Part One

There was nothing in the world that Justin Taylor loved more than spending an evening with a glass of scotch watching a lightning storm light up the city below him from his penthouse condominium on the North Side. The flashes of light illuminated the sky, reflecting from the glass and steel of Pittsburgh's downtown high-rise office buildings, the streaks of radiance striking the water of the three rivers far below, the sound of thunder that reverberated through the night air and made his pulse pound in sympathetic rhythm all combined to electrify the otherwise peaceful night air.

Justin watched the light show before him and thought about how he had gotten here, to this place and time in his life. He was what others referred to as a trust-fund baby. He'd been born into a life of wealth and privilege. Unfortunately, the privileges offered to him had not included the freedom to be himself. He was lucky, however. Despite losing his mother when he was just a toddler, despite a childhood where he spent more time with the nanny and housekeeper than his own father, despite being shipped off to boarding school every year since he was six, Justin had turned out okay. He had become his own man, and he was proud of the man he had become.

His father, on the other hand despised the man he had become. Craig Taylor had completely disowned him at the young age of fifteen, but Justin had money from his mother and her family. Despite the falling out with his father, he still held shares in his father's company that guaranteed an annual income that was more than most top executives earned. And he had a trust fund large enough to ensure that he could live in luxury and never have to spend a day of his life working if he didn't want.

He'd been doing just that for almost a year now. Since graduating from college last year, Justin had spent eight months travelling through Europe and North America. When he had come to Pittsburgh, he had found a place he thought he might like to stay for a while. He bought this condo settled down to see what life would bring him.

What it had brought was boredom. He went to the parties and charity events. He mingled with the social elite of Pittsburgh, the people of privilege just like him that the connections of a lifetime had afforded. But he wasn't happy. This wasn't why he had stayed here. He had stayed because Pittsburgh was, underneath the flash of the glitzy downtown, a blue collar city, with real people and real emotions. The circles he traveled in lived behind masks, and he was tired of living his life like that.

As he watched the lightning strikes in the distance, as the storm moved on to the east, Justin realized he was going to have to leave the comfort of his social circles behind if he was going to find what he was looking for.

BJBJBJBJBJ

Justin got off the bus and smiled to himself. Harrison, his driver, had been outraged when Justin had said he wanted to take public transportation. The older man had told Justin he would get lost, that it was too dangerous, that any of a thousand horrible things could happen. Justin had retaliated that thousands of people took the bus every day and were just fine. He promised to call if there was an emergency, but told Harrison to go home to his wife, Addie, who was Justin's housekeeper and who also happened to be pregnant.

Justin had been very careful about how he had dressed for his night out. He wanted to look good, but he also wanted to fit in. As such, he had made a trip to a local department store to buy non-designer clothes for the first time in his life. He wore brand-name jeans, a plain black tank under a V-neck black sweater to ward off the chilly October air and a pair of black Doc Marten boots. The outfit had cost him less than he would normally pay for a single t-shirt.

The night was alive on Liberty Avenue, the center of the gay community in Pittsburgh, as Justin walked up and down the street just taking everything in. The neon lights of several clubs flashed up ahead. There were quaint little shops still open to the people crowding the sidewalks, despite the late hour. And there was a diner. Justin, who had skipped lunch, realized he was absolutely starving and went inside for something to eat. He took a seat at the counter and surreptitiously watched the other patrons. They were mostly men—gay men—dressed in everything from leather chaps to drag to run of the mill jeans and t-shirt. Justin grinned. This was just what he was looking for.

"Hey there Sunshine," an older redheaded waitress smiled at him. "You've got the brightest smile I've seen in forever. What can I get you?"

"Ham and Swiss on rye," Justin said. "With mustard and a side of potato salad. Oh, and a chocolate milkshake."

"You got it honey," the waitress said and went off to put in his order. When she returned a little later with his food, the crowd had cleared a bit and she leaned on the counter to talk to Justin. "Name's Debbie. I know just about every queer in Pittsburgh, but I've never met you before, Sunshine."

Justin swallowed the bite of sandwich he was chewing. "I'm new in town."

"Where ya from originally?" Debbie asked. Justin could tell she wasn't trying to be nosy, just friendly.

"New York, but I traveled around a lot when I was a kid," Justin said. "After graduating from college last year I traveled a bit more and when I hit Pittsburgh I decided to stick around for a while."

Debbie nodded. "That's gotta be tough. But I'm not sure why anyone would choose here over New York."

"Can you tell me where I can go to dance?" Justin asked. "I saw signs for several clubs out there, but I have no idea which would be good."

"Depends on what you're into," Debbie said. "But if you just want to dance, or if you want to see and be seen, then Babylon's the place to go. You finish up here, and I'll give Eddie a ring. He's the bouncer. Ask for him when you get there and he'll get you set up with a membership card."

"Membership card?" Justin asked.

Debbie grinned. "It's not exclusive or anything, but Babylon has to maintain status as a private club in order not to be shut down for what goes on in the back room."

"Sex?" Justin asked.

"Amongst other things," Debbie snorted.

A little later, as Justin was paying for his dinner, he smiled at Debbie. "Thanks, Debbie. For everything."

"Hey, you got it, Sunshine," Debbie smiled. "I take care of my boys. You come back and see me anytime."

BJBJBJBJBJ

Babylon, at first glance, was just like a hundred other clubs Justin had been to in his travels. The throbbing pulse of the bass, the flashing lights, the half-naked men gyrating against each other…it all felt like coming home. At second glance, Justin could see subtle differences: the way men slipped to a darkened doorway at the back of the club, the stairs to the catwalk which seemed to lead nowhere, yet was always occupied, the quality of the drinks offered at the bar.

Justin was surprised to see a bottle of his favorite scotch on display on the shelf behind the bar and ordered a double. As he sipped the alcohol, he looked out through the crowd and took note of a number of men giving him the eye. He knew he looked good, but usually men were more interested in the size of his wallet than they were in him. These men, on the other hand, knew nothing about him other than he looked good in a pair of jeans and gave off an air of youthful sophistication. Justin smirked. Every single one of those men wanted him, but he was very picky about who he chose to sleep with. And since he was avoiding letting anyone know how wealthy he was, they certainly wouldn't be going home with him.

He finished his drink and went out onto the dance floor. He was careful not to encourage any one dance partner, but moved freely from one to the next as he let the music envelop him completely. One dance blurred into the next, one dancer merged with the others, until the need for air and a drink forced him from the floor.

He had just ordered another scotch double when he felt the presence of a tall man next to him. He paid for his drink and took a sip before he bothered to look at the man crowding his personal space.

"Not many people order the 16 year old Lagavulin. Hell, most of these pricks haven't even heard of it."

"I spent a few weeks in Scotland," Justin shrugged. "Discovered this in a brewery in Islay. I was surprised to find it in a nightclub in Pittsburgh."

"I keep it stocked because I like it," the man said. "I'm Brian Kinney. I own this place, and I haven't seen you here before."

Justin grinned at the man. "Justin Taylor. I'm new in town."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Brian smirked. "You must have done something bad in a past life to end up in the Pitts."

Justin took a long swallow of his scotch as he looked Brian over. "Actually, I think I like it here."

"Then you're either from some very small boring backwater town, or you're insane," Brian said.

"Neither," Justin laughed as he finished his drink. "I'm from Manhattan originally, but I've traveled a lot. Enough talk. Are you going to ask me to dance, or what?"

Brian quirked a single eyebrow and bit his lips before allowing a grin to escape. He held out a hand to Justin and said, "Shall we?"

As they danced, Justin took the opportunity to really look Brian over. He was in his mid-thirties; not the oldest man Justin had ever been with, but certainly older than most of his past lovers. He was tall and well-built; he obviously took care of his body. And he had a smile that could be wickedly seductive, mischievous, and sweet in turns. He obviously wasn't your run of the mill gay man from Pittsburgh. Half of the men in the place were watching them now. Brian obviously was something of a local hero or celebrity. The fact that he owned the nightclub they were in probably played a factor in that, but it wasn't just that. Brian was a predator, but Justin had dealt with predators before.

The fact was, Brian interested him. He was well dressed in designer names that Justin had hanging in his own closet, yet he seemed to fit in with the crowd. Justin wanted that even more than he wanted Brian. And he wanted Brian a lot.

After moving together for what seemed like hours, Brian leaned into Justin and asked, "The back room or my place?"

Justin didn't have to think about that. "Your place."

BJBJBJBJBJ

Justin liked Brian's loft. It was sleek and modern without being cold and uninviting. He thought it might have something to do with the exposed brick and wood rafters. Justin had a hard time making his penthouse feel warm without losing the modern feel.

They had fucked for hours until they had both passed out from sheer exhaustion. Justin, however, didn't sleep well in strange places and woke up only a couple hours after falling asleep. Now he was lying in Brian's bed, with Brian's arms wrapped around his waist, and comparing this space with his own. It seemed like a silly thing to do. If he couldn't sleep, he should probably go home. But he wasn't sure about the buses around here, and it was still too early to call Harrison. Not that Harrison would have objected, but Justin would feel guilty about getting the man out of bed in the middle of the night to pick him up from a trick's house.

After about an hour, however, Justin was completely bored, so he carefully shifted Brian's arm and slid out of bed as quietly as he could. He found his clothes scattered around the loft and began pulling them on. Once he was dressed, he quietly called a taxi. The sight of Brian lying so peacefully in his bed, however, called to Justin. So, while he waited for the taxi to arrive, he found a scrap of paper and began to draw.

BJBJBJBJBJ

Brian woke the next morning with a smile on his face. The trick last night had been one of the best. He was inventive and adventurous in bed, and he was interesting out of bed. If there had ever been a man to break his no repeats rule for, it would be this man. As it was, he was looking forward to at least one more go-round before Justin left. But when he reached for the younger man, Brian's hand felt nothing but cold sheets.

A quick look around the loft told him the blond was gone. Brian lay back against his pillow and sighed. Well, it had been a nice thought.

It wasn't until he had showered and went to the kitchen for something to eat that he found the paper on the counter. There was a pencil sketch of him in bed on a scrap of paper. Considering the man must have done it in the semi-darkness and in a hurry, it was unbelievably good. There was no signature on the picture and no note, but there was a cell phone number. Brian smirked. Maybe he could call this guy sometime. Even just to be friends. He really liked his style, and there was something under the surface that piqued Brian's curiosity.

