Three Times Seven: Timing is Everything by mandagrammy
Summary:

This story centers around Brian's thoughts after he convinces Justin to go to Hollywood rather than take the charity Liberty Ride from Canada.  By doing so, he has spoiled the plans he had made for celebrating Justin's 21st Birthday, which would have happened during the ride, but Justin's future is more important to Brian.  I owe a debt of gratitude to Eka for the wonderful banner and Becky for her beautiful beta work for me.


Categories: QAF US Characters: Brian Kinney, Justin Taylor
Tags: M/M
Genres: Romance
Pairings: Brian/Justin
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 1 Completed: Yes Word count: 3116 Read: 927 Published: Jun 23, 2018 Updated: Jun 23, 2018
Story Notes:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

1. Chapter 1 by mandagrammy

Chapter 1 by mandagrammy

Brian was frustrated. Why was it that timing was always a bitch for him, especially when it involved his Sunshine? Every time things were running smoothly (or he thought they were running smoothly) some crap would throw a wrench into the works. Like the time he thought he'd made the blond twink he'd picked up for a one night treat understand that he didn't do repeats. The kid wouldn't take no for an answer and the next thing he knew the persistent little devil had seduced him on the dance floor and one thing led to another and...well suffice it to say Brian's life had never been the same since.

And of course there was the worst case of timing ever. That fateful night he thought he had enough of a handle on his emotions that he could indulge a fantasy he had nurtured since his youth and go to Justin's prom. If he hadn't gone, his magnificent young man with the awesome artistic talent would never have been hurt in a way that almost ruined his future completely. Brian had just turned 30 and he wanted to recapture his youth for one night with the boy he wished he'd known when he was that age.

And speaking of Birthday disasters, how about the really lousy case of bad timing when he gave Justin the fucking male prostitute for a Birthday present on the same damned day that the kid meets the so-called 'romantic' Fiddler. Brian knew that was probably one of his biggest fuck-ups. Why the hell hadn't he just gotten him some roses or taken him out to a fancy restaurant or anything besides gifting him with a stupid trick? But he sure paid for that faux pas, with months of loneliness and plenty of unsatisfying meaningless sex.

So many mistakes, some of them even made by Justin, but he had been sure this year would be better. Once Brian got his Sunshine back from that loser, Ian (or whatever the fuck his name was), he saw blue skies ahead. Justin had seemed to understand who Brian really was and accepted him anyway. Hell, Brian had even reached the stage of admitting that Justin was his boyfriend or at least partner. That was huge, but it really did feel good to Brian. And then that one stinking night that he had triumphantly won that bet with Justin.

Brian realized it would have been stupid to live in ignorance of the cancer that lay like a poisoned arrow aimed at his very life, but at the same time ignorance could be bliss sometimes. After all, the cancer that the one night stand warned him of turned out to be another catalyst to a case of really bad choices. Deep down Brian had convinced himself that he wasn't worth loving...I mean didn't both his parents make that clear to him every time they even looked at him or talked to him? He had spent vast amounts of time and money on keeping his appearance up because he knew that the outside was beautiful to others. They wanted that. But he knew no one would want the ugliness that was inside him. Or at least he was convinced of it, though the truth was far from that.

Now he had to have his physical body disturbed and he wouldn't be perfect on the outside any more. Oh, he knew that Justin would stay with him out of obligation. That was the kind of man he was. But Brian dreaded that. Look at how ugly his parents had become because of staying together from a sense of obligation. No, there was no way he would keep Justin under those circumstances. And then, of course, he handled the whole affair like a complete idiot.

Throwing Justin out that door the day Brian realized Justin knew his secret was the most painful thing he'd ever done in his life. After he slammed the door shut, the sound of Justin's begging to know why echoed in the cavernous loft and pierced Brian's heart with agonizing pain. Recovering from the surgery was a piece of cake compared to the agony he felt when he lay in his empty bed that night and all the nights after. Soft blond hair, laughing blue eyes, and sunshine smiles haunted his dreams. Being sick as a dog after the radiation treatments only added to the lead weight that rested where his heart used to be.

Then another miracle. Justin reached a breaking point and forced Brian to face facts. He was spitting mad when he confronted Brian with that cliché bowl of chicken soup and Brian thought he never looked so beautiful. He stood in all his fury and made damned sure that Brian knew that his love was for all of Brian, not just his sexy body. For the first time since the Doc's ominous words Brian had slept like a baby, wrapped in Justin's strong arms. Most people saw Justin as this small kid but Brian knew the real Justin. He was as strong as steel when he had to be and he poured all that strength into making Brian well.

It had taken time. Justin was patient and finally the lovers got their reward. The night Brian got back his magnificent woody, induced by his mother of all people with her wrathful words, was a night of decadent celebration and Brian was ecstatic to be sharing it with the man he loved (although he still had not reached the stage of verbalizing THAT emotion yet.) And every night had been a veritable feast of lovemaking since, (within the restraints of a recovering man, that is.)

