The first time Justin met Brian's cleaning lady was on a cold, winter night.

He never made it to Woody's, and decided to entirely skip Babylon that night. He'd been studying late and needed to relax. What better way than to surprise Brian with his naked bod in his bed?

As he approached Brian's door, after having slipped in the building with the old lady, who mistook him for Scotty, the guy on third floor, Justin stopped in his tracks.

The door was ajar and Brian was grunting, shouting expletives.

Deciding to test his luck, Justin slipped into the loft.

"Stay right there!" Brian shouted, pointing a finger to him. "And shut the fucking door."

Justin frowned, looking around the demolished place. He was about to question Brian if he'd tried any bad drugs when he noticed someone on their knees in front of him.

"I can leave," Justin mumbled.

"Or you can stay. Stop already! I'm fine." Brian jerked away from the hands tending to his injured foot. He hopped toward Justin, swerving through various objects lying scattered on the floor.

"What happened to you?" Justin cried out. There was a white wrap on Brian's left ankle, splattered with red on the side. "You need the hospital."

"What I need is for everyone to stop worrying," he shouted, turning his eyes to the woman, now standing at the kitchen counter.

"Uh, who's she?" Justin raised an eyebrow. "Are you that desperate for a blowjob?"

"Justin, meet Li Jing, my cleaning lady. Li, Justin." Brian waved a hand between them. "Sadly, you're going to see him around. A lot. So might as well get acquainted…" He hopped to his sofa, falling on it with a groan.

Justin waved to the petite Chinese woman, smiling. "Nice to meet you."

"Hello, Sir Justin." She clasped her hands in front of her and bowed a little.

"Ju-just…Justin, please."

She nodded, hurrying to clean the mess around the loft.

Justin, still shocked at meeting Brian's maid, went to his side, sitting next to him. "So what happened?"

"I'll tell you what the fuck happened. I came home and didn't shut the fucking door all the way. I went to change my clothes to go meet the boys at Woody's. I was in my jeans and nothing else when I heard a loud bang. I thought you dropped by early, even though you said you're studying."

"I wanted to come early, but decided to finish my essay."

"Well, when I went to inspect the source of the noise, I found a cat on the counter and the pot with food on the floor."

"A cat?" Justin laughed.

"I have a crazy old lady on second floor. She has dozens of cats. One of them escaped and decided to pay me a visit. When I lunged to grab it, the fucking thing scratched me and dashed to the couch. There was a struggle."

"I can see."

"But I won. I grabbed the thing by the neck and returned her to Mrs. Crazy Old Lady. She kissed and cuddled the thing, that I almost regretted returning it. The cat looked terrified to be left alone with its owner."

"So…all this mess because of a cat?"

"I think it was rabid. So when I returned and saw we'd destroyed pretty much all the loft, I called Li Jing. Thank God she was available."

"I thought your cleaning lady was Spanish."

Brian pulled a face. "Why would you think that? Because everyone hires Mexican women to clean their shit? Sorry, Sunshine. Besides, my story with Li Jing runs deep. We met at my first work place where her boss was really mean to her. I was earning enough by that time and I needed someone to clean my loft, so I offered. She said yes immediately."

"Ah, I knew you were such a good guy. You're only trying to fool everyone with your bad boy act." Justin leaned closer kissing Brian's cheek lovingly.

Li Jing appeared at their side holding a broken frame. "What I do with this?"

Brian glanced at the photo and groaned. It was his favorite picture of him and Gus. "Fucking cat." He took the broken frame carefully. "See if there are any more broken frames, will you?"

"Sure." She scurried away.

"She seems to be scared of you."

"No, she's not. She's scared of you, actually. She never met any of my friends. Except Mikey, but that was because we'd both been drunk and passed out in my bed. When Li came to clean, she found us in bed. It was probably when she figured out I'm gay."

"You said Mikey. In bed with you. The same Mikey…?"