Part Two

Justin spent most of the day in his studio doing sketches of Brian from memory. The man was built like a Greek god and would make a fantastic subject for a painting. Harrison had woken him up with an early phone call to make sure Justin had arrived home safely, and after that, Justin had simply decided that he was too wired to sleep anymore, so he had gone into his studio to work. Now, he had pages and pages of Brian in his sketchbook: his smirk, his smile, his face in repose, his hands, his legs, his body as it had looked sleeping this morning. He could probably spend months drawing and painting this man and still not be satisfied that he had captured his essence.

Addie stopped by in the morning to fix him some lunch and do a bit of dusting, but she hadn't disturbed Justin at work. That was his one rule that was rarely broken. He didn't even keep a phone in the studio and made sure his cell was turned off while he worked. So when he finally emerged late in the afternoon, he was surprised to see that Brian had left him a voicemail, asking him to dinner. Brian hadn't seemed like the dating type. In fact, he looked like the type to fuck and run, never looking back at those he'd already had.

Justin was glad for the call, however, and called him back. They made plans for dinner. Brian would be by in a couple hours to pick Justin up. Justin had waffled a little too long about whether to meet Brian at the restaurant and had ended up agreeing to being picked up by default. Now, he wasn't sure what to do. Should he maintain the poor-boy persona he had decided to adopt or let Brian know who he really was? The part of him that was afraid to let anyone into his life was screaming to deny, deny, deny, but there was a part of him that said if he lied about this, then Brian might never trust him. And he wanted Brian to trust him. He wanted to learn from Brian, learn how to straddle two worlds and still be confident of his place in both.

Besides, he thought he might have given more away last night with his choice of drink than he had intended anyway. So he went to his closet, pulled out a few of his favorite designer labels and began the arduous task of deciding what to wear.

Showered and dressed two hours later, Justin waited for the doorman's call with a glass of Taliskers while watching night fall over the city. When George rang him, Justin told him to send his guest up. One last check in the mirror, and Justin went to the door to wait. When he heard the elevator arrive, he opened the door and admitted Brian to his home. A brief greeting was exchanged and Justin went to pour Brian a drink while the other man took a look around.

Seeing his place through fresh eyes, Justin realized it wasn't as bad as he had imagined last night. It was newer construction so it didn't have the character that Brian's loft had, but it wasn't completely sterile, either. He had warmed up the white walls with a variety of colors and paintings by some of his favorite artists. The furniture was a mixture of leather and glass and steel, softened with throw pillows and blankets in soft textiles and warm colors. It really wasn't bad at all.

Justin handed Brian a glass of Taliskers and Brian looked at him. "I knew there was more to you than meets the eye."

Justin grinned. "What gave me away? Besides the Lagavulin."

"I have to say you almost pulled it off," Brian smirked. "I didn't really even suspect after the scotch. It was your watch that gave you away. When you took off your sweater last night, you were wearing a Tag Heuer Grand Carrera watch with the titanium carbide case. That's worth at least seven grand. I know, because I looked at buying that one but went with the brushed steel instead."

"I should have realized," Justin laughed.

"Why would you try to pretend to be something you aren't?" Brian asked with honest curiosity.

"That's the thing," Justin smiled sorrowfully. "I don't fit in with the people I grew up with, and I don't fit in with the average man, either."

"That's your mistake," Brian said. "Fuck fitting in. Be who you are. The people who matter will accept whoever that is and the rest can fuck themselves. And we have reservations we're going to be late for if we don't leave."

BJBJBJBJBJ

Dinner was surprisingly lively. They seemed to have more in common than Brian would have thought. Though they came from completely different backgrounds, they shared a lot of the same interests. Justin was smart and witty and charming. And unlike most of Brian's friends, he knew how to behave in a nice restaurant. That alone was a nice change, though it wasn't surprising considering his background.

"My father owns an international electronics company," Justin said. "Though, that doesn't really matter much since my father disowned me when I was fifteen. My mother's family, on the other hand, was old money brought over from Europe and multiplied in the subsequent generations. Her parents died in a car accident when I was just a baby and then she died when I was four. She was an only child and so was I, so even without my father's support, I'm still rather wealthy. My mother also backed my father's fledgling business when they first married and owned a large percentage of shares which I inherited. That's why when he threatened to disinherit me when I refused to live my life to please him, I told him to go ahead."

"I left home when I was about that age," Brian said. "My best friend's mom took me in. My father died a few years ago, but we made a sort of peace before he did. My mother on the other hand is a religious fanatic who I try to avoid like the plague."

"It's nice you had somewhere to go," Justin said a bit wistfully.

"Where did you go when all that went down with your father?" Brian asked.

Justin shrugged. "Back to boarding school. I'd been in boarding school since I was six and the lawyer handled my trust fund, so it wasn't any different, really. I just stopped going home for holidays. It wasn't like my father was ever there anyway. I spent more time with our domestic staff than I ever did with my father. After that, I travelled while other kids went home for Christmas or for summer break. It wasn't so bad."

Brian shook his head. In a way, he envied the advantages Justin had. On the other, Justin's childhood had been just as miserable as his own. "Why exactly did your father disinherit you? Was it because you came out?"

Justin laughed dryly. "No, that wasn't the reason, though it might have been if he had known. As far as I know, he still doesn't know I'm gay. No, it was because I wanted to be an artist instead of going into the family business. The man refused to even consider that I might want a life of my own, rather than repeating his. He loved that company more than he loved me and then wondered why I didn't want any part of it."

"What an ass," Brian said. "My father resented the fact that I went to college at all. He always said I was too uppity for my family. He was right. I do think I'm better than them. I may have my faults, but I made the life I wanted; I didn't just drink myself into a stupor and rant about the unfairness of it all."

"You obviously do well for yourself," Justin said. "I get the feeling that there's more to that than owning a night club."

"Actually, my primary business is an advertising agency," Brian said. "I worked for a couple different agencies for about eight years before I started up my own firm. Now, we're the largest in the region and have numerous national accounts. But when they were going to close down Babylon a couple years ago, I had to step in and save it. That place is almost as much my home as the loft."

"Maybe I should consider investing in local businesses," Justin mused.

"Only if you're planning on sticking around," Brian shrugged. "Smaller ventures seem to need a more personal touch than you can get from a portfolio manager or accountant."

Justin smiled. "Is that your way of asking if I plan on staying in Pittsburgh? Because I am. I told you I like it here."

"Good," Brian nodded as he sipped his coffee. "Because I think we could be friends."

BJBJBJBJBJ

Brian stayed the night at Justin's place, surprising himself. There was no hard and fast rule about going to a trick's place instead of the loft, but it didn't happen often. And he never broke his never-the-same-man-twice rule. But there was something about Justin that was different. The fact that he had called him at all after their first night together had been a break from the norm. Now he found himself waking up in Justin's bed, with the city stretched below them visible through the wall of windows in the master suite. Justin was still sleeping, his head nestled against Brian's chest. All in all, it was a nice way to wake up.

"Morning," Justin said with a small yawn as he lifted his head to look at Brian. Brian had to smile at the tousled blond hair and happy grin on Justin's face.

"Morning," Brian said. "I was thinking we should go to the diner for breakfast and then you could go to the gym with me. You could meet my friends."

Justin frowned and sat up. "I'm not sure…"

"Justin, they will like you, I promise," Brian said. "Besides, didn't you say you wanted to try to make friends outside of your social circle?"

"Well, yeah," Justin sighed.

"My friends accept me, and I'm a complete prick to them," Brian said. "I'm sure they'll like you. Just be yourself."

"Okay."

Justin got dressed and packed a bag with his gym clothes, and then the two men went to Brian's loft so he could get changed as well before they left for the diner.

"We always have breakfast together on Sundays," Brian explained. "Sometimes Lindsey brings my son, Gus, but usually, it's just the guys. And Debbie."

"Debbie's the waitress, right?" Justin asked. "I met her the other night. She made sure I got a membership card to Babylon."

"Yeah, sounds like Debbie," Brian smirked. "She's the one that took me in when I left home. She's always looking out for her boys, as she likes to call us. You'll meet Michael, her son. And probably Ted and Emmett. Emmett will be the only one there without a significant other. Mikey's married to an English professor named Ben, and Ted's with Blake, a drug addiction counselor."

"What do Ted, Emmett and Michael do?" Justin asked.

"Ted works for me," Brian said. "He's the head of Kinnetik's finance department. Emmett runs a catering business, and Mikey owns a comic book store."

Justin was going to ask more, but he was cut off by his ringing cell phone. "Hi Harrison. No I'm fine. I'm having breakfast with a friend and then going to try out his gym. Yes, I made a friend. I'm sure you'll get to meet him at some point. No… No… I'll call you if I need a ride. I promise. Bye."

"Harrison?" Brian asked once Justin hung up the phone.

"My driver/butler," Justin said. "His wife is my housekeeper. They worry about me."

"You weren't kidding when you said that the domestic staff was closer to you than your family," Brian said. "How long have they been with you?"

"They both used to work for my father," Justin explained. "They were both pretty young when they started and we became friends of a sort. When Dad disowned me, they quit. They worked for another family for a few years, got married, and are now expecting their first child. We stayed in touch and I visited them some holidays, so when I decided to settle here I called them to see if they would consider coming to work for me instead. Since I don't have a huge estate for them to live on, I decided to buy a place for them in my building. Anyway, they take care of me. Addie makes sure I remember to eat when I'm working. Harrison makes sure I'm safe."

"Sounds like family to me," Brian said. "Like Mikey and Debbie are my family, now."

They pulled into a parking space near the diner and Justin waited for Brian to come around the car before they made their way into the diner together. Justin was a little nervous, but Brian had said his friends would like him and he trusted Brian.

"Sunshine!" Debbie exclaimed as soon as they walked through the door. "I'm glad you decided to come back. But what are you doing with this little shit?"

"Love you too, Deb," Brian muttered. "What did I do now?"

"You were supposed to be at the house last night for family dinner," Debbie scolded. "But you weren't and didn't even bother to call."

"Shit," Brian said. "I totally forgot."

"It's my fault," Justin said. "I asked Brian to show me around town a bit. He was being kind to the new kid."

