The music had played its last note and the lights had dimmed to the dull glow that would stay on throughout the rest of the night until automatically shutting off in the morning. The grand reopening of Babylon had been a roaring success. Customers were happy. Friends and relations were happy. Employees were happy. And Brian Kinney, the owner, was happy.
Well, he was satisfied. You couldn't say he was actually really happy. He stood in his office and reflected on the night's events and the people he loved and cared about. The majority of the most important folks had shown up, either during the party or right at the end of it. All the boys were there of course... Michael and Ben, Ted and Blake, Emmett who had started out with a new boyfriend but left with an old one, and then there was the big surprise when Mel and Linds showed up unexpectedly on a quick visit from Toronto. Debbie and Carl had shown themselves a few hours before the grand reopening party just to check on how the place looked now. Yep, every one who was anyone among the adults in Brian's life had put in an appearance at the club except one... the most important one.
Brian stood at the beautiful new bar that he had built for the club and gulped down one more JB for the road. He leaned back and surveyed all in front of him. It had taken months of hard work and patience to take the bombed out shell of his former playhouse and turn it back into the glory it once was. He was perfectly satisfied with the results as he stood there. But then, why did it seem slightly empty to him? He'd had a blast and he could already tell that this place was going to be one hell of a great success. Ted had made that clear, before leaving arm in arm with his lover, but Brian recognized the truth of it even before Ted made the pronouncement. As he stood there, he couldn't help wondering what the others were thinking and feeling as they went home two by two.. every last one of them.
*****************
Michael and Ben headed for their new car and decided to stop in at the Diner. They knew that Debbie was back on night duty and chances were Carl would be there keeping her company. When they reached the parked vehicle, Ben put his arm around the smaller man and held him tight, leaning against the car door for support. Mikey leaned into his husky lover and turned his face up for a welcomed kiss.
"Well, Michael, it looks like you got Brian turned around. He really did look happy tonight."
Michael was pleased to hear what Ben said, but he knew in his heart that Brian would have only come out of his funk over Justin's leaving town if he had really wanted to anyway. But the truth was, that he was relieved to see Brian get excited about something again. He had no idea what the future would hold for Brian and Justin, and he really did hope that they'd get together again, simply cause it obviously made Brian the most happy. But as he stood there, in the warm arms of his own lover, he made the resolution that he would stay out of it no matter what.
What brought Michael the most comfort was that his friendship with Brian had survived all the ups and downs of the changes in both their lives, and there were times over the last few years that he wasn't so sure it would. But his greatest joy was the man who was nuzzling his neck right this very second. There was nothing about Ben that he didn't love. He still wasn't sure what Ben saw in him but, except for that brief lapse when his old boyfriend had died, Ben was the strongest, most loving man Michael knew.
Ben continued planting small kisses of affection on Michael's neck as he thought about how much he loved his husband. Oh, he knew the marriage wasn't legal in the States yet, but he felt 100% married to Michael and that was all that mattered to him. It was strange to Ben that Michael didn't realize why Ben loved him so much. Ben knew that Michael could make some foolish mistakes sometimes, but they were almost always out of deep loyalty to people he loved. And most importantly, Michael was always willing to accept responsibility when he screwed up and he always tried to make up for it. That took courage as far as Ben was concerned.
The best thing about their relationship, was that both men knew what they wanted from life... a stable home and loving family... and they shared all the same values and dreams. They had no doubt that the future would be bright for them and they looked forward to it with all the eagerness of men who felt secure in their own little piece of the world.
They shared one last intimate kiss and then broke apart in order to get in the car. Ben started the motor and they took the short drive to Liberty Diner. They were eager to share tidbits of information about the party with Debbie and Carl. Then they needed to get home, where they expected to find Mel and Linds, since they had accepted the boys invitation to stay in their guest room. They were thrilled to open their home to the girls for their short visit, especially since it gave Michael a chance to spend some time with his precious daughter. If only the girls would change their minds and move back to Pittsburgh. But they figured they couldn't have everything.
**************************
Debbie was her usual busy self, jumping from table to table, which were surprisingly full, considering the late hour. Every few minutes she would stop in front of Carl and lean over the counter to grab a quick peck from her favorite cop. She noticed the new waiter, a very cute brunet student from the PIFA, as he loitered at the booth of a group of fellow students who were taking a break from their studies.
"Tommy! Your order's up. Better serve the 'buns' before they get cold."
Tommy had jumped a foot but wasted no time in arguing. He hopped to it and went to get his order. He had been at Liberty Diner long enough now to know that when Debbie spoke everyone listened. One would think she was the owner of the place. But it didn't matter. Like everyone else, Tommy had a great affection for the over-the-top red head.
