Our Band of Brothers Chapter Three –
Justin’s Epiphany
Jean-Francois lay in Henri’s arms,
thinking about everything he had learned about the guys today. Greg and Cory’s experience with their Dad
had shaken him to his core. He couldn’t
imagine how a parent could turn against their own flesh and blood. It was in complete contrast to his mother,
who had always been very accepting and supportive of him. He had come out to her, when he was fourteen
years old. He had also come out to his
cousin, Jean-Michael, at the same time.
It had been a good thing that he had a safe harbor at home, because he
didn’t have it in school.
J.F. hadn’t come out to anyone at
school. In fact, he had tried to hide
the fact he was gay. At some point, he
had slipped up and word had gotten out that he was gay. The jocks at school had harassed him
constantly, whenever Jean-Michael wasn’t around.
After he graduated from Falls High
School (École secondaire des Chutes), he met Henri through some friends. He smiled as he remembered their first face
to face meeting.
*** ***
Jean-Francois stood in front of the mirror in
his room, primping. His dark brown hair
was spiked, and he wore diamond studs (a gift from his mother). He was very nervous about going out on his
first blind date. His friend, Martel,
had set him up with Henri. He wore
tight-fitting jeans and a white mesh muscle shirt with an unbuttoned, blue
plaid, long sleeve shirt over the top.
He had rolled up the sleeves of the shirt nearly to his elbows. J.M. had helped him shave off all of his body
hair earlier in the day. J.M. had
teased him about being a twink.
His chocolate brown eyes met his cousin’s eyes
in the mirror. “Do I look okay? I don’t’ want to look like a slut.”
Jean-Michael looked at his cousin, and said, “J.F.
you look great! Stop worrying about how
you look. Henri already thinks your
super hot from the photos you sent him!”
J.F. turned to J.M., and said, “I want to make
a good first impression. What if he
doesn’t like me?”
They heard the doorbell ring. J.F. was off like he had been shot. J.M. followed him at a more sedate pace. He arrived in the foyer, in time to see his
Aunt Loren opening the door to admit Henri.
She said, “Welcome to our home, Henri.”
He replied, “Thank you, Ma’am.” His face lit up with a huge smile, when he
saw Jean-Francois.
J.F. came forward to take Henri’s hand. “I’m Jean-Francois.”
Henri said, “I’m Henri Girard.”
“Come with me, please,” J.F. said, leading him
into the front room. He sat down on the
loveseat, with Henri joining him.
J.M. and Loren followed them into the front
room, and seated themselves on the couch opposite the two young men.
Loren asked, “Henri, are you from around
here?”
“Yes, I’m from Trois Rivieres,” he responded. “I’m the oldest of three children. I have two younger brothers. My Mom and Dad are very Catholic, but are
very open minded about gays. I came out
to them when I was in high school.
Loren stated, “How old are you?”
J.F. said, “I already told you how old he is,
Mom.”
“I know, dear, but I’m just confirming what
you said,” she said, smiling at Henri.
“I’m 22 years old. I hope you don’t mind me dating your son,
Mrs. Fortin.”
“Please call me Mom, Henri, and I’m fine with
you dating my son,” Loren said. “I just
wanted to know more about you, before you take my most prized possession out on
the town.”
Henri smiled.
“I promise to bring him home safe.”
Loren said, “I’m sure you will.”
J.F. stood up, and turned to pull Henri to his
feet. Henri liked the feel of J.F.’s
small hands in his. He gave J.F. a quick
once over, and smiled, broadly, at his date.
J.F. returned Henri’s smile. He,
also, liked what he saw. He had already
given Henri the once over, as he waited to introduce himself to him in the
foyer. Henri was everything he thought
he would be – tall, dark, and extremely handsome.
*** ***
He was brought back to the present by Henri’s
soft touch on his cheek. “What are you
thinking about, J.F.?”
“I was thinking about the first time I saw
you,” J.F. responded, reaching up to take Henri’s hand in his.
Henri smiled, “I’m glad to see you smile.”
J.F. said, “I’ve been thinking about J.M.’s
roommates. They have been through so
much.”
Henri said, “Yes, they have. I think they can help you, J.F., because they
know the pain you’re going through.”
