Another day passed by miserably, leaving Justin one step closer to losing his shit.  He was grateful for Daphne’s help with finding him a place to stay when he moved to New York City months ago, but hadn’t warned him that his roommate was going to be a royal pain in the ass.  The guy was a slob, never picking up after himself, and running his mouth about anything that popped into his empty head, from the minute he got home until he retired for the night.  How he was ever friends with Daphne was a true mystery for Justin.  Every day in which he had to endure sharing the apartment, despite the financial benefit of it being an inherited rent-controlled place, was a constant reminder of his glory days living with Brian in that gorgeous loft.  Outside of the rare occasions when Brian imbibed a bit too much liquor or recreational drugs, his place was always beautifully kept with pride.  Justin’s roommate didn’t seem to know the meaning of pride.

But today, as he sat behind his computer trying to concentrate on the images he wanted to create for his next showing at a local art show, for which he had received an invitation to weeks before, his thoughts ran away to the coming weekend.  It was the one bright spot running in his gloomy thoughts.  Brian was finally coming for a visit.  The very idea of seeing Brian again, after more than a month, was enough to chase away some of the intense feelings of exasperation he had been feeling since moving to New York City.  He wasn’t naïve.  He knew that some of the negativity about living in the City came from missing Brian so intensely.  Not all of it was his roommate’s fault.  But it was a lot easier to direct his frustrations onto the hapless young man, rather than admit he had made a mistake putting so many miles between himself and the man who owned his heart.  Yet dwelling on what was increasingly becoming his biggest regret in life wasn’t getting him anywhere.  So, Justin gave himself a mental shake and did his best to get back to the business of creating art.

Finally, he found needed inspiration while watching the activity on the street below his apartment.  The window of his room looked out directly onto the boulevard, which boasted a variety of shops as well as apartment buildings.  They were living in a popular section of the city, so busy street activity was quite common.  It wasn’t the quietest of neighborhoods, but Justin wasn’t bothered by that at all.  He rather liked all the hustle and bustle.  It reminded him of Liberty Avenue.  The neighborhood was also eclectic, with all types of people going about their daily business.  That was another plus for Justin, who had grown up in a perfect tree-lined, neatly trimmed upper middle-class neighborhood where everyone seemed to look, dress, and act the same. One of Justin’s pleasures in trying to find his identity as a teenager was the discovery of the far more colorful LGBTQ! community.  Although this neighborhood wasn’t a clone of Liberty Avenue, it was just as colorful.  Justin had almost finished the last few lines of a sketch he was creating on his computer when he heard the front door of his apartment opening.  Moments later his roommate popped his head inside Justin’s open doorway. 

“Hey Taylor, some of my friends from school are meeting down at Sammie’s bar in a little bit.  You want to come with?”

Justin, who had already learned that his roommate, Lucas, had a tendency to drink a bit too much sometimes, didn’t feel like going out and being responsible for the guy getting home if he went a little overboard again.  He had no problem with the guy’s friends, who were nice enough for the most part, but Justin preferred staying home and watching TV, as well as imagining all the things he’d do with Brian when he arrived.  So, he politely declined the invitation and got back to what he was doing before the interruption.  Lucas, who often wondered why Daphne thought so highly of Justin, even though he was a nice enough guy, shrugged his shoulders and moved on.  Justin heard Lucas leaving the apartment less than an hour later.  By then, he had finished his work and retired to the living room, after warming up some leftovers from yesterday’s Chinese take-out.  Justin settled in for a couple of hours of mindless TV viewing. 

The time passed by quickly.  Justin soon found himself yawning deeply over and over again, not long after the third program had just started airing.  It was one of those reality shows where everyone did their best to bash the others, while pretending to be totally innocent of any pettiness themselves.  Justin thought about changing the channel but opted for calling it a night instead.  The threat of falling asleep on the lumpy couch, which tended to always result in a miserable backache the next morning, solidified his decision.  He clicked the off button on the remote and dragged himself off the couch.  Making his way back to his own bedroom, Justin prayed his roommate would keep the noise down if he came home drunk.  Without even bothering to remove his t-shirt and sweat pants, Justin flopped onto his bed and was out within seconds.

