Title: Impact
Written By: suzvoy
Timeline: Four years after season five
Rating: R
Warnings: None
Genre: Angst, humour, romance

This was written as part of qaf_anon, and originally posted anonymously. Feedback would be loved :)

*

Justin's visits back to Pittsburgh were always the highlight of whatever particular month he arrived. The problem with that was that Justin knew it too, and for at least one day of each visit he figured you were so happy to see him that he could get away with anything.

This was a classic case in point.

"Do you mind going in without me, Brian? I'm really tired. The flight from New York really takes it out of me." He leant heavily against the window, somehow managing to make even his hair wilt.

There was no way you were going grocery shopping alone. If you had to go through with the thoroughly domestic horror, then so did he. "You mean your sensitive little body somehow managed to endure the horrific ninety minute flight?"

"Dehydration is a very serious issue," he sniffed, and you had to give him credit - he was getting better at hiding his grin.

Christ. If you were internally paying him compliments you'd already lost the battle.

Flinging open your door, your huffed out of the 'vette. "Fine," you replied, turning to lean down into the car, "but don't hold me accountable when I forget to buy absolutely anything you want."

Justin didn't cave. "That's okay," he smiled sweetly. "It's understandable you'd forget some things, considering your advanced-"

Slamming the door shut, you spun away and stalked towards the store. Someone was definitely developing an attitude problem, and for once is wasn't you. You were deciding on the form of punishment you'd dole out later when you heard Justin's voice calling out to you.

"Hey, Brian! Don't forget the peanut butter!"

Turning to face him, you smothered a smirk as you held your right hand up to your ear. "I can't hear you!"

Justin leant further out the window. "Don't be an ass!"

You shrugged, revenge singing sweetly through your veins. "Still can't hear you!" Yes, it was childish, immature and probably beneath you.

But Justin so had it coming.

Audibly grumbling, you were sure, Justin opened the car door and jogged up onto the sidewalk, talking as he walked towards you. "I *said*, don't be an-"

There was a noise, then, that you didn't recognise at all, and you were being thrown onto your back and getting the wind knocked out of you, and when you managed to sit up just a few moments later it was to stare at the flaming, damaged mess that used to be your car.

And Justin.

Fuck!

"Justin!" Stumbling to your feet, it was a few terrifying seconds before you reached him. He'd been thrown onto his front and had his hands raised protectively over the back of his head. Smart boy. Smart, smart boy. "Hey, hey." You collapsed next to him, relieved to see that he was conscious and stirring already.

Your hands touched every part of him they could find as you helped him sit up. "Hurt?" you asked, not waiting for a reply as you continued to search for signs of injury.

He let you, only moving to stare at the remains of the 'vette. "Holy shit."

You thought it was just shock, surprise that he'd barely escaped being inside the car, but when he closed his eyes and held onto you tightly, you clung onto his shaking body - or maybe that was you, it was hard to tell - and stared at what used to be your pride and joy.

And realised exactly what'd happened.

Holy shit.

*

"It's a miracle, that's what it is - a fucking *miracle*!"

Naturally, once news had spread, the loft was suddenly inundated with visitors. Right now Deb was hugging Justin to her breasts so tightly that, if he hadn't already had a preference for cock, he would've been turned off pussy for life.

"And not just that you got out of the car before it happened," she continued, "but that all the debris missed you, too! Someone up there is definitely taking care of you, Sunshine."

Realising that Justin would be turning blue any second now, you gave Mikey The Look and you both extracted him from her hold. The two of you had a lot of experience with doing that over the years.

"Thanks," Justin smiled warmly, leaning in to kiss you and lingering for a while. He had some scrapes and bruises but - as the paramedic had confirmed - was otherwise just fine. Still, that didn't stop you from holding him a little tighter than usual and really fucking wishing your company would get lost.

Deb wasn't done.

"And you!" she exclaimed, because apparently now it was your turn, "you're damned lucky yourself."

"Yeah," you nodded, reluctantly parting yourself from Justin's lips, "I almost never had to listen to you bitch at me ever again."

She wasn't buying it, wagging a finger at you before pulling you into a hug to rival the one she'd given Justin.

"It *is* amazing," you heard Mikey say (all you could see from your current position was the floor). "I mean you were both *so* lucky. What are the odds of the car getting hit by a meteor?"

