Brian scanned the crowd of teenage revelers with an anxious eye.  He felt itchy being so close to this crowd of raging hormones-on-legs that filled the ballroom.  He knew damned well and good that a lot of these kids would be hooking up before the night was over, and that some would regret it, while others wouldn't give a damn.  After all, it hadn't been that long ago since he had been one of them, even though he had just turned thirty.  He involuntarily shuddered inwardly at that particular thought, but at least he wasn't suicidal over it anymore.  He owed Michael big time for his interference.  Somehow it had awakened him up to the fact that life was still worth living.  Yet now that he intended to make the most of his thirties, he found himself wanting to share that time with Justin.

 

Justin... why had that kid gotten so embedded under his skin?  Brian wasn't sure of the answer to that particular question, but he was tired of trying to fight it.  The truth was, Justin had become important to him.  Yet, Justin wasn't fully aware of it yet.  Oh yes, the kid had declared that he knew Brian's feelings for him, in his usual smart-ass way, a number of times when they had gotten together.  However, thinking it and knowing it for certain was a horse of a different color.  For some reason that Brian couldn't explain, even to himself, it had now become imperative that he tell Justin how much he cared for him.  And Brian knew exactly where to go to find the blond beauty.  

 

Justin had asked Brian to be his date for his Senior Prom, but of course Brian thought the young man was crazy.  No way was he going to be found in the company of all those bratty kids, trying their damnedest to pretend they were all grown up now.  They liked to act as if they were not the least bit concerned about graduating and finding themselves out in the adult world.  That certainly wasn't Brian's idea of a fun way to party the night away.  That was then.  This was now, and Brian was standing on the edges of the ballroom floor searching eagerly for that one kid who had the bluest, most beautiful eyes he had ever gazed into.  All Brian wanted was to hold Justin in his arms, and he didn't care one iota for what the crowd around them would think of such a display.  Brian knew in his heart that Justin wouldn't care either.

 

Finally Brian saw the very blond he was looking for.  Justin was dancing with his best friend, Daphne, and looking good enough to eat... a thought that at the moment sounded like an excellent idea for after the dance.  Brian quickly made his way towards his target.  For some inexplicable reason the crowd of teens, standing between Brian and Justin, began parting to make way for the strange older man, who was so intent on reaching someone in their midst.  Daphne was the first to spot Brian approaching.  A look of surprise, mixed with pleasure, passed over her face.  She tapped Justin on the arm to get his attention, then pointed towards Brian.  Justin turned, and the look on his face registered his surprise.   Brian reached the couple.  He greeted Daphne, who blushed prettily, then turned to Justin.  

 

"I thought you said you wouldn't be caught dead in a room full of eighteen year olds," Justin remarked, surprise in his voice.

 

"I thought I'd recapture my lost youth," Brian responded.  Turning to Daphne... "Mind if I borrow your date?"

 

Daphne blushed again, then willingly stepped away.  Brian didn't wait for Justin to respond.  He grabbed him by the hand and led him to the center of the dance floor.  Students, who had never seen such a display, felt themselves automatically parting to make room for their classmate and the gorgeous older man holding his hand.  An old classic love song began playing in the background.  Brian pulled Justin into his arms, where the young man melted as if they had danced this way together a thousand times before.  All the other teens faded into the background, as if the couple in the center were the only ones there.  

 

As Brian and Justin danced in perfect rhythm with each other, the faces of those watching intently from the sidelines reflected varying degrees of emotion.  Some of the students were obviously enjoying the sight in front of them.  Some were intrigued, while others disturbed.  But not one of the crowd showed the kind of hatred that one particular face revealed.  That look was owned by a fellow graduate named Chris Hobbs.

 

Hobbs had been a thorn in Justin's side for years.  It had all started when they were barely into their teens.  Although Justin had never been one who was openly gay, Hobbs seemed able to zero in on that aspect of his classmate even when they were still in middle-school together.  The problem was that Hobbs felt the need to harass Justin over his suspicions.  Hobbs' behavior hadn't been too overt or troublesome, outside of being an irritant, for Justin before high school.  Once they graduated into the higher grades, it did become an issue.  From ninth grade on, Hobbs became increasingly abusive.  Justin had never understood why Hobbs chose him to bully, but he handled it as best he could.  By the time they reached their final year in school, the bullying did become a real problem.  Twice during their final year, Hobbs had become more physical than verbal with his assaultive behavior.  It had even reached a point where a short-term suspension from school was the result of Justin finally reaching his breaking point.  He fought back with a single satisfying blow to Hobbs' face.  

 

Although things were a bit tense at school after that, there were no more overt attacks by Hobbs.  Justin made a point of avoiding his antagonist whenever possible.  Here, at the dance they had remained on opposite sides of the ballroom.   Now, as Justin danced in perfect harmony with Brian, neither of them noticed just how much angrier Hobbs looked with each passing second.  If looks could have killed, both Brian and Justin would have fallen to the floor dead before the last note of the song was heard.  But for the couple, there was no one else in the room.  For the very first time since meeting Brian, Justin felt truly loved and cared for.  The moment that Brian walked into the room and Justin saw him, he knew Brian was his.  He may have been quite young, with much left to learn about life, but he recognized what Brian was telling him simply by showing up to the dance.

 

The final notes of the song played out.  The music stopped.  Brian held tight to Justin's hand and pulled him away from the crowd.  What he had to say to Justin was for the young man's ears only.  Justin didn't hesitate... he was willing to go anywhere Brian led him.   Brian winked at Daphne as they passed her on their way towards the exit door.  It took a couple of minutes for the room to become animated again, as young people and their chaperones finally recognized what had just happened right before their eyes.  Voices raised as everyone reacted, each in their own way.  Only one body pulled away from the group he'd been standing with.  Seconds later, he too disappeared through the exit door.

 

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

 

Brian stopped just before they could exit from the side lobby door into the covered parking lot.  He had been holding firmly to Justin's hand as they walked out to the lobby.  He now released the young man in order to wrap his arms around Justin and hug him tightly to his chest.  Justin raised his face so that he could see more clearly into Brian's eyes.  What he saw there caused his heart to skip a beat.  He had witnessed many different looks in Brian's eyes during the year they had known each other.  There had been anger, frustration, amusement, determination, patience, and impatience, and best of all... passion, but this look was new.   It was similar to passion, but more... much more.  Before Justin's brain could put a name to the look, he felt Brian capturing his lips with his own.  

 

The kiss seemed to last forever.  Brian's lips moved softly at first against Justin's, then more aggressively.   Before he knew what was happening, Justin felt himself trembling inside as he melted into Brian.  His manhood stirred.  He could sense the same thing happening to Brian.  If they hadn't been in such a public place, he would have begged Brian to take him then and there.  Only the sound of nearby voices cut through the haze of desire engulfing the couple.  Brian quickly pulled Justin over to the side, where a hidden alcove could shelter them from the view of anyone not standing right in front of the exit door.  Justin did a twirl in front of Brian, laughed, and fell back into his arms.