Shortly after, Justin lay sleeping soundly in his bed, failing to hear Lucas returning a couple of hours later.  He was blissfully unaware that Lucas returned home starving, having failed to eat anything before meeting his friends at the bar.  With only a few snacks from the bar in his belly, the liquor he consumed was enough to blur any common sense the young man normally possessed.  Without thinking, Lucas set a pot on the stove, filled it with a can of soup, then sat down in the kitchen chair to wait for it to heat up.  He then laid his head down on crossed arms on the table and drifted off to sleep in a drunken stupor.  He failed to notice that the dish towel he had just used to wipe his hands, after some of the soup spilled onto his fingers, was laid dangerously close to the flame from the stove.  He also failed to notice the crackling, sizzling sound coming from the slightly dampened towel as the flame finally caught hold of the edge of the towel.  Within seconds, fire began spreading in the kitchen.

****************************************************

Justin thought he was dreaming when a loud buzzing sound pierced his ears as he slept.  He woke with a start, realizing instantly that the sound had nothing to do with a dream.  He recognized the sound of one of their smoke alarms as it continued to blare at a deafening volume.  Justin’s heart skipped a beat when he realized what it meant.  Something had to have caused the alarm to go off.  Justin jumped out of bed, slightly disoriented for a moment before gathering his senses.  He rushed to his bedroom door, opening it carefully.  Instantly, the room was filled with billowing smoke that threatened to choke the life out of him.  Justin began coughing as more smoke filled his lungs, robbing him of precious oxygen. 

Justin slammed the door shut and rushed back to the bedside table where his phone sat on its charger.  Grabbing it up quickly, tears from the smoke almost blinding him, he dialed 911.  The calm voice of an older woman answered.  Justin did his best not to sound panicky as he explained that he suspected a fire in his apartment.  He described the thick smoke outside his door, and that he had a roommate, whose whereabouts he wasn’t sure of.  As with many New York City apartments, there was a fire escape just outside his bedroom window.  He was told to get out on it immediately, making sure there were no signs of fire coming from below, and make his way quickly to the street.  The operator warned him not to try and play hero.  The fire trucks were only minutes away.  Although he was having difficulty breathing and could barely see, Justin did as he was told.

By the time he had reached the ground below, Justin could hear the sound of approaching fire trucks piercing the night air.  He prayed that Lucas, if he had made it home, had also made it out safely.  He stepped away from the building and could see flames shooting out their top floor kitchen window.  Moments later, a burly young man in a fireman’s uniform rushed over to Justin as he stumbled out from the alleyway.  Justin realized he had swallowed a lot more smoke than he first thought by the way his throat felt choked, making it hard to breathe properly.  The young fireman wrapped an arm around Justin and guided him towards a nearby ambulance.  Within seconds, they had an oxygen mask over his face, helping him to feel a little less disoriented. 

When a paramedic began working on him taking vitals, Justin pulled the mask away just long enough to claim he was alright.  The paramedic shook his head, telling Justin that he needed to let them take him to the hospital to be checked out.  As he informed him, smoke inhalation was nothing to trifle with.  Justin recalled how smoke from the explosion he had lived through at Babylon the year before, had caused a few health issues for some survivors, and decided to heed the good advice.  He climbed up into the cab of the ambulance and settled down on the cot.  Quickly and efficiently, the doors were closed and the vehicle was wailing through the night on its way to a nearby hospital.  Upon arrival, the paramedics passed on the necessary information about Justin’s vitals to an attending emergency room nurse.  He was then ushered into a room and asked to wait on the bed for the next available doctor. 

It felt like an eternity as Justin continued sucking in the oxygen that worked its magic in helping him feel less stressed.  Finally, the door to the room opened and a white-coated older man, somewhere in his mid-fifties, strode in, notebook in hand.  After a quick exam, he informed Justin that they felt it was necessary for him to stay overnight as a precaution, and that he needed to stay on the oxygen.  Other than that, he could go home in the morning.  Justin agreed, despite his growing concern as to whether he would even have a home to go back to then.  As he waited for a room to spend the rest of the night in, he asked for a phone.  He had left the apartment with nothing on him except for his wallet in the pocket of his sweatpants.  Somehow, in his hurry to get out of the apartment, Justin had dropped his cell, yet even without it he knew Brian’s phone number by heart.  His next move was to make the call that he knew would upset Brian.  Justin would never forget Brian’s reaction the night of the Babylon bombing.  For the first time that fateful night, he saw just how protective and caring Brian could be.  He had no desire to scare Brian, especially when he wasn’t in any real danger anymore.