J.F. nodded his head in agreement. “They do know.”
Henri said, “I think Peyton has been through
some terrible things. I was watching
him, as Justin narrated his story. He is
still suffering from whatever happened to him.”
J.F. said, “I sensed that, as well. Jonathan is very protective of him, just as
you are of me.”
Henri smiled, and said, “You’re right, J.F., I
did notice how Jonathan and Peyton interact with each other.”
“Whatever happened, it must be recent, because
no one spoke of it, tonight,” J.F. said.
“I think all of them are protecting Peyton.”
Henri thought for a moment about what J.F. had
said about Peyton. He went over in his
mind the little things he had noticed about Peyton and Jonathan, specifically
how the others acted around them. He had
overheard Greg asking Peyton how he was doing.
He hadn’t heard the response, but when he walked into the room, they had
suddenly stopped talking.
“I think you might be right, but I think it’s
because Peyton is very fragile and needs to be sheltered,” Henri said. He explained what he had overheard.
J.F. said, “When I first met Peyton, I wanted
to reach out and help him. I could see
that he was suffering much more than I am.”
They both went silent for a while, until they
both started talking at the same time.
Henri laughed, and said, “You go first.”
J.F. kissed him, and said, “Thank you, mon
cher. Je t’aime (I love you). I think we should move here. Maybe we can even become roommates here. Justin said that he and his husband want to
move to their own place.”
Henri looked at J.F. in surprise, and asked,
“Why do you want to move here, J.F.?”
“I just feel comfortable here. I think we would be happy here,” J.F. said.
“What will we do?” Henri asked. “I don’t have work, and neither do you.”
“We can find work. Justin is a businessman and I’m sure he has
connections,” J.F. said, confidently.
“I’m not sure we should take advantage of our
friends in that way,” Henri said.
“Let’s, at least, ask them what they think,”
J.F. said.
“Okay, but I don’t like the idea of leaning on
them for a job. If we can find our own
work, I’ll agree to move here. Plus, did
you think about what we need to do, before we can move here?” Henri asked.
“Yes, I have.
We can apply for student visas, just like J.M. I would like to go to school, here,” J.F.
said.
Henri looked at J.F., and asked, “Are you
okay, J.F.? I’m thinking that you’re not
in your right mind.”
J.F. laughed.
“I’m in my right mind, Henri, I assure you.”
J.F.’s laugh was a good indication he was
feeling better, but Henri wasn’t sure he was quite sane, at the moment. Moving to Minneapolis was the last thing he
wanted to do. He wanted them to be married,
first, before they made any big decisions about where they would live.
He ran his hands over J.F.’s baby smooth
skin. J.F. grinned, and said, “That
tickles.”
“Good, I want to tickle you somewhere else,”
Henri said, kissing his lover.
J.F. looked deeply into Henri’s eyes. “I want you in me, now.”
As he complied with J.F.’s request, Henri said,
“I love you, Jean-Francois.”
*** ***
Jonathan held Peyton in his arms, and kissed
him. “What do you think about our
friends from Quebec?”
Peyton rubbed noses with his husband, and
said, “I like them, especially J.M. He’s
really hot.”
Jonathan said, “I agree. He seems like a pretty standup guy, but what
about his cousin, J.F.?”
“I’m thinking Justin is right about him. J.F. needs a lot of support right now, just as
I do.”
Jonathan asked, “Are you saying you want to
share with them your experiences, like Justin, Greg and Cory did?”
Peyton pondered the question for a few
minutes. “I’m not sure about that. I wanted us to start fresh, without the issue
of my jail time hanging over our heads.
I’m afraid sharing my experiences would only serve to remind me of what
I want to leave behind.”
Jonathan said, “I think we should wait,
Babe. We don’t know these guys very
well, and you don’t know how they will react.”
Peyton said, “You’re right, as always,
Jonathan.” He kissed his husband, and
said, “I love you.”
“Speaking of love, I want you to make love to
me, Peyton,” Jonathan said. “It’s your
turn to fuck me.”
Peyton smiled, running his hand over
Jonathan’s six-pack abs. “It would be my
pleasure.”
Afterward, they lay in each other arms, enjoying
the euphoria that follows fantastic sex with someone you love!
