

"I never fucked around on Michael," Brian snarled.

"Like I believe that. You always made a point of letting everyone know your views on monogamy and relationships...."

"I wouldn't do that to him!" Brian snapped. He stood and shrugged into his jacket.

"Brian." Julian spoke with gentle authority, drawing Brian's attention away from Melanie. "Lindsey was kind enough to invite me here; I think we owe it to her to stick around for a while."

Brian stood for a moment, turning the options over in his head. The decision to stay was made for him when Gus barreled into the room shouting "Daddy!" He swung the little boy up into the air, a smile curving his lips for the first time that night.

"Hey Sonny Boy," Brian said affectionately, hugging his son tightly.

"Did you bwing me a supwise?" Gus wanted to know.

Brian laughed. "Yeah, I guess I did," he said, turning slightly so that Gus could see Julian.

Gus let out a delighted squeal and began trying to wiggle out of Brian's grasp.

"Jew-yen!" he cried as he scurried over to the sofa and crawled into Julian's lap.

"Hey, Gus," Julian said softly. "I wasn't sure you'd remember me. It's been a long time since we've seen each other."

Gus immediately became fascinated with the buttons on Julian's shirt, his tiny fingers working the buttons through the holes. "Can I go to your house?" he asked.

Julian chuckled. "Not this time, Gus. Maybe sometime."

"Tomorrow?"

Julian laughed again. "I don't think so, Gus."

"I didn't realize you two knew each other," Melanie interrupted, her face clearly showing her disapproval.

"We played together in the park a while back, didn't we, Gus?" Julian said.

"We went down the slide," Gus said, nodding enthusiastically, his hands now busy rebuttoning Julian's shirt.

"He's great with Gus," Brian said quietly as he draped his jacket over the back of the chair again.

Just then, Lindsey announced that dinner was ready. They all sat down to eat, Gus situated between his mom and dad.

"Sit by me," Gus told Julian.

With a grin and a slight shrug, Brian exchanged seats with Julian. Gus chattered happily with Julian through dinner, earning Julian a slight reprieve from the barrage of questions that Melanie and Lindsey threw his way.

After dinner, Julian insisted on helping Lindsey with the clearing up while Brian spent some time with his son. The instant that Julian settled on the sofa by Brian, however, Gus turned his full attention on him again. He crawled into Julian's lap and insisted that Julian tell him a story.

"A story?" Julian asked. "What kind of story?"

"'Bout angels," Gus said.

"You remember that?" Julian asked in a near whisper, his voice filled with wonder.

"What do you remember about the angels?"

"They watch me, keep me safe," Gus replied matter-of-factly.

"That's right," Julian said with a soft smile. "Do you remember their names?" Gus nodded. "Gabe-rell an' Jus'in."

"That's right - Gabriel and Justin," Julian confirmed.

"You told him Justin's his guardian angel?" Brian asked, his voice choked with emotion.

"Yeah," Julian admitted, hugging Gus to him. "I hope you don't mind."

Brian could only shake his head slightly. His jaw tightened noticeably, and he cupped Julian's cheek with one slightly shaky hand. Then he was on his feet, all but running from the room.

Lindsey stood to follow him, but Julian stopped her, quietly calling her name.

"If he wanted you to see him cry, he wouldn't have left the room," he reasoned.

Melanie and Lindsey exchanged a look. "So, Brian's told you about Justin?" Lindsey asked what both of them were wondering.

Julian nodded. "That's kind of how we came to be friends."

The girls wisely asked no more questions - for the moment - and they all passed text ext several minutes by talking to and playing with Gus. They all looked up when Brian walked back in, still tense but somewhat calmer than when he left.

"When did you tell Gus about Justin?" Brian asked quietly.

"The day we visited Justin's grave."

"Linds..." Brian began, swallowing hard. "Do you...do you have any pictures of in?\in?"

Lindsey stood without a word and went to retrieve a photo album. She gave it to Brian and then gave him a reassuring hug. Brian sat down next to Julian, took a deep breath, and opened the album.

For the next half hour, Brian sifted through photographs and memories, telling Julian and Gus about the events featured in the pictures or asking Lindsey about anything that looked unfamiliar. The very last page of the album held a single photograph - a glossy color print of Justin in his tuxedo, standing on the stairs at Deb's house just before he left for the prom. He was smiling his best sunshine smile, and Brian's carefully controlled calm snapped.

Setting the album aside, Brian drew Gus into his lap and cuddled the boy close, hiding his face against the child's hair. Julian edged closer, wrapping his arm around Brian's shoulders and resting his forehead against Brian's temple.

"It's Gus's bedtime," Melanie said softly, even though it was a half hour earlier than they usually put Gus to bed. She and Lindsey took Gus upstairs, leaving Brian and Julian alone.

"I need to get out of here," Brian admitted, his voice unsteady.

"Let's go then," Julian said. He pulled on his jacket as Brian shrugged into his, and then deftly retrieved the keys from Brian's pocket. Once in the car, he said "I need to know where I'm going. I have no idea where you live, and I'm not leaving you alone tonight."

Brian didn't argue. He merely gave Julian the briefest possible directions to the loft and then leaned back into the seat, his mind a million miles away.