**************************************

The moment Brian heard Justin’s voice, which was much raspier than normal, he sensed something was wrong.  He had almost not answered, not recognizing where the call was coming from.  But some instinct made him pick up the call.  Justin had, on occasion, called him this late in the evening when he felt a bit homesick.  It never bothered Brian.  In fact, he rather relished knowing that the young man missed home, or more accurately, missed him.  The feeling was mutual.  So much so, that Brian had been toying with the idea of asking Justin to return to Pittsburgh.  Or alternately, he even considered moving his ad business to New York City, leaving Babylon in the capable hands of assistants like Ted.  He hadn’t said anything to Justin about it yet, but the ideas had been simmering in the back of his mind for some time now.  There were even lonely nights at the loft when he felt like kicking himself for even supporting Justin’s moving to New York.  But for now what was done, was done.

For the most part, Brian didn’t worry about Justin living in the big city.  He knew the young man was quite capable of taking care of himself.  Justin was more responsible and level-headed than he himself had been at that same age.  But now, as he listened to the strange sound of Justin’s voice, dreadful thoughts started to push their way into his thoughts.  He forced himself to remain calm as Justin began telling him the story of this night’s misadventure.  By the time he reached the point where he told Brian about being admitted to the hospital for the night, Brian was ready to take the next flight bound for New York City.  It was only Justin’s adamant reassurances that he was fine, which stopped Brian from calling the airlines.  After all, Justin reminded him, he had already scheduled a visit only a couple of days from now.  By then, Justin told him, he would be back home.  Brian accepted Justin’s logic, and they finally said their goodbyes.  As the call was disconnected, Brian knew the next couple of days were going to be anything but easy for him.  He had never been a worry wart about anything or anybody before in his entire life, but Justin was the exception… and what an important exception he was.

****************************************************

Justin was very relieved the next morning when the doctor told him he could go home.  His throat still had a slightly raspy feel to it, and he found himself unexpectedly coughing from the tickle in his throat every so often, but other than that, he felt fine.  The first thing he did was take a cab back to his apartment.  That was when he learned the fate of his home and his roommate.  Lucas had survived the fire, having been awakened by the alarm, then escaping through the front door, which was closest to the kitchen.  Luckily, he had his phone on him as he rushed out, and was actually the one to make the first call to 911.  The only thing he had failed to do was try and warn Justin about the fire, his bedroom being close to the kitchen where the flames were already building, with heavy smoke filling the area.

Learning this did nothing to lessen Justin’s less than positive opinion of his roommate, nor did it make him want to continue their arrangement.  But the whole thing was moot at this point.  The apartment they shared was no longer habitable.  Luckily, the fire had been contained to their apartment only, with just minimal smoke and fire damage to the ceiling of the floor below.  Unfortunately, he was also told that it was deemed unsafe for him to enter the apartment for now in order to see what kind of damage his belongings had suffered.  Justin searched for the apartment manager, who informed him that they were offering them an empty apartment with a continuation of their lease.  Lucas accepted immediately.  Justin thought better of it.  He had no idea how the fire started yet, but the thought of living with someone who wouldn’t even bother to try and at least warn him in such an emergency was unacceptable.  He would probably be safer living on the streets, he mused to himself.  He informed the manager that he would have to think about it, already knowing his answer. 

Justin knew he could turn to Brian or his mother for help if needed, but his pride was on the line.  He was well aware that one of the things Brian loved about him was his ability to stand on his own and face anything.  Brian respected him and that was as important to Justin as Brian loving him.  Because of that, he knew he had to work out this problem on his own.  He still had a tidy sum tucked away in his bank account, thanks to earnings from the comic book that he and Michael created, as well as a number of paintings he had sold.  Justin was actually very careful with his money, unlike so many young men his age.  Then, out of nowhere, a brainstorm hit.  He recalled reading an article in a local weekly paper that compared staying at a YMCA in this century to what it was like when they first became popular in the previous century. 

Justin caught another cab to take him to a nearby library, where he could use their computers to check out locations and information about local YMCA’s.  It didn’t take him long to find one that sounded right for his needs.  Another short ride in a cab and Justin found himself checking into the Y for the first time in his life.  He knew it was silly, but for some reason he found himself humming a very old tune sung by The Village People a few years before he was even born.  He had heard it often enough on certain ‘oldies’ nights at the clubs.  He handed over his credit card to pay for the first week’s stay.  It would give him time to decide what to do next.  As soon as he was settled in his room, he found a pay phone and placed a call to Brian.  He quickly reassured him that all was well, but that he couldn’t go back to the old apartment.  He gave Brian the address of where he would be staying when Brian arrived in town.  The rest of the conversation was kept light-hearted.  Neither one of the men wanted to deal with the real issues at hand… not until they could be together.  They wouldn’t have to wait long.

