Also -- this reminds me a bit of the story Into My Arms by rhiannonhero. Have you read it? It's a Brian/Justin story, but in the last two chapters there's a major subplot on this particular topic. It's absolutely heartbreaking so I'm not sure that you'd be up for reading it, but if you're looking for beautifully written angst and a strong Michael/Brian friendship, it's excellent. You just have to get through the first two parts, which I believe are almost exclusively Brian/Justin, and of course be prepared for the angst. :-/