Summary: Brian moves to New York after episode 1.21 but comes back to Pittsburgh a few years later for a visit.

"Because, honey, the only thing Justin Taylor will give nice guys like you is a broken heart." - Random Trick the third to Brian Kinney

Brian deftly moved through the mass of dancing bodies as he made his way to the bar and saw that Michael was still standing where he'd left him.

"Can we go now?" Michael asked somewhat petulantly as soon as Brian got within hearing distance.

"We just got here Mikey."

Brian crooked his finger and a second later the bar tender was in front of him.

"Beam" Brian told him. He took the glass and downed all the alcohol in seconds.

"Seriously Brian" Michael said "I really don't feel good."

Brian put the empty glass down and turned to Michael, looking sceptical. "You seem fine to me."

Brian watched as Michael affected his most wounded expression. "I have this huge migraine" Michael held a hand to his head. "I've had it ever since we left the diner."

Brian suspected that Michael was just making it up so that he could spend some time alone with him but he couldn't be sure. Come to think of it, Michael had seemed a little twitchy ever since they'd entered Babylon.

"Then go home to your husband." Brian replied. It wasn't like it was going to help Michael any if Brian took him home and held his hand. "I'm staying here."

Michael frowned.

Brian gave him a little smile and leaned over, brushing his lips over his best friends. "Lighten up Mikey. This is my first night back in the Pitts, you should be happy."

Brian was about to move back to the dance floor when Ted and Emmett showed up.

"Hey Michael, you know that thing we were talking about?" Emmett's eyes flicked to Brian then back to Michael. "It's here."

"Shit." Michael cursed.

Brian looked at Michael. "What thing?"

"Don't worry about it Bri." Ted patted Brian on the shoulder almost sympathetically. "It's nothing."

Brian batted away Ted's hand. "Whatever." His friends had obviously gone insane after he'd moved to New York. "I don't care anyway." He started to walk away.

"Wait" Emmett called out and Brian barely heard him over the loud music of the club. "Maybe you should just tell him Michael. He's going to see eventually."

Brian turned and walked back to the group. "What the fuck are you all talking about?"

Involuntarily, his eyes chose that moment to follow a flash of blonde hair nearby. It had happened in New York too many times to count. He'd be at a club or at a restaurant or even walking down the street and he'd see someone in the distance with the same shade of blonde hair. Brian would stare until he saw a face, but it had always ended the same way, with Brian never seeing who he wanted to see.

It didn't end the same way this time. Brian watched in shock as men on the dance floor parted for Justin Taylor like he was royalty.

"Brian? Brian?"

Brian somehow managed to tear his eyes away from Justin and forced them to fall on Michael. "What the fuck Michael?" Brian was still trying to come to terms.

"See this is why we should've never come here." Michael told Ted and Emmett. "Now he's going to get all upset."

"And he hasn't even heard the best part yet." Ted added.

"Hey, I'm right here." Brian said before shrugging. "And I'm not upset, I was just surprised for a second. I actually couldn't give a shit that he's here."

Michael didn't look convinced.

"See" Ted said triumphantly "Didn't I tell you he wouldn't care?"

Not wanting to listen any longer, Brian turned on his heel and walked away.

Grabbing a random trick by his belt buckle, Brian dragged the all too willing victim into the backroom.

He was dancing with trick number three an hour later. The man was tall, dark and muscular which was just the way Brian liked his tricks.

Lies, he admitted to himself, the only trick he'd ever liked was small, blonde and was dancing just a few metres away. He was still wrapped in his thoughts when the trick spoke.

"His name is Justin Taylor" The words startled Brian.

"What?"

"The man you've been staring at all night." The trick clarified.

Brian frowned. "How do you know that I've been staring at him all night?"

The man smiled coyly. "I've been watching you."

The trick had meant to sound hot but only managed to come off as creepy. Brian made a mental note never to use that line again, just to be on the safe side.

"Anyway" he continued "The guy's a real prick. He takes you home, fucks you till you pass out and then he's kicking you out the next second. No repeats. You know the type."

Brian's lips rolled inwards. "Vaguely"

"Well I know from experience honey. It was the best fuck of my life but the second we both got off..." the trick sighed. "You should stay away from him."

Brian's eyes fell back onto Justin. He'd only looked away for a few minutes but it seemed that Justin had taken that time to ditch his last dancing partner. Justin was now sandwiched between two large men. The image reminded him of another night at Babylon when he'd watched Justin in the exact same position.

"And why's that?" Brian finally asked.

"Because, honey, the only thing Justin Taylor will give nice guys like you is a broken heart."

Brian tried not to laugh but he couldn't help it. He just couldn't equate the Justin he'd known with the man the trick was describing. He had an urge to tell the guy that he'd gotten the names Justin Taylor and Brian Kinney mixed up.

"Besides he doesn't go for your type." The trick looked sympathetic.

"My type?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, he's not into older men." The trick grinned. "But lucky for you, I find mature men really sexy."

Brian stopped dancing immediately.

Knowing he'd said the wrong thing the man tried to backtrack "Not that your old" he tried to mollify, but Brian had already walked away.