 

"Did you see their faces?" he laughed.

 

"Yeah, we gave them a Prom they'll never forget,"

 

"Me neither," Justin sighed.  "It's the best night of my life."

 

"Even if it was ridiculously romantic," Brian responded.

 

Justin's eyes watered.  Brian had told him repeatedly that he didn't do romantic.  And yet.......

 

Brian went in for another kiss.  It took their breath away.  They were so wrapped up in their own world, just long enough to miss noticing someone else pushing angrily through the exit doors leading to the parking lot... someone moving with obvious purpose.  Brian finally pulled away from the kiss, but still held Justin close to him.  He leaned over and whispered in Justin's ear.

 

"You can't leave your date hanging, Sunshine.  That wouldn't be polite.  But if you have nowhere else more important to go after dropping Daphne home, I wouldn't be adverse to a little company tonight.  I might even have a surprise graduation gift waiting for you.  That is, if you choose to come."  He deliberately emphasized that last word with a twinkle in his eye.

 

Justin smiled disarmingly.  

 

"Later," he whispered to Brian.

 

They came out of hiding.  Brian moved towards the exit door, while Justin turned back towards the lobby.  Before Brian could push his way out, he heard Justin call his name.  He turned.  Justin moved back into Brian's arms again, placing one last kiss on the warm lips that always electrified his body.  This time Brian smiled.

 

"Later," he answered back.

 

Brian turned to the door again.  This time he stepped through, moving down the first lane of cars to where his Jeep awaited his return.  Justin watched him through the glass doors, his heart beating rapidly at the thought of seeing Brian just as soon as he could get Daphne home.  His smile widened as he pictured Brian waiting for him behind those heavy doors of his loft apartment.  

 

Justin was about to turn around to find his friend when he noticed movement from the corner of his eye.  For some strange reason it alarmed him enough to take a second look at Brian's retreating figure.  An instant later he knew what had alarmed him.  He saw a figure step out from between some parked cars only a few yards behind Brian.  The figure wasn't instantly recognizable, but the large baseball bat in his hand was.  It was being held high above the man's head, and he was moving rapidly towards Brian.  

 

Justin screamed, but was unheard through the thick glass doors.  He pushed the doors open and screamed Brian's name even louder.  Brian turned around, momentarily confused by Justin's familiar voice, which sounded so odd.  In that split second, the figure reached Brian and the bat was swung downward with tremendous force.  Justin screamed again, surprising the figure that stood over Brian's crumbled body.  The figure turned, and Justin saw the hated face of Chris Hobbs.  

 

He was obviously startled by Justin's appearance, frozen in place just long enough for Justin to reach the two men.  Hobbs dropped the bat and turned to run.  Without thinking, Justin grabbed the bat from the ground and ran towards Hobbs' retreating back.  It only took a second to catch up.  Justin swung the bat with every ounce of fury inside him.  It connected right at the knees, dropping Hobbs to the ground in agony.  When Justin saw that Hobbs wasn't going anywhere, he hurried back to Brian.  Blood was already spreading around his head, like some macabre halo.  

 

Justin sunk to the ground, carefully wrapping an arm around Brian's chest, being cautious of moving his head or neck.  Tears welled up and overflowed, as he used his free hand to pull out his cell phone and dial 911.  He could hear Hobbs moaning nearby, but all he wanted was the sound of Brian's voice.  There was no sound coming from his lover.  He could see that Brian was still breathing, but his eyes were closed tight.  What seemed like hours passed before he finally heard the sound of sirens.  Justin remained beside Brian, telling him over and over again that all would be fine if he just held on, until the ambulance and police arrived.  

 

When they loaded Brian into the ambulance, Justin stepped up to be beside him.  He looked back before they closed the doors and saw a second ambulance team loading Hobbs on another stretcher.  A cop stepped up into the ambulance to join the injured teen.  But at this moment, Justin didn't care one iota what Hobbs' fate would be.  All he cared  about was the pale and silent figure on the stretcher beside him.  And all he could think to himself was... 'it's my fault'... it's all my fault."

 

To be continued.......

 

The hallway was deserted, which should have felt eerie after all the frantic action inside the emergency room of Charity Hospital when they first entered it.  That is, if Justin could have felt anything.  However, both his body and mind had shut down.  He was totally numb.  His brain only functioned enough to let him relive, over and over again, that terrible sound from the crack of the bat as it collided with Brian's skull.  The sound reverberated inside his brain to a point of agonizing pain.  He waited alone, sitting on the bench outside the swinging doors leading to the operating rooms.  Only minutes before, he had watched as they wheeled Brian's gurney through those doors as rapidly as they could.  He knew nothing about what was happening now to the man he loved.

 

No one at the hospital would give Justin any solid information on Brian's condition.  He wasn't family, they told him.  They insisted on knowing who to contact, somehow frightening Justin even more than he already was.  He actually didn't know whether he should give them the name of Brian's mother.  He had learned enough about Brian to know that there was no love lost inside the Kinney household.  He snapped out of his fears long enough to give them Debbie Novotny's name, only halfway lying when he told them that she was Brian's adoptive mother.  Now all he could do was sit and wait for her to arrive.  She would know what to do.  Someone had to be in control.  Justin had lost all control of his ability to deal with what had happened.  

 

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

 

Debbie looked around desperately for someone to help her.  She had arrived at the emergency room of the hospital with no idea what to expect.  Shortly before, she had received a call from the hospital informing her that her 'son' had been injured and was in the emergency room being tended to.  At first she was in disbelief.  She knew it couldn't be Michael that they were talking about.  She had spoken with him only an hour before, while he was seated safely on the plane with Dr. Dave just before take-off.  By now, the plane was flying high over the countryside taking him along to a brand new life with a perfect mate.  There was no way Michael was the one injured in a Pittsburgh hospital.  

 

When she hesitated before responding to her caller, the voice informed her that her son, Brian Kinney, would need her to come to the hospital so that she might give them vital medical information.  It dawned on her at that moment that someone had lied to the hospital staff and claimed that Brian was her son.  The reason was obvious.  Debbie knew that Brian wanted little to do with Joan Kinney, especially after his father's recent death.  Either Brian himself, or one of his closest friends, had tried to avoid bringing Joan into it by giving them Deb's name instead.  She knew she'd have to be straight with the staff once she got there, but first she had to find out more about the reason Brian was in the hospital.  It was obvious they weren't going to give her any details over the phone.  

 

She finally spotted the central information desk where she could get some answers.  She made her way quickly to stand in front of a rather corpulent older woman with a sour face.  It took a moment to distract her from her computer, where she was busy typing out notes from the papers standing next to the keyboard.  Debbie cleared her throat several times, receiving no response in return... not even a glance upward.  Deb finally lost her patience.  She slammed her hand forcefully on the counter in front of the computer, startling the woman.  Her head jerked up, and she found herself staring into the angry eyes of a rather stern looking redhead.  Debbie didn't give her a chance to react.