A short time later, Peyton asked, “Are you
still awake?”
Jonathan mumbled, sleepily, “Yes, Babe.”
“We need to make an appointment with Dr.
Hansen, tomorrow,” Peyton said.
Jonathan said, “Okay.”
“All that talk about being abused and beaten
has brought back bad memories,” Peyton said.
Jonathan, now wide awake, said, “Do you need
your sleeping pills?”
Peyton nodded his head, as his body started to
tremble and shake from the memories of being beaten and sexually assaulted
flooded his mind. Jonathan got up, and
left the room. He made his way to the
kitchen. He was surprised to see the
light was on. He entered the kitchen to
find that J.F. sitting at the kitchen table.
J.F. looked up, and his eyes went wide, as he
looked over Jonathan’s naked body.
Jonathan smiled, “Do you like what you see?”
J.F. nodded his head, and grinned. “Yes, you look wonderful. Do you guys always run around without your
clothes?”
Jonathan said, “I can’t speak for the other
guys; but we aren’t nudists, so we don’t walk around naked all the time. We sleep naked and I didn’t stop to pull on
my underwear. I didn’t expect anyone to
still be awake. Peyton is having a rough
night, so I came down to get his medication and a glass of water.”
J.F. asked, “What happened to Peyton?”
Jonathan said, “You will have to ask Peyton
that question, but I can tell you that it was just as bad as what you heard
from the others. Peyton is still
recovering from what happened.”
Jonathan walked over to the sink. He opened a cupboard and grabbed a
glass. He turned on the cold water,
letting it run a minute, before filling the glass. He opened another cupboard, retrieving a
prescription bottle. He opened it,
shaking two pills into his hand. He put
the lid back on, and returned the bottle to the cupboard.
J.F. admired Jonathan’s bubble butt and
well-muscled shoulders and back. Jonathan
turned around and met his eyes. He
smiled, and said, “I’ll see you in the morning.”
J.F. said, “Thank you for the fantasy
material.”
Jonathan laughed. “I’m glad to be of service.”
He padded back up the stairs, and entered
their room. Peyton looked up, as
Jonathan turned, sat the glass on the nightstand and turned on the lamp. Peyton covered his eyes with his hand. “Here’s your meds, Babe.”
Peyton sat up, taking the pills and the glass
of water from his husband. He tossed the
pills in his mouth, and drank enough water to wash the pills down his
throat. “Thanks, Babe.”
Jonathan took the glass from Peyton’s hand,
and sat it on the table. He shut off the
light. He climbed into bed, taking
Peyton into his arms.
“It’s okay, Peyton,” he said, gently rubbing
Peyton’s back. Peyton’s trembling
gradually subsided, as the medicine helped him relax. He drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and
warm in Jonathan’s arms.
*** ***
J.F. sat at the kitchen table after Jonathan
left, thinking he needed to stop feeling sorry for himself, after hearing about
his friends’ stories. It was comforting
to him to know that J.M.’s roommates not only were gay, they also understood
what he was going through. For the first
time, he really felt there were people in the world he could relate to, who had
similar life experiences. He didn’t feel
so alone, as he had for so long, despite Henri’s constant love.
His therapist didn’t really understand the
trauma he had suffered. He helped J.F.
learn coping mechanisms, but he just didn’t get it. As much as Henri wanted to understand, he
didn’t get it, either. Meeting J.M.’s
roommates and hearing of their experiences convinced him he could beat the
depression that sapped his strength and his will to live. Watching them interact with their spouses,
J.F. learned they had successfully been able to form a close bond with another
individual. J.F. had been trying to
remain close to his boyfriend, but he just couldn’t seem to keep from
retreating from the world, including Henri.
J.F. decided he wanted to have what his
friends had – a loving marriage to a wonderful husband. He knew it would be hard work for him, but he
was determined to make things work between him and Henri. He stood up from the table, feeling much
better. His decision gave him hope and a
reason to fight back, to live his life the way he wanted it to be. He climbed the stairs, and entered the
bedroom where his cousin and his boyfriend were still sleeping. He walked, quietly, over to the bed and
climbed in beside Henri. Henri
automatically reached for J.F., pulling him close. J.F. drifted off to sleep, with his head on
Henri’s chest.
