~Gratitude
is the realization that we have everything we need, at least in this moment.---M.J. Ryan~
Prologue
I poured some beam into a
glass and listened to the yelling that was coming from the living room.
"What the fuck were
you THINKING? Are you out of your fucking MIND?"
I walk to Brian and hand
him the glass. He looks at me, and for a moment his face softens. There is a
look of understanding between us. I always know what he needs.
"I could use some
too." Gus mumbles, his eyes staring intently at the floor as he sits in
front of us on the couch.
"You shut your
mouth. You are in deep shit trouble." Brian tells his son. Gus says
nothing.
"Bri...give
him a break." I say softly. Brian cocks an eye brow at me.
"A
break? A break? The little shit ran away from home, took a fucking BUS 10 hours here, and now just EXPECTS me to let
him live with m...us!" I smile.
"I think its sweet." I tell him.
He opens his mouth to
protest but he sees the smirk that is on my lips and he quickly closes his mouth.
We both turn our heads to look at Gus. He is staring at us,
face flushed, and eyes red. Brian had been yelling at him for at least an hour
now. He was pretty beaten down. I sit down on the couch next to him.
"What happened,
Gus?"
He lets out a huge sigh
and leans back on the couch. "I just...I couldn't stay there anymore. They
were always on my case about shit. I couldn't do anything. And they were
snooping in my room."
I look up at Brian and he
is wincing.
"So you thought you
could just come here, live with us and we'd let you get away with anything you
want!" Brian yells.
"Take it easy,
Brian." I tell him.
"Why can't I stay
with you! You're my father!" Gus is hysterical. I
place my hand on his shoulder and squeeze. I look up at Brian with a pleading
look. He sighs and finally sits down next to his son. He hands Gus the glass of
beam. Gus looks at him with wide eyes and slowly takes the glass from his
father's hand. He takes a tiny sip and makes a disgusted face. Brian and I both
laugh.
"Gus, your mother's
will never let you live with me." Brian tells him.
Gus lets out a huge sigh.
"Maybe if Justin talked to them." He looks
at me with a pleading look. My eyes shift to Brian. His lips are pulled into
his mouth and his eyes are half closed. He is silent for a long time, before he
finally speaks.
"Fine."
Gus's head snaps to look
at his Father's direction. "What?"
Brian lets out a huge
sigh. "I said FINE. You can live with us. If Mel and Linds
agree...you....can live with us in the new house."
A huge smile spreads
across my lips and it took everything I had not to jump over Gus and throw my
arms around Brian.
"Really!!?? Are you serious???" Gus
exclaims.
Brian nods and takes his
drink back from Gus and downs it.
"SWEET!" Gus's face looked like the fourth
of July. Brian stands up and walks to the kitchen to pour himself more liquor.
I wrap my arm around Gus's shoulder and pull him to me.
"I told you." I
whisper in his ear. He smirks at me.
"Yea, you were
right. He caved." I tussle his hair and we get up
off the couch. Gus walks to his father and stands in front of him. Brian leers
down at him, his tongue rolled into his cheek. Gus throws his arms around
Brian.
Brian's eyes widen and he
looks at me for help. I smile. His arms slowly go around Gus.
"Thank you." I
hear Gus whisper into his shoulder. Brian closes his eyes. "Yea."
Gus lets go of Brian and
shoves his hands in his pockets.
"Alright, now go get
in trouble or something. Have fun while you can cause once we move in, there
are going to be rules." Brian tells him.
"Rules? What kind of rules?" Gus's
eyes widen.
"I'm not sure yet. but I'll think of some." Brian smiles at him.
Gus nods and heads toward
the door. "I'll be Uncle Mikey's store."
"Be home for
dinner!" I yell to him. Brian smirks at me. Yea, I was going to the mother
and wife in this arrangement.
"Ok, Dad." Gus
smiles and throws open the loft door. "Oh, and by the way. Fuck now,
because I don''t want to
hear you while I'm asleep on the couch tonight." The loft door slams shut.
"Little shit."
Brian mumbles and takes a swig of Beam right from the bottle. I laugh and walk
to him. I grab the bottle from his hand and set it down on the counter.
"You did a good
thing, Brian." He narrows his eyes at me at first, then
softens. He wraps his arms around me and I nuzzle into his chest.
"So
much for us being alone." He mumbles into my hair.
"Doesn't
matter. Britin is big enough. We will be alone a lot."
"We'll make sure his
room is the farthest one from our bedroom." I laugh at him and kiss his neck.
"Ok, Dad." He
winces.
I let go of him and walk
to the other side of the counter. "Come look at the couches I picked
out." He peers over my shoulder at the magazine, his hands placed firmly
on my hips.
"Red,
huh?" I
nod and look at him over my shoulder.
"Mmmm." He flips the pages on the magazine and rubs his fingers
on my waist.
"I don't think you
should sell the loft." I say as I fold down corners on the pages of the
furniture I like. He grabs my hand and turns me around.
"No?" He asks,
with a serious look in his eyes.
I shake my head.
"No. You can't get rid of it. There's too many
memories here." I look into his eyes and he smiles.
"But we are going to
make new memories...." He trails off, placing soft kisses on my face.
"I know, and we
will. But I mean what if you end up working real late, or you're late coming
home from the club? It would be crazy to drive all the way to Britin. You could just stay here."
He smiles and kisses me
firmly. "Ok."
I brush past him and
begin to walk to the bedroom. I needed a shower.
"So you're really
staying this time?" I hear him say. I turn to find him leaning down across
the counter, his fingers resting under his chin. He is tracing imaginary
circles on the counter with his finger. He is fucking adorable.
"Yes, Brian. I told
you. I'm staying. This time, and every time after that.
And every time you ask me, I'll tell you the same thing. Yes. Time after Time."
***