Title: Real Family
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Brian/Justin, Gus
Warnings: Minor Character off screen death
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 912
Summary: Post 513. Justin must deal with bad news.
Note: written for the Gift-Giving Extravaganza 2015. For Lissy Stage.

Justin stared open-mouthed at his mother. "What? I don't understand."

Jennifer was stone faced, but her eyes were misty when she gazed at her only son. "Honey, Craig is dead."

Justin looked down at the sketch he was working on. It was a picture of Gus and Brian together. He was hoping to give it to Brian on Gus's birthday. "How?"

Jennifer took his head. "He had a heart attack."

Justin nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Honey, if you want to talk –"

"Does Molly know yet?" he interrupted.

"Yes. She's handling it about as well as can be expected. Justin –"

"I need to go." He got up from the couch and left his mom's condo without looking back. He couldn't look back.

He went to the loft and was surprised to see that it wasn't empty. It took a moment to remember that Brian and Gus had plans to watch movies that day.

"Hey, Sunshine. Wasn't expecting you back so early. Did you have a good lunch with Mother Taylor?"

Gus smiled widely. "Hi, Jus. Come watch with us."

Justin attempted a smile but when Brian's smile turned into a frown, he knew he failed.

"Justin, what's wrong?" He stood up from the couch and carefully approach him, as if Brian was approaching a deer.

"My dad's dead," he stated bluntly.

Gus stood up as well. "Jus, I'm so sorry."

"Justin?" Brian questioned.

Justin didn't say anything, not wanting to scar Gus when it came to the bad blood between Craig and Justin Taylor.

Brian, like always, seemed to understand. He turned back to Gus. "Why don't you go back to the movie? Justin and I are going to talk in the bedroom."

"But..." Gus trailed off, looking at Justin with worry in his eyes.

Brian clapped a hand on Gus's shoulders. "I promise. Everything will be okay."

Gus nodded, instinctively knowing that Brian would take care of Justin better than anyone else could.

As Gus went back to the couch, Brian grabbed Justin's head and led him to their bed. Side-by-side, they sat on it, their thighs pressed against each other.

They were silent for a while with Brian knowing that Justin would talk when he was ready.

Finally, with halting words, Justin said, "I'm not... sure what to feel. He hasn't been my dad in a very long time, but he's still my father, and I still love him. I tried not loving him, knowing that he didn't deserve it, but I always failed. Am I supposed to be sad?"

Brian rubbed Justin's hand. "You feel what you feel. There's no right or wrong feeling."

"I thought you'd say fuck him."

Brian kissed the top of Justin's head. "Well, there was definitely no love lost between me and Craig Taylor. But I do remember what it's like losing a father who wasn't really a father. I pretended I didn't care, but I don't think I fooled you."

"You didn't."

"It's okay to be sad."

"I'm sadder about losing what might have been. I still hoped that one day he would be able to accept me for who I was. I hoped he'd apologize and tell me he loved me. And now..."

"And now, you know that isn't possible," Brian finished.

"Do you think I was foolish to hold out hope for something like that?"

"I'm not sure. I definitely didn't know Craig that well, but I knew people like him, and I'm not sure he would have ever come around. He felt like something was wrong, and I don't know if there was anything that could have changed his way of thinking."

"Do I go to the funeral?"

"That's up to you."

"You know, he was once a great dad to me. He played with me, helped me with math homework, and even got me art lessons. I know it's hard to believe, considering what you've seen, but at one time, I was certain of his love. I hate that the good memories are so tainted by the more recent bad ones."

Brian wrapped his arms around Justin. "Then go to the funeral, but mourn the man you remember as a good father. Not the man he became later in life."

Justin nodded and closed his eyes, finally allowing the tears to fall.

Brian didn't say anything. He simply laid down, pulling Justin with him. They held each other as Justin finally allowed himself to feel grief for a man who turned his back on him.

As the tears continued to fall, Justin fell into a restless sleep, cocooned in Brian's arms. What he thought was a couple of hours later, Justin woke up and realized he was still next to Brian. He felt a presence on his other side and recognized Gus's thin arms that were wrapped around Justin.

He allowed a smile to grace his lips for the first time since he heard the news. He might not have had a father for a while, but he did have a family of his own. The two men next to him were the most important people in his life, and he knew their love was unconditional. He also had his mom and Daphne, not to mention the Liberty Avenue gang. He wasn't alone.

The thought made a warm feeling settle in his stomach. He wasn't alone, and he'd never be alone again.

He just hoped he could convince Brian to go with him to the funeral.