*** ***
The next day, J.F. woke up to find he was
alone in bed. He looked over to see that
J.M. was also gone. He wondered what
time it was. He rolled out of bed, and
walked over to pick up his cell phone off of the dresser. He looked at it, in surprise. It was nearly one in the afternoon. He had slept nearly 12 hours.
He stretched and yawned, widely. He walked into the en suite, and looked at
himself in the mirror. He noted that the
big black circles around his eyes had receded significantly. It had been weeks since he had been able
sleep through the night. He felt like a
huge burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. He quickly showered and dressed for the
day. He walked down the stairs and
entered the kitchen, where he found Justin seated at the kitchen table.
Justin looked up from the book he was reading,
and said, “Good afternoon, J.F.”
J.F. smiled.
“Hey, where is everyone?”
“They went out for pizza. I volunteered to stay behind, and wait for
you to wake up. I figured we could use
the time to talk,” Justin said. He stood
up, and walked over to the fridge, pulling out a ham and turkey sandwich and
some milk. He brought them to the
table. “I made you a sandwich, when I
heard you get into the shower. I’ve
already eaten, since I didn’t know when you would wake up.”
J.F. said, “Thank you.”
Justin walked over and retrieved a glass for
the milk, and turned to hand it to J.F.
“You’re welcome.”
J.F. said, “I’d like to say grace.”
Justin sat down and joined hands with
J.F. When J.F. finished, Justin asked,
“How are you feeling?”
J.F. replied, “I’m much better than I was
yesterday. Thank you for sharing your
experiences with me. I feel honored you
would trouble yourself to relive those memories, in order to help me get a grip
on myself.” He took bite of the
sandwich, and said, “Hmm….this is good.”
Justin said, “I’m glad you like it. I’m happy our experiences have helped you to
understand that you’re not alone, and we know what you’re going through.”
J.F. nodded his head, as he chewed another
bite of his sandwich. He swallowed and
took a drink of cold milk. “You guys are
so awesome! I never imagined I would
meet anyone I could use as a role model, until I met you guys.”
“What about Henri?” Justin asked, with raised
eyebrows.
“Henri is wonderful and I love him very much,
but he doesn’t get it, sometimes. You,
Greg and Cory know what it’s like to be beaten for being gay. You know the impact it has on a person, both
mentally and emotionally. I’ve watched
how you guys have been able to cope with what happened to you. I want Henri and I to have what you guys
have.”
“What is it you think we have?” Justin asked.
“You guys have loving and caring relationships
with your spouses. You have managed to
overcome the fear and the paralyzing depression that comes from being the
victim of abuse,” J.F. said. He saw
Justin’s doubtful look, and paused. “At
least, it appears that way.”
Justin said, “We have come a long ways; but,
don’t be fooled into thinking everything has magically returned to the way it
was before Alex started abusing me. As
for Greg and Cory, they have rough days, just as I do.”
J.F. said, “I didn’t mean to imply things were
back to normal, but you guys have managed to have meaningful relationships with
your husbands. I’m so afraid of letting
Henri get close to me.”
Justin said, “Don’t drive Henri away,
J.F. He loves you very much.”
J.F. said, “I know. That’s why I agreed to marry him. I’m afraid I’m too broken to be a husband for
him.”
“You’re not broken, J.F. You’re just bruised a little,” Justin said,
looking deeply into his eyes. “I can
sense you’re much stronger than you think.
Don’t let your fears keep you from having a wonderful marriage and a
great family with the one you love.”
He paused, rubbing his chin. He wondered if he dared share his deepest
spiritual experiences. He knew how most
gay guys felt about God and religion; but, despite his own negative experiences,
he had a deep abiding faith in God.
He decided to risk offending J.F., and asked,
“Are you religious?”
J.F. looked at Justin, wondering where this
question was going. “I was raised
Catholic. I still go to mass with my
mother every Sunday. Mom is religious,
but she accepts me for who I am.”