"Yes. It happened quite a lot for us to fall asleep in the same bed, especially as teenagers." Brian shrugged. "It doesn't mean anything."

oOo

The second time Justin saw Li Jing was when he'd overslept and Brian hadn't tried to wake him up. It was after another late night at Babylon where Sap had overworked him, and when Justin woke to the loft's door sliding, he shot up, scrubbing his eyes.

"Brian?" He had no clue what time it was.

There was no answer, so he wrapped the sheet around himself and walked around the panels. He saw a young woman by kitchen counter, unloading cleaning products from a bag.

"Hi!" He called through a loud yawn.

She startled, taking a step back.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Uh, Lee?"

"Li Jing," she whispered.

"Right. I'm Justin. Remember? We met earlier this year."

Her face lit up. "Sir Justin, yes! Mister Brian's boyfriend."

Justin beamed. He liked Li Jing. "Call me Justin, please." He glanced at the clock and realized he'd already missed his classes. "Want some help?"

Li Jing shook her head franticly. "No, I couldn't!"

"Oh, please. Haven't you noticed how clean the place is since I've moved in? You barely have anything to do."

"You clean?" Tears sprung into her eyes.

"Shit. I didn't mean to offend you. It's just…I cook…and it gets messy. You should see the kitchen after I cook."

"Mister Brian allows you clean?"

"Uh, yeah. Why not?" Now that he thought of it, Justin realized that Brian always told him to leave it. "Actually, he tells me to leave the mess, but I can't."

"My job," she said sternly.

Justin raised his hands, forgetting about the bedsheet. "Fuck. Sorry." He scrambled to pick the blue garment and wrap it around him.

"Seen more at Mister Brian."

"I bet." Justin laughed.

He went to take a piss and a shower, then fixed himself breakfast. So what if it was nearing noon, he was barely awake as it was.

Li Jing minded her own business while Justin watched cartoons while eating his cereal with milk. He lifted his feet so she could use the vacuum cleaner, then he handed her the empty bowl and spoon, and she graced him with a smile.

Justin decided in that moment that they were going to be friends.

oOo

The loft was too clean.

Li Jing didn't have any clothes to pick off the floor, not even a sock.

Her cleaning overlapped Brian's time coming home one day, and she noticed how worn out and tired he looked. She offered to make him tea, but got a dismissive grunt in return. It was odd, other times, he barked at her that he didn't need tea, but that time he seemed too tired to even get upset.

Maybe work was tiring him.

"Is Justin visiting?" She knew he felt a lot better after seeing Justin.

His disturbingly raw green eyes met her over the counter. "Justin's gone. Are you finished?" He handed her the monthly check, before heading to the bathroom, effectively dismissing her.

Gone? Gone where? Gone how?

The last time she'd seen Mister Brian so sad was when Justin was in the hospital.

She knew better than to ask, so she took her money and left, hoping Justin would return to her Mister Brian. He was always happier around Justin.

oOo

"We're late."

"You're the boss," Justin snapped, looking around for his other shoe.

"If you're not done in one minute, I'm leaving without you." Brian scowled.

"Look, if it was anything else, I'd have taken it from your closet, but I can't take your shoes. We're not the same size."

"And I don't wear hideous sneakers." He chose to point that out every chance he got. "Maybe they abandoned you, ashamed you keep them unwashed and ripped."

"Don't be an ass!" Justin threw his only shoe at Brian. He dodged and the sneaker banged against the opening door, right beside Li Jing's head. "I didn't hurt you, right?" Justin rushed to her side.

She shook her head mechanically, shocked by the violent greeting. And Justin was back. She'd missed their fights, too. It always gave her something to clean. "Fine. Free day, Mister Brian?"

"I'm leaving," Brian snapped, making his way to the door.

"Wait! Don't go. Give me two more minutes."

"You have one minute. Did you find it already?" He barked.