************************************************

Justin woke up the next morning and was momentarily befuddled.  It took a minute for him to recognize that this rather small sparsely furnished room was not his apartment bedroom.  He stretched his limbs, yawned deeply, and flung his legs over the side of the tiny twin bed.  He had splurged on a single room, although sharing a bunk bed in a double room would have been cheaper.  But he also didn’t want to go all out and spend what they were asking for a private room with its own bathroom.  He would have to deal with the community bathroom, which wasn’t so bad compared to sharing a locker room and shower back in high school.  At least here, he doubted he’d be harassed by a bunch of jocks.  However, his room was far from satisfying.  It was almost stark in its lack of furnishings and décor.  Besides the small bed, which was comfortable enough to avoid harsh criticism, there was a small table with a lamp set on it and a simple wooden chair next to that.  Other than those furnishings, there was only a wardrobe for clothing with a shelf that held towels and toiletries.  There were no decorations to offset the bare walls, except for a small TV.  It felt cold and barren to Justin’s artistic eyes and sensibilities, but he knew it was only temporary.  He could deal with it for a short while. 

His living conditions were not uppermost in his mind anyway.  Brian would be flying in to see him in only a matter of hours, which lightened his mood considerably.  He had no intention of letting Brian see the conditions he was living in, remembering how negatively he reacted when seeing where Justin was staying, after proposing to him following the bombing of Babylon.  Besides, Brian would never approve of such a place, where he would be restricted by house rules from spending private time with his lover. Instead, Justin would do his best to put on a happy face about his situation.  Justin gathered up a towel and some toiletries and made his way to the communal shower room.  He needed to get ready for Brian’s arrival, something he longed for more than anything.

After getting dressed, Justin went out for a walk.  Central Park was close by.  Visiting the Park would give him time to think about his future.  As he was walking towards the main entrance to the Park, he began approaching a shop with a bold sign in glowing neon announcing itself as a tattoo parlor.  Impulsively, he found himself stopping right in front of the large display in the shop’s front window.  There were dozens of interesting drawings, many of which Justin found quite appealing to his artistic eye.  There were animals of all kinds, snakes, hearts, flowers, gorgeous maidens, and husky men, along with unicorns and mythical creatures.  There were darker images of skulls and the Grim Reaper.  But right in the center of all these images was a simple drawing of a heart on fire, flames shooting skyward. 

Not once in his entire life had Justin felt the urge to have a tattoo on his body.  The closest he came to altering his body in any way was the day, long ago, when he stepped into a tattoo parlor to have his nipple pierced.  He had been so sure at the time that Brian, whom he had not really known for long at the time, would be impressed by the gesture.  After all, he had noticed during one of their lovemaking sessions that Brian had a single tattoo down the length of one of his fingers.  It was only a single word, ‘Resist’, but Justin thought of it as being a sign of rebelliousness just as a nipple ring might be.  Rather than being impressed, Brian made fun of the gesture.  As a result, Justin never felt a desire to go any further and never stepped into a tattoo parlor again.  The closest he came to rebelliousness after that, was the day he shaved off all his hair when he joined the Pink Posse, which he happily grew back once that phase of his life was over.

Yet now, on a totally unexpected whim, he found himself having an urge to have that flaming heart tattooed on his body.  Before he could regain his senses and change his mind, he stepped through the door of the parlor.  A sign right over the wall behind the front desk stated that they offered walk-in services.  He stood there in front of the desk, asking himself why in hell he was even considering going through with this madness.  He certainly didn’t need to spend the money it would cost, not with his future so uncertain right now.  He was just about to turn around and leave when a rather handsome, heavily tattooed young man stepped behind the desk and asked if he could be of help.  Deciding it was fate, Justin pointed to the drawing of the flaming heart and asked if he could have someone do that for him and at what cost. 

