I really love this; the juxtaposition of snippets of Brian and Michael's teenaged years with the present (the bashing) are tied together nicely with, "It has to be Justin." The love Michael has for his friend, and the subtleties of Brian's character are never so evident as they are here, and the angst was very poignant without being overdone, which is a difficult dynamic to strike.

P.S.: I have totally rec'd this in my journal. :D