"Lose something?" Li Jing asked, looking between them.

"One of my shoes." Justin picked the one by the door. "Help?"

"I don't pay Li to pick after your mess."

"I can help Justin. I missed Justin." She smiled brightly, making Brian roll his eyes.

It took Li Jing's skilled tracking technique to find Justin's other sneaker in the plant's pot. She offered to wash them for him if he left them for her the next time she visited.

Justin beamed, kissing her cheek as he pulled his left shoe on. "Thanks, Li Jing. You're the best."

As he stood by Brian's side in the elevator, Brian caught his eye and scowled. "Getting friendly with my cleaning lady?"

"She's real nice. Do you ever talk to her?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because she's a person with feelings."

oOo

A noise in the loft startled Justin. He hurried to finish coating his fresh bruise with unguent, but he wasn't quick enough.

The bathroom door opened to show him a distraught Li Jing, his abandoned bloodied shirt in her hand.

He snatched it from her. "Our little secret," he told her sternly.

"You okay?"

"Yes. Can you wash this? Can you clean the blood?"

"Yes. I have something."

"Before Brian arrives." Justin pushed the shirt back in her hands. "I'm fine, I promise. Please, don't tell him about this," Justin begged.

"You were in a fight?"

"Sort of. I'm going to make dinner. Uh, there are some clothes for washing in the hamper too. So it won't be too suspicious," he added with a smile on his way out of the bathroom.

Li Jing nodded, watching Justin worried. She wasn't going to tell Mister Brian, but she'd pray Justin was safe.

oOo

There was also a time when Justin came home to find a distressed Li Jing on the steps in front of the loft, crying her heart out.

He crouched by her side, stroking her hair. "Li Jing?"

Her wet dark eyes met Justin's blue ones. "Mister Brian sick."

"Uh, yeah. But he's getting better, stronger. Every day."

"Mister Brian good man."

Justin smiled. "Don't worry, please. Brian's taking treatment. Did he tell you he was sic... Uh, not okay?"

"No need. I see him in bathroom. He pushed me out." She sobbed harder. "I think Mister Brian fired me."

"Yeah, and I think he's an asshole. It doesn't change anything. Look, he's going through a rough time. I'm here now. How about I call you when he gets better?"

She took his hands in hers. "Thank you, Justin. I care for Mister Brian."

"Don't we all? He didn't mean it... kicking you out. I promise."

Justin took a deep breath before going into the loft, minutes after Li Jing had left.

He found Brian at the kitchen counter, looking through the pots Justin had left on the stove.

"Why were you an ass to Li Jing? That woman loves you, Brian. I found her crying on the steps."

"I don't need her pity. She was all 'Mister Brian, oh no. What wrong to you?' Then she saw the fucking pills. And she stated babbling about my horrible disease. So I told her to get the fuck out."

"You can't treat her like that. She's not me or Michael to put up with your bullshit. Poor thing thought you fired her."

"I did."

Justin huffed loudly. "So someone that cares about you tries to show you a little compassion. You get insulted by the gesture and fire her. What's wrong with you?"

The smell from the last pot he opened the lid to made Brian's stomach turn. He had enough time to turn to the side and barf, spectacularly missing the sink by a foot.

"I'm not cleaning that up," Justin muttered.

Brian let out a miserable whine, shuffling to the bed. "Call Li Jing."

oOo

"How about these?"

Justin waited by the printer to see the new sample Brian found adequate for their wedding invitations. "Uh, seriously?" He scoffed, staring at the two doves.

"Too much?" Brian laughed.

"They'll have a heart attack as it is. We don't want to kill them. We want guests for the wedding, Brian."

"Maybe this?" Brian gestured to the printing machine.

Justin took the new one, smiling. "Now this. This I like." He nodded in confirmation.

"You said that ten times before."

"I did? But this one is uber cute."

"So was this one." Brian waved a pale blue card. "And this one." He waved another one through the air, before flicking all of them in Justin's direction.