Deep down Justin prayed the guy would say it was possible, but not today... that he would have to make an appointment for later on.  This would give him time to change his mind and back out of his crazy impulse.  His prayers went unanswered.  The young man called out for Jackie and waited for the person to arrive, meanwhile telling Justin it would be $80 for the tattoo, plus tip if so inclined.  As Justin pulled out his credit card to pay for the tattoo, Jackie showed up.  She was somewhere in her mid to late thirties with lots of tattoos visible on exposed skin.  She indicated for Justin to follow to her booth.  Once he stretched out in the seat, similar to the kind found in salons, she began asking questions.  She seemed to sense that Justin was a bit nervous.  She had a soothing voice and he found himself beginning to relax, as he showed her the location on his wrist where he wanted the tattoo applied. 

The rest of the time flew by in a blur as he chatted with the amiable woman while trying to ignore the discomfort, although not too painful, thing that was happening to his wrist.  Finally, the work was done.  Justin looked down at it for the first time and almost cried.  It looked even better than he had imagined.  Jackie certainly knew her craft.  He gladly handed over a twenty-dollar bill as a tip while she instructed him in how to care for the new tattoo, especially noting that he must not scratch at it when it started to itch a little later on.  Justin left the shop feeling a lot better about the whole thing than he had when walking in.  He continued on to Central Park, after stopping to get something to eat at the deli two doors down from the tattoo shop.  He settled onto a park bench, ate his food, and wondered whether Brian would think that the fire he had barely escaped with his life had affected his brain, like the bashing almost did.  Well, he thought to himself, too late for second thoughts or regrets now.

**********************************************

Brian Kinney settled back into his seat in the cab, giving instructions to the driver as to the name of the upscale hotel he had booked for the few days he’d spend in the City.  He always stayed in the same hotel when visiting New York City, whether for business or pleasure.  The only exception this time around was that he booked the room for two this time.  He knew Justin couldn’t go back to his apartment, at least for now.  Ever since talking to him, Brian’s urge to bring Justin back into his life on a more permanent basis had become stronger than ever.  On the plane flying to be with Justin, he had resolved to convince Justin to move back in with him.  He didn’t care whether they made a legal commitment with a marriage or not.  He didn’t even care where they ended up living.  If Justin felt he needed to stay in New York for his career, Brian had no qualms about moving his business here too.  If Justin wanted to come back to Pittsburgh to be with all their old friends and family, Brian was fine with that.  All that mattered was that they be together.  If either one of them ever suffered any misadventures, whether life-threatening, or simply an annoyance, Brian wanted them to face those issues together.  One thing was certain, they needed time together in private to work it all out. 

With his thoughts running away with him, Brian quickly registered at the hotel, settled his things in his room, and took a second cab to the address that Justin had given him.  He had phoned Justin to let him know he was on his way, so he wasn’t surprised to see his young lover waiting outside the hotel entrance.  What did surprise him was to see that it was the YMCA.  Images from his youth suddenly flashed into his head.  He had a little experience with visits to the nearby Y in Pittsburgh.  He ostensibly went there because of their pool and for exercise, but as usual was on the prowl for another hookup… and all this while still in college.  And, of course, he almost always managed to find a new conquest for the evening.  But after a while he found that the tricks were more interesting at the dance clubs and bars, so he gradually tapered off the Y visits once he snagged his first job after graduation. 

When Justin slid into the cab, Brian grabbed him and planted a hot kiss firmly on his mouth.  Justin felt all his senses tingle with excitement.  Brian never failed to cause his blood to heat the moment they touched.  Truthfully, his body warmed just at the sight of Brian.  The cabbie waited patiently while the two men in the back seat continued their greeting.  It wasn’t anything new to him.  He’d seen lovers greeting each other in such a way plenty of times, and recognized that these two were serious about one another.  As long as they tipped well, he didn’t care if they did a bit more than kiss back there.  Once Brian broke loose for air, he instructed the driver to return to his hotel.  The rest of the ride was fairly tame, with the couple chatting on about mundane things.  The cabbie tuned them out.  He’d heard it all before.

It didn’t take more than ten seconds, once the door to Room 805 shut behind them, for Brian and Justin to divest themselves of their clothing and grab hold of each other, placing torrid kisses, obviously saved up for far too long, onto willing lips.  Their mutual hunger for each other carried them to the oversized bed in the center of the room.  They fell onto it as one, and began exploring flesh that they had long ago learned every inch of.  Sounds of pleasure began filling the room as they changed positions so they could clasp hungry mouths onto each other’s manhood’s.  They lay on their sides and devoured one another, first gently and then with rising eagerness.  They were so in tune with each other’s bodies, that before either could lose control they separated. 

