Justin 'at fault' in a fight & Brian's issues from bashing [Recs found, though more always welcome!]

[rebel-yell12.livejournal.com]

I've been looking in all the usual tags for any fic wherein Justin is the one causing problems between he and Brian. It seems like all the stories under B&J fight and the similar tags have Brian as the one causing problems, but on the show it was a bit more complex than that and Justin certainly wasn't always an innocent (pretty much most of the end of S2, for example, but primarily Ethan and the trip to Vermont, the latter being probably the character's nadir for me - though certain parts of early S4 are a close runner-up for that). It doesn't have to be anything huge, I'd just like a story or two where Justin has to apologize to Brian, rather than the other way around, and apologize in a genuine sense not in that 'say I'm wrong just to pacify the big jerk' sense.

I've also been unable to find many fics that deal with Brian's victimization at the Prom. The emphasis on the show and in fic has been on Justin's issues, but not Brian's when Brian can clearly remember it. It's always bothered me that Justin regularly throws the bashing at Brian ("you wouldn't think it was funny if you'd been bashed" and things like that) when Brian really was bashed in a sense as well - there is clear evidence that witnesses can also experience PTSD and other issues, especially if said witness might feel guilt for the event.

To summarize, I'm basically a sucker for any story where Brian ends up the victim/injured party/comfortee rather than the jerk/aggressor/comforting (oh, how I love those tags). Somehow I doubt if Brian Kinney were a real person he would appreciate this....

ETA: Thanks for the great recs! I'm already working my way through them.

Comments

[vlredreign.livejournal.com]

I don't recall Canon Justin throwing the bashing in Brian's face, just raging on it early on in S2 and then again during S4, both instances due to PTSD. But I digress.

For Justin accepting blame for the break:-p, among other things, there's If You Needed Me, by Myrna. Be warned, Brian is a colossal prick in this from time to time.

For Brian suffering PTSD about the bashing, there's Beyond The Yellow Brick Road, by plumsuede.

[ntua.livejournal.com]

ITA, it's hard to find well written fics where poor, innocent Justin isn't taken advantage of/taken for granted by/must forgive/has to reform the big, bad Brian.

Two of my faves which actually have Justin having to ask for forgiveness are kachelofen's "Follow Me, Follow You", which you can find here: http://kachelofen.livejournal.com/817.html#cutid1 (Justin cheats on Brian after they agree to try being monogamous.)

And kiera81487's "Unexpectations", which you can find here: http://kiera81487.livejournal.com/tag/unexpectations. Just a friendly warning, this is an mpreg (but it all happens "offscreen") and is still a WIP (which is updated, albeit very slowly). It's really well written though, and showcases an introspective Brian who believes that he deserves better than what he has gotten from Justin in the past.

I also just read a really great fic about Brian & Justin finally dealing with Brian's memories of the prom post-513. It's pretty angsty and the events are triggered by Justin wanting to do a series of paintings about the bashing. The story is "Collections" by ebbj9891 and you can find it here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/1470031/chapters/3097810

And lastly, another really well-written hidden gem, which is not recommended often enough, IMO: "Like Blood Turned to Ice" and its companion piece "Like Blood Turned to Fire" by SolariaLunar21. You can find them here: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3723785/SolariaLunar21. These two fics are great reads and really spot on in their characterizations. FYI, make sure to read "Like Blood Turned to Ice" first, or you'll lose most of the impact of the story.

ETA - Just remembered another one where Justin & Brian break up because Justin becomes a full blown drug addict. The story begins when they meet up again by chance in an airport, a year later. It's "No Beginning, No End" by Sandra Gia and you can find it in the GIH Mediafire folder in the sidebar.

[tycharee.livejournal.com]

I really want to read No beginning, no end but I can never pull up any stories from the GIH folders....I'm using my Kindle Fire...could that be the problem? If anyone can advise me I'd love it. TIA

[kate-anders.livejournal.com]

http://web.archive.org/web/20040427100049/http://brianplusjustin.us/sandragia/nbne_01.php You can find the first chapter this story here :) But I'd say, Justin is an asshole in it, and Brian's the embodimenet of a perfect boyfriend.