 

"That's better," she declared.  "Now that I have your attention, I need to find my 'son'.  I got a call from you folks telling me that he was injured and had been admitted to the emergency room."

 

The desk lady was flustered, but gathered herself together in order to answer the irritated woman, before she got even more physical.  

 

"What did you say his name was?"

 

"Not was... is.  And his name is Brian Kinney."

 

"I'm sorry.  Give me a second.  I'll check our records."  

 

The woman quickly pulled up the list of recent patient entries on her computer screen.  Brian's name was part way down the list.  But she could see that he had already left the emergency room and been transferred to the surgical floor.  She scanned the information on file and quickly pulled out a sheet of paper, writing down the name of the attending physician assigned to the Kinney case.  She passed it over to Debbie.

 

"This is the name of the doctor assigned to your son's case.  But Mr. Kinney is no longer here.  They have already taken him to the surgical floor."

 

Debbie's body turned cold.  Surgical?  Why would they have to take him into surgery so quickly, and without having all his medical information?  This was bad... much worse than she had thought at first.  

 

"How do I get to the surgical floor?  And who do I need to talk to there?"  

 

Her desperation was clearly evident in her voice.  The receptionist took pity on the obviously frantic 'mother'.  She quickly told Debbie where the elevators were and where she needed to go.  She let her know that the nurse at the central desk on that floor would get her in touch with the right doctors, who could answer any questions she had.

 

"Thank you," Debbie told her.  "And I'm sorry I was so rude."

 

"Think nothing of it.  I understand.  And good luck."  For the first time the woman smiled, and Debbie felt the compassion being offered.  She hurried off, heading for the nearby bank of elevators.  She needed answers, and needed them now!

 

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

 

Justin heard a familiar voice calling out his name.  He looked up, but was so blinded by the unshed tears in his eyes that he didn't recognize the form hurrying down the long hallway towards him.  Seconds later, he felt the warmth of Debbie wrapping her arms around him and holding him close to her chest.  That feeling of support broke through the numbness engulfing him, and the tears finally broke free.  They cascaded down his face and onto her blouse.  Debbie stroked his hair and waited.  She had so many questions.  It was obvious that Justin was somehow involved in what had brought Brian to this desperate situation.  His reaction to seeing her told her that much.  But the answers could wait.  Justin was in too much distress to be questioned at that moment.

 

Long agonizing minutes passed before Justin was finally able to gain some semblance of control over his emotions.  At last the quiet sobs slowed into painful hiccups.  He raised his head slowly, wiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his suit jacket.  He stared at Debbie, nearly losing it again, but somehow managing to maintain that fragile control he had to have right now.  He knew Debbie would need to hear the whole story... the ugly truth as to why Brian was in the hospital, and why he had given them her name to contact.

 

"It's my fault, Deb!" he started out.  

 

His eyes were haunted.  Debbie grasped his hands and held them in her lap.  

 

"What is, Sunshine?  I don't know what has happened.  All I know is that someone from the hospital called me and told me my 'son' had been admitted to the emergency room, and I needed to come right away.  I knew they weren't talking about Michael.  Then the voice mentioned Brian's name, so I came as quickly as I could.  I had no idea why they had my name down as his mother.  I need you to explain it to me.  I am presuming that you are the one who gave them my name."  

 

"I'm so sorry, Debbie," Justin's voice cracked.  "I didn't know what to do when they asked me who was his next of kin."  Just saying that brought a fresh chill to Justin's bones.  "I knew you would know what to do, and I... I was afraid Brian would be angry with me for giving them his mother's name."

 

"Alright, I don't know if you did the right thing, but we'll worry about that later.  Now, I need for you to tell me what is going on.  Why is Brian in surgery, and how did he end up here in the first place?"

 

"It's my fault, Deb!, he repeated.  "If I hadn't invited him to be my date for the Prom, he never would have been there.  Hobbs would have never gotten anywhere near him."  

 

Tears began to flow again.  Debbie pulled Justin close to her.  She began rocking Justin in her arms, knowing it was of little comfort, yet needed badly.  Finally she spotted a tall man in a doctor's smock heading down the hall towards them.  She waited for him to stop in front of them.

 

"Mrs. Kinney?" the doctor inquired.

 

"You have information about my Brian?  Is he going to be alright?"  She was careful not to acknowledge her real identity.

 

The doctor's serious face said more than either Justin or Debbie wanted to hear, but they listened intently.

 

"The patient suffered a severe blow to his skull, causing several  fractures.  We had to rush him into surgery to relieve the pressure building up inside his skull.  If we had delayed, it could have resulted in permanent brain damage at best, or even death at worst."

 

Debbie interrupted.  "So, are you telling me that you got the swelling under control, and he is going to be fine?"

 

The man shook his head.  "We can't say anything for certain yet.  We did get the pressure relieved, but he is in a coma for now.  This is simply a case of 'wait and see'.  We won't know a lot more about how badly his brain has been affected until he comes out of his coma."

 

Justin spoke up for the first time.  His fear was palpable as he asked, "How long will he be in a coma?"

 

The doctor turned to the young man.  He had no idea who he was talking to, but as long as the patient's mother didn't mind him asking, he was going to answer truthfully.  

 

"There is no way to know.  I'm sorry that I can't give you a more positive outlook, but the patient is still fairly young and in obvious good physical condition, so his chances are as good as they can get under these circumstances.  We'll let you see him once they take him to ICU."

 

"Thank you, Doctor," Debbie responded, grateful to at least have some kind of answer.

 

The duo watched the doctor's retreating back before turning to each other.  

 

"Oh God, Deb, what have I done?"

 

"I can't answer you until you tell me the whole story," Debbie answered back.  "Tell me what happened, and don't leave anything out.  Then I'll decide where to go from there and who I need to contact."

 

For the next half hour, Justin relived the best and worst night of his life.  He had to stop often to regain his composure, but he eventually got out the entire story.  Once he reached the point of describing how Hobbs stalked Brian, his composure slipped.  His face darkened even further when he recalled the harrowing ride to the hospital, not knowing if Brian would live or die from the attack.  He fell into Debbie's arms once more, sobbing as though his heart was shattering into a million tiny pieces.  Debbie waited again.  She knew that her Sunshine had to let it all out or it would consume him, leaving only a shell behind.  There would be time enough to figure out what her next move had to be once Justin was functional again.  Although she knew, beyond a doubt, that he would never be the same after this night.

 

To be continued.....

Debbie sat quietly with her hands in her lap, while she slowly scanned the hospital waiting room.  She was pleased to see so many folks still hanging around, waiting for the chance to visit Brian nearly two weeks after that awful night.  She wasn't surprised at all to see Justin sitting over in the corner, his mother right beside him.  The poor boy had barely left the hospital from that very first night on... only doing so when both she and Jennifer had demanded he go home to change and get some rest.  

 

She was also not surprised to see her own son, Michael, sitting across the room from her.  Not surprised, but certainly not that happy about it either.  She was happy to see that Vic, Emmett, Ted, Lindsay, Melanie, and even Brian's secretary, Cynthia were present.  Everyone whose lives had been affected in one way or another by Brian Kinney now stood vigil... all but members of the Kinney family.  Those present were now waiting for word from the head doctor attending to Brian.  

 

After thirteen days in the hospital, Brian had finally opened his eyes that very morning.  That was all she was told over the phone.  She had contacted everyone that she knew would care, before heading back to the hospital.  Justin was, of course, already there.  He spent more time at the hospital than anywhere else.  As they sat and waited, Debbie thought back on the previous couple of weeks.  It had been one of the worst periods of her life.  The burden had been almost too much to bear, but she knew it had become necessary to take it on.  Espcially after talking to the woman who actually had the right to claim the title of being Brian's mother.  She felt her anger rising again when thinking on that particular phone call.

 

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

 

Debbie recalled the horrific sight of Brian laid out on his hospital bed in the ICU.  The side of his head was engulfed in bandages, with just one eye barely peeking out.  It wouldn't have mattered if both eyes were covered up, because they were tightly closed.  It seemed that there were tubes running into his body everywhere, although she knew that was an exaggeration.  He was so pale.  This was not the vibrant Brian Kinney she had known for over twenty years.  It seemed ludicrous to see him like that... like some macabre joke was being played on her.

 

After learning more about the damage done to Brian, whom she had long thought of as a second son, she was better prepared to take the next steps.  Getting help for Justin was at the top of the list.  There was not a thing that anyone but the doctors could do for Brian at this point.  Justin was the one in serious need... a need that she could do something about.  It was a lucky thing that they were not allowed to stay with Brian for too long in the ICU.  If they would have let him, Justin would not have left his side for a single moment.  Debbie led Justin out of the sterile-smelling room and back into the hallway.  There, she sat him down, ordering him to stay, while she walked away to where she could use her cell phone.  He obeyed, having no will of his own.

 

Deb's first call was to Jennifer.  She had no idea whether Justin's mom had heard anything about the attack as of yet.  So when she heard Jen answer the phone, she kept her voice as calm as possible.  

 

"Jennifer, this is Debbie," she began.  "I need you to stay calm while I tell you what's going on."

 

Jennifer immediately tensed.  No one ever started a conversation off with such words, unless there was something less than calming to hear.  

 

"What is it, Debbie?" she asked apprehensively.

 

"Alright, here goes.  I'm with Justin right now.  He is perfectly okay... not physically hurt in any way, but he needs you right now."

 

Jen interrupted.  "Not physically hurt?  What are you talking about?  Why didn't he come to me if he is in any kind of  trouble?"

 

Jen's first thought was that Justin got into one last fight at the prom with the bully who had been bothering him all through the school year.

 

"No, no!  We're not at my house.  We are at the hospital.  Jus...."

 

Jen interrupted again, more frantically this time.  "Hospital!  What is going on?  Debbie, why is Justin in the hospital?"

 

"Please stay calm!  Justin isn't in the hospital.  Brian is the one.  Justin came with him.  There was an incident at the Dance tonight and Brian has been hurt.  Justin is a mess.  Jen, he is blaming himself.  He needs his mother with him."

 

Jennifer felt herself calming just a little bit.  As long as Justin wasn't injured, she could deal with anything else.  She quickly got the information needed from Debbie, and then hung up.  Debbie heard the line go dead, and just stared ahead.  Who to call next, she pondered.  She knew she would have to call Michael sooner or later, but he had probably only  just arrived in Portland, Oregon.  He would be jet-lagged and not thinking clearly.  She opted for a little later with that call.  She wondered if the news of the bashing had gotten out yet.  She was hesitant to bring any of the Kinney clan into the picture, but it had to be done.  She couldn't fake being Brian's next of kin forever.  

 

The decision made, although reluctantly, she gave Joan Kinney a call.  They had never been close friends, but they certainly knew each other.  After all, their sons had been the closest of friends since early childhood.  Debbie still had the phone number to the Kinney household.  She checked her contacts list and made the call.  Joan answered on the third ring.

 

"Joan, this is Debbie Novotny.  I have some bad news I need to pass on to you.  It's about Brian."

 

"What about him?  After the way he acted at his father's funeral, I don't have much to say to him.  He went out of his way to embarrass us with his ludicrous story, about his father telling me to get an abortion when I was pregnant with him.  He is always going out of his way to bring shame to his family.  So, what kind of trouble has he brought us now?"

 

Debbie felt her chest tighten and her teeth clench.  It took every ounce of strength she possessed not to scream at the woman.  Bracing herself, she went on.

 

"He's in the hospital, Joan.  He was badly beaten by a teenager tonight."

 

"Wait a minute," Joan interrupted.  "There was a news alert that interrupted my program tonight.  They said something about an attack by one of the teens at a Senior Prom.  And they went on to say that the attack was not against another teenager.  They gave out no names.  You can't be talking about that event!  What the hell would Brian be doing at a high school prom?"

 

Debbie felt her blood turn cold.  She had no idea the press had already gotten the news out for anyone watching TV to see.  This was going to be harder than she had expected.  She was surprised there had been no sign of reporters already gathered at the hospital, asking questions.  Her thoughts swung back to the problem at hand.

 

"I'm afraid that is the incident involving Brian.  He went to the Prom to support a young man that I had taken into my home temporarily."

 

"A queer boy, right?" Disdain clearly spilling out from her mouth.

 

"Yes, he's gay... just like my son," Debbie answered tersely, barely containing her anger.

 

"As I was saying, this kid had a long-standing grudge against my young man.  Brian was caught in the middle.  This bastard took it out on Brian, and now he's in the hospital in a very serious condition.  You'll need to come down here and help them with his medical information."

 

Joan never hesitated.  

 

"Don't give me that bull.  There's more to the story than what you're telling me.  The news report said that witnesses claimed the older man, who was attacked, was dancing with one of the teenaged boys.  The attack was the direct result from that dance.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out who the older man was now, or why he was attacked.   If you ask me, Brian asked for it.  I have no intention of coming down there to support his stupidity.  You know as much about his medical information as I do.  Hell, he spent more of his childhood at your house than he ever did in his own home!  You take care of it!"

 

With that, Joan Kinney hung up the phone.  It took a long time for Debbie to collect herself again.  She was virtually shaking from head to toe with the fury she felt towards Brian's mother.  She was too upset to decide on who else to call for now.  Instead, she went back to join Justin and wait for Jennifer to arrive.  Together, the two women could decide on how to take care of Justin.  After that, Deb would return to the task of contacting others who should know about Brian's attack.

 

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

 

Once Debbie and Jennifer had convinced Justin to return to Deb's house to change, and get as much sleep as he could manage before returning to the hospital, Deb took to the phone again.  She did this after explaining to Vic what was going on.  He had been asleep when the hospital first called and she didn't want to disturb him.  The ordeal over his arrest for indecent exposure and soliciting a short time before, had left him physically drained, even though Melanie had helped him get the wrongful charges dropped.  When hearing the news, his anger over one of their own being bashed was clearly etched on his face.  He did his best to keep his feelings under control for Justin's sake.  The moment Justin entered the house, Vic knew something devastating had happened, and he had no intention of making it worse for the traumatized youth.

 

Debbie now had to tackle the rest of their circle of friends.  Her first call was to the house of Melanie and Lindsay.  Uppermost in her mind was learning some of the legal ramifications of this outrage.  Melanie could help her with that.  There was also the fact that Brian was the father of their son, even though he had given up his rights to the boy.  She knew that the girls, or at least Lindsay, still honored Brian as Gus's dad.  For these reasons, she called them first.  She called Emmett next, and then finally Ted.  Every single person she spoke to was in a state of shock at the news.  Even though Brian was as openly gay as any one person could be, and he had a habit of taking the kind of risks that none of the others would have even considered, they never pictured Brian as being the object of a gay bashing.  

 

After Debbie explained about Brian being the unnamed victim of the bashing being talked about on the news, and that the crime scene being mentioned was Justin's prom, the shock deepened.  However, knowing how Brian felt about their young friend, despite his protestations, they weren't as surprised as they expected to be to find out that Brian had gone to the prom.  They had figured out some time ago that Brian's relationship with Justin was a little deeper than he would ever admit out loud.  Tragically, it looked like they had been right, and Brian now suffered the results of his attraction to Justin.  

 

Strangely enough, it was Ted who was the most understanding.  He had just suffered a great heartbreak that same night simply because he had fallen in love with Blake, a young man addicted to crack cocaine.  When he heard about Brian, he felt almost lucky that it was only his heart, and not his head, that had been broken.  Lindsay was, of course, a mess.  Brian told her earlier about Justin's invitation to the prom, but had made it clear he would never attend.  She had done her best to encourage him to forget about turning thirty.  A sense of guilt overcame her when she heard the whole story.  If anything she said was the reason Brian attended the prom, she knew she would never forgive herself.  It took all of Melanie's efforts to reassure Linds that she had no blame in what happened.  Brian would come out of this trauma with nothing more than a very bad headache, she repeated several times.

 

Debbie's final call was to Cynthia.  She knew that Brian's bosses at the ad agency would have to be made aware of the situation.  Deb knew Cynthia personally and liked the girl a lot.  She knew nothing of his bosses.  As a result, Deb decided to leave Brian's work place in Cynthia's capable hands.  She had been right.  Cynthia did take care of the business end of Brian's life.  By Monday morning, while Brian still lay in a coma, everyone at work knew why the 'golden boy' of Ryder Advertising was absent.  Also by Monday morning, all of Pittsburgh knew the name of bashing victim, Brian Kinney, along with the sordid details of the crime against him.  Or at least they thought they did, based on news reports.  The city was divided between those who thought that Chris Hobbs should be strung up for the crime of gay bashing, and those who thought Brian Kinney got what he deserved for his 'disgusting' display in front of the innocent 'children' of their fair city.

 

While all the drama swirled around the 'story of the year', those that cared about Brian waited... and waited... and waited some more.  Each of them did their best to avoid the press.  Those people hung around the lobby of the hospital at all hours.  They were like vultures while waiting for a chance to get a juicy quote from someone on the inside, or a tidbit of information on the victim's condition.  Meanwhile, Brian's supporters took turns keeping a vigil.  The only one who barely left the hospital was Justin.  No one was willing to ask too many questions of the young man.  Not yet... not while he was in such a distressed state of mind.  Questions would have to wait.  The only two people who knew every detail were Debbie and Jennifer, and they felt no need to divulge everything.  There would be time enough for that once Brian was back among the living.

 

And now, after nearly two weeks of unbearable stress and worry, there was finally hope that Brian would indeed be alright.  He had finally opened his eyes.  What was to come next would determine the future.  Debbie prayed it would be a bright one.

 

To be continued...................

Brian Kinney opened his eyes slowly, confused as to why it was so hard to make them open wide.  He felt strange but couldn't put his finger on why.  He had awakened plenty of times in the past with hangovers from the previous night's festivities, but this felt completely different.  His head throbbed, as per usual, but it was the rest of his body that felt odd.  His mouth was also much dryer than his usual 'morning after' hangover.  He smacked his lips, and immediately felt movement close by.  He turned his head to the side and saw several people standing nearby, staring at him as if he was on display.  That wasn't normal either.  He usually woke up totally alone in his loft's bed.

 

His vision zeroed in on the person closest to him.  He was a rather nice looking kid with pale blond hair.  The kid had the strangest look on his face.  Brian couldn't say why, but it looked oddly like a combination of fear and relief.  What the fuck, Brian thought to himself.  He looked past the kid and finally recognized the face staring at him.  

 

"Hey Mikey," he managed to croak out through parched lips.  "What's going on?"

 

Michael stepped forth, moving Justin to the side so he could get closer to Brian's hospital bed.  He reached for Brian's hand and held tight.

 

"Oh God, Brian, you had us so worried!  We didn't know if you'd ever wake up again or not."

 

"What are you talking about?  And who is we?"

 

Brian's confusion deepened.  As he scanned his surroundings, he realized for the first time just how many people were in the room with him.  He recognized Debbie and Vic right away.  Emmett and Ted stood off to the other side of the room.  And he was surprised to even see Lindsay and Melanie nearby.  But what surprised him most was how small Lindsay was.  He had last seen her only a few days before, and she had been as big as a house, carrying the baby he had produced for her and Melanie.  But strangest of all was the kid with the light blond hair.  That one looked more upset than any of the others.  

 

"Mikey, what is going on here?  Why are you all gathered around me as if you were at a funeral... my funeral?"

 

Michael looked surprised.  "Brian, what is the last thing you remember?" he asked, with concern in his voice.

 

Brian struggled to think.  His head began hurting with the effort.  Before he could form an answer, the door to his room opened and a man in a doctor's smock entered, carrying a folder filled with papers.  The folks around Brian parted to make room for the newcomer.

 

"Doctor, Brian is talking normally but seems really confused," Michael told the newcomer.

 

The folks surrounding Brian stepped aside, making room for the doctor.  The man was at least sixty years old, with a kind face.  He was known for handling patients and their loved ones with honesty, tempered with kindness.  He had been Brian's doctor from the beginning and was well aware of the temperament of his patient's loved ones.  They would need kid gloves.  He hoped his patient would be able to handle whatever he was about to deal with.  

 

"If you would all give me a moment to examine Mr. Kinney, please," was his response to Michael's question.  "I will be better able to answer any questions you may have, and then you can return."  He turned to Brian.  "And any questions you may have, Mr. Kinney."

 

Brian still felt confused, but he now recognized that he was in a hospital.  Obviously the man in the white coat was his doctor.  But the reason for his being in the hospital still eluded him.  Brian wasn't prone to fear, but his heart began racing.  Something was terribly wrong.  Why couldn't he remember what brought him here?

 

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

 

Doctor Welby waited until the room cleared.  He checked Brian's pulse.  He didn't like what he read there.  His patient was obviously stressed.

 

"Relax, Mr. Kinney.  You're in good hands.  You've had quite an ordeal, but now that you're awake we can really see what it is we are dealing with.  First of all, can you tell me your full name?"

 

"Brian Kinney, of course," he responded with a touch of irritation.

 

"Good!  Now Mr. Kinney...."

 

"Brian!  My dad is Mr. Kinney."

 

"Brian, do you know what city we are in?"

 

"For fucks sake, Doc, I presume we are still in Pittsburgh.  Why all the stupid questions?"

 

"They are needed.  Do you remember anything about the events that led to your being hospitalized."

 

For the first time, Brian didn't feel so confident.  He hesitated.

 

"Mr. Kinney... Brian?"

 

"Damn it, Doc!  No!  I don't remember being injured.  Was I in a car accident or something?"

 

For the first time, Brian realized there was something heavy on his head.  He reached up and felt the bandages that still covered a portion of his scalp.  His face showed his surprise.  

 

"Yes, you were injured and received a very serious head wound.  We had to operate to relieve the pressure on your brain.  You've been in a coma for several weeks while your brain healed.  We've just been waiting for you to wake up, so we could better assess the amount of damage that was done from the trauma."

 

"Trauma?  What kind of trauma?  And are you telling me that I've slept through several weeks of my life?  What happened to me?"

 

"You were attacked.  Someone took a baseball bat to your head.  But I will let your family give you all the details.  My job is to take care of you medically."

 

With that, Doctor Welby continued his exam.  After checking all Brian's vitals and asking a series of questions, he excused himself and went out into the hall.  There he found the same group of folks who had been with his patient when he first arrived to check on him.  The doctor thought for a moment as to how lucky his patient was.  He had never seen a more devoted group of family and friends waiting for the recovery of one of his patients.  A few of them had spent more time at the hospital than in their own homes.  He knew his patient was going to survive the devastating attack on him physically, but he wasn't so sure about the mental prognosis... not after receiving some of the answers to the questions he had just put to Brian.

 

Debbie was the first to ask.

 

"So, Doctor, what is the prognosis?  Will Brian be alright?"

 

"His physical prognosis is excellent.  His reaction to various stimuli was what we would hope for after a lenghthy coma.  He appears to have no serious visual difficulties or problems with motor skills that I can see so far.  His hearing is certainly intact."  His voice trailed off.

 

"What is it, Doctor?  I can tell there is something more you are hesitant to say."

 

"It isn't his physical condition that has me worried."  He decided to be blunt.  "After I asked a number of questions, his answers... well, to be clear, they weren't timely.  In other words, his memory appears to be shut down to the point where he seems to have lost nearly a year of his life."

 

"What the fuck!" 

 

The outburst came from Michael.  

 

"Hush, Michael!" Debbie ordered her son.  "Go on, Doctor.  What makes you think that?"

 

"First of all, when I asked him what the date was, he gave me one that was almost a year ago.  That was my first clue.  Also, a while back you mentioned to me that he has a son produced through his surrogacy with friends.  When I asked him about his family, he told me he had a mother, father, and sister.  He never mentioned his son.  When I asked if he knew why no one in his family had been to the hospital to visit him, he told me that he didn't really get along with any of them.   You yourself confessed to me a while back that you were not his mother, but more of a surrogate mother to him.  At the same time you also told me his father was recently deceased.  Mr. Kinney said nothing about his father having passed."

 

Michael spoke up again.

 

"But Doc, he seemed to recognize all of us.  He even called me by name." 

 

"I'm not saying he has lost his memory, Mr. Novotny.  I'm saying he has misplaced a part of his memory.  I can't be sure how much he might remember from the date he gave me until the present, if anything, because I don't know his history.  That will be something those of you will have to help with."

 

"His memory will return, right, Doctor?"  It was Melanie who posed this question.

 

"I can't say, at least not for now.  There is no hard and fast rule with these TBI's.  I'm sorry, I mean Traumatic Brain Injuries.  No two cases are exactly identical.  It is going to be a wait and see proposition.  I'm not surprised that he can't recall the actual event that caused the trauma, but it is unusual for someone to lose only a certain portion of their lives.  Of course, we'll need to check further to see how much of the past he does remember, as well as how much he doesn't."

 

Justin had been strangely quiet throughout the entire discussion.  He had noticed the way Brian looked at him when he first awakened.  It was the look one gave a stranger, not someone you felt connected to in any way.  A different kind of fear had gripped his heart at that moment, than the one he first felt when he saw Brian waking up.  That fear was that Brian would blame him for the bashing.  This fear went deeper.  He had to know.

 

"Doctor, what did he say when you asked him the date?"

 

The doctor gave him the answer.  Justin's heart sank.  The date was only a day before he met Brian for the first time outside of Babylon. 

 

Debbie spoke up again.

 

"So, what do we need to do to help?  You name it and we'll all do our best to help Brian get better."

 

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.  The doctor told them to return to the room for their visit, but to cut it short for now so that Brian could rest his brain.  He instructed them to return the next day, and they could start formulating a plan on how to help Brian retrieve his lost memories.  They nodded again and followed the doctor back towards Brian's room.  No one, except for Debbie, noticed that Justin wasn't following them.  He turned away and moved slowly towards the exit door at the end of the hall.  She quickly told Michael that she would be right back, and hurried after Justin.  She caught up with him.

 

"Justin, where are you going?  Brian needs you."

 

"I don't think so, Debbie," he told her forlornly.  "I don't think he even knows who I am.  I saw the way he looked at me.  And after what the doctor said, I now know he doesn't remember me."

 

Debbie's heart broke.  She suspected Justin was correct.  The poor kid was exhausted and barely functioning already, and now this blow was just too much.  

 

"You go on home then and try to get some rest.  We'll talk about this more in the morning.  Don't lose hope that Brian will get over this and all his memory of you will return.  I have faith in him."

 

"Yes," Justin responded halfheartedly.  

 

Justin left, leaving Debbie worried about how he was going to deal with this unexpected turn of events.  She made a mental note to check on him as soon as she and Vic got home to make sure he had gone to bed.  She prayed that he would be strong enough to deal with whatever they were all going to have to deal with, now that Brian had returned to the land of the living.

 

To be continued...... 

 

                      Chapter Five:  The Lost Boy

 

Debbie's disappointment at not finding Justin at her house, after she and Vic left the hospital, was nothing compared to her fear.  She had sadly watched while the old confident, self-assured Justin began fading away, to be replaced by a young man who was clearly traumatized.  She was close to panic, when her phone rang.  It was Jennifer, calling to let her know that Justin was with her.  Relief washed over Debbie.  If there was anyone she would want Justin to turn to at this moment in time, it would be Jennifer.  Debbie had a lot of respect for the woman.  Although Jennifer had not warmed to the idea of her son being gay in the beginning, she came around quickly.  It was a shame that Justin's father had not been as enlightened.

 

Debbie knew that Justin was going to need a lot of patience and understanding, while he grappled with his feelings of guilt over what had happened to Brian.  She had spent as much time as possible, while waiting for Brian to come out of his coma, trying to make Justin see that he held no blame for the attacker’s actions.  However, it had been obvious from day one that her words were having little impact.  Justin had only avoided falling into a deep depression because he had to stay strong for Brian.  He felt that Brian would need his strength when he came out of the coma, but the discovery that Brian didn’t even recognize him had changed everything for the young man.  Debbie figured that Justin was thinking that if Brian didn’t even know of his existence, then he would have no need for his support in any way whatsoever.  She couldn’t help but notice how devastating that thought probably was for Justin when he left the hospital for home.  And now the fearful thought came to her that he might distance himself from all of the people in Brian’s life.  She prayed it wouldn’t come to that.  Justin had become as loved by her in the last year as any one of the others in their little sphere.

 

Jennifer hung up the phone after reassuring Debbie, worry lines evident on her face.  She could hear the same concern in Debbie’s voice that she was also feeling.  Justin had surprised her by arriving at her house in a cab.  She had spent some time at the hospital for the last couple of weeks or so, but mainly to support Justin.  She could see how torn up he was over Brian’s injuries.  She was well aware that Justin had strong feelings for Brian, but hadn’t recognized the depth of those feelings until the bashing.  She had tried to convince Justin to return to her then, not out of any ill will towards his living with Debbie, but because she wanted to keep a closer watch over him.  He had refused at that time, saying that he felt closer to Brian while living with Deb.  If that was what he needed, she wasn’t going to argue.  But now, he had shown up at her doorstep, looking like a completely different person than the young boy with the sunny smile, she had known and loved all his life.

 

Jennifer had waited patiently while Justin struggled to explain why he felt he couldn’t go back to Debbie’s house.  Hearing that Brian hadn’t recognized her son when he finally became conscious, and seeing the desolate look in Justin’s eyes as he spoke about it, tore at Jennifer’s heart.  He actually sounded as if he had been the one bashed by that bastard, Hobbs, and not Brian.  His color seemed paler than before, and he had obviously lost weight.  Her attempts to get Justin to eat something were wasted.  The best she was able to accomplish was getting him into her spare bedroom, which had been set up especially for him from the first day she and Molly had moved in.  Her next task had been to call Debbie to keep her apprised as to what Justin had decided to do.  Now all that was left for her was to wait… wait and see what Justin would do next, and whether Brian’s condition would improve.

 

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

 

Debbie had barely hung up the phone with Jennifer, worry clearly etched on her face, when she heard the front door opening.  Michael appeared around the corner seconds later.  He noticed right away that his mom was bothered by something.  It surprised him, given that the news about Brian was better than it had been since the whole ugly ordeal began.  He would never forget the shock and horror he felt when he received the call from Debbie the morning after the bashing.  Nor would he forget the way it upended every plan he had made for his future.

 

Michael arrived at the house that David had chosen for them not long after touching down at the Portland airport.  David had sent a car to pick him up.  The driver had been waiting, sign in hand, for his arrival.  Michael swallowed his disappointment at David not picking him up personally, but figured there had to be a logical reason.  When he knocked on the front door of the house David had bought for them, he was surprised to find it answered by the new housekeeper David had mentioned earlier.  She explained that the good doctor would be home shortly.  She had been given instructions to give Michael a tour of the house to make sure he was made comfortable.  When asked where David was, she simply stated that the Doctor would explain when he got home.

 

Michael was impressed with the house at first.  It was quite large, with five bedrooms and four bathrooms.  There was a kidney-shaped pool and jacuzzi out in the back-yard, with all the poolside amenities for comfort.  A large grill and small outdoor kitchen set-up was off to the side of the expansive patio.  The landscaping of the half acre property was immaculate, with beautiful trees providing plenty of shade.  Everything about the house screamed, ‘money’.  It was the kind of house, with all its top notch high quality furnishings and décor, that Brian would probably love, but it felt a bit too much for Michael.  It was a far cry from the humble home his waitress mom had provided him throughout his childhood, or the even more humble home he had shared with Emmett on his Big Q salary.  He also noticed that, despite the fact that many of his things had been sent on ahead to Oregon, few of them were visible in the house.  It really didn’t feel like home, but he told himself to give it time.

 

How was he to know there would be no time for adjusting?  David did arrive more than an hour later.  He dropped his coat on the side table at the entrance and hurried in to locate Michael.  As quickly as he could, he explained how his son had needed him after getting into a fight with his mother over some petty grievance.  Michael listened patiently, but couldn’t help wondering if David would neglect him now that he had his son back in his life full time.  It was obvious that David was exhausted, so Michael decided to table any questions about the location of his own personal items.  He had planned to have a long talk about their future together over breakfast, especially how he had no intention of letting David support him financially.  The call from Debbie changed everything.  The last thing David said to him when he left him at the airport for the return flight, was that he should spend the time back in Pittsburgh re-evaluating his priorities.

 

Michael intended to do just that.  Right now his priority was to make sure Brian was going to be okay before he even considered returning to Oregon.  If that disturbed David, then so be it.  For now he needed to find out what was bothering his mom.

 

“What’s wrong, Ma?  You look as if Brian has fallen back into a coma.  I just left the hospital.  He was doing a lot better.  So, what’s up?”

 

“It’s Justin.  He doesn’t want to come back here for now.  This thing with Brian not recognizing him has hit him hard.  He thinks it would be better to separate himself from all of us for now.”  Her voice sounded strained.

 

Without hesitating, Michael responded.  “I think that’s the smartest thing he’s done since meeting Brian.  It’s a lot smarter than asking him to attend his Prom with him.  We all know how that turned out.”

 

Debbie’s mouth dropped open.  Michael failed to notice the look in her eye as he went on.

 

“If he hadn’t been so selfish, wanting to show off his prize catch to all his little friends, this never would have happened!”

 

Michael never saw it coming.  Debbie slapped him so hard his left ear began ringing.  She had slapped him in a motherly way countless times for decades, but this was different.  None of those other smacks had actually hurt.  This one did!

 

“Ma!  What the fuck!”

 

Debbie’s eyes were blazing.  “Shame on you, Michael Novotny!  You know damned good and well that Brian NEVER does something he doesn’t want to do.  It was his choice to go to that Prom, not Justin’s.  And who would ever expect some idiotic homophobic prick to go so far as to try and murder him over a dance?”

 

“I didn’t….”

 

“Didn’t what?  Didn’t mean to be an asshole?  Do you really think that Brian would appreciate you blaming Justin for something like this?  Isn’t it bad enough that Justin is blaming himself?  That’s why he left the hospital without trying to talk to Brian, and why he isn’t coming back here.  Don’t you see?  Justin is lost now.  Not only does he blame himself for the bashing, but now he sees that Brian has blocked out all memory of his existence.  Even though Brian lives, he might as well be dead to Justin now, because everything they were to each other… everything they meant to one another is gone and no one knows if it will ever come back.”

 

Michael felt guilty.  He loved Brian and he knew how the man felt about Justin.  Debbie was right.  If Brian hadn’t lost his memory, he never would have wanted anyone to blame Justin for what happened.

 

“I’m sorry, Ma.  You’re right.  The only one who should suffer for this whole thing is the bastard who put Brian in the hospital.  I’ll talk to the others.  We’ll do our best to reassure Justin and work to see that the guilty party pays for what he did.”

 

Michael sounded truly contrite.  Debbie’s glare softened, but the steel was still in her voice.

 

“Oh, he’ll pay.  He’s out on bail for now, but he’ll pay if it’s the last thing we do.”

 

At least that was what she hoped for.  The trial was still weeks away, but for now it was more important to keep an eye on Brian’s progress, and pray that the missing memories of the young man who had finally opened up his heart would return.  If not, she knew that the old Justin might be lost to them forever.

 

 

To be continued…………….

From his high bench, Judge Dixon looked out over the gathering of men and women seated in his courtroom.  He was somewhere in his early fifties but looked at least a decade older.  He often thought that cases, like the one he was about to adjudicate, had a lot to do with his older appearance.  This was going to be one hell of a headache.  He was certain of that.  Just viewing the two sides of the courtroom confirmed his assessment.  The room was filled to capacity, with colorfully dressed folks sitting behind the prosecution’s table, while men in business suits and women, dressed as if for church, sat behind the defendant’s table. 

 

The Judge instantly recognized the attack victim, Brian Kinney, from news photos.  Several men sat to his left, while just as many women sat to his right.  They were obviously friends or family, because they often leaned in closely to talk animatedly with each other.  He also recognized the defendant, Chris Hobbs.  The young man looked clean cut and innocent, but he had been caught in the act, so his guilt was without question.  This trial was to determine what he was actually legally guilty of, and what his punishment should be, if any.  He knew it was all up to him.  The defendant had opted for a trial by Judge, rather than risk a trial by Jury.  Judge Dixon promised himself that he would be fair, but a part of him knew that he held certain prejudices, which normally would be cause to recuse himself.  However, this had turned into a high profile case, and could make for a bigger and better appointment in the future, so he was not inclined to give it up.  It did mean that he would have to be careful about how he made his ruling.

 

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

 

Brian sat stiffly in between his friends on the bench seat, right behind the head Prosecutor.  He took a quick glance over at the defendant’s table.  It galled him that he didn’t recognize the neatly dressed young man seated with his lawyers.  He was told by Emmett and Ted that they had met once before outside Woody’s.  That strange name of Justin Taylor came up again, as they explained how the kid had once confronted Hobbs and his gang of buddies, while they were cruising Liberty Avenue.  Him doing so was probably a major cause of the animosity between Hobbs and Justin.  Brian still couldn’t fathom why this Justin character had held such a sway over him.  If he had been so important, then why in the world would he forget all about him?  At least, that was what Brian kept asking himself.  To his way of thinking, his friends were only presuming that he cared a lot about this kid.  There had to be some logical reason why he would pretend to care, because they had come to believe it so completely.  He knew himself well enough to know that there was no pimply-faced teenager who could make him want more than a single night’s fuck.  Actually, he had never cared for sex with a twink at all, not even when he was practically a twink himself.  So this desire to spend more than one night with the teenager simply wasn’t logical, making it impossible for Brian to wrap his head around the whole idea.

 

Once Brian had finally been released from the hospital, his entire circle of friends had tried to enlighten him as to why he had been at a high school prom in the first place.  Oddly enough, his closest friend was the only one who seemed surprised that he went to the dance.  Michael reminded Brian that he himself once mentioned how Justin had asked him to attend the dance, but that he had bluntly refused the invitation.  Now that sounded more like what he would do.  The idea that he would turn around and change his mind didn’t make any sense to Brian.  It simply boggled the mind.  What surprised Brian even more was the way that all the others acted.  Debbie, Vic, Emmett, Ted, Linds, and even Mel didn’t seem surprised that Brian had attended the dance at all.  As each one tried to explain the relationship between Brian and Justin, they kept smiling as if it was something quite wonderful.  Ridiculous, Brian kept thinking as they went on and on in glowing terms about the kid.

 

The most frustrating part of this whole thing for Brian, was that he couldn’t even bring up a single image of Justin Taylor.  It wasn’t from lack of trying.  Debbie eventually showed him a photo taken of Justin in his Prom finery, just before leaving for the dance.  That was another thing that surprised Brian… the fact that this kid had been living with Debbie, and in Michael’s old room, no less.  What was it with this kid?  After seeing the photo, Brian had to admit that Justin was quite a looker.  But there were countless lookers out there.  Debbie was known for giving gay boys all kinds of affection, but had never taken any of them into her home before.  Well, not counting himself, of course.  That was different.  He and Michael were like brothers.  But from what he had been told, Justin wasn’t a lost gay boy who had no home of his own that he was welcome in.  Apparently, he had a loving mother.  So, what was so special about Justin Taylor? 

 

Brian really wanted to learn more first-hand from the kid himself, but that hadn’t been possible.  By the time Brian was released from the hospital, Justin Taylor was gone.  Debbie told him that Justin’s mother had chosen to send him to her sister’s home in Maine for the Summer, in hopes that the distance would help him deal with the turmoil in his life.  Of course, he would have to return for the trial, but it did forestall any chances of Brian finding out for himself, what it was that made Justin Taylor such an important figure during that lost year.  Brian had hoped that spending a little time with the young man might jog his memory.  After all, it wasn’t just the recollection of Justin that Brian was missing.  His amnesia had also erased every single event of his life during that entire period since meeting the kid.  Presently, he cared more about all those lost memories than a boy he felt nothing for.  For the moment, dealing with Justin and his lost memories had to be put on hold.  All that mattered was seeing that justice was meted out to the punk who had tried to take his life.

 

Judge Dixon’s bailiff ordered the court to come to order, and waited the few seconds it took for all the murmuring to cease.  Once the packed courtroom was silent, the bailiff turned to the judge.  Judge Dixon wasted no time.  The court was declared to be in session and the charges were read.  Judge Dixon asked the Prosecutor to give his opening statement.  Reporters hung on every word, as did those in attendance who were most affected by the sickening event that brought them here.  The Prosecutor proceeded to give an eloquent speech, about a young successful businessman who had chosen to attend a friend’s Senior Prom as a favor.  He was then repaid for his kindness by being beaten almost to the point of death, by a homophobic young man filled with blind hatred.  As he spoke, Brian thought to himself that this was closer to the truth than all the stories his friends had been telling him.  It made more sense that he attended the Prom as a favor for someone he liked, than that he went there out of love for the kid.  Truthfully, it didn’t really matter why he went there.  That didn’t excuse the despicable actions against him by the bastard at the defendant’s table.

 

The Prosecutor completed his statement and took his seat.  A