Rating: PG-13 Heavy on the angst

Pairing: Brian & Michael (best friends…and more?)
Summary: Now that Brian and Michael are the best of friends, a single heart-breaking moment may, or may not, cost them their relationship...
Disclaimer: I understand that CowLip and Showtime own the rights to these boys, I'm merely "borrowing" them for the time being. This story made for fun, not for profit. No infringement intended.

Author's Note: This story is actually completed, but I broke it up into three chapters for posting purposes. I actually finished this one a couple weeks ago (it's posted elsewhere) but am now adding it here.

Dedication: For Sonny who is the most amazing support one could ask for in this fandom and for the gals over at The Dynamic Duo Haven—you're all the best!

Chapter One

I remember the first time I heard your name. Michael says, 'There is this new boy in school - Brian Kinney.' For weeks, that's all he could talk about. Brian Kinney this, and Brian Kinney that. And then the next thing I knew, you were cutting classes. And then I come home from work one day, and there you were, fourteen and drunk. It was then that I knew you were trouble.—Debbie to Brian, Episode 111

"Mikey, hey Mikey!" Brian Kinney called out to his best friend, Michael Novotny, as he exited the locker room after gym class. Michael had changed already and was about to exit the gymnasium.

"What is it?" Michael asked, waiting for his friend to catch up to him.

"We don't have anything going on in science class today—no labs, right?" At Michael's nod, he went on. "And there's not going to be like a pop quiz or anything in Spanish, right?"

"Doubtful. Why?"

"Because, I have a plan," Brian told him with a gleam in his hazel eyes.

Michael gave his friend a questioning glance. He wondered what exactly this plan was and why it hinged on what was going on in their final two classes.

"You don't have anything going on in art after lunch, do you? And you don't really need to eat lunch with the guys, do you?"

Well no, Michael didn't need to, but he felt that he should. It was one time he got to spend with the "old gang" as his attention was tuned more and more to Brian Kinney these days. Michael was a very friendly boy and people liked how good-natured he was (though some also took advantage of that), but when Michael had a best friend, that best friend came before anyone or anything except for his family. There had been occasions, lately, where Michael would hang out with Brian rather than the guys after school. This was becoming a source of tension. Michael hated tension.

"I uhh, well," Michael paused, shifting on his feet. "Umm…" Brian waited expectantly so finally Michael blurted, "Well what's your plan?"

"Let's blow this popsicle stand."

"Huh?" Michael was now confused.

Brian laughed. "It's an expression, Mikey. It means that—"

Michael cut him off. "I know what it means. But are you talking about school? You want to ditch class?"

Nodding, Brian began to explain. "You and me, let's cut out now, no one will miss us because we're supposed to be in lunch. And then instead of going to lunch, let's go to the Rialto for the 12:30 showing of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." Good plan, huh Mikey?"

"You want us to skip school to see a movie?" Michael's brown eyes widened in surprise and nervousness. He'd never skipped school before.

"Not just any movie, Mikey. It's Indy. Harrison Ford. Come on, you know you've been dying to see it and it comes out today. It's not our fault it comes out on a Wednesday. Your mom won't let you see movies on a school night so why should you have to wait until the weekend? I don't want to wait, do you?"

Well no, he didn't. He very much wanted to see this movie. But he was a little unsure about this plan. "But what will they say when we don't show up to class?"

Wrapping an arm around Michael's shoulder, Brian assured him that it was no big deal. "So they'll think we're sick or something. We won't get in trouble. Trust me; we won't be the only ones doing this today."

Michael didn't respond, just leaned back against Brian. "You've never skipped, have you?" At Michael's nod, Brian went on to say that he had before and it was nothing. He then tempted him some more with Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford and hanging out in the theater's balcony, just the two of them with a big bucket of popcorn and a large Pepsi and maybe some chocolate and other candy too. He was so nonchalant about it all that Michael caved. "Okay, yeah, let's do it," he said with a smile toward his friend.

Brian was a little surprised that Michael gave in but he was pleased. Why should they follow the rules all the time? What did that ever get anyone? Sometimes Michael was too good for his own good. He needed to let loose at times, and this would be fun.