Debbie smiled at Justin again, and then frowned at Brian. "Doing a good deed does not excuse you from calling."

"I'll call next time," Brian said. "Now can we go have breakfast?"

Justin was led to the back of the diner where the rest of the group was already eating at two booths, Justin met Emmett, Ted and Blake at one and then he and Brian joined Michael and Ben at the other.

"Hey, aren't you that trick from the other night?" Michael asked bluntly.

Justin raised an eyebrow at the way the question was asked. "No, but Brian's the trick I picked up on Friday."

"Justin!" "Michael!" Brian and Ben both scolded.

Justin simply laughed it off, but Michael pouted. "Yeah, I met Brian at Babylon on Friday. Why?"

"It's just…"

"They aren't used to seeing me with the same man twice," Brian explained.

"Oh, so I'm special?" Justin grinned at Brian teasingly.

"You must be," Ben said. "So what brings you to our fair city?"

The rest of breakfast went well. Justin explained why he had moved to Pittsburgh and the others all took his wealth and social background in stride. Those in the other booth often turned around to participate in the conversation and it all reminded Justin of how he had once pictured real friends behaving. This had been what he was looking for.

After breakfast they all went to the gym, splitting up into smaller groups as they made their way around the equipment. At one point, Justin found himself alone with Emmett spotting him at a weight bench.

"I used to date George Schickle," Emmett told Justin out of the blue. "He was a really great man, but very lonely. The social elite aren't very forgiving of those who fall out of favor. But I was able to make Georgie's last months happy. Something that living alone, surrounded by his money couldn't do."

"I've met his ex-wife," Justin said. "She's a real bitch."

"Hmm," Emmett agreed with a frown. "Yes, she is. The point, to all of this, however, is that George never felt out of place among our group of friends. Money…it just doesn't matter a whole lot to us. Well, maybe to Brian, but more as a way to prove he's better than his family. Anyway, don't think we're a bunch of reverse snobs. Make the effort and this bunch will accept you."

Justin sat up on the bench and smiled at Emmett. "Would you like to have lunch some day this week?"

"As friends?" Emmett asked. "Because I love Brian, but he scares me."

"As friends," Justin chuckled.

"Then you're on," Emmett said.

Part Three

Brian watched Emmett and Justin move on to the next station and wondered what they were laughing about. Ben, who was sitting in the leg press beside Brian, was watching the brunette.

"I don't think I've ever seen you bring somebody to breakfast in all the years we've known each other," Ben remarked with feigned casualness.

"I haven't," Brian shrugged as he tore his eyes away from the blond and went back to his own exercise. "Justin needs friends. He's had it tough for a while."

"The fact that you know anything about him beyond his vital stats is a huge departure from the norm," Ben said. The question was unvoiced but it hung in the air between them.

"He intrigues me," Brian said. "You saw him Friday night, trying so hard to fit in, but not quite knowing how to pull it off. And then he ordered the most expensive drink at the bar."

"And it didn't hurt that he was hot," Ben added. "And danced like a dream."

Brian smiled at the memory. "No, that didn't hurt. I took him home and he was wearing a $7000 watch under his $30 sweater. Then, when I woke up the next morning he had left me a sketch he'd drawn while I slept and his phone number."

"You were fascinated," Ben nodded. "You never could resist a mystery."

"We have a lot in common," Brian said with a shrug. "He was fifteen when his dad disowned him. Before that he was neglected. He's never had any real friends besides the domestic help."

"Like you didn't have anyone until Michael and Debbie," Ben agreed.

"Yeah," Brian said. "And yet he's…I don't know…he doesn't let it make him cold and distant. He's not…" like me was left unsaid.

"He's still willing to put himself out there and risk getting hurt," Ben said. He looked at Brian and wondered just how much this kid had affected him.

"Yeah," Brian sighed. "Anyway, I think I want to at least get to know him. Find out what makes him the way he is."

"He seems like a nice kid," Ben said. "How old is he, anyway?"

"Twenty-three," Brian said.

"Young enough to keep you on your toes, old man," Ben teased.

"Watch the old shit," Brian growled. "Besides, you've got a few years on me!"

BJBJBJBJBJ

On Tuesday, Justin arrived early to the restaurant where he and Emmett had agreed to meet over the phone the day before. Actually, Justin had gotten calls from Emmett, Ben, and Debbie, but not from Brian. He hadn't heard from Brian since the older man had brought him home Sunday—and stayed for a hot fuck in the elevator on the way up followed by another in Justin's bed and finally the shower before Brian had to go home. He knew that Brian wasn't the kind of guy that wanted or needed to talk every day. Hell, from what Justin could gather, Brian never even slept with a man twice, let alone got to the calling each other phase. So he had let the day go by without call; if Brian hadn't called him before Wednesday evening, Justin would call him.

In the meantime, Justin was happy to be making new friends. Emmett arrived just as the sommelier was bringing a bottle of wine. Emmett took a seat after they embraced briefly and then watch Justin go through the ritual tasting of the wine. Once that was done, the sommelier poured them each a glass and left them.

"Well, ooh la la," Emmett said. From anyone else, that would probably be the start of an insult, but not with Emmett. "I haven't seen anyone do that since George died. You really have to teach me. Not that I get to go to many fancy restaurants to use the skill… but ah well."

Justin grinned. "I remember the first time a sommelier stood there waiting for me to taste the wine. I was so nervous. I had watched my father and other people do it all my life, but I was—god!—sixteen at the time and knew that I was going to screw it up and everyone would laugh at me. It didn't help that I was in France at the time and my French still sucks to this day."

"What happened?" Emmett demanded, caught up in the tale.

"I went through the steps right, but had no idea what they were for and it showed. The sommelier took pity on me. It was a slow time so he sat with me and—in perfect English mind you—taught me why each step was important." Justin held up his glass and gestured for Emmett to do the same. "There are four steps to tasting a wine. First, we look at the unopened bottle to make sure it's the one we ordered. Then we wait until the wine is poured. We look at the wine in the glass, preferably in front of a light. We are looking for a rich color, clarity and depth. We don't want watery wine and we don't bits of grape floating in our wine."

Emmett laughed at that but followed Justin's example as held the glass up to the light of the candle on their table. He could see that it was deep reddish-purple, a color much richer than the wines he usually brought home.

"Next we want to smell the wine," Justin said. "To stir up the aroma, we'll swill the glass but only with our wrist, not our whole arm. Like this." And Justin showed Emmett how to twirl the glass and then put his nose right into the glass before inhaling the scent. Emmett felt a little silly putting his nose in the glass, but went along with it. "The bouquet tells us a lot about the wine. What do you smell?"

"Besides the wine?" Emmett asked. He took another whiff. "Well, I smell licorice and something woody. And…lavender?"

"Those are the most prevalent notes," Justin agreed. "The licorice is probably from either fennel or anise being grown near the vineyards. The same with lavender. And the woody smell is actually from the barrels the wine is aged in before being bottled. Very good for your first time."

"Well thank you sir!" Emmett beamed, pleased as punch.

"Now's the tricky part," Justin said. "Tasting. You want to let the wine roll over your tongue. The tongue tastes different things in different areas, so you want to let your tongue get a full sampling of what the wine offers. And since half of tasting is smell, when you're ready to swallow, you want to try and exhale at the same time. That way, you are reengaging the sense of smell for a fuller taste."

Emmett tried to follow each of Justin's instructions but almost choked when he inhaled instead of exhaling. "I'm not sure that's supposed to happen."

Justin laughed with Emmett and said, "No, but with practice, I'm sure you'll get it."

Emmett tried again with better results. "What am I supposed to be tasting?"

Justin smiled. "Tannin levels, depth of flavor, aftertaste… If we were at a vineyard tasting, you'd hear people talk about all of that. In the end, though, it just comes down to do you like it or not."

Emmett chuckled. "And what if I don't like it?"

"Spit it out, send it back…" Justin said teasingly. "Actually, the only time you send it back is if it has gone bad. It could turn brown, smell musty or taste like vinegar. In that case, you definitely want to send it back and they'll bring another bottle of that vintage or let you choose another. The extra information you get from tasting the wine goes towards knowing what to order the next time."

"Usually I'm just happy to have the booze," Emmett sighed. "You'd think I'd know more about this stuff seeing as I'm a caterer and all, but really, all I need to know is how much each case costs and if the bride likes a particular type and how much to order of red and white based on the number of surf plates and turf plates. I know scads about champagne, but you don't have to taste that at fancy restaurants."

Justin laughed at that, "I suppose that is true. Tasting isn't the top priority when you're trying to feed three hundred guests at once."

They paused to order and then went back to discussing Emmett's catering business. "I really want to do party and wedding planning. You know, plan the whole thing from top to bottom. But it takes years to build up that sort of client list and reputation. I'm just not there yet."

Justin was deep in thought for a minute before asking, "What would you need to get where you want to be? What would it take, besides time?"

"Lot's of hard work," Emmett said. "And money."

Justin rolled his eyes because Emmett just wasn't getting what he was asking. "Okay, but what if money wasn't an issue? What would you need to turn your current operation into your ideal?"

Emmett looked a bit lost for a moment. "Well… I suppose in order to attract the sorts of clients who can afford my services, I would need a nice place to entertain them and show them my portfolio. A place where we could discuss what they want for their big day. Ideally? I'd also have a professional kitchen to prepare food and a better chef than I currently can afford to pay. I know people in all the right shops already, so that wouldn't be an issue… But marketing would be a problem. 75% of marketing in this business is word of mouth, so contacts are priceless. And advertising wouldn't hurt."

Justin nodded slowly. "Who does your books? Ted?"

"Yes," Emmett said warily. "Why?"

"Because you, me and Ted are going to sit down and come up with a viable business plan," Justin said. "And then I'm going to invest in your business."

Emmett was already shaking his head. "You can't just go around giving away money. And I could never pay you back."

"I'm not going to give my money away," Justin said. "And it isn't a loan either. I want to invest in your business. I would become a silent partner. Your salary is part of the cost to run the business and comes out first. Once we're actually showing a profit, that profit will be split three ways. One third will be reinvested into the business for future expansion. And you and I will each get a third. And we'll have a contract to make it all legal."

Emmett was back to being bewildered. "But…why would you want to do that? You hardly know me."