They had danced this dance so many times that they now instinctively knew what was wanted next.  Justin sprawled back on the bed.  Brian got on his knees, spreading them to encircle Justin’s legs.  He pulled Justin towards him, his engorged cock at the ready.  Quickly leaning over to the side table, Brian grabbed a condom.  He had known what would happen and had prepared ahead of time.  Opening it quickly with his teeth, he watched as Justin leaned forward in order to unroll the condom down his shaft.  Once safely in place, Justin fell back onto the bed, lifting his legs to expose the gift he was offering Brian.  Brian set Justin’s legs on his shoulders and moved in to capture his prize.  A sharp intake of breath told Brian he had hit his mark.  Time stood still as the couple shared the timeless rhythm of lovers everywhere while they became one.  Brian worked hard to create the same feelings of pleasure for Justin’s weeping cock as he was enjoying.  Far too soon they both found themselves riding the crest to the top and over into happy oblivion.

Time seemed to stop as they lay side by side in the afterglow.  The pleasurable feelings they always gave to one another never failed to drain them momentarily, but once their heartbeats slowed to a more normal pace, the couple immediately fell into their second favorite thing to do with each other… conversation.  Long ago, Brian had come to realize that it wasn’t just the sex, no matter how awe inspiring it was, that kept Justin front and center in his life.  He had never had the slightest desire for conversation with any of his many scores once his orgasmic pleasure was over.  Justin was different.  He never found the young man boring, his observations on almost any subject being stimulating and insightful.  Once he had accepted the fact that he was in love with Justin, he knew it was for his brain as well as his body.  And he also knew that Justin felt the same way about him.  Minutes passed before Brian sat up on one elbow and reached for Justin’s hand.  He turned it over and stared at the slightly reddened skin that revealed a brand-new tattoo on his wrist.  Justin grinned sheepishly.

“Care to tell me about this?” Brian asked.

“I wondered if you were going to say something.  You had to have seen it earlier.  I wasn’t exactly trying to hide it.”

“I had other things on my mind, Sunshine,” he replied with tongue in cheek and a wicked smile.  “So, what’s the story?”

“Simple really.  I wanted a reminder of how lucky I am to be alive.  First, I almost lost my life to a maniac with a bat, and now to a mysterious fire, which I have this eerie feeling is the fault of an idiot with no brains.”

“Are you talking about your roommate?  I thought you got along with the guy just fine.”

“He’s a pain in the ass, to put it mildly.  I can’t stand his habits.  And I know he came home drunk the night of the fire.  Ten to one the guy did something to cause the fire.  We’ll soon find out after they finish their investigation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if my hunch is right.”

“You’re not planning on going back to that apartment, even if you could, are you?  And you certainly aren’t thinking about living with this guy any longer… right?”

“I’m not sure what my plans are, but those two things are certainly not a part of any of them.”

Brian leaned over and gave Justin a warm kiss.  “I have a suggestion, if you would like to hear it,” he exclaimed.

“I’m open to any thoughts right now,” Justin answered.

“If you are still thinking about having a roommate, how about giving me a try again?  I mean, you already know all my habits and seem to have no problem with them.”

Justin’s eyes widened.  “What are you saying, Brian?  You want me to move back to Pittsburgh with you?”

“I’m saying that I’ll move everything, business and all here to New York, if you want to stay.  But, if you would prefer to return home to the Pitts, I still own Britin and the loft.  Either one or both will be our home.  I don’t give a flying fuck whether we make it legal with a wedding or not, Sunshine.  I just want to be with you a hell of a lot more than an occasional visit.  I miss you.  That’s the truth in a nutshell.  So, what do you say?”

Justin’s eyes started to water.  He had been thinking the same things about Brian that his lover was obviously thinking about him.  In a flash, he knew Brian was right.  They weren’t meant to be separated by miles and miles.  Nothing he could accomplish in New York City was worth being alone while someone, who loved him more than anything in the world, was just waiting to be with him all the time. 

Justin suddenly wrapped his arms around Brian’s neck and pulled him down.  His lips captured Brian’s and crushed them with ferocity of purpose.  Yes, he knew the answer to Brian’s question.  And he knew that Brian knew what the answer was too.  They could work out the details later, but for now they would make love all over again to seal the deal.  For Justin, New York City had become his great misadventure, but being back in Brian’s life full time again would be his greatest adventure… one that would make them both happier than they ever could have hoped for, or dreamed of that first day they met so long ago.

The End