Releasing his grip on his friend, Brian looked around for any teachers or administrators and when he saw none, he waved Michael to follow his lead out of the school. They walked determinedly out of the building and didn't look back. Once they were far enough away, Michael let out a deep breath. "Wow, we did it."

"Now comes the fun. Come on, we have twenty minutes to get to the theater and get our grub, let's go!" They half-ran, half-walked, Brian keeping Michael's asthma in mind so he didn't go too fast and they made it with time to spare. After purchasing their food and soda, they ran up to the balcony and found "their" spot.

"Look at this, Mikey, we have the best view," pointed Brian as they sat down and got situated.

Brian was right about that. "I can't believe we're doing this, that we're here," Michael confessed.

Brian merely smiled at him and handed him his Milk Duds as he opened his own package of Skittles. Looking around the theater, Brian said, "We came at the perfect time. It's not crowded at all. If we waited until the weekend, it would have been mad and we wouldn't have gotten our spot. This is much better."

Michael couldn't disagree with that, even if he felt a twinge of guilt for skipping out on school and his friends. Michael wasn't given much time to reflect on anything because soon the lights dimmed and the trailers came on before the movie began.

"Damn, this is so good," whispered Brian to Michael, forty-five minutes into the movie.

"I know, this is the best," agreed Michael who haphazardly stuck his hand in the bucket to extract some popcorn at the same time as Brian. Both boys felt a jolt of electricity rush through them when their sticky hands met. Neither pulled back right away either. They looked into the bucket at their hands and swallowed, feeling like this was right.

Michael swore he heard his heart pound in his chest when Brian pulled his own hand out of the bucket and wiped it on his jeans before eyeing Michael and leaning in towards him. Ho-ly fuck is he going to? Michael couldn't even finish his own question because there was no way Brian Kinney was going to kiss him, was there?

Brian grew nervous as well as he looked over at Michael. Michael who was as engrossed in the movie as he was, a perpetual grin plastered across his face, his big brown eyes wide with happiness. He looked utterly adorable in his faded blue jeans and U2 War Tour tee. He'd ribbed Michael earlier that day when he first saw that shirt, asking him which was his favorite member. Of course it was Bono. For both of them. Except that they both hated the mullet the singer had been sporting recently.

When their hands met in the popcorn bucket, Brian had felt an electric tingle up his spine. This wasn't the first time he'd felt this way towards Michael and he doubted it would be the last. There was just something that attracted him to the boy, he couldn't quite explain it. On more than one occasion, he had wanted to kiss him, but he never went through with it, not wanting to rock the boat. It was too soon and could change things and not in a good way. For now, Brian had to be content with their best friend status. He had to. Besides, he wasn't even sure if Michael was interested yet taking another look at the flushed face, the dilated pupils, he suspected there was something there. So he leaned further towards him where their faces were nearly meeting and it would be so easy to place his lips upon Michael's to taste if they were as soft as they looked, but at the last minute he chickened out and instead brushed a hand across Mikey's face, wiping off some chocolate that had smudged on there.

Michael looked at him with something akin to disappointment and then embarrassment at having been caught with chocolate on his face. He grabbed a napkin and began wiping his face clean and his hands which were all buttery and salty from the popcorn. The spell and moment broken, both boys turned their attention back to the movie, watching in silence.

"So, how'd you like it, Mikey?" asked his friend as they chucked their trash in a garbage bin on the way out of the theater.

"It was really cool. It was darker than "Raiders of the Lost Ark" but it worked."

Nodding, Brian pushed the door open and waited for Michael to join him outside. It was a great day out, perfect for a smoke so he took his cigarettes out of his back pocket and lit up, asking his friend if he wanted one.

"Nah, not with my asthma," he explained and Brian felt stupid for offering.

"At least it beat being stuck inside in classes the rest of the day," commented Brian as they walked along outside, Brian following Michael because he didn't know what the plans were for the rest of the afternoon.

"Yup. Wanna go to Buzzy's?" he asked and at Brian's nod, they went there to spend a few hours before returning to their respective homes. Brian wondered if he'd done something to upset Mikey because the teen seemed a little "off" to him. Michael, meanwhile felt like a fool for even considering that Brian might have wanted to kiss him in the darkened theater. He should have known better and after what happened with Charlie, he didn't want to lose another best friend due to stupid things like kisses. Yet he couldn't help but feel disappointed because he really, really wanted to kiss Brian Kinney.