Justin shrugged. "I think you'll succeed. And I like you. Isn't that enough? Come on, Emmett. I can afford this. Let me help out."

Emmett chuffed a disbelieving laugh. "You begging me to accept your money…what has the world come to?"

"So?"

"Oh of course I'm going to accept," Emmett said. "I would be a fool to pass up an opportunity like this. And my grandma didn't raise any fools."

BJBJBJBJBJ

Brian stared at his phone and wondered if he should call Justin. He had deliberately not called on Monday. It was bad enough that he had broken his no repeats rule twice, he was not going to chase after any man. But was making a phone call really chasing him? On Tuesday Brian had waffled back and forth several times about calling. He knew through the grapevine that Justin and Emmett had a lunch appointment—his heart just refused to think of it as a date, even in the platonic sense of the word—so Brian had convinced himself that Justin would be too busy to take a call from him.

But now it was Wednesday and he hadn't seen or spoken with Justin since Sunday. For someone so new in Brian's life, his absence was noticeable.

The fact that Justin hadn't called him either did not go unnoticed. Was he not interested in continuing their friendship…or whatever it was they had? Or was he waiting for Brian to call? Was there some weird gay protocol that Brian didn't know about the dominant one in bed being the one to call? He was the master at getting a man into bed, but he had no clue what to do after the sex.

Brian's intercom connected and Cynthia's disembodied voice said, "You have a call on line two. He sounds like a hottie."

Brian rolled his eyes at her antics. "Did he give a name?"

"Justin Taylor."

Brian smirked as all of his earlier doubts floated away with that single word. "In that case, drooling over him is a waste of time. I'll take the call."

Brian hung up and took a deep breath before pressing the button for line two. "Justin. What can I do for you?"

"I wasn't sure if you would take my call at work," Justin said with a self-deprecating chuckle. "But you never did give me your cell phone number."

"Oops," Brian said a bit sheepishly. "Not something I'm used to worrying about. I had thought to call you later today anyway, so your call was a welcome surprise."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't completely forget I exist," Justin said lightly. "Anyway, I called to see if you wanted to go to some boring charity auction with me on Friday for the Carnegie Museum. I will completely understand if the mere idea makes you shudder—I shudder every time I think about going—but there will be some pretty important people there, including Jackson Hodges."

"Hodges?" Brian said and then whistled. He was the owner of a large multi-national corporation that sold a number of household cleaning products. To get his business would be big for Kinnetik.

"His son and I went to school together," Justin said. "Anyway, he's on the board at the museum and this event is his pet project."

"And it never hurts to network," Brian said with a chuckle. "Alright Sunshine, you've sold me."

Justin beamed from his end of the phone when Brian called him by the nickname with which Debbie had dubbed him. "So, I'll pick you up Friday night at 7:30?"

"Sounds good," Brian said. "I'll assume this is black tie?"

"Black tie optional," Justin corrected. What that really meant was that they expected you to be in a tux, but you had a little freedom to be creative with style as well as neckwear and shirts.

"Alright."

They were both quiet for a moment, neither wanting to end the conversation, but neither knowing what to say next.

"I'm going to Woody's later for drinks," Brian finally said. "Would you like to join me?"

"I'd love to," Justin said though a bright smile.

Part Four

In the end, they spent much of Wednesday evening together, going from drinks at Woody's to dinner at a Greek restaurant that Brian liked. And they ended the evening at Brian's loft. This time, after three rounds of some very inspired and athletic fucking, Justin had no trouble sleeping through the night.

They parted the next morning—after another round in the shower—as Brian headed to the office and Justin headed to a meeting with his financial advisor and his lawyer.

When Justin called Brian at work that day to scold him for not giving his cell phone number again, there were no more awkward silences. It was like they had found their rhythm and were comfortable with it. And so, when Brian called Justin Thursday evening just to chat, they felt and acted like they had been friends and lovers for years.

On Friday evening, Justin had Harrison drive him to Brian's and he went up to meet the older man. The entire ride over and up the elevator, Justin had butterflies in his stomach, as though he was taking his secret crush to the prom. He scoffed at his own idiocy as he knocked on the door. When the door slid open, however, all thoughts but one evaporated from his mind.

"Fuck, you look good," Justin muttered.

Brian smirked and let Justin look his fill. He was wearing a D&G tuxedo, but it was not the average plain tuxedo that most people wore. The jacket was a single button made of velvet in a burgundy so deep that it was almost black. The collar and hems were trimmed in black silk and the pocket flaps were in the same black silk. Beneath that he wore a vest made of the same burgundy velvet with black silk trim and black buttons. He wore a white shirt with a fat black tie in a loose Windsor knot. His pants were black with a tuxedo stripe in the same deep burgundy as his jacket. And the entire suit looked like it had been made just for him, it fit so well.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Sunshine," Brian said.

Justin had gone with the traditional black, but the style of his Zegna tuxedo was anything but traditional. The fabric had been textured with tiny squares shimmering in a black on black design. His shirt was black with a wide Nehru collar and he had chosen to wear a burgundy scarf around his neck in lieu of a tie. It did not escape either man's notice that they had chosen matching colors.

"Thanks," Justin said with a bright smile. "Harrison is waiting downstairs in the car, so we should probably go."

When they reached the street, Brian stopped in his tracks. "That's not a car. That's a Bentley Mulsanne."

Justin shrugged. "It is a car. But it's one we don't use every day. Though I think Harrison wouldn't object to using it more."

Harrison stepped out of the car and came around to open the door for them, but Justin stopped to make introductions before they climbed in. "Harrison, this is Brian Kinney, entrepreneur and stud. And Brian, this is James Harrison, butler, valet, driver and loyal friend."

The two men gave Justin indulgent looks before shaking hands. Then Harrison opened the door for the two men and they got in the car and headed to the gala. When they arrived at the museum and made their way into the main hall where the event was being held, Brian was surprised at just how different the social circles he and Justin moved in. Brian had his friends, who were all working class for the most part, and he had his business contacts, many of whom were quite wealthy and influential, but there was another step above that which he had never been a part of until now. He recognized the faces of some of his larger clients, and he recognized some people from the newspaper—"so-and-so donated scads of money to such-and-such charity" with a picture of the philanthropist, the smiling charity organizer and an oversized check—but there were hundreds of people there that he had never seen before.

But Justin, despite having lived in Pittsburgh for less than six months seemed to know all of them. They got drinks from the open bar and then began circulating the room. Justin introduced Brian to people and Brian attempted to remember the more important of them. He gave his business cards to a few people, but only when asked—it wasn't polite to talk business at these things, just make connections and see and be seen. And raise money for a cause, of course.

"Let's go look at the auction items," Justin suggested. Brian nodded and let the blond lead him over to the area by the grand staircase which was lined with tables displaying the various auction items. "They've gone back to the traditional auction. It seems people got bored with the silent auctions. They missed the excitement of a real auction. They'll call us all into the Music Hall soon to bid."

Brian and Justin each accepted the catalogue that a volunteer handed to them and began the trek around the tables. There was everything from furniture to travel packages to art. In fact, there was a painting done by Justin.

"You didn't tell me they were auctioning off one of your pieces," Brian accused.

Justin shrugged, "It's for a good cause."

Brian made a note of the lot number and then they moved on. In the end they each found a few things that they would like to bid on. Justin wasn't really sure how much Brian could afford to spend at an auction like this, but he figured it really wasn't his business. Instead, he led the other man to the table where they would sign up for auction paddles.

"Justin Taylor!" Brian and Justin both turned to see Jackson Hodges coming towards them. When he reached their position, he didn't stop, but wrapped Justin up in a bear hug. Considering the man was at least six foot four, weighed well over three hundred pounds and was as gay as they came, bear was an apt description. When he let Justin go, he turned to Brian, though his question was directed at Justin. "Why have I not met your exquisite friend yet? Hello, I'm Jackson Hodges."

Brian smirked and took his hand. "A pleasure you meet you, Jackson. I'm Brian Kinney."

"Kinney? Wait, you're the man who owns that advertising agency, right? The one that has poor Gardener on the ropes?" Jackson looked impressed and Brian's brain went into overdrive as he began plotting out campaigns for Jackson's cleaning supplies. "Well, Brian, if I had known that you were so delectable, I would have insisted we switch agencies a long time ago. You've got yourself a looker, there, Justin. And smart too!"

Justin laughed. "He's quite the catch. How's Linus doing?"

"He adores Spain," Jackson gushed and set off on a long-winded description of his son's European adventure which had lasted three years now. When one of the volunteers called Jackson away, Brian sighed in relief.

"You never told me the man was a flaming homo," Brian said. "His flame is bigger than even Emmett's."

Justin grinned impishly. "No I didn't tell you, but really, I thought everyone knew. It's not exactly a secret. Besides, what straight man hosts a charity gala?"

Brian shook his head in fond exasperation, but followed Justin towards the Music Hall where the crowds of people were being ushered. Brian hadn't realized just how many people were attending the event until they were all gathered in one room. Spread through the Music Hall Foyer, the Art Museum Foyer and the grand staircase, there didn't seem to be as many people, but now he realized there had to be at least 1,500 people there. And somehow the staff was going to set up tables for dinner while everyone was in the Music Hall.

Justin seemed to know what Brian was thinking as they were escorted towards the front and center of the auditorium where those who were bidding were being seated. Observers were relegated to the rear, though there really weren't any bad seats. "Not everyone bought tickets for the dinner. More than half of the guests will leave after the auction. Then after dinner, there will be more cocktails and dancing in the Art Museum Foyer."

After that, there wasn't much opportunity to talk since the auction began. For the next hour and a half, they went through the various items. Brian bid on a trip to Tahiti, but wasn't too disappointed to lose it to a middle aged woman covered in gaudy jewels. Justin won the Eames lounge chair and ottoman he wanted as well as the family reunion trip to Disney World.

"I'm not going with you," Brian said when Justin turned his beaming smile at him. "Just get the idea right out of your head." But he knew that he would go and he would have a blast because he was with Justin. He'd known the twink a week and he already knew that he'd give him just about anything. "Fine, but there is no way I'm wearing Mickey ears, no matter how many blow jobs you promise."