Then there had been the Jeffrey Pendergrass fiasco. Brian's instinctive radar for bullshit had kicked in almost from the minute he met the man and Brian hated bullshit. But then, he realized the problem he had unwittingly caused when he confronted the con artist at his hotel, sending the jerk fleeing from town with the Liberty Ride's benefit money. Timing reared its ugly head again when Brian's Doctor unwittingly made a simple remark to Brian that he needed to slow down because he wasn't 21 anymore right about the time that everyone was in the process of training for the long bike ride from Toronto and back to the Pitts.

Brian hadn't planned on taking the ride but a challenge to his ego like that had to be answered. It didn't help that his much younger lover, who WAS about to turn 21, insisted that he wasn't in good enough shape to take the ride right in front of the other guys and then casually told Brian that he shouldn't train for the ride 'at his age' right after he had given Justin the hottest ride of his life which left them drenched in sweat. Hell, if he could do that he could certainly tackle a bike ride.

Brian had made the mistake of training in front of everyone and failed dismally. He had miscalculated his strength and been forced to quit ignominiously with his tail between his legs...a position that didn't suit Brian Kinney in the least. Justin and Ted then rubbed salt in the wound by using Brian's success in getting Remson Pharmaceuticals to sponsor the ride to the tune of 100,000 big ones as an excuse to get Brian to give up plans to join the ride. It was like waving a red flag in front of a bull and Brian couldn't ignore it. Of course, there was no way he was going to risk further humiliation so he had begun training in secret.

Then came the big reveal. Justin, being a perceptive little cuss, had figured out what Brian was doing in the middle of the night and joined his man at the training center for a heart to heart talk that ended with Justin agreeing to support Brian's plans. They signed the pact in the usual Kinney/Taylor way that included exercise of a more strenuous kind than peddling the bike and again things seemed to be falling into place. Brian had even been thinking about how he was going to surprise his blond 'boy', who was about to become a legal 'man' during the ride. One thing was certain, he was going to avoid the disaster that became Justin's 19th Birthday.

Now poor timing was messing with Brian again. Just as he had made plans for celebrating Justin's birthday in style (going against his Kinney rule about not celebrating getting older) he discovered from Mikey that Justin had the chance to go to Hollywood and promote their "Rage" film. Well, first thing’s first. He knew Justin well enough to know that the lad wouldn't consider breaking his word to help the cause just for his own benefit. He had to say just the right thing to get Justin to go away to Hollywood even though the thought of him being so far away was a real pain in the ass.

The truth was that Brian had come to hate those few nights a week that Justin went back to his own place. Brian would have opened a vein before he'd admit that seeing all of Justin's things in every corner of the loft was a longing he had been having for some time now. But the simple fact was that was how he had been feeling for quite awhile. He had even been toying with the idea of asking Justin to be his live-in lover and partner for a second time. But again, timing wasn't right. Brian's new task was in getting Justin to use his brains and go to Hollywood and become the big fat fucking success that Brian knew he would be and deserved to be.

Brian had come home to an enthusiastic Justin all ready to head out on their big adventure together and try out the new tent and equipment. It took all his best moves to make the lad see things with clear eyes. After throwing in just the right zinger about it being true charity giving up his own dreams to make the ride Brian had headed for the shower, walking casually as if he couldn't care less what Justin would decide.

He had stepped into the stall and proceeded to let the water cascade over his body while he went into his mental countdown. Sure enough, he could hear the sound of Justin approaching the glass doors by the time he reached 100. Let's face it, this was just another thing about Justin that he 'loved' and respected so much. Justin was always willing to listen to a voice of reason and make changes if they were reasonable. It wasn't because he was easily manipulated...as a matter of fact, far from it...it was that he wasn't so stubborn or pig headed that he wouldn't listen to any other voice but his own. And he was smart enough to think for himself once he heard all opinions. As a matter of fact, if he hadn't been that way he might have ignored Mikey's words earlier and never given Brian a chance to redeem himself after the cancer debacle.

Brian waited at the far end of the shower with his back turned and listened for the click of the door opening. He couldn't stop the satisfied smirk that flashed briefly on his face when he heard the welcome sound. In the next instant he felt the familiar warmth of a naked Justin as he wrapped his arms around Brian's middle and pressed himself up against his older lover’s backside. Brian turned in Justin's arms, bringing his own arms down over the young man's shoulders and drawing him close all the while keeping his face carefully neutral. Brian waited for Justin to make the first move.

"I've been thinking about what you said," Justin began. "You know I'd rather be with you and take the ride, don't you?''

Brian shrugged and gave a quick nod.

"You're right Brian."

"Three of my favorite words, next to...."