Debbie turned back to Carl and took time for a wink and one more quick peck. Carl laughed and asked Debbie, "So, I see you've got him trained already. Is he able to meet your high expectations as a replacement for Justin?"
Debbie gave a mock scowl and a Debbie smack to the arm to her boyfriend/roommate. "You know damned good and well that there is no substitute for Sunshine, Carl Horvath. Damn! I wish the kid had showed up tonight for Brian. I know he looked happy as a clam, but I saw it in his eyes. He misses that kid more than anything. It's been months now since Justin moved to New York. You'd think they would have worked something out by now. I don't think they've seen each other more than three or four times since then."
The worry for Brian was fully evident to Carl and he understood it. As far as she was concerned, every single one of the gay boys on Liberty Avenue were her children, but certain ones held a place even more dear to her than any of the others. Brian and Justin fit into that category. It had taken a little while for Carl to understand her feelings and why those particular boys, but he had grown very fond of them too over the years. He had a great deal of respect for them.
And Debbie... Oh, my God, how he loved that woman. She was all spit and vinegar, but her heart was bigger than anything he had ever seen before in his life. He had loved his wife very much, but Debbie brought a fire to his loins and heart that no one had ever been able to do before in his whole life. He knew there would be plenty of drama loving Deb, but there would also be plenty of life and adventure. He didn't intend to miss a minute of it.
Debbie filled another order with an admonition to finish all the veggies, and came back to Carl. She stood in front of him again and offered him his second lemon bar for the night. As she watched him bite into the tart treat, she smiled the smile of a fully satisfied lady. Debbie had found life too busy taking care of Michael and Vic for so many years that she had forgotten to take care of her own needs. Carl had changed all that and she was supremely happy. He had taken a little educating to make him worthy of her time, but Debbie knew that the raw material of a mighty fine man was in there. She had never respected anybody more than Carl ever. For the thousandth time she thanked God that they hadn't given up on each other.
The bell rang over the diner door and they watched as Michael and Ben strode in arm and arm. Ahhh, now Debbie could get all the juicy details of the opening night party at Babylon.
***************************
Ted had just said goodbye to Brian at the club and walked arm in arm to the car with Blake. He was concerned about Brian again. He had almost daily contact with the man in the last few months between his job at Kinnetik and the nightclub. He knew that almost everyone thought that Brian was doing very well, even with Justin gone. Ted knew better. He was intimately acquainted with heartsickness when someone you love is not around anymore and he saw all the signs in Brian. He masked them well, but Ted wasn't fooled.
Oh, Brian had mellowed. He no longer bit off everyone's heads if they even mentioned Justin's name, but his lack of response was even more disturbing to Ted. He was happy for his boss... he loved calling Brian boss, it was such an improvement over Wertshafter... but he knew Brian needed more than financial and business success. But Ted knew his limitations. He couldn't do anything about Brian's heart. All he could do was take care of his business interest and be the best assistant the man could possibly want. He knew he was a success at that. Brian made it clear that hiring Teddy had been one of the best moves of his life.
Ted and Blake headed home feeling the after effects of a thrilling night at Babylon. Home... it was such a beautiful word to both men now. Ted's place suited them both and it really did feel like home to them now that they were together for good. They had both known for years that no man made them feel as good about themselves as they did for each other. There had been an instant attraction from the very first night they met. But both men were so damaged by life, and their own insecurities, that it looked like they'd never be able to get past all that and find true happiness.
It had taken years of growing up and suffering through hell before their chance meeting at the ski club had put them on the right road together at the same time. They had become inseparable from that night on. Just thinking about that night brought huge shit-eating grins to their faces whenever the memories popped up. They must have made love a half dozen times that night. And this time it was real love, without any chemical assistance. The sheer pleasure of it was almost too much to bear.
They had promised they wouldn't rush into anything when they got back to the Pitts, but two days later Blake's things were in the condo and they had never parted since. They were proud of each other and their love. Now if only Brian could have what they had, Ted thought to himself. That would be the icing on the cake.
*********************
Emmett sat in the huge Humvee that belonged to Drew and looked over at him.
"So, are you going to tell me now why you dragged me out of the club?" he asked the hunky football player.
Drew just kept staring. Emmett was so damned beautiful to him. He had made the mistake of thinking that he needed to play around and enjoy his new found and open gayness, but every trick he picked up paled in comparison to his Em. He had done his best to put aside his feelings. He tricked almost every night. He even tried dating the same guy more than once, an ex player friend he unexpectedly met at a club one night. It only lasted three weeks and then Drew got tired of him. Em was the only man who ever touched his heart and the truth was that Em was the only man who even came close to satisfying him.