When he arrived home, Michael wanted to run up into his room and kick back but he found his mother waiting for him in the living room. That's weird, he was certain she wouldn't be home for a few more hours. "Hi Ma," he greeted.

"How was school?" she questioned without greeting her only child.

"It was fine," he replied with a shrug.

"Oh really? Hard for it to be fine when you skipped three classes. Michael Charles Novotny!"

Oh shit! She found out. "How?" he asked.

"The school called me at the Diner and asked if I had picked you up for an appointment or if you were sick because you didn't show up to art, science, or Spanish."

Fuck! Debbie had her hands on her hips and was shaking her red wig. "Michael, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I uhh, I uhh, I'm sorry?" he offered, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Yeah well you should be sorry. Since when do you skip school? You never have. You've always been such a good boy. It's that Kinney kid's influence isn't it?" she assumed and one look into her son's guilty face, she knew she was right.

"How did he convince you to skip school?"

Michael looked up into his mother with fearful eyes. "He didn't. It's not his fault, Ma. It's mine. I wanted to."

She wasn't buying it. "Sure you did. Because you've always wanted to skip, haven't you?"

Well actually, there had been times when Michael wanted to. When he was feeling bored or being bullied or even nervous about an exam, there were times when he wanted to flee school. He'd just never gone through with it before.

"Ma, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have."

"You are grounded, Michael. For two weeks, you are to come straight home provided that I'm here and if I'm at work then you are to come directly to the diner. No Buzzy's. And Brian is not allowed to come here after school."

"Ma!" moaned Michael, feeling a dagger to his heart at the thought of not spending all of that time with Brian.

"I don't want to hear it. I hope it was worth it. What did you do?"

"Nothing. We just went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. That's all, honest."

Debbie believed him but she couldn't allow him to get off so easy. "I was going to take you boys this weekend, you couldn't have waited? I'm doing the best I can here, kiddo. Without any help from your…from anyone. I need you to act responsibly."

Michael felt awful for being such a disappointment to his mother. He knew how hard she worked to support the two of them, especially him and here he went, giving her grief by having the school call her to tell her he'd skipped out. Fucking hell!

The next day, Brian noticed Michael keeping to himself in English class and then in study hall (they had study hall on the days they didn't have gym). Brian wondered what was bothering his friend, so he tried to approach him but Michael ran off to join his friends at lunch. Sighing, he got in line for some crap cafeteria food and then sat with Matt Stein and his jock friends. Matt seemed to like Brian even though he got on his case for hanging out with "that Novotny kid."

When school got out, Brian decided to corner Michael at his locker. He had no success getting him to talk to him in their last two classes of the day and he'd had enough avoidance. He was going to get Michael to talk to him.

Michael absently rifled through his locker and stuffed what he needed for homework in his backpack. He was about to slam the door shut when someone else did it for him. Blinking rapidly, he looked over to his left and saw Brian standing there, looking annoyed. Sighing, he asked Brian what he was doing.

"I don't know, Mikey. Why don't you tell me what you're doing? Tell me why you're avoiding me," the younger teen wanted to know.

Swallowing, Michael looked over at Brian who looked eager to know why he was being avoided. Hurt shone in his hazel eyes and Michael hated being the one to make him feel that way.

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Could have fooled me. You haven't talked to me at all today, unless you had to in class."

Michael couldn't deny that. He fidgeted in his spot, looking around to see if many of their peers were hanging around (they weren't).

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he said sincerely.

Leaning against the locker, Brian sighed. "Then why did you? Did I do something? You've been acting "off" since yesterday."

So Brian had noticed that he'd been acting weird. And it was ever since that not-so-near kiss. How was Michael going to explain that one?

"You didn't do anything, Brian. Promise."

O-kay. Brian didn't know if he believed that, but for the moment he was going to have to accept his friend's response. "So we're cool?"

"We're cool," Michael agreed, giving him a small smile. God Brian loved that smile.

"So, we gonna hang out tonight?"

Shaking his head, Michael said they couldn't. "I'm grounded. For two weeks."

"Two weeks? For what?" Brian couldn't think of anything that Michael would have done to merit grounding, especially for two weeks!