"I know, next to 9 inches uncut," Justin laughed. "We all know! Anyway, as I was saying, you're right about priorities. This Hollywood thing is too good to pass up. It could be huge and make our futures secure. And it's not like it's forever. I should only be gone a few days. Hell, I could leave here a 20 year old starving young artist and come back a 21 year old wealthy man. I kind of like the sound of that," Justin finished.

"I like the sound of that too, Sunshine. Hell, when you get back I can even take you drinking and not worry about getting arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor...I mean, since you'll be 'three times seven' like my old man used to say." Brian slapped Justin's perfect bubble butt for emphasis.

"Just one problem," Justin interjected. "I was really hoping we could be together for my big 2 -1, you know. I mean, my 18th was no big deal. My 19th, well, better not to discuss that period. And we were too absorbed in the Stockwell mess to think about it on my 20th. I was kind of hoping this year would be different."

Brian looked down into Justin sad eyes and made a decision. "Okay, I'm going to tell you something but if you breathe a word to anyone...I mean anyone...I'm going to ban you from sucking my cock for the next month!"

Justin let out an explosive laugh. Catching his breath, he looked up innocently and asked, "And just who were you trying to punish here?"

Another sharp slap to the butt brought a yelp from Justin's mouth. Brian took the opportunity to swoop in and close that beautiful mouth with a little mouth to mouth connection. Justin had been surprised but only for a moment. As Justin began moving his lips against Brian's, their tongues started the exploration that always fed the fire in their blood. When they finally came up for air, Brian continued.

"What I was saying, Mr. Full of Himself, is that I did have tentative plans to recognize your 21st, but there is nothing that can't be put on temporary hold. I'd much rather see you off to Tinseltown where you will succeed beautifully and start making big big bucks and then support me in the style that I wish to become accustomed to." That last part was accompanied by a devilish grin and cocked eyebrow.

When the force of what Brian had just admitted sank in fully, Justin let out a tiny 'ooohhhh' followed by a bone crushing hug. Justin kept his face planted firmly on Brian's broad chest for fear he would see the tears that had started there. He had never loved this magnificent man more than at this moment. He could no longer count the times that Brian had done something or said something for, to, or about Justin that went against everything he had vowed he wouldn't do or say for the first 30 years of his life. What felt the best was that Brian hadn't really changed for Justin, he'd just evolved and Justin knew it was only because he cared about him so much. No birthday party was more valuable to Justin than just knowing these things about the love of his life.

Justin looked up into Brian's gorgeous eyes and let all of his feelings for the man shine out for his lover to see.

"Bri, you just gave me the best gift I have ever received in my entire life. I don't need or want anything more. Romantics can keep their flowers and champagne. I'll take Brian Kinney telling me he WANTS to make me happy any day over those things." He paused to gather his thoughts so that he could say just the right thing. After a slow and almost painfully tender kiss, Justin continued. "You may not be able to say it yet, Mr. Kinney, but I'll say it for you. You love me...and I love you, more than anything in my life."

Brian stood as still as a statue. He wanted to say it, but there was that timing bitch again. He wasn't quite ready, but somehow he knew he would be someday. But the point was, he felt it even if something stopped him from saying it. But Brian knew how to express himself. He wrapped one strong hand in Justin's golden locks and, looking deeply into the shining blue eyes that he could drown in, Brian bent his head for a kiss that poured all his love into it.

The shower water turned cold as the lovers spent the next half hour making slow, deliberate, and all consuming love to each others hearts and bodies. When they finally emerged from under the water and had dried their exhausted bodies off, they headed for their bedroom arm and arm. When they spotted the tent still set up in the room, Justin turned to Brian.

"Would you like to show me what you had in mind for me the night of my 21st Birthday, my good man?" Justin inquired coyly. "And then I can demonstrate how I would thank you for my celebration."

The two men spent the rest of the night repeatedly showing and demonstrating to each other what a fun time Justin's 21st Birthday would have been if they had been together. The next day they barely had the strength or energy to make sure Justin had his ticket and reservation for the California flight and made it on time. Brian had waved goodbye half-heartedly from the terminal window. But this time he felt comfortable that his Sunshine would be coming home to him and soon.

As he headed off for the starting line of the Liberty Ride, where he put on his fake 'so long, I wish I was going with you' face for the gang, he reflected again on how his timing, especially with Justin, always seemed to be a problem. But what the hell, it didn't really matter at all. He had what mattered. He had his health back, a growing company all his own, a loving circle of friends that had his back no matter what shit he stirred up, and most importantly...he had Justin. Fuck timing, Brian thought. The perfect timing the day I stepped out of Babylon and saw that blond beauty was the only timing that mattered.

Everyone was too busy getting ready to leave to notice the small smile that lifted the corners of Brian Kinney's mouth as he walked away from the departing crowd.

THE END

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