One -  Calling

Brian threw open the door and walked away as Michael stepped inside.  He’d only taken his attention from his cell phone for a second.
“Sorry, had to get the door.”
On the other end of the phone, a gentle North English accent replied, “Didn’t know you were expecting someone.”
“It’s Mikey.”
“Ah, the one you never shut up about.”
Brian smiled at the tease.  “Like there’s no one in your life like that.”
Hesitation.  “You two can’t ever meet.”
“And why not?”
“Because I’d lose you.”
Brian’s breath caught in his throat at the innocent words.  He glanced at Michael, locking his gaze for a moment with his friend’s confused expression.  Then he looked away, closing his eyes and walking towards the raised platform.  “You’ll never lose me.”  He hoped Michael hadn’t heard the words.  He could barely believe he’d said them.
“Yeah, right.”  The moment passed.  “I sent you something.  When it arrives, I expect you to wear it one night and call me when you get home, tell me the effect it had.”
A smile played over Brian’s face.  “I’ll do just that.  I gotta go.”  A part of him could have stayed on the phone all night.  It had been half an hour already.  It had rung just as he was parking the jeep when he got back from work.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d just talked to a guy outside his usual circle of friends.  But this guy… this was different somehow.
“Have a good night, Bri.”
“You too.  Give that man of yours a big kiss for me.”  He heard the “ummm” on the end of the phone and hung up.

Michael was helping himself to a drink.  Feeling oddly vulnerable, Brian dropped his cell phone to the couch as he passed and walked to his friend, wrapping his arms around Michael’s chest, standing behind him, holding him.  Surprised, Michael curled his fingers around Brian’s forearms.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”  But he buried his face in Michael’s soft dark hair, breathing him in, just needing closeness at that moment.  How could a simple phone call dismantle him so easily?  Michael just stayed there, letting himself be cuddled.  It wasn’t often he got this from Brian, and for a moment he was intensely aware that he owed Mikey so much more than the snippets of affection he handed out.

“Are you sure?”
Brian nodded.  “I’m sure.”  Reluctantly, he untangled himself, backing away.  Michael turned, suddenly feeling brave.  He reached out, lay his open hand on Brian’s shoulder.  The dark head lifted, and again their gazes met.  The world melted away from them as Brian lifted his hand to wrap it around the back of Michael’s head.  Slowly, he drew that trusting face to him, leaning down to close the gap.

They’d kissed before, but only once or twice had it been like this.  They devoured one another, the kiss lengthening and deepening.  They both stepped forward, Michael wrapped his arms up around Brian’s neck, feeling his best friend’s coming around his waist.  There was desperation in the kiss, desperation that Michael thought might have been born of the conflict between them since Justin’s arrival on the scene, and later, David’s.

Yet there seemed more to it, something about the phone call he’d caught the end of.  Michael felt Brian’s fingers on the buttons of his shirt, and that jerked him back to reality.  He didn’t pull away, didn’t break the kiss.  He’d been waiting sixteen years for this.  But something had happened outside of them to bring this about, and before they did anything he’d regret he wanted to know what.

Bringing one arm from around Brian’s neck, Michael covered his friend’s hand where it was on the fifth button down, stilling it.  Brian ended the kiss, drawing back, his expression one of surprise at himself.  “Mikey… I’m sorry.”  He actually looked horrified at his own actions and that surprised Michael.
“It’s okay,” he murmured carefully.
“No, it isn’t.”  Brian shook his head, backing off.  “Christ, Mikey, I’m always using you.”
Now he knew for sure there was something wrong.  “Who was on the phone?”
“No one.”  He shook his head.  “Just… just a friend.”
Michael watched the love of his life walk away from him.  Brian wrapped one arm around his own ribcage and raised the other so he could chew on his thumbnail.  To Michael he looked suddenly very young.  “I didn’t know you had any friends that weren’t us.”  There was no accusation or insult in the words, just simple knowledge and fact.  At least it got a shadow of a smile.

Brian stopped by the fridge and leaned back against the cold epoxy door.  “He’s a guy I met over the internet.  No biggy.”
Michael’s eyebrows rose, “I didn’t think you met people over the internet, I thought you just fucked them.”
Those dark, soulful eyes flicked up to meet Michael’s, and dropped again.  Brian sighed, pushing away from the fridge.  “We’ll be late.”
 

fin part one
elfin