"You think Gus and his moms and Debbie and the rest of your friends will want to go with us?" Justin asked. "I mean, the trip is for twenty people and it includes meals and hotel and airfare and everything. And I bet Harrison and Addie would want to go too after the baby is born."

Brian smiled with amusement and Justin's blatant attempts to win favor, "You don't have to buy their friendship. But yes, I do believe that they would enjoy a week in Disney World—especially my son. But I'll only agree to invite them if we can get a room as far from everyone else as possible."

"Yes sir," Justin agreed, and then they both turned their attention back to the auction.

Brian didn't bid again until Justin's painting came up. The bidding rapidly went from four figures to five, but Brian just kept going.

"Brian, you don't have to do this," Justin hissed at him. "I can give you a painting if you want one!"

Brian smirked and held up his paddle one last time. His opponent wasn't going to counter and with five words—going once, going twice, sold—the painting was his.

"Why did you do that?" Justin wondered. It was too late to go back now.

Brian shrugged carelessly and said, "Because I wanted to. I wanted to contribute to the auction and I wanted your painting. Seemed like the perfect solution to both desires."

Justin shook his head in bemusement, but was quick to give in when Brian captured his lips.

BJBJBJBJBJ

"So tell me about this plan you've got going with Queen Emmett," Brian said late Saturday morning. They were lounging on Justin's sofa, completely naked, and watching some old romantic comedy on the television. Or pretending to watch it between bouts of sex.

Justin lifted his head from Brian's chest and looked at him. "I told you I want to invest in local businesses. He owns a local business."

Brian chuffed a laugh. "Do you really think he's got what it takes to succeed? Or is this a tax write off?"

"I think he's got what it takes," Justin said honestly. "But if it falls through, I can write it off. I was going to ask you to handle the marketing for us. I mean, we aren't exactly up to your normal standards, but I think friendship should have some benefits."

"Besides my cock up your ass?" Brian asked facetiously. "Yeah, of course I'll put something together."

"I was also thinking…" Justin said and Brian groaned.

"Nothing good ever followed those words," Brian sighed. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking after last night that I could hire Emmett to throw a charity ball," Justin said. "He'd make contacts, improve his portfolio and could prove what he can do to the right people, and we'd do something nice for some charity."

Brian thought about that. "That's actually not a bad idea. We'll need to get the marketing plan in place before then… and you'll need to do whatever it is you two are planning on doing… but if even a quarter of the people who were there last night came, it would go a long way towards launching the business."

Justin smiled at Brian. "So you're in? You'll help with the ball too?"

If Brian hadn't been the one to bring the topic up, he might have suspected that Justin timed his request for after Brian was sexually sated and high on endorphins. "Yes, I'll help with the ball too. But tonight, you're coming to Babylon with me. I need a dose of pure unadulterated homosexual nightlife after that hetero-fest last night."

"Okay," Justin agreed. He laid his head back on Brian's chest and played with his nipple absentmindedly. "So… what charity do you think we should support?"

Brian groaned and buried his head under a throw pillow.

BJBJBJBJBJ

They decided that they really should do something to support the gay community, and if it had something to do with children, they would be more likely to garner the support of the straight rich people they were trying to hit up. In the end, it was actually Lindsey who gave them the idea to raise money to create a daycare at the GLC when she came over to the loft on Sunday to drop Gus off for a few hours. She and Mel were on their fundraising committee and Lindsey was complaining about the fact that they had been trying to raise enough money to start the project. There were a lot of gay and lesbian families who either couldn't afford decent daycare or were shut out of programs because of their sexuality.

Justin hadn't even waited to talk it over with Emmett or Brian. He'd jumped on the bandwagon and he and Lindsey had a lunch date to go over the plans the committee had come up with and see how practical they were. Justin had a feeling that their plans were much smaller than anything his social set would get behind. He'd probably need to see the property they had in mind, call in an architect, and completely rewrite their proposal, but the GLC would have a daycare center bigger and better than they could have ever dreamed of. And Justin would see to it that it was endowed so that it could support itself through the years to come.

At first Brian laughed as he watched Justin get himself completely entangled in the politics and personalities that ran the GLC. Brian knew that they did good work for their community, but he also knew they could be a bit obnoxious as well. But Justin was not new to the world of charities and had headed up more than one committee in his young life. Within two weeks, he had been appointed chair of the newly created daycare committee and he was pushing through all sorts of grandiose ideas that the others would have never dreamed.

"Have you seen the site they have for the daycare?" Justin huffed after his third committee meeting in a week. Brian had coerced him into joining him at Woody's for a much needed drink afterwards. "The building is condemned; there is absolutely no green space, and not enough land. I know it was donated, but really… We're going to have to buy out the properties all around it just to have enough room to build the center we have been designing."

"So, you'll buy out those properties," Brian said as he pulled the distraught man into his lap. "Give them relocation bonuses if they agree to sell immediately. Overpay. Steamroll the city council and get it done. I know you can and you will."

Justin huffed and the sighed. "You're right. I can and I will. It just seems like these people don't want this to succeed. Every time I turn around they are throwing another roadblock in my path. It should not be this difficult to help someone."

Brian chuckled. "Which is why I never help anyone."

Justin eyed his lover and the smirked. "Liar."

"Excuse me?' Brian asked with mock offense.

"I have access to charitable giving databases," Justin said. "Non-profits use them to find potential donors. They track who gave what to which charity."

"And you checked out my giving record?" Brian asked warily.

"I did," Justin said. "And you, Brian, are not the misanthropic bastard everyone thinks you are."

Brian cringed but kissed Justin. "What will it cost me to keep that little fact a secret?"

Justin grinned. "Nothing. I like knowing things about you that no one else knows. But I wouldn't say no to a back rub in bed tonight out of gratitude."

Brian laughed. "You're on, Sunshine."

Part Five

While the work on the daycare struggled along, Emmett and Justin worked hard to get the event planning business ready to launch. They found premises to renovate in order to create the perfect storefront for the business and then set about doing just that. They purchased an old Victorian house built on one of the many hills in Pittsburgh; in the front of the house, the main floor was at ground level, but in the rear, the basement was at ground level. The basement space was more than adequate to build a complete professional kitchen. What was now the back yard would be turned into parking for staff and the catering vans. The first floor would be where Emmett hosted his potential clients and had his office. And Justin had suggested that Emmett use the second floor and attic for his residence. There was already a separate entrance and they could work out a decent rate to compensate the business from his salary, but would still be economical for Emmett. In fact, they were able to work it so that he would pay less than what he paid in rent now for more than twice the space.

Once the renovations had begun on the store, they were able to sit down with Brian and really hash out a marketing strategy that included an interactive website, advertising in regional and national bridal magazines and a few select newspapers, and he even suggested throwing an open-house cocktail party for the florists, printers, and whatever other businesses he might be interacting with regularly to encourage them to recommend Emmett's services.

Of course, Brian nixed every potential name Emmett came up with for the business. Justin silently agreed that most of them really were awful. Who would want to hire a business called Big Day Bonanza?

"Events by Emmett," Brian said. "It's simple, it will look elegant in print, and it actually tells the customer what you are selling."

"I like it," Justin said, looking hopefully at Emmett.

The queen was waffling. "But… isn't it a bit conceited to put my name in there?"

"Not conceited, confident," Brian corrected. "And confidence is a good thing when you are trying to convince a client to put their wedding into your hands."

"If you say so," Emmett finally conceded. In fact, Justin and Brian could both tell that the queen was tickled pink by the choice, but too repressed by his upbringing to say so. It didn't take much to convince him. One look at proof of his new logo from the printer with his name in elegant script was enough to set Emmett's mind at ease.

BJBJBJBJBJ

"I have to go home," Brian muttered. It was a Wednesday evening and he and Justin had spent every night that week at the penthouse. Brian had already used his back up suit from his car and the emergency suit he kept in his office. There were no more suits stashed around for him to fall back on if they didn't wake up in time in the morning. Actually, they always seemed to wake up on time, it was getting out of bed on time that was the trouble.

"You should bring some clothes here," Justin commented sleepily. "Then you wouldn't have to worry about rushing off in the morning or bringing a change of clothes with you."

It was said casually and without any ulterior motive from the blond. In fact, Justin was almost asleep when he said it. But those words seemed to hit Brian like a ton of bricks. What the fuck was happening here? He had started off picking up a trick which had then become a friend of some sort and had somehow ended up in a relationship where he was spending almost all his time with the same man. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Brian got out of bed, leaving Justin to sleep, and quietly went out to the living room. Downtown Pittsburgh was laid out before him as he poured a drink from Justin's well stocked bar and gulped it down. He was on his third before he felt his body relax enough to even contemplate the situation.

It had been almost six months since the blond had waltzed into his life and Brian had invited him to stay. Six months of sex and conversations and nights out dancing. They had never discussed being exclusive. In fact, if they had, Brian would have bolted in a heartbeat. But somehow the tricks had dwindled down to almost nothing. Why should he settle for less when he had the best? They spent almost all of their free time together. It wasn't all about fucking, though there was plenty of that as well. They talked, they laughed, they worked on Justin's charity and Emmett's business and sometimes even Brian's campaigns. Justin had quickly become the center of Brian's life and only Gus was any competition for Brian's attention. Mikey and Lindsay came in a distant third. How had that happened?

More importantly, what was he going to do about it?

Brian needed to move, so he wandered through the penthouse. In the months since he had first seen the place, Brian had become comfortable here. It was almost as comfortable as the loft; in some ways it was better than the loft. It had a lot more space. The closet in the master suite was larger than Brian's entire bedroom at the loft. The view was unbeatable. It had a home gym that would make a body builder weep with envy. There was even a study that Justin rarely used but Brian had taken to commandeering on weekends when he needed to get work done.

Brian walked up the steps to the rooftop garden and looked up at the night sky. He didn't worry about his nakedness. He wasn't shy about nudity, but in truth there was not much chance of being seen that high up. The garden had been something of a surprise. When Brian and Justin had first met, it had been late fall and there had been little reason to come up here. It had only been in the last couple months that the weather was nice enough for Justin to bring him up there. It had quickly become one of Brian's favorite places to be. The peaceful setting in the middle of the city was relaxing in a way that Brian couldn't describe. And the lap pool that ran the length of the garden at one end was great for both exercise and late night skinny dipping.