He had spent many restless nights before he finally made up his mind. He was going to convince the tall man of his dreams that they belonged together. That was when he discovered that Emmett had brought home a new boyfriend he had met at a ski lodge. His dreams were crushed. He ached inside but never showed it. On those rare occasions when he ran into Em at a bar or in the street, he smiled broadly and said a cheery hello whether the man was alone or with HIM. But tonight had been different. Tonight he was ready to lay his cards on the table and settle this thing once and for all. That's why he walked right up to Em as he danced with his boyfriend and grabbed his arm. For some reason Em didn't protest and let himself be dragged out of the club.
Em was still staring so Drew gathered his courage and spoke out. "Are you in love with that new guy you were with, Em?"
Emmett was taken aback. He wasn't sure how to answer. But there was something in Drew's face that made it necessary to give a totally honest response. Quietly he answered, "No, I'm not in love. I haven't been in love in a very long time, Drewsie. I.... I haven't been in love since you."
Drew jumped in the opening. "Since you were in love... with me?"
"That's right. And what about you?" Emmett shot back.
"I've only been in love once in my life, Em. I've only been in love with you. I... I'm ONLY in love with you." He paused. "I want you back in my life, Em. I miss you and I don't need anybody else."
Emmett's mouth hung open. He couldn't think what to say. He had to be dreaming this. Wishful thinking... Yeah, that was it. He couldn't be so lucky as to find true love twice in a lifetime. First Georgie and now Drew. Nope, not ole Em from little old Hazlehurst. It just wasn't possible. But the man was swearing it and he looked like he meant it.
"Well?! Are you going to say something or just leave me hanging?"
Emmett snapped out of his shock and squealed like a schoolgirl. He made short work of the distance between them and was hugging Drew so tightly that he would have cracked a rib if the steering wheel hadn't been in the way. He poured kisses all over his lovers face and neck and then came to an abrupt halt. He looked Drew square in the face.
"You're very sure about this, Drewsie?"
"I'm sure."
Emmett leaned forward again and this time he took his time to plant a passionate kiss that left no room for doubt as to what the future was going to hold for the two lovers. Drew was finally able to extricate himself from Em's arms and turned to start the engine. With Em beside him, resting his head on Drew's strong shoulder, and his hand resting precariously close to Drew's stiffening crotch, Drew drove home towards their bright and shining future together.
******************
Mel and Linds had snuck quietly into the house that Michael and Ben had opened to them when they had come home to visit. Linds had insisted they get into town early enough to check out Brian's reincarnation of Babylon. Both girls were a little apprehensive considering what had happened the last time they had been at that club, but time had dulled some of the worst of the memories. Truth be told, Mel knew that Linds was concerned about Brian. All the communications from him had been fairly light hearted, but Linds was good at reading between the lines. She knew that Brian had been supremely lonely and unhappy. She decided she needed to see for herself.
Lindsay was half angry at herself for showing Brian the article that had spurred him into getting Justin to go to New York. She really did think it was in Justin's best interest, and she knew that was all Brian cared about, but she hadn't thought it through and when she heard from Michael how devastated Brian had been when Justin left, she felt she had to do something.
The young ones were sound asleep and the babysitter was snoring on the living room couch. Mel shook her awake and gave the grandmother, that the boy's neighbor had recommended, the money promised... then showed her the door. A last minute check on the kids, and Mel and Linds headed for the guest bedroom. Hunter was spending the weekend with friends so the girls had the house to themselves. They settled in for the night and cuddled up. Mel was the first to break the comfortable silence between them.
"Did you see anything different in our party boy tonight, Linds?"
"He really did a good job of looking satisfied with how things were going, didn't he. Did you buy it, Mel?"
"Not for a second. He misses Justin. Were you ever able to get a hold of him in New York?"
Mel answered, "I tried but never could connect. I'm not sure what the deal is. I got the feeling he had his cell phone off. It kept going to voicemail."
Both of the girls sounded concerned. But they also were aware that there wasn't much they could do about the situation. They were knee deep in their own dilemma. They had convinced themselves that they were making the right move by packing up kids and everything else in their lives and moving to Toronto, but they had soon discovered that they missed home far more than they thought they would. Lindsay had gotten a good job with a popular art gallery but she didn't have near the autonomy to run things to her liking the way she did at the Pittsburgh gallery. She missed that perk badly. Mel had found that starting from the bottom again at the new law firm she was hired at was far more frustrating than she had anticipated. This trip was as much for making a final decision on whether to move back home as it was to visit old friends and family.
As they lay together, they both knew that the decision had been made while visiting at Babylon. They had felt alive with the connections they had with old friends. They had taken JR and Gus to visit Debbie and Carl just before going to the club, and seeing the joy in Debbie's face also helped to cement their decision. They had spent the time it took to get to the club talking about how good it would be for the kids to have their whole family around them. Now all they needed to do was pass their decision on to everyone else. As they drifted to sleep they smiled thinking about Michael and Ben's faces in the morning when they gave the men their good news. They suspected that even Brian would be happy to have his son back home and close by. Now if only Brian could be as happy as they were in his private life too... But they had no doubt that only Justin's return to Pittsburgh would bring that about and apparently that wasn't happening.
************************
It was getting very late now, and Brian knew it was time to lock up and head home. The clean up crew had finished their work and the place was spic and span and ready for business tomorrow. Brian didn't have any worries any more on whether his gamble in reopening the club would pay off or not. Tonight had proven that it was a shrewd business move. He was grateful to Mikey for pushing him into doing it. He had been in a bad funk for days after saying goodbye to his Sunshine and he really wasn't sure what to do with himself.
But Mikey had been right... he couldn't just let himself whither away and die. Justin would hate that and Brian had no desire to do anything to disappoint Justin. It meant the world to him to live up to Justin's high regard for him. But the truth was, that he missed the blond beauty more than he ever thought he could. This separation was the worse one of them all because it was voluntary. There wasn't even any anger to fall back on to help keep the loneliness at bay.
How in the hell had this happened to him? When in the world did loving someone else become more important to him than his own pleasures and needs? How could he have been so foolish as to let someone become his reason for getting up every day? He had let Justin touch his heart and the pain sometimes was unbearable.
But Brian also knew that he wouldn't give up a minute of the time he had with Justin. Even if he never saw him again, he would gladly go through it all over again. He felt a cold chill thinking that he really might not see Justin again. He had sent him a special invitation to the opening but only gotten back a short email from Justin letting him know that he would be out of town that weekend so it might be best not to count on him. Brian had been crushed but he would be damned if he'd show it. He gave the pat answer to anyone who asked, that Justin was busy doing his thing and making a name for himself, but that was okay ‘cause it was how it should be. He wasn't too sure who fell for that bull, but at least no one bugged him about Justin after that.
Brian climbed the stairs to the catwalk that led to the private area of the club, that was for VIP's only, and stretched out on one of the rich leather divans that lined the walls. He was within minutes of drifting off to sleep when he heard a noise from the stairs outside. One of the clean up crew had probably forgotten something, but he decided it would be best to check it out. He went to the thick maroon drapes that blocked the view of the VIP room from men who would stand on the catwalk. As he started to pull the curtain aside he caught a glimpse of something shining a few yards in front of him. It was moving closer to the private area.
Suddenly, Brian felt his heart quicken and his breath catch in his throat. He had recognized the brightness as it drew closer and knew it was the halo surrounding a beautiful blond head as the nightlights from the ceiling reflected off it. Only one blond had hair that soft and silky looking under blue lights.
"Justin?" Brian was almost afraid to say the name for fear the apparition would disappear.
"You didn't really think I'd miss your big fat fucking success story, did you?" came that soft voice he knew so wonderfully well.
Brian lifted his arms in open invitation. Justin didn't need any words. He closed the distance between them in a single move. Brian wrapped his arms around the slender young man and breathed in all of his familiar scents. Justin lifted his head and their lips met in a molten kiss that sparked a fire between them. Brian drank deeply of Justin's taste. He was like a man who had been drowning and only Justin's mouth to mouth could save him. Both men trembled with the intensity of their longing for this contact.
It seemed a lifetime before they reluctantly parted their lips. Justin started to speak but Brian put his finger up to Justin's lips and shushed him.
"Not now, Sunshine," he whispered. He took Justin's hand and led him into the VIP room. He pulled Justin over to the large divan he had just vacated and began to slowly remove the sweater Justin was wearing. He sat down on the divan, pulling Justin to stand in front of him. He intended to savor every moment of this time with Justin.
Brian saw the smooth hairless pale skin of Justin's chest and the enticing nipples that were already standing at attention in anticipation. With no hesitation, Brian's mouth encircled Justin's left nipple where he sucked as if Justin had mother's milk to offer him. His hand rubbed with abandon over the surface of Justin's other nipple, tweaking the bud and then headed for new places on Justin's chest. When he heard the small whimpers of pleasure begin to pour from Justin's throat, he turned his attention to Justin's blossoming pants. The outline of Justin's erection was like a beacon to a sailor, drawing Brian's face to the blond's crotch. Brian buried his nose in Justin's pants and breathed deeply. The feel of Justin's cock protruding from the zippered pants further inflamed Brian's senses.
Brian couldn't stand the waiting any longer. He brought both hands up to Justin's belt and undid it as quickly as his shaky fingers could handle. The sound of the zipper being drawn down brought a moan from both men. Brian's hunger was evident from the way he jerked Justin's pants down, helping the blond to remove both pants and briefs in one fell swoop. With all of Justin's magnificent body exposed, Brian could feed his overwhelming hunger for his lover's flesh.
Brian began tasting every part of Justin that he could reach. He was so absorbed in this pleasure that he wasn't aware at first of the growing pain in his groin from the tight confinement of his own erection. It took Justin falling to his knees all of a sudden, and pushing Brian back on the divan for Brian to release his grip on Justin's back side. Justin removed Brian's shirt, just as quickly as Brian had serviced him, and went to work on Brian's pants next. Both men were now fully exposed to the lustful stares of each other. But now it was Justin's turn to taste Brian.
The sounds of arousals and longings filled the darkened room. The intensity of it grew with Justin's growing need to feel Brian inside him and Brian's need to feel Justin surrounding him with his warmth. Justin leaned into Brian's face and made his announcement.
"Now, Brian! I want you inside me, right now!"
Brian had no need for more words. He lifted Justin up from his kneeling position between his legs. Justin separated his legs and moved forward, straddling Brian's lap. Brian had grabbed a condom from the conveniently placed bowl beside him and sheathed his painful hard-on in record time. He grabbed his throbbing cock and held it steady as Justin maneuvred his bottom over it. Justin slowly began impaling himself onto his lover. Both men sighed deeply with the sheer joy of their feelings.
Once Justin was firmly in place, Brian began rocking Justin on his lap with slow deliberate gyrations of his hips. Justin gladly welcomed each move with one of his own... up and down, side to side. Brian buried his face in Justin's chest, taking little nips of skin every few seconds. Justin clung to Brian's neck, mewling like a kitten at each nip. As the tension in their bodies built, the need to connect even more became impossible to ignore. Justin pulled Brian's face up so that he could have access to the pliant lips that beckoned him. His mouth came down and crushed Brian's lips with his own.
Soon both men were moaning deep into each other's throats. Their tongues jockeyed for position as they tasted each other. The heat permeated the room with each new thrust and groan. The sounds and smells of their passion intensified every fiber of their beings. Brian could feel Justin's cock pulsing against his abdomen. He wrapped his hand around the rock hard shaft and began pumping with all his might. Justin began whimpering as his balls drew up, preparing to discharge their nectar. Brian felt his orgasm rising.
Suddenly their explosions rocked both their worlds simultaneously. Brian filled the condom head deep inside his lover as Justin filled Brian's hand with the proof of his fulfilment. Brian fell back on the divan, drawing Justin on top of him. They lay there for some time, catching their breaths and savoring the heat that continued to pour off them. When they finally felt they could safely move, Brian stretched out on the divan with Justin laying beside him arm and arm.
"That was so fucking hot, Sunshine! New York City and time haven't diminished your talents."
"Yours either, Mr. Kinney," Justin returned with a huge grin. "So, would you like to tell me what a huge success your grand opening was now?"
"It was indeed, Sunshine. You should have been here."
Justin sat up enough to look Brian directly in the eye. "Oh, I would have been but I had something very important to take care of first. Care to know what that was?"
Brian felt a brief instance of hurt. But he shook it off quickly. "Of course. I'd love to know what was more important than celebrating one of my great accomplishment," he added with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek.
Justin grinned again. "Oh, no biggie. I just had to finish up the arrangements for closing down my New York apartment and studio and getting everything shipped back home."
Brian's mouth fell open. For a second he wasn't so sure he heard what he thought he had. Obviously he was asleep and this was just another of his pleasant Justin dreams. But no, Justin was very real and he was smiling like the cat who ate the canary.
"Are you sure this is what you really want, Justin?"
"I am if I have some place to put my things here in the Pitts."
Brian jumped up, bringing Justin to his feet with him. He swung the naked man around several times while laughing out loud.
"I take it this means you approve," Justin asked once he caught his breath.
Brian walked over to a wall switch and flipped it on. The sound of one of their favorite songs filled the room. Brian wrapped his arms around his lover and announced, "Mi Casa es su Casa, Justin."
The lovers began to move together in the familiar rhythm of their mating dance, holding each other tight. As Brian leaned in for another hot kiss from his blond, he reflected on how the owner of Babylon was really happy now too. The future was definitely bright for the folks of the Liberty Avenue gang... all of them.
THE END