Justin giggled dodging the flying cards, flopping on his back on the bedsheet they had spread in the middle of the loft. He sighed happily, having no idea until that moment that he could feel so happy.

Brian gathered all the printed wedding invitations, before dumping them on Justin. Then he joined him, kissing his neck. "I'm thinking of writing something formal. Something WASPy."

"Like what? Something pompous like 'Please join us on our happy day'?" Justin took Brian's face in his hands.

"Okay, maybe something simple. 'Come—"

"Because that's the essential word." Justin threw his head back, laughing.

There was a knock at the door, making them frown at it.

"Fuck it. We're not expecting anyone," Brian scoffed.

Justin pressed his finger to Brian's lips. "If we're very quiet, they might leave."

"I can be quiet. Can you?" Brian descended down Justin's body, kissing and licking as he got closer to his leaking dick.

Keys turned in the lock and the door slid open right before Brian could taste his fiancé's glorious dick. "What the fuck?" Brian muttered, turning to find Li Jing in the doorway, her hands over her eyes. "Oh, for fuck's sake."

They pulled boxers on, and in Justin's case, one of Brian's shirt's too, before going to their distressed cleaning lady.

"I wasn't expecting you," Brian said, guiding her to the couch.

"You told me visit family."

"Exactly. So why are you here, instead of in Philly?"

"I saw on News. Your club boom." Li Jing stared at Brian, trying to find any scars.

He rolled his eyes, but Justin felt more compassion for the woman. He shifted closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, Li Jing. We're both fine. More than fine."

"I was scared," she admitted.

"Well, now you know I'm alive. So is Justin. Go back to your family. I meant what I said. Take some time off."

"Yeah, I can do what you were doing for a few weeks," Justin insisted. "Besides, it's going to be messy for a while." He blushed, giggling.

"Don't be a twat." Brian scolded him, but grinned nonetheless.

"If you need me, call, Mister Brian."

"Don't I always?" He laughed, walking her to the door.

On the way, she spotted the wedding invitations and gasped. "You get married!" She took Brian in a fierce hug, startling him. He stared at Justin hopelessly, while Justin burst out laughing, until Li Jing rushed to hug him too. As she pulled back, still smiling, she watched them slightly worried. "After you marry, do I still work here?"

"Why wouldn't you? Though, we might relocate." Brian smiled, catching Justin's eye.

"Brian bought us a big house. Of course, you're going to be there with us. I doubt I can keep up with it on my own." Justin stroked her arm reassuringly. "Maybe we can give Li Jing a room there?" He cocked his head to Brian.

"We'll see, though that's not a bad idea."

"So happy for you!" She hugged Justin again.

"We're happy too," he said, smiling.

"But you have family waiting for you. Let me call you a cab." Brian pulled out his phone. "Then we have business." He pointed to the cards spread all over the floor.

By the time Li Jing left, she'd helped them select a pattern that suited then, saying it would be unlike them to have some design on the invitation. Brian agreed with her, and once she was gone, they chose the words they wanted to write, before finally reintroducing Justin's cock to Brian's mouth. It had been two hours since their last round. Two hours too long.

oOo

After leaving for New York, Justin didn't think he'd ever hear from Li Jing. He doubted he'd run into her when he visited Brian. He'd make sure they'd be alone and undisturbed during that glorious time.

When Justin's cellphone rang and the caller ID read Loft, he was curious why Brian was calling him from the landline.

"Say quick, my battery is dying," Justin answered, shifting his way through the busy street.

"Justin?" The small, broken voice had him freeze and people bumped into him, cursing.

"Shit." He dodged into a small coffee shop, glad to be away from the blizzard outside. "Uh, hello?"

"It's Li Jing."

"I know. I recognized you. Is Brian okay?"

"Mister Brian told me to call you. Mister Brian left in a hurry to Toronto."

