Title: The Other Man
By: Amanda
Feedback: sweety167@yahoo.ca
Rating: PG
Spoilers: A bit of Season Four
Disclaimers: I own nothing related to QAF, although I do like to play with them. And the song is by Sloan.
Summery: Brian has always been Michael’s other man. Songfic on the Brian-Michael-Ben triangle.
Completed: October 23, 2004



It’s amazing how quickly things can change, how in one day everything changes, everything switches. Over night I was bumped aside, after a life-time together the professor pushes me aside and casts me as the other man. I guess it’s a role that Benjamin’s been tried of playing.

You know he's not the one for you
But that's no fault of mine
He knows that I'm a friend of yours
But doesn't know I've crossed the line
I know you've got a man in the picture
But it hasn't stopped me yet
We've all been in one situation or another
We regret

Mikey’s got to know. He has to still feel it. He’s got to still love me, always have and always will means a hell of a lot more than I do. No hetero death-pact is stronger than the declaration of Best Friends. Ben suspects it, he knows it. He knows I love Mikey, but won’t let himself believe it. Hell I wouldn’t let myself believe it. I wouldn’t let that get between us…but I sure as hell put it between my Mikey and anyone else. I don’t care if it is fucking selfish of me, I couldn’t let some old fuck like Doctor David stop me, us. I wouldn’t fade for someone like that.
I don’t regret popping up between them…just that I’ve never moved fast enough. Too busy slipping into pseudo relationships. Letting Mikey fall for them, or at least make himself think he does. I won’t believe that he loves them, not really, but watching the only man you’ve ever let yourself love love someone else kicks you in the ass.

Now I'm the other man
No one's rooting for me
If I'm the other man
Nature will abhor me

No one wants me to love Mikey, not that it’s ever really stopped me. It couldn’t. But it has made me do a hell of a lot of fucking stupid things. It’s amazing what the boy nobody wanted will do for a little affection.
I’ve waited this long, so now I’m all outta supporters here, the few I had. Just Vic. At least I think Vic. No one wants me to break up the happy little family. It’ll just be another evil Brian Kinney moment. The dumb little shit who could never see what there was when it was there.

You know I wanna keep my distance
'Cause it's happening anyway
He knows you're gonna drift apart
And there's nothing he can say
I know that he's a stand up guy
But that's none of my concern
We've all been in one situation or another
And it's my turn

I’ve tried to let him go, I’ve tried to let Mikey run off into the sunset with someone else. But I can’t. How do you stay away without it hurting, not that this selfish prick would ever miss being around someone –only Mikey. Not that it ever lasts that long, not usually. And Ben’s got to know that, David did. It’s just taking longer now…sure Benjamin can be this great and perfect husband, but only I can give Michael everything, for always. And now it’s my turn.

To be the other man
No one sympathises
When you're the other man
Everyone despises

But it’s my fault we’re here at all. I put myself here. I never said it when I could, when I should have. Not that anyone wants me to or mourns the fact I’ve kept my mouth shut. Fuck, they’re celebrated it. I’m the evil little prick that can screw it all up –but isn’t it the least bit possible this little prick could fucking make everything right for once. Isn’t the greatest fuck-up of Liberty Avenue due for doing something right!?

He's gonna find out that the rumours are true
Though they are still unbeknownst to you
He'll find out so I'll tell you because
You gotta find out before he does

Everyone’s always known, everyone’s been sure but Mikey. Even at the times I wasn’t sure, everyone’s known. The greatest rumour for the gossip queens. Their greatest drama.
But he has to know, even if everyone hates me more than they already do, I have to tell Michael. I’ll always be the other man in his life, if I tell him or not, so why not break up their false little family before we all love a false life even longer.
I’ll tell Michael that it’s time to move on, to accept what’s taken twenty years to happen. Do it before the good professor realises that this other man is going to become the only man. Always.


END