Emmett bounced into view. "I hear you're more likely to get hit by a meteor than you are to hit the jackpot on the lottery. Oh, sweetie!" He moved away, obviously towards Justin. "You should totally play the lottery this week! And then split it with me, of course."

"Of course, Em," Justin laughed. "We'll never have to work again."

"Live a life of luxury," Emmett sighed, "with well-hung cabana boys catering to our every whim..."

"We can write this into Rage!" Michael suddenly exclaimed, which actually made Deb release you and you took the opportunity to take a few steps back.

"The cabana boys?" Emmett asked hopefully.

"No," Mikey scowled, "a deadly meteor heading for Earth."

Your arched your eyebrow. "Hasn't that been done in just about every science fiction format you can think of?"

"Exactly!" Mikey grinned. "It's a sci-fi staple! There's nothing wrong with a cliche now and then, you know."

"I suppose you have a point," you responded dryly. "The dialogue you write for Rage suits your fans just fine."

"That's just what I..." Mikey's grin faded. "Hey, what are you saying?"

Now that you were free from Deb, you left Mikey to ponder and let the others fuss over Justin. It didn't take them long to set up camp around the sofa and you drifted off to the kitchen, content to be by yourself. Having that many people in your own space was putting your teeth on edge.

Of course not long after that Ted turned up, then Ben, and suddenly the phone was ringing and Mel and Linds were calling from Canada.

Mikey looked remarkably innocent, considering, and walked over to you about an hour later as you were practising flicking bottle caps into the ashtray.

"Shit," he sighed. "You'd think you two had been through enough already." His earlier enthusiasm had obviously worn itself out.

"Tell me about it," you complained, because you'd never really believed in bad luck or bad karma, but sometimes you started to wonder.

"But at least you're okay," he smiled, moving to wrap his arm around your waist. "I think the Earth would stop moving if Brian Kinney ceased to exist."

You nodded deliberately, flicking another bottle cap. "Certainly would for a lot of guys."

Snorting, Mikey dug his fingers into your side and you were trying to twist away and suddenly you felt better than you had all day. He stopped digging in and you stopped squirming, and then he murmured two words.

"He's okay."

And just as quickly he was pulling away. "So, what about the car? You getting a new one? How about a Ragemobile?"

You rambled on about insurance and pay-offs, grateful that the conversation had been steered away from anything overly sentimental, and by the time everyone left the loft it was nearly midnight.

You and Justin enjoyed a leisurely shower fuck and when you crawled into bed afterwards you tried to forget that it'd been yet another day when he'd almost died.

"So, what kind of car do you think I should get?"

Exhaling, Justin pressed closer and drapped an arm over your waist. "Something stylish, of course. Something sexy. Something...bigenoughtoholdmyartsupplies."

It took you a few moments to translate this new form of English. "Something you want to tell me, Sunshine? You're not coming home just because-"

"No, I'm not," he interrupted, opening his eyes to meet your gaze. "I've been thinking about this for a while. I've been gone for almost four years, and I'm doing pretty well. I'm happy with what I've achieved and who I am. Today was just...an added incentive."

You stared at him, unblinking. "You're absolutely sure? I mean, all the bad things that have ever happened to you happened to you in Pittsburgh." Taking a breath, you knew this was the moment to say it. "Your asshole father, the bashing, the bombing...maybe I should be the one coming to New York." You honestly couldn't breathe for a few seconds after saying all that and, terrified though you were, at least Justin was there to make sure you wouldn't asphyxiate.

Smiling slowly, Justin leant towards you and whispered, "Thank you," just before his lips brushed across yours.

It still surprised you, most of the time, how very much you loved him.

Pulling back, his expression turned serious. "But I want to live here. It's my home. I want to be fucked by you every single night. I want to wake up with you every single morning. I want to be close to my family and know that you're never more than twenty minutes away. And tomorrow we're going grocery shopping for the things we didn't get today."

You thought that maybe, just maybe, you weren't able to hide the grin on your face. "We are?" It didn't matter where you were, as long as you were with him - four fucking years mostly without him had proven that. Even if it meant grocery shopping.

"Uh huh," Justin nodded, leaning in to kiss you again. "And I'm buying a lottery ticket."

~FINIS

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