Brian lay naked on his bed just like he had for two nights straight. He got up both mornings, puttered around the loft, watched some old DVDs, ate a couple of light meals, drank shots of Jim Beam, took a couple of hot showers, and then stretched out on the bed again on his stomach. He'd lay there with his eyes closed tight and pretend that Justin was still lying under his sheltering arm like he did on Friday night before catching that cursed plane to New York City. The fucking phone kept ringing time after time but a quick look always revealed it was not Justin so he never bothered to answer. Yes, Justin did call when he was safely landed but that was only for a few minutes long and it had hurt too much. Brian told him not to call till he was settled in....told Justin he would be out with the boys anyway. Liar!

Now it was Sunday night and he had work tomorrow. Well, damn it all...he was the boss. If he didn't feel like going in he wouldn't. What were they going to do about it....fire him? He grabbed another cigarette...his whatever for the day (he'd lost count hours ago) and lit it up. He watched the smoke rings floating over his head as he stretched out naked on the bed again, this time face up. He had known it would be hard not having Justin close by, but had never expected it to be this bad. He had weighed his options over the last two days. He could always drown his loneliness in a few minutes of empty sex with some pick up at Popperz or the Baths. That didn't even come close to appealing to him. It would only serve to remind him of the difference between having sex and making love.

Damn that kid...shit, he meant man of course! Brian reminded himself that Justin had stopped being a kid a long time ago...probably even before he himself had. Justin was all man and he belonged to Brian...well at least as much as anyone can belong to anyone else. He knew he didn't own Justin, but he also knew that he owned Justin's heart. Why was he so sure of that? Because Justin owned his heart. Simple as that. He wanted the best for Justin but he was already having his doubts as to what that should be. Justin hadn't really wanted to leave Friday night. Hell, he lingered in their bed after making passionate love right up to the last second. But he did leave and now Brian would have to learn to cope.

With that thought in mind, he got up and traipsed over to the bar to grab another bottle of Jim Beam. Maybe a few more slugs would dull the senses enough to sleep. He'd go into work tomorrow. He still had his thriving business. No use losing that too. Then he'd have nothing...instead of the next to nothing he now had. He twisted open the cap and poured out a couple of fingers of dark liquid into the upturned glass. He downed it quickly and poured another. He walked back up his steps to the bedroom and sat the glass down. He suddenly had the urge to relieve himself so he moved into the bathroom and flipped up the lid. He remembered how Justin had put it down as he sat and packed his overnight bag with toiletries. There he went again. Every damned thing in his loft made him think of Justin. Shit! He just might have to sell the fucking place after all. Just as suddenly as he became irritated, he calmed down. No, he wouldn't sell. The memories were all he had left. He wasn't giving those up too.

Brian finished his business and gave himself a good shake. He began remembering the times that the two of them would playfully cross swords in the morning as they fought over who could piss the longest. It was childish, but he always felt safe being silly with Justin. He could never have taken that kind of risk with anyone else. He had to stay cool and in control with every other human being on the planet. Not with Justin. He never had to censor anything with his Sunshine. He walked over to wash his hands and looked into the mirror. He looked tired. He was. His mind played tricks on him for a split second and he would have sworn he saw that sweet baby face of Justin's all lathered up and ready to be shaved in the mirror beside him. He actually turned to his side before he realized that no one was there. His head drooped and he left the bathroom. He avoided looking at the shower stall. Those memories would have done him in.

Brian sat on the edge of his bed, his long legs dangling off the side. He took another gulp of the Beam and lit up another ciggie. It was getting late and he knew he had better try sleeping again. Brian stretched out and blew some more smoke rings into the still air. He thought about playing some of Justin's favorite music, but he didn't have the energy to go pick any out. At least he knew he wouldn't find any Fiddler music in the stack. Brian chuckled derisively as the memory of the night they ran across Ian's CD came into his mind. It had to have been over a year ago. Justin had thought he had thrown every scrap of the Fiddler crap into the trash but apparently one of his demo tapes had fallen between the couch cushions and been buried. One evening the two of them had been wrestling on the couch and when they fell to the floor together the cushion fell with them. Brian spotted the CD in the deep crevice against the back of the seat. The two of them had ceremoniously set fire to the thing in the kitchen sink which, of course, caused the smoke alarm to go off. Thank heavens they had the disc soaked and the alarm turned off before the firemen came, knocking their door down.

Brian finally stubbed out his cigarette and decided he'd make himself sleep if it killed him. It was at that precise moment that the phone rang. He cursed out loud. 'So help me', he thought, 'if it is Mikey again he'd jump through the wires and smash the fools phone into pieces. He loved Mikey...Hell, he loved all the guys and his extended family but he wasn't in the mood for company. Not yet, anyhow. He looked at his caller ID. His heart quickened. It was Justin's cell. He picked up the receiver fast.

"Hello!" he all but laughed.

"Well hello to you too, Brian. You sound like you were just sitting on the phone waiting for me to call."

"Full of ourselves hmmm, maybe a bit?" Brian laughed. "I'll have you know, young man, that I was just settling in for a good nights sleep. I hadn't even thought about you at all."

"Me too Brian. That's why I called. I was just sitting here all by myself and trying to remember what you looked like so I thought if I heard your voice I could conjure up a mental image."

"Is it working?"

"Yeah, I think so. Hmmm, let's see. You are kind of tall with an incredibly tanned and firm body. You have unruly brown hair that feels silken between the fingers. You have the most expressive hazel eyes that see right through a person's bullshit. You have the longest fingers that are quite sensitive to the touch, especially when they are playing a melody along the skin of a lover. And lets see, what else...oh yes! You have the most beautiful nine inches of cock that a man can possibly boast. Am I remembering all that correctly?"

Brian tried not to smirk into the phone. "I'd say you have an excellent memory. And now I'm starting to remember the cute little bubble butt and soft blond hair of a certain young man too. Let's see now...skin firm but pliant and creamy white, but not too pale. Eyes the color of a clear blue sky that grows darker under just the right circumstances. Small body but not petite...very manly in form. Hmmm, lets see what else? Oh yeah...very generous package despite the small frame...more than a handful if I recall correctly."

"Seems your memory is working just fine too Mr. Kinney. " A hesitancy. "Brian?"

"Yes?"

"I miss you. I miss you badly. I keep feeling this need and it has no place to go. I want to touch you again." Justin paused, waiting for a response. It came quickly.

"I miss you too Sunshine. I didn't expect it to be this hard."

"Hard? That's just it. It won't get hard anymore. It needs your touch to give it a reason to stand firm. What am I going to do about the problem. Have you got a solution for me Brian."

"Where are you right now, Justin?"

"Standing here thinking about you. And you...where are you?"

"Laying here in my bed all alone and thinking about your beautiful missing blond boy ass."

"Are you dressed Brian?"

"No....stark naked."

"Me too. Brian, can you feel me running my hands through your hair? I can feel your fingers touching my face."

"Yes,"Brian sighed as his hand crept up into his own hair and twisted strands through his fingers.

"Brian, I can feel your hands cupping my face as you lay your lips against mine. Oh Brian, you taste so good. Your tongue is filling me up and making my skin tingle."

Brian's tongue snaked out and licked his lips.

"I can feel you touching my nipples, Brian, while you kiss me deeply. Your fingernails are gently scratching around the edges and then flicking the tips hard so that I feel a shudder run through me. And there you go, you're moving downward, just like you like to do so much of the time."

Brian's hands moved down from his hair to his neck and then to his chest. He began rubbing his nipples, pinching them between his fingers. His body trembled slightly. As he listened carefully to Justin's words, his right hand unconsciously began to move slowly downward. He felt his pubes against his fingertips. He concentrated on Justin's voice.

"Brian, you've reached your destination. I can feel you lifting my cock away from crotch. You're weighing it and then laying it against my stomach. Can you hear me purring as you stroke it from top to bottom?"

Brian grabbed onto his own cock and began stroking it slowly. He could feel the shaft enlarging in his palm.

"Do I feel good to you, Brian? Your hand is warm as you lift me up again and play with me. You haven't stopped kissing me and your hand is moving quicker as it begins pistoning up and down my shaft."

Brian's breathing became more labored as his own hand began pumping his organ. He could feel his orgasm building. It felt good, but it wasn't quite right. He wanted more. He concentrated harder on Justin's words. His hearing must have vanished, because it dawned on him that Justin had stopped talking. Brian wanted to cry. His whole body was a-tingle and he was right there...and now that beautiful voice was gone. What the f....

"Brian...Brian, stop. Don't move. Don't cum yet."

Just then, Brian realized there was another noise filling the room. It took him a second to realize what it was. Some bastard was pounding on his door. Goddammit!!! They can go away. He was far too busy.

"Justin, don't hang up. Where'd you go. Justin?"

"Brian, answer the door."

Brian's befuddled brain was getting confused. All of a sudden he couldn't tell if he was hearing Justin's voice over the phone or outside his door. He shook his head hard.

"Answer the door, Brian."

This time there was no doubt. The voice wasn't coming from the phone. He had already lowered it to the bed. It was coming from outside the door. Brian let go of his rock hard cock and jumped off the bed. He moved quickly to the large metal door and unlocked it. He pulled the heavy door aside and came face to face with the object of his greatest desire....Justin.

"What the f...!"

Justin stood with his suitcase beside him. He looked down at Brian's naked body and the proud cock waving hello at him.

"Need a hand with that?" he asked, pointing downward.

Brian grabbed the gorgeous blond by the shoulders and dragged him into the loft. He slammed the door shut and turned back to Justin. He looked him over just to make sure it wasn't wishful thinking and then pulled his lover into his arms. Brian made short work of the clothing Justin had worn on the plane coming back to him. They immediately set to work finishing what they had started and in no time the two men were lying side by side with Brian's arm resting protectively around Justin's chest again as it had just a couple of days earlier. It took some time for their breathing to calm enough to talk. Brian rose up on his elbow and leaned over to give Justin another soul stirring kiss. When he pulled away, he spoke.

"Phone sex is okay," he declared,"but there's no substitute for the real thing in my experience. I guess you just had to check out that theory for yourself?"

Justin smiled warmly at his lover. For a man who didn't do romance, Brian sure did enjoy hearing his boyfriend being romantic. The hint was certainly not subtle. Justin didn't feel like torturing Brian. He got right to the point.

"The only theory I was testing out is whether I was better off with you or without you. I gave it the weekend. Sorry, but I've decided that with you is better so here I am. I'm afraid you're stuck with me Brian Kinney. I'll just have to make a name for myself and a living in good old Pittsburgh P A cause I'm not living somewhere you're not. So get used to it."

Brian stared at Justin then scooted over enough to reach the little side table by the bed. He pulled open the drawer and fished inside. His hand struck what he was looking for. He pulled it out and lifted it up for Justin to see. It was the small box containing their special order rings. Brian sat up and waited for Justin to join him. As they sat cross legged on the bed facing each other, Brian took Justin's left hand. He removed the smaller ring and slid it down Justin's ring finger. He handed the box solemnly to Justin. Justin reached in and removed the larger ring. He grasped Brian's left hand and slid the ring down his ring finger too. Brian spread out his legs and laid them over Justin's. He pulled Justin up close to his chest and gathered him as close as two human beings could get.

"No more separations Sunshine," Brian ordered.

Justin pulled back. He nodded firmly. They kissed to seal the deal. No more separations. Love had placed the call and together, the couple had answered.

THE END