"Fuck. Gus! What happened?" Panic bubbled in Justin's chest.

"Mister Brian only told me to call you and say…'move your…b-butt…to Canada…Gus has a cold…the mu-nchers…are coming to the Pitts for Christmas.'"

Justin was sure she'd quoted Brian, because he'd never heard her talk like that. "Oh. Thank you."

"Is Gus going to be okay?"

"I hope so. If we're going to be alone with him, wish me luck. I'll be the one taking care of him. We know it."

She laughed quietly. "Luck, Justin."

"Thanks. Uh, Li Jing? Do you still have the key I gave you?"

"Uh, yes."

"Would you mind going there to tidy things a little? If Gus's moms and sister are going to be in Pittsburgh, I bet he'd like to be there too."

"Oh! A surprise! I will clean the house."

"I'll wire you some money when I get home. Thanks, Li Jing!"

"No, please. No money. Mister Brian was real upset the last time," she hurriedly said.

"Then don't tell him. Our little secret. I have to go now."

Not finding any flights leaving New York in that awful weather, Justin drove to Toronto. Then he convinced Brian to drive them to Pittsburgh.

On a stop for gas, Justin burrowed Brian's phone, typing Li Jing's number in his own phone, before calling her.

"Hey, it's me," he whispered, keeping his eyes on Brian who disappeared into the men's room to take Gus to pee.

"Justin?"

"Yes. This is my number. I'm surprised I didn't have to call you before. Anyway, listen, did you do what I asked?"

"I'm at the house now. There is one problem, no wood for fire."

"Shit. I'll buy some. Anything else? We haven't been there in too long."

"I bought food. Want me to cook too?"

"No, Li. I can do that. Thank you so much. You can stay there. I promise Brian won't mind."

"Ready to roll?" Brian asked from behind Justin. "Who's that? Linds for the ten thousand time? Gus is fine, have some faith!" He shouted into the mouth piece.

"It's not Lindsay." Justin clutched the phone closer to his ear, heading to the car. "Don't mind Brian. He's still in the cavemen era."

Li Jing giggled. "Okay. I'll wait here. Still a lot to clean."

"Don't overdo it. Make sure our room and Gus's bedroom are dust-free, also the living room."

"Oh, the rooms were first cleaned. Now I was feeding the horses."

"The WHAT?" Justin turned his head to gape at Brian, as he slid into the car. "What did you say," he whispered into the phone.

"You didn't know. I ruined Mister Brian's surprise."

"Oh, don't worry. You saved me from a heart attack. You're an angel."

She sputtered, not knowing how to answer.

"Take it easy, really. It's just us, not the President coming over. Relax. Make some hot cocoa and watch movies."

"Who was that?" Brian demanded the second Justin hung up.

After glancing into the backseat at Gus fast asleep, huddled into the right door, Justin narrowed his eyes at Brian. "You bought horses! We discussed this. No animals until we actually live there."

His eyes widened as he met Justin's eyes for a second. "How?" Then he scowled. "Of course. Li Jing. Your new BFF. I'll let Daphne know she was replaced in your heart by a four feet tall Chinese midget."

"Can you be nice to her? And if you must know, I sent her to Britin to clean around."

"Oh. When were you going to tell me we weren't going to the loft?"

"When were you going to tell me about the horses?"

"I wanted them to be a surprise."

"You mean, a heart attack. I thought I was clear when I told you I don't want any pets of any kind until we actually live in the house. They'll get lonely there."

"I'm moving in at the beginning of the year."

"WHAT?"

"Shhh! Keep your voice down. Gus is sleeping."

"You're moving in? Without me?"

"You'll visit. It's our house. I just figured…"

"I want to punch you so badly, but I also want to hug and kiss you."

"I opt for the second part." Brian turned his head, pouting his lips.

Justin couldn't resist, and leaned closer to kiss him. "Love you, you crazy man."

"Me too."