“After my parents disowned me, I was angry
with God. I blamed Him for my parents’
actions, as well as my brother’s. I
stayed as far away from anything religious for a long time. While I lived with Alex, I started to read
the Bible, again. I was convinced that
being beaten by Alex was God’s way of punishing me for being gay. Alex had me convinced that it was all my
fault that he was gay, and that I deserved to be beaten.”
“So, how did reading the Bible help you? Didn’t it just make you feel worse about
yourself?” J.F. asked.
Justin shook his head. “It helped me to remember how I felt when I
was younger. I was 14 when I did
something I’m not proud of, and I felt a lot of remorse. I mean I really felt bad. My parents had taught me to pray to God for
forgiveness of my sins. So, one night, I
got down on my knees to pray. I really
poured out my soul to God in heartfelt prayer, asking for his forgiveness. After a while, I heard a voice say, ‘I
forgive you, my son.’ I’ve never felt as
happy as I did that night, knowing God had answered my prayer. I learned that night that there was a God and
He knew who I was.”
J.F. looked intently at Justin’s face. He could see the tears in his eyes and heard
the sincerity in his voice. “So, if you
really knew that God was aware of you, why did you think he was punishing you?”
Justin said, “I had been taught all of my life
that being a homosexual was an abomination in the sight of God. My father often expounded on the scriptures
that seemed to condemn homosexuality. I
was totally convinced I was damned for having sex with a guy. I was so convinced of it, I felt Alex was
justified in beating me.”
“I kind of feel that way, too. The Catholic Church teaches much the same
things about gays as the Baptist Church,” J.F. said. “I’ve struggled with how they view gays.”
“My parents taught me that we are all children
of God, and he loves each of us. They
also taught us there isn’t a single person who doesn’t commit sin. Dad used to say we were all sinners in God’s
eyes, but He loves us anyway,” Justin said.
“After I moved here to live with the guys, I was at a point where I felt
I wasn’t of any value to anyone. I
attempted to hang myself, when Glenn found me.
He helped me down, and the guys got me the help I needed. But, I still felt that God hated me. One evening, Glenn came to my room to check
on me, and we had a great talk, that night.
He reminded me that nearly all religions teach that we are the children
of God. Glenn challenged me to seek out
God to get an answer of my own; to find out if God loved me.”
Justin choked up, and couldn’t speak. J.F. waited until he had his emotions under
control. “What did you do?”
“After Glenn left my room, I got on my knees
and begged God to let me know if he loved me.
I didn’t expect an answer, because I knew God hated me. I was totally overwhelmed, when I heard His
voice, ‘I love you, my son.’ I had a
feeling of peace come over me, and I knew that I God valued me; and, even
though I might not be perfect, He still loves me.”
J.F. had tears in his eyes, as Justin finished
speaking. “Do you really believe God
loves us?”
“I do.
I talked to the pastor at our church, and he confirmed that God loves us
all. He counseled me to forgive Alex and
to forgive myself. He said that was the
only way I would truly begin to heal,” Justin said. “It has taken me a long time to forgive Alex
for what he did to me, but I’m finally there, I think. I’ve written to Alex, telling him that I
forgive him, and I want him to lead a happy life.” Justin said.
“What did Brian say to that?” J.F. asked.
“He wasn’t happy about it, but I’ve felt so
much better, since then. I don’t have
to worry about that, anymore. But most
of all, I feel like I can love who I am, now.
I couldn’t do that, before,” Justin said.
J.F. said, “My therapist is working with me on
my self-esteem issues. She says most of
my problems stem from my own religious beliefs.
She has been encouraging me to rethink some of those things.”
Justin said, “I know how hard that is. Glenn was the one who helped me to get back
to basics, and to remember that I’m a child of God, just like you are.”
J.F. finished his sandwich, and said, “Thank
you for the food, and the encouragement.
My week here has been a huge blessing in my life. I’ve been very depressed for weeks.”
Justin said, “Both J.M. and Henri hinted at
that.”
J.F. met Justin’s eyes. “I know Henri has been very worried about
me.”
Justin said, “Let him take care of you, J.F. I’ve learned to let my husband take care of
me, as well as my friends. I’ve learned
to trust them. You must learn to do the
same.”
J.F.’s eyes were bright with tears. “I know I need to learn to trust Henri, but
I’m afraid to let anyone get close to me.”
