Insurance
by Cabbers

The cracking sound of paper being unfolded made Brian turn from the DVD he'd been watching. Justin was seated at the desk, opening his mail which he'd picked up and shoved into his bag on his way over. Now, several hours later, he had gone through and discarded all but one piece as junk mail. The other was an official-looking letter with insurance-company letterhead.

"Shit," he let out, running his hand through his hair.

"What?" Brian asked. When he didn't get a response other than a distracted shake of that blond head, he got up and went to stand by the chair, leaning against one of the columns that held up the loft's lofty ceiling. "What is it?" He asked a little more urgently.

"It's my insurance," Justin waved the paper at him, looking pissed off. "Since I'm no longer a full-time student, I've been dropped from my father's health insurance." He handed the tersly-worded letter to Brian. "Of course, he could add me on as an additional non-dependent family member, but I'm sure that would cost too much," he added bitterly, getting up and stalking to the kitchen.

"Well, fuck him," Brian hated to see Justin get worked up about every latest shitty thing his father did. "I'll get you put on my insurance."

"Yeah, right," Justin snapped, reaching into the fridge for a bottle of water on which to take out his mood.

"Why not?"

"Because, Brian," Justin slammed the innocent water bottle down on the counter, "On insurance forms they have a little box you check for single, and a little box you check for married, but they don't have a box for 'fucking the same guy more than once,'" he concluded with considerable frustration.

The older man, knowing that the outburst wasn't actually aimed at him, approached to within touching distance and said smiling, "They probably should. I'm sure it would be a very popular option." The words managed to convey the sentiment that the two of them had found the perfect state-neither married nor single-and that the rest of the world should only be so lucky.

Justin chuckled a little helplessly and leaned against his lover, taking comfort from the closeness. He felt an arm across his shoulders, pulling him a little closer. After a moment, he heard, "You don't really give a shit about the insurance, do you?" It wasn't really a question, and he only sighed in answer. Brian knew him too well.

"Don't worry about it," he continued softly, still holding the younger man against him and bringing the other hand up to stroke his hair. Justin couldn't tell if he meant the insurance, or the latest proof that his father wanted nothing to do with him--knowing Brian, probably both. He smiled, and didn't worry.

Home