In all, Brian could imagine being very comfortable living here.

Justin hadn't asked, and Brian wasn't quite ready for that next step, but that's what happened after you start bringing things to each other's places, wasn't it? Not that Brian had any firsthand experience with shit like this, but he had heard enough stories to know the steps to a committed relationship. He had unknowingly plowed through the first three stages without ever paying attention, but he needed to understand where this was headed before he committed himself any further.

So, Brian could imagine living in the penthouse, but could he imagine living with Justin?

So far, things had been great between them. Justin wasn't the neatest person in the world, but he was used to having a staff clean up after him. It had caused a few issues at the loft, since Brian's housekeeper only came twice a week, unlike Justin's staff. But they had worked through those issues. And if he moved in here, the staff would stay and there would be no further issue.

Their styles meshed well. Justin's taste in clothes and furnishings went hand in hand with Brian's, so there was little worry that they would have clashes over how to decorate. Justin was as driven as Brian was, but in a different way. They both felt the need to work hard to achieve their goals, it was simply that their goals that differed, really. And Justin's bright and optimistic personality seemed to bring out the best in Brian.

On the other hand, they were both stubborn at times and he knew that there would be arguments. But the make-up sex would be phenomenal. It had been so far. It almost made arguing worth it.

Brian felt arms wrap around his waist and a head rest on his back. "Can't sleep?"

Brian smirked even as he turned in Justin's arms. "I was thinking about your offer."

Justin blinked tiredly up at Brian. Then it hit him what he had said before and his eyes widened. "Brian, I didn't mean to make you feel like…"

"It's okay," Brian said and kissed Justin. He realized as they stood there in the moonlight that it was true. "I'll bring some clothes and shit over when I come by tomorrow."

"You will?" Justin asked with a smile that lit up the night.

Brian nodded with his lips curled between his teeth. "And you can bring some shit to my place if you want, though we seem to spend more time here than the loft."

"Well, this place does have more room," Justin said with a shrug. "I love the loft, but… well, there's no space there."

Brian chuckled and pulled Justin closer. "It was designed for single occupancy. I don't mind spending more time here. In fact, I rather enjoy the amenities available."

Justin gave Brian a cheeky smirk, "Like the walk in closet and the soaking tub? Or were you thinking of the pool and weight room?"

Brian grabbed Justin's ass and pulled his body close. "I was thinking of all those things before you came up here, but now all I can think about is that nice cozy bed with the blond twink in it."

"Well, if that is your favorite thing, we should definitely let you indulge," Justin said. "After all, what kind of host would I be if I kept you from the… amenities?"

BJBJBJBJBJ

Justin watched as the lawyers finalized the transfer of deeds from the last two houses on the block where the daycare would soon be built. In the end, he had done just as Brian had suggested and offered a huge relocation bonus above the more than generous proposed price for the six houses. It had taken almost three months to get everyone to agree, but finally, the entire block belonged to the GLC. The demolition of the houses was scheduled for the next week, as was the gala.

Emmett was getting a little crazy, but Justin attempted to keep him calm as he worked to put the finishing touches to their plans for the event. Justin had pulled a few strings and had gotten several well-known gay celebrities to attend the gala. All three of the celebrities had a wide mainstream appeal, so they would draw even those who were not particularly interested in gay rights. They already had positive RSVPs from more than 500 of the invited Pittsburgh elite.

With such a great response, Emmett was more than a little nervous that everything would turn out perfectly. Justin had to laugh because he knew that Emmett was usually so calm about these things, which was why he was such a great events planner. He never let the little things upset him; he just faced the little problems that came up and dealt with them. Now, he burst into tears over the fact that the florist said that they had run out of pink tulips. Justin had calmed that storm, but he knew that Emmett was more like one of his brides than the planner for this one. It would be interesting to see how it all turned out.

Justin signed the last of the documents before shaking hands with his lawyer and then heading out to the car where Harrison was waiting patiently. "Where to, Justin?"

"Kinnetik," Justin said. "We're picking up Brian and then heading to Debbie's for dinner."

Harrison smiled and started the car. Justin knew that his friend and employee was pleased that Justin had made friends since coming to Pittsburgh. Sure they were mostly Brian's friends, but they seemed to accept him. Well, all of them but Michael accepted Justin. Michael seemed to have some sort of weird obsession with his best friend and somehow Justin's presence in his life upset his world view. Michael was never outright rude or nasty to Justin, but he continually attempted to undermine him.

For instance, the last family dinner that Justin had attended had not gone well at all. Emmett was stressing over the gala, Lindsay and Mel were both on Justin about the changes to the plans for the daycare, and Justin was being bombarded with questions and demands. Into that, Michael had kept throwing out jabs about Justin's youth and inability to handle all of the details that seemed to keep coming up. Justin had finally blown a fuse and said he'd like to see Michael handle even a fraction of the things Justin had to deal with in a single day.

Brian, ever deliberately blind to Michael's faults, had been pissed that Justin would say something like that to his friend. Of course, that left Michael smirking and Justin so frustrated that he could throw something. What was it about that guy that blinded everyone to his manipulations. He liked to play the victim all the time, but the truth was, he could play dirty. Well, Justin wasn't above playing dirty himself. He had gotten back on Brian's good side with a blowjob in the car on the way home that night and he was prepared for whatever Michael had to throw at him tonight.

They arrived at Kinnetik and Justin went inside while Harrison waited in the car. Justin waved to Cynthia and Brian's secretary as he walked into the office, only to find that the office wasn't empty.

"I still don't see why you think it's okay to keep bringing that kid to Ma's house," Michael was whining. "He's just in the way."

"Your mother invited me," Justin said, announcing his presence. He shot a smile at Brian before turning back to Michael. "It's her place to decide who is and isn't welcome in her home."

"It's my home too, you little shit," Michael spat.

Justin raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Really? I thought everything was going well with you and Ben."

Michael looked confused. "There's nothing wrong between me and Ben. Why would you say that?"

"Well, the way you were going on, I thought you must have moved in with Debbie," Justin shrugged easily. "But since you are obviously still living with Ben, then I think my point stands. It's your mother's home, not yours. If you have a problem with whom she invites, take it up with her. As for me, I rather enjoy the company of most of the people there, so as long as the invitation stands, I'll be there."

"You asshole!" Michael shouted.

"Michael," Brian scolded his friend in the same tone he would use on his son. And Michael responded by turning hurt eyes on his best friend. "Justin is right. Debbie can invite whomever she wants to her house. And I for one enjoy having him there for these boring ass dinners."

Justin shot a smile at Brian. "Harrison is waiting."

"Then we should get going," Brian said as he grabbed his jacket and pulled it on. "You need a ride Mikey?"

Justin could tell that he wanted to say no, but he actually did need a ride. So Michael sulkily followed them out to the parking lot. "Where's the jeep?"

"I left it at the penthouse this morning," Brian said carelessly. "Justin dropped me off."

"Well, Harrison did," Justin told Michael. "I don't actually drive."

Michael eyed the silver Mercedes with some trepidation before climbing into the front seat where Harrison was holding the door for him. Justin and Brian climbed into the back and they were soon on their way.

"How can anyone not drive?" Michael muttered after a few minutes of silence.

Justin shrugged. "I never learned. Never needed to. It never seemed that important to me. Besides, if Harrison is driving, I don't have to worry about drinking too much. And it's nice having someone to talk to while I'm running errands and whatnot. I rather enjoy Harrison's company."

"Thank you, Justin," Harrison said with a fond smile at his employer.

Michael rolled his eyes. "It just seems so pretentious."

"Maybe it is," Justin said. "But it's how I was raised. And since I can afford it, why not?"

"How many cars do you own?" Brian wondered. He had seen three so far, but he was pretty sure that there had to be more."

"I'm not sure," Justin shrugged. "Harrison?"

"Seven," Harrison said. "This Mercedes, the BMW convertible, the '67 Jaguar roadster, the Navigator, the Bentley, the '65 Shelby Cobra, and the minivan."

"I always forget the minivan," Justin said. He explained, "Harrison and Addie use that almost exclusively, so I sometimes forget that I own it."

"I want to see this Shelby," Brian said. "And the Jaguar"

Justin shrugged. "They were my grandfather's before he died. You can have your pick of the two you like."

Brian sucked his lips between his teeth and blinked slowly. "Justin, you can't just go around giving away antique cars."

"Sure I can. I have too many cars as it is. But if you don't want one of them, that's fine too," Justin said, but he looked hurt at the thought Brian might turn down his gift.

Brian shook his head and shared a look with Harrison who just grinned at him. That was just the way Justin was. Harrison and Addie had tried to dissuade him from buying them a condo; after all, Justin already paid them more than enough to be able to afford a decent house and care for their child, but he had insisted. Nothing Brian could say would change that generous spirit.

Part Six

Debbie greeted them at the door and welcomed them inside before heading out to the car and attempting to drag Harrison inside as well. Harrison, however, was going back to the house to have dinner with Addie, who was due to give birth any day now. Justin had insisted that she stop working and take paid maternity leave, so the penthouse had been cleaned by a service for the past couple weeks and would continue to be until Addie was ready to come back to work. Harrison would continue to work until the baby was born and then Justin insisted that he take at least a month off to be with his wife and child. Justin would simply have to rely on taxis or hire a temporary driver when that happened.

Dinner was a lively affair as the talk continued to center around the upcoming gala. Emmett was looking a little calmer about the entire thing this week, though he did look tired. Lindsay and Mel were more relaxed as well. Justin spent most of the dinner discussing politics with Ben or the changing tax laws with Ted while Brian fed and played with his son. Gus was slowly coming to like Justin, and he enjoyed the times that Brian and Justin took him places, but he was still his Daddy's son and it was Brian he wanted to see more than anything when they came for dinner whether at Debbie's or the munchers.

Through it all, Michael continued to watch Justin, though no one else seemed to notice his intent stare. No one but Justin, that is.

After dinner, Justin and Brian went out to the back yard to smoke a joint. It was a nice warm evening for late April and when Brian went inside to use the restroom, Justin decided to stay out there and enjoy the peace and quiet for a few more minutes. Of course, that was when Michael came out to shatter the stillness of the evening.

"I can't believe you," Michael spat out. "First the stupid trip to Disney, then Emmett, then the GLC, and now this!"

"I'm really not sure what you're talking about," Justin said with a shrug. He was still feeling rather mellow from the weed and none of Michael's hostility could touch him.

"You're trying to buy them," Michael said scathingly. "You think you can waltz in here with your dirty money and buy their affection, but I'm not going to let you get away with it."

Justin shook his head, "I'm not trying to buy anyone's affection."

"No?" Michael scoffed. "What the fuck was that about the car then?"

"I told you, I have too many cars," Justin said. "And Brian seemed to like the antiques, so…"

"So you thought you could buy his love," Michael supplied. "Well it won't work. Brian will never love you. Brian will never settle for some worthless piece of shit that has to pay for friends." Justin glared but let Michael say what he was going to say. "You're so pathetic. You have no friends. Not even your family wants to be around you. So you have to pay the hired help to spend time with you and pretend to be your friends. And then you come here and think that you can just… take whatever you want. You think everyone can be bought. But Brian can't, and neither can I!"

"I'm not trying to buy anyone's friendship," Justin said again. He shook his head. "I get that you don't like me. Fine. You don't have to like me. But Brian does. So do Debbie, Emmett, Ted, Lindsay, Mel and even Ben. You're right, I've never had a lot of friends, but I do know the difference between when somebody wants something from me and when someone truly likes me. So yes, I have tried to do nice things for people since I came here. But it wasn't about buying their friendship. It was about doing nice things for the people who have been nice to me."

"You're full of shit," Michael said. "You come in here with some pitiful story and want everyone to feel sorry for you. Poor little rich boy who was neglected and friendless. Boohoo. Well, I'm not buying it, and I'll do my damnedest to make the others see you for what you are."

"That's enough Michael." Both Justin and Michael turned at the unexpected voice and found that Brian had returned. "You don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about."

"He's manipulating you!" Michael said angrily.

"He's not," Brian said. "He's not asked me to do anything I haven't wanted to do. He's not pushed for anything from me. He's never once asked for anything in return for the things he's done for people. He does it because he's a good person."

"He's a lying shit," Michael muttered. "And he's got you all fooled."

"Justin, I think it's time we go," Brian said. Justin looked at his lover and nodded before going into the house to call Harrison. Brian stayed in the back yard with Michael. "You really don't get it do you?"

"Get what?" Michael asked.

Brian shook his head. "That kid has had a worse life than either of us."

"That's bullshit," Michael said.

"That's the truth," Brian told his friend. "So you didn't have a father growing up, so my parents were alcoholics. At least we had your mom and Uncle Vic. We had people who loved us and weren't afraid to show it. We had each other and we had friends."

"Yeah, and he grew up in a mansion and probably had people throwing themselves at him to be his friend," Michael said.

"He had people trying to get to him for his money," Brian corrected. "He never had parents who loved him. He never had friends who didn't want something from him. He has spent a lifetime alone. His only friends were the two people who now work for him, and there will always be a barrier between them because of the whole employer/employee thing. Harrison and Addie care about Justin and they are his friends, but they'll never be like us. Justin has never had all the things we have."

"He never had to wear hand-me-down clothes or listen to Ma cry because she couldn't afford new sneakers for me for gym class either," Michael said.

"She cried because she loves you," Brian said. "And no, he never had to go through that. But I'd still take our lives over his any day. And the fact that he wants to give something back to people… he's not trying to buy their love. He's trying to thank them for showing him kindness in the only way he knows how."

Michael snorted at that but then sighed. "I guess that means you're taking the car."

Brian chuckled. "It's a choice between a fucking '67 XKE Roadster in mint condition or a '65 Shelby Cobra in mint condition. Of course I'm fucking accepting."

The two laughed for a moment before the screen door opened once again. "Um, Brian?"

"What's up, Justin?"

"I just got off the phone with Harrison," Justin said. "Addie's having the baby. I'm catching a cab to the hospital. I wasn't sure if you wanted to go with me or if you wanted to go home."

Brian smiled, "I'll go with you."

BJBJBJBJBJ

The night of the gala finally arrived and this time Brian and Justin were together as they dressed for the event. Since Harrison was at home with Addie and the new baby—Justin's godson—Justin had hired a temporary driver to take them to the event. It was as they were riding the elevator down to street level that Brian brought up something completely unexpected.

"So, when are you going to invite me to move in?"

Justin stared at Brian agog. "Seriously?"

Brian shrugged and checked his jacket for lint in the elevator's mirrored wall. "Well, I can't ask you to move into the loft. It's too small for the two of us. Besides, what would people think if I asked you? They would think I was trying to sleep my way up the social ladder. It would totally ruin my reputation."

Justin stared at Brian for the rest of the trip down to the lobby and then as they went to the waiting car. It wasn't until they were half way to the gala that he spoke. "Brian, would you like to move in with me?"

"Why yes, Justin, I would," Brian said with a smirk.

Justin shook his head and smiled for the rest of the journey.

BJBJBJBJBJ

The gala was being held at the Pennsylvanian and the Bentley fit right into the old world architecture of the grand entrance as they pulled to a stop. Brian stepped out first and then held a hand out for Justin. The place was already mobbed with people and media and Justin knew for a fact that this night was going to be a huge success.

They were met by Emmett almost as soon as they entered the ballroom and Justin was whisked away to deal with some last minute issues that had arisen. Brian went to the open bar and found that Ted and Michael were already there, along with about twenty other people. Brian had discretely arranged for Debbie to have a day at the spa and a dress for the event and he was glad he had when Ben arrived a few minutes later with Debbie on his arm.

"Some shindig Sunshine put together," Debbie said. "I think I saw that guy from that TV show. You know the one I mean, about the gay folks living in New York?"

"I know what show you mean and it was more than likely him," Brian said. "Justin has quite a few surprising connections."

"I love the comedian that's speaking later," Ted said.

"And that cute little twink from that musical sit-com is supposed to sing," Debbie said. "I like him."

"Even with all that, it's hard to believe that so many people were willing to shell out $5,000 a ticket for this thing," Michael said. "I'm surprised that anyone can afford that."

"Believe me, these people can afford the ticket price," Brian said. "And many of them will be offering additional checks before the night is over."

"Emmett did a great job decorating this place," Ben said. "Who knew you could take children's handprints and turn it into a theme. An elegant theme, at that."

"That took a bit of work," Brian confided. "Emmett and Justin had all the kids from the GLC participate. The banner up front, the decoupage on the centerpieces, and the mural beside the welcome table were all done by the kids. Justin incorporated their work into the designs for the program covers and invitations."

"I saw them selling GLC Daycare t-shirts and stuff at a table in the foyer with the same logo," Ted said.

"There won't be a lot of sales for that stuff tonight, but those will be a way for the GLC and the kids to continue to raise money later," Brian said. "And the more people see the t-shirts, the more people will know about the daycare."

"I have a feeling you had something to do with those items," Debbie said slyly.

"Perhaps," Brian smirked. "I also made sure the Emmett had his business cards placed strategically so that he can actually get some referrals from this little event."

BJBJBJBJBJ

For dinner, the friends all sat at the table that Brian had sponsored while Justin and Emmett continued to work. Justin spent much of his time chatting with donors and working the room. He handed out Emmett's card to anyone who expressed an interest and accepted numerous checks. The special guests all spoke or performed during the dinner and afterward, there was dancing. Justin was too busy getting the largest donors to the meet and greet with the celebrities to take advantage but as the night was finally beginning to wind down, Brian was able to capture his lover and pull him onto the dance floor for a slow dance.

"I've been neglecting you," Justin said mournfully as he laid his head on Brian's shoulder and swayed to the easy rhythm.

"I knew you would be busy," Brian said. "I'm not upset. But I'm glad I got at least one chance to hold you tonight."

"Me too," Justin said as he looked up at Brian and gave him a wide smile. "We did good. People are shoving money at us."

"How much?" Brian asked.

"So far, we've raised all the capital for the construction and about $7 million towards the endowment," Justin said. "I'm expecting four or five of the larger donors to contact me in the next week, so I think we'll end up with more than the $10 million we anticipated. And Jackson Hodges has already pledged to match whatever we get for the endowment, so that will put us over $20 million."

"Sounds like a huge success," Brian said with a smile.

Justin nodded. "There's still some follow-up work to be done, but I think that this was a huge success."

"What about Emmett?" Brian asked.

Justin smiled. "He's basking in the praises of some of Pittsburgh society's Grande Dames. Literally. Four or five of them had him cornered and were practically begging him to do their granddaughter's wedding or niece's engagement or whatever. Plus I've given out about fifty of his cards and the ones on the dessert buffet are all gone. I think that Events by Emmett will be a huge success as well."

"I knew you were brilliant the moment I met you," Brian said.

"Come on, I want to introduce you to a few people," Justin said and led Brian off the dance floor.

BJBJBJBJBJ

"Justin, I don't know how I can ever thank you enough," Emmett said tearfully. The gala was finally over and there was nothing left to do but the cleanup. Justin and Brian were two of the few people left, aside from the wait staff and cleaning crew."

"You can make a huge success out of that business," Justin said. "That's all the thanks I need. Besides, you did all the hard work."

Emmett hugged the small blond tightly and Brian had to eventually pull him off. "Mine, Honeycutt."

Emmett laughed through his tears and grabbed the handkerchief that Brian held out for him. "Well, I've already got appointments with twelve people to plan events for them, and have more folks who have expressed an interest than I could have ever dreamed, so I don't think being a success is going to be a problem."

"Good," Brian said. "Now I want to go home."

"Can't believe you stayed this long," Emmett muttered at Brian. He smiled at Justin. "Thank you again. Both of you."

Emmett went back to supervising the cleanup, but before they could leave, they were waylaid again. This time by several members of the GLC board. They were all thrilled with the successful event and wondered if Justin would become a permanent fixture on the board. Justin accepted, though Brian knew it was mostly because as the chair of the Daycare committee, he was practically on the board already.

By the time they finally made it back to the penthouse, both Brian and Justin was exhausted. Rather than their usual late night romp, they fell into bed together and cuddled in the darkness, the only light coming from the city lights across the river.

"Are you sure about wanting to move in?" Justin finally asked through a yawn.

"Positive," Brian said.

Justin nodded his head, his cheek brushing against Brian's chest. "'Kay. Best part of the day."

Brian yawned but asked, "What was?"

"You moving in," Justin said before falling asleep.

Part Seven

Brian watched the movers carry his belongings into the penthouse and cringed when one of them dropped the end of his sofa. "Watch it!"

"Where you want this?" the guy asked unapologetically.

"The study," Brian said. He and Justin had discussed where most things would go while packing up the loft together. The study had been almost completely emptied for Brian's use and he was recreating a small piece of the loft in that room where he could go and be completely at home. His old desk didn't fit the space, and Justin's didn't fit the new décor, so they had bought a new desk to go into that room. Brian had left his old platform bed behind. It had been built for that space and Brian couldn't imagine it anywhere but the loft, so it stayed. He'd sold his dining table, desk and a few other pieces, but most of the living room furniture was going into the study. It was more than large enough to accommodate the pieces and it would give Brian some personal space. Justin had his studio, so he was happy to give up the study.

The rest of the penthouse would remain largely intact, though Brian and Justin had discussed making a few changes to the common living spaces to make it more their home rather than just Justin's. The sofa and chaise would stay, as would the Eames lounger that Justin had purchased at the auction, but they were getting a new dining room set and new end tables for the living room. The coffee table was being replaced by a leather ottoman that could hold a tray if they wanted to use it for a table.

The master bedroom was being completely redone. Again, it wasn't because either one disliked the décor that was there, but in order to give them both a fresh start together and share the space. They had already shopped for and had the new bedroom set delivered from Italy. And the new bed linens were even nicer than what Brian always insisted on at the loft. Justin's penchant for buying the best certainly matched Brian's.

"The boxes with your clothes are all in the closet," Justin said. "I'll direct traffic for a while if you want to go start unpacking them. I know you'll feel better once they're hanging properly in a closet instead of those wardrobe boxes."

Brian smiled at Justin and gave him a quick peck before heading for the master suite. Sure enough, the walk in closet was filled with oversized boxes. Brian opened the first and began hanging his clothes on the side of the closet that he and Justin had cleared for his things. The closet was more like a dressing room than a standard closet. It was huge and the walls were lined with bars and shelves. The center of the closet was taken up with an island. There were floor to ceiling drawers and cabinets enough that neither Brian nor Justin needed a dresser. There was also a full length mirror on one side of the door and a vanity on the other side. It was expertly lit to mimic daylight. In other words, it was the perfect closet and dressing area.

Brian enjoyed seeing his clothes hanging alongside of Justin's. Their wardrobes were very similar in a lot of ways, though Justin did own more casual clothes than Brian and fewer suits. But the names on the labels were remarkably parallel. Even the clothes that Justin only used for painting were designer, just usually a little older than the things he wore to go out.

Brian happily continued to unpack his clothes for the next two hours. When he finished putting the last pair of socks into the last drawer, however, he went in search Justin. He found the blond in the kitchen trying to figure out what to do with some of the items from Brian's kitchen. Many things had been taken to a thrift store, but there were some things that Justin didn't own and Brian declared he couldn't live without, like the restaurant-grade blender Brian used for mixing drinks.

"How's it going out here?" Brian asked as he pulled a stool up the breakfast bar and watched Justin work.

"Great," Justin huffed in exasperation. "How the fuck am I supposed to fit this thing into a cabinet? It's too big."

"It comes apart, you know," Brian said. He went over and showed Justin how to take the jug from the base and Justin blushed at his own ignorance. "I take it you don't do much in the kitchen?"

"You should know that by now," Justin said. "When have you ever seen me cook anything beyond toast?"

Brian had to think about it, but he realized that Justin was right. "I guess that's why we've been surviving on takeout while Addie's still on leave. How is little Gareth Justin Harrison?"

Justin blushed again. He had been tickled pink when Addie had named the child after him. "They're great. Harrison will come back to work next week and Addie in two months. Think you can wait that long for a decent meal?"

Brian shrugged. "I've gone my entire life without home-cooking. I think I can live on takeout a bit longer. Though Addie's food is definitely great."

"I know," Justin said. "I'd hire her just for that."

"When did the movers leave?" Brian asked.

"About an hour ago," Justin said with a shrug as he stood up and tore down the last of the kitchen boxes. "You done in the bedroom?"

"Yep," Brian said. "Want to tackle the study with me?"

"Yes, but only if you promise me dinner out," Justin said. "Moving is exhausting work."

The two made their way into the study and began working. Justin unpacked books and put them onto the built in book shelves while Brian set up his computer and then organized his files. They joked around a bit as they worked, but for the most part the time was spent in companionable silence, only the music from the stereo breaking the quiet.

Brian paused in his work and realized that this was good. He'd had tricks and he'd had friends, but Justin was somehow more than either of those things to him. He was great in bed and great to laugh with, but he was also great to just be with. Brian could imagine lazy Sundays, reading the paper in bed and just loafing on the sofa watching old movies. And the most shocking part was that he could imagine doing this for the rest of his life.

BJBJBJBJBJ

"I can't believe we're finally going to Disney," Justin gushed as the plane began its descent into Orlando.

Brian shook his head but had to bite his lips to keep from grinning. They were in first class, having upgraded their tickets, leaving the rest of their group back in the economy section of the plane. Brian was happy about that. He was also happy that Justin had arranged for them to be on the other side of the resort from the rest of the group. They were all staying at the Grand Floridian, but Brian and Justin had a view of the Magic Kingdom while the others were on the back end of the resort.

"I'm still not sure how you talked me into this," Brian complained good-naturedly. "I am not a fan of family events, let alone spending a week at the happiest place on earth with this bunch."

"But it's the happiest place on earth," Justin countered. "And we don't have to spend all our time with them. That's why we got a room away from theirs. We'll take Gus with us sometimes, and spend some time with the group, and the rest of the time is all ours. Did I tell you about the other activities included in our package?"

Brian narrowed his eyes. "What other activities?"

"Well, we already have a day booked at the spa," Justin said. "And then there are tennis, golf, and water craft rentals. We could spend an afternoon in a cabana by the pool. And then there are the shops and nightclubs at Downtown Disney."

"I'm beginning to see the appeal," Brian said.

The plane landed soon after that and they were busy gathering the rest of their party together before heading to the shuttles that would take them to the resort. Since there were eighteen of them, they had to split up into two vans, but it was still faster than riding the free buses. Brian had wanted to rent a limo for just the two of them, but Justin had nixed the idea. At least they didn't have to deal with their luggage; everything would be taken straight from the airport to their rooms at the resort. All they needed was their carryon bags.

Once at the resort, Justin worked with the cheerful woman at reception to get them all checked in. Each person had a "Key to the Kingdom" card which acted as both their room key and their payment for their meals. They could also use it to charge gifts and other services. Justin, unknown to anyone but Brian, had arranged for each of the cards to have an extra $500 added for their spending. He told them all that it was part of the package, but Brian knew the truth. Even Gus, JR, Hunter and Gareth received gift cards so that they could buy whatever they wanted.

Their park passes were good every day that they were there, so after heading off to check out their rooms, many of their group decided to go to the parks. Gus, JR, Lindsay, Mel, Addie, Harrison and Gareth all headed to the Magic Kingdom and Brian and Justin tagged along so that they could see the kids' first reaction. Ted, Blake, Emmett and Emmett's latest boyfriend Clyde all went to Epcot. Michael, Ben, Debbie and Carl decided to hang out at the resort until dinner, and then they would head for Downtown Disney.

That first night seemed to set the tone for the rest of the week. Justin had arranged a few special dinners for everyone—like the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, Mickey's Backyard Barbeque and dinner in the castle at Cinderella's Royal Table—but most of the time they were split up into smaller groups. They had breakfast together each morning at the resort to plan out the day, and then they were off.

Surprisingly, Brian enjoyed taking Gus to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. It helped that it was just him, Gus and Justin on those trips. He was able to loosen up and really enjoy just being there. I was hard not to be happy in the happiest place on earth.

BJBJBJBJBJ

On their final night in Florida, Justin arranged for him and Brian to have a private dinner at Victoria & Albert's Queen Victoria Room. The six-course meal was excellent and Brian enjoyed the pampering of their personal maid and butler and the table-side preparations. Their conversation mainly revolved around their experiences that week, but as they were served dessert, Justin began to look slightly nervous.

Brian smirked at his lover. "As much as I have enjoyed the wining and dining, you know I'm a sure thing. So what's up?"

Justin bit his lip before letting out his breath slowly. "I know how uncomfortable you are about commitment, and I know how big of a step it was just to move in with me, so I'm not trying to pressure you or anything like that."

Brian frowned but nodded. "You never have. I wouldn't think you'd start now."

"Right," Justin said with some relief. "But the thing is, I think what we have works. I mean, really works. We've never thrown the L word around, but I think you know that I love you. And I'm pretty sure you love me just as much." Brian nodded again and took a sip of his wine. "So, I was thinking, we could maybe make this a permanent thing."

Brian's smirk was back. "You mean go the whole hetero, Stepford fag route and get hitched?"

Justin opened and closed his mouth a few times before saying, "Not necessarily. I was thinking more along the lines of a legal partnership. Marriage isn't really legal in Pennsylvania. This would be more for us."

Brian chuckled. "I could get behind that. But I think Debbie might object if we didn't invite her to some sort of party."

Justin grinned when he realized that Brian wasn't running out the door at the very idea. "Well, what did you have in mind?"

"Let's go the whole nine yards," Brian said. "If we're gonna do this, let's do it right. We can hire Emmett to plan the big party, but we can have a private ceremony in Vermont or Massachusetts. And we can do the legal domestic partnership for Pennsylvania. We'll do it all."

Justin's grin turned into a full blown sunshine smile. "I like the way you think Mr. Kinney."

Brian leaned back in his chair. "Hmmm. Once I get that ring on your finger, I can retire and become a kept man."

Justin snorted. "Right. Like you could ever be happy staying home. You love your work."

"Are you saying you wouldn't want me for your boy toy?" Brian asked with mock offence.

"I thought I already had you as my boy toy," Justin shot back.

"Since the first night," Brian admitted before leaning close to steal a kiss and seal the deal. "Now, where's my ring? I want a huge fucking rock."

Justin laughed out loud. Life with Brian was never going to be normal, but it was sure to be interesting.

The End