Justin nodded his head. “I understand that part. I had some pretty high walls built around
myself, after Alex was put in jail. I
didn’t dare trust anyone. Susan and her
sons were great friends, but I couldn’t let them into my inner-sanctum, so to
speak.”
J.F. asked, “How did you manage to break down
the barriers you had built around yourself?”
“I had two very persistent teenage boys that
wouldn’t leave me alone,” Justin said, smiling at the memory. “Adam and Robbie had to be the horniest guys
around, and they wanted sex every minute of the day and night. Their desire for me was like balm on a
wound. The most important thing to me
was that their lust for my body was coupled with an even greater love for me as
a person. They knew exactly what I needed,
and when I needed it.”
“Henri told me last night that he wants to do
for me what the guys have done for you,” J.F. said.
Justin smiled, and said, “Then, I think you
should let him.”
J.F. nodded his head. “I’ll try.”
“Do more than try, Jean-Francois. It’s going to require everything you’ve got,
so you can’t just give it a try,” Justin said.
J.F. held Justin’s gaze, and said, “I’ll do
more than try, Justin.”
“Good, because I intend to hold you to
it. I expect a phone call every day from
you to report how you’re doing,” Justin said.
J.F. looked at him in surprise. “Do you really expect me to call you every
day?”
“Yes, I do,” Justin said, seriously. “I want a report every single day, no
exceptions.”
“You’re beginning to sound like my mother,”
J.F. complained.
“I’m not your mother, but I expect an honest
accounting of how you’re doing, each and every day,” Justin said. “I want you to evaluate yourself, and provide
me with a brief synopsis of what you did during the day to strengthen your
relationship with Henri, as well as how you’re working to maintain a positive
attitude toward life.”
“Is that what you do?” he asked.
“Yes, I do.
I report to Adam and Robbie. They
are my guardian angels. That’s what I
call them,” Justin said.
“So, you’re offering to be my guardian angel?”
J.F. said.
“Yes, I am; however, I won’t be the same kind
of guardian angel they have been for me.
Their guardianship included a fantastic sexual relationship. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to provide you
with that kind of physical support, but you have Henri for that part,” Justin
said.
J.F. looked disappointed. “But I thought you were still intimate with
them.”
Justin shook his head. “We’re not physically intimate, anymore. Brian has taken over that part of their
guardianship. We tried the foursome
thing a couple of times, but we’ve found it works better for us to maintain a
monogamous relationship with our spouses.”
“Was it because Brian was jealous of them?”
J.F. asked.
Justin nodded his head. “Yes, and he still is, but only to a small
degree. That is why he wants us to move
into our own home.”
“How do Robbie and Adam feel about Brian?”
J.F. asked.
“They’re okay with him, because he’s my
husband. We lived as a threesome long
enough for them to know I will always love them,” Justin said.
“They don’t resent Brian’s jealously?” J.F
asked, curiously.
“I didn’t say that,” Justin said,
smiling. “But, they have each other, and
I have Brian.”
J.F. said, “Does Brian’s family know he’s
married to you?”
“No, they don’t. Brian’s family owns several different
companies in Hyderabad. Two of them
were associated with computer technology:
one is a technical support company for several different companies here
in the United States, and the other was developing new applications for
different software companies. The
others companies are textile manufacturers – mainly clothing.”
Justin paused for moment, before
continuing, “One of Brian’s gay friends, Vijay, was discovered having sex with
his boyfriend by his family’s private investigators. They tried to have them both murdered. Brian overheard his father talking with
Vijay’s parents about the shame he had brought on the family and that they
thought they had no choice but to hire someone to kill them. His father had agreed, and said he would do
the same if he ever found out he had a gay son in the family. Brian warned Vijay; so he and his boyfriend were
able to escape and move to England. So, as
you can imagine, he has never told them about me. He’s afraid they would not only disown him
but they would send someone to murder us.”
“That’s pretty serious stuff,” J.F. said.
Justin said, “It’s pretty sobering, to think his
parents would hire an assassin to kill us.
They are filthy rich and can pretty much do as they please. They keep pressuring Brian to return home,
but he won’t, as long as we’re married.”
J.F. asked, “Aren’t you afraid that Brian will
up and leave you someday?”
Justin shook his head. “To be honest, I’ve never given it a
thought. I believe Brian loves me enough
that he would never leave me; but, one never knows what will happen in the
future. It is one of those things I
prefer not to think about. It’s how I
manage to cope, J.F. I don’t worry about
things that may or may not happen.
Otherwise, I would be a basket case.”
J.F. nodded his head, in understanding. “I can see, now, how you keep your focus on
the present, so you don’t get overwhelmed by all that could happen. I have an overactive imagination, and it gets
me all worked up, because I start to worry about things that will never
happen.”
They heard the guys returning from getting
pizza. Henri was the first one to enter
the kitchen. He smiled, when he saw his
boyfriend. He walked over to J.F., and
pulled him to his feet, and into his arms.
“I missed you, J.F. I hope you’re not mad at me for leaving you
with Justin,” Henri said, worry creasing his brow.
J.F. kissed him, and said, reassuringly, “It’s
okay, Henri. I enjoyed talking with
Justin. I’m glad you went out with the
boys.”
Henri smiled, relieved that J.F. wasn’t upset
with him. He felt this week with
Jean-Michael and his roommates had been the best thing they could’ve done to
get J.F. back on the road to recovery.
He released J.F., just as the rest of the guys appeared in the kitchen.
Brian immediately went over to Justin. “Are you okay, Babe?”
Justin took Brian’s hand in his, and said,
“I’m fine.”
J.F. said, “Brian, thank you for letting
Justin stay behind with me.”
Brian looked over at J.F., and smiled. “Justin said he needed to talk to you,
alone.”
Justin said, “Thank you, Babe. We had a good discussion.”
J.F. said, “Thank you for letting him be my
therapist these last few days.”
Henri took J.F.’s hand in his, and looked
around. “J.F. and I would like to move
in with you guys, if everyone is okay with that.”
J.M. said, “You guys could room with me, if
you don’t mind the cramped quarters.”
Robbie and Adam looked at Justin and
Brian. Brian said, “I’m good with that,
because Justin has promised to move into a home of our own by the end of
summer. Then, you guys could have our
room.”
Greg said, “I’m good with that. It would mean we wouldn’t have to find new
roommates when Brian and Justin move out.”
Robbie spoke up, “I’m afraid you would still
need to find new roommates, because Adam and I are going to move to Toronto at
the end of this semester.”
“What will you do about school?” Greg asked.
“We’ve already applied for admission to the
University of Toronto,” Adam said.
“We’ll stay with Zach and Todd, until the lease is up on our house. Then, we’ll live next door to them.”
Cory asked, “Then, who will take your place?”
Robbie shrugged. “We don’t know, but I’m sure we’ll be able to
find some really cool guys to take our place.”
Brian said, “I think we can put the word out
with the guys from the gay men’s chorus.”
Justin said, “I already have someone in
mind.”
Brian looked at his husband, and asked, “Who?”
“Mihail Velev,” Justin said. “He’s from Bulgaria.”
Brian grinned.
“He’s really hot, and he’s on the swim team.”
J.M. asked, “Is he single?”
Justin laughed. “Yes, J.M., he’s single.”
J.M. asked, “Can you introduce me to him?”
Justin said, “Sure, but you have to agree to
audition for the gay men’s chorus.”
J.M. looked at Justin in surprise. “I’ve never thought about singing.”
“Do you know how to sing?” Brian asked.
“Yes, I was in the choir in high school,” J.M.
said.
“Well, then, it’s settled,” Justin said. “We’ll introduce you to him next week. The auditions are at the Hennepin Avenue
Methodist Church.”
J.M. grinned.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Justin said, laughing at
J.M. excitement.
They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about
their plans for the next few months.
Thank You again for making another chapter possible and doing such amazing story
ReplyDeleteI thought I read these two chapters last year, but I guess I didn't?? Possibly I decided not to read it because of Justin. But now I am glad I did - these chapters gave much more insight to some of the characters and what happened to them. All I can say is what a waste regarding Justin - he seemed to be on the right path to have it all unravel again (bastard Brian). Justin was just a sad case all the way around, that didn't seem to be able to catch a break towards happiness ended up with such a tragic ending.
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