"For skipping school yesterday. Ma found out."

Frowning, Brian cursed under his breath. "Shit. I'm sorry, Mikey."

Shrugging, Michael told him that it wasn't his fault, he did want to skip and see the movie and well, now he'd have to deal with the consequences. "So for two weeks?"

"Yeah. I have to go straight home if Ma's home and the diner if she's at work. Can't even go to Buzzy's."

Damn, that wasn't fair, thought Brian.

"And well, you can't come over. Sorry." And Michael was. How were they going to get through two weeks without hanging out all the time? At least they still had school.

"That fucking sucks. I know she's your mom and all but—"

When Michael gave him a warning look not to go there, Brian zipped his lips and instead told Michael that he'd see him tomorrow and he expected Michael to talk to him. Giving a slight chuckle, Michael promised he would.

"I'd better get my ass to the diner."

And what a fine ass—shit, don't go there, Brian told himself.

"See ya tomorrow, Mikey."

"See ya!" Michael called out, waving to his friend as he exited the building.

Slumping against the locker, Brian shut his eyes, trying to ignore the ache that was building the moment that Mikey had told him they couldn't hang out for two weeks. Now this meant he had to endure the shit at home, all the time. Or hang out with the jocks. Neither choice was appealing.

As expected, the two weeks crawled slowly by for both boys. The only comfort they took was in the fact that Debbie couldn't do anything about them sharing four classes and lunch. While not the same as also hanging out most afternoons and weekends, at least it was something.

"Mikey, your two weeks are up!" declared Brian happily as the two walked out of the school building together.

"I know! I am so glad, now I don't have to be stuck at the stupid diner all the time and I can go to Buzzy's and hang out with friends."

Scuffing his sneakers against the sidewalk, Brian asked him if he had any plans for Friday night, which was tomorrow. Michael didn't.

"Good. Do you think she'll let you go bowling with me?"

"Hmm, I dunno. I'll have to ask."

"Okay. But tell her that we'll be chaperoned. Pop is going to be there. He and his buddies are going to bowl and drink—well don't tell her about the drinking part—and he said that I could come and bring a friend."

This was something quite unusual for Jack Kinney, so Brian figured he'd better take advantage of his father's "generous" nature and invite Mikey along. Michael was surprised to hear that Mr. Kinney was inviting Brian and a friend to go bowling together. He knew that they didn't do many "father and son" things together. Michael wanted to go because he wanted to hang out with Brian but he'd finally met Jack Kinney (and Joan and Claire) a month ago and well, he was a very intimidating man. He'd made Michael feel on edge the entire time and the way Jack acted towards Brian just wasn't right. Still, he felt he owed his friend this. So he promised Brian that he would talk to Debbie and let him know.

Debbie knew how miserable her son had been since she'd grounded him two weeks ago. Miserable because he couldn't do anything or see anyone, Brian Kinney in particular. Still, he followed her rules and was well-behaved during that time, so when it was up, Debbie agreed to Michael's request to go bowling the next night with Brian and his father. She'd not met Mr. Kinney herself but she trusted that he would keep an eye on the boys so they wouldn't get in trouble.

Michael went to Brian's house the next afternoon so they could get a ride with Mr. Kinney. Jack didn't say much to them on the ride to the bowling alley, just gave them steely-eyed glances every now and then. He hadn't even greeted Michael and only grunted in response to things that his son had said. Michael was feeling very uncomfortable and Brian was feeling very worried that his father would do something to embarrass himself or Brian. The boys ran inside to get their shoes when one of Jack's buddies came over to talk to him. It was a relief that he would be occupied with others and hopefully leave them alone.

They grabbed a spot by the lane that they would use, Jack and his friends using one two lanes over. Sitting on the bench, they took their sneaks off and slid on the ugly bowling shoes. They picked their bowling balls next—a green 8 pound one for Michael and a green 10 pound one for Brian—and then waited for Brian's dad to settle in with his friends (and beer) before they started playing.

Four frames in and both boys were faring poorly. Gutter ball after gutter ball, they were having no luck. Michael had never really been good at bowling and it appeared that his best friend was equally as bad. Brian was already ready for a break so he called Michael to follow him and get some pizza as he had some money on him. Slowly chewing his hot slice of pepperoni pizza and downing it with some Coke, Brian looked around at the room for his father. Naturally, he found Jack at the bar. The boys finished their pizza and went back to the game, utterly failing.

Meanwhile, Jack's friends were commenting on the fact that his son and his son's friend were "wusses" who couldn't bowl if their lives depended on it. They ribbed Jack mercilessly with each frame and each gutter ball rolled. Jack responded by drinking more and more and getting more and more perturbed.

The seventh frame was next and the grand total was 9—between the two of them! First up was Michael. Brian watched as Michael stepped up to the line, holding the ball closely to his chest, his eyes in major concentration. Of course, it was to no avail because as soon as he let go and released the ball, it rolled slowly into the gutter. Disappointment etched on his face, Michael slowly walked over to where Brian was sitting and stuffed his hands in the back of his black Levi's.

"I suck at this. Sorry, Bri."

"Hey, I'm no better than you, Mikey. So we suck at bowling, who cares?" Brian wished he felt as nonchalant as he sounded. Jack Kinney and his friends cared, that's who.

Brian had a similar stance to Michael's but he held the ball slightly different and he bit his lower lip as he released the ball, grimacing as he saw it aim for the gutter but then…no, what was that? The ball was rolling down the lane! He was going to knock over some pins. One, two three, five…eight…ten! He got a strike!

Michael immediately jumped up and ran to his friend who gave an incredulous look. "Yeah, you got a strike!" he shouted simultaneously as Brian who yelled "I got a strike!"

Thrilled, Michael wrapped his arms around Brian in an embrace and the twosome jumped up and down, repeating the "you got a strike/I got a strike" mantra.

"You did it, Brian. I'm so proud of you," gushed Michael as he hugged his friend.

Giving him a huge smile, Brian pulled Michael closer to him and then surprised them both by leaning down and giving him a big kiss on the lips. Michael closed his eyes and moaned softly, pleased at the sensation of Brian's lips on his and Brian for his part kept his eyes open so he could witness Michael's reactions. God, Mikey's lips were as soft as he'd imagined! He wanted to keep kissing his friend, to express his feelings but he was interrupted by a disapproving grunt.

"What are you, a couple of fucking fairies?" Jack Kinney, who had returned from the bar with another beer, sneered, flicking his wrist like a stereotypical homosexual might.

Immediately, Brian removed his lips from Michael's and he could feel his friend's heart pounding through his yellow and white tee. "My Sonny boy and his little friend are a bunch of fucking fairies," sang Jack.

Not having time to think, Brian merely reacted and he yelled, "Get off of me, Michael!" and with a forceful shove, pushed Michael so hard that he could have rolled down the lane. Michael was sprawled on the tile, obviously in pain and he gave a helpless look at Brian who shook his head and ran. Ran away from Michael, away from his father's menacing glare, away from the taunts of his father's friends, away from the bowling alley.

He ran and he ran and he ran some more. No destination in mind, he just had to get away. Finally reaching a tree in a park, he leaned against it to catch his breath. The enormity of the situation, of what he'd done, caught up to him. Oh God, Mikey, I'm so sorry, he whispered to himself, hugging the willow.

Humiliated and in pain, Michael remained sprawled on the floor, blinking back tears at what had just happened, while listening to Kinney and company snickering and flat-out mocking him. "The fucking fairy fell on the fucking floor."

"Your son pushed him, Jack," one of the guys he was with pointed out.

"That's true. Maybe he's less of a pussy than I thought. Maybe Sonny boy's not the fairy, maybe it's him," he said, pointing his beer bottle in Michael's direction.

Cowering, Michael felt like sobbing. How could he do that? How could he kiss me like that and then push me away, push me so hard I fell and he just ran away?

Releasing a deep breath, Michael told himself he needed to get a handle on himself, so he shakily stood up, nearly falling over again and then he walked out, ignoring Jack Kinney.

He hurt so badly. His shoulder was sore, he wondered if it was dislocated from the fall. His palms were scraped from bracing the fall and he thought his knees were as well. He didn't know what to do. He could call his mother but he didn't even have a dime on him to use in the phone booth to call her. The only option he had was to walk home, which he did, ever-so-slowly. As he walked, the tears fell freely.

~&~&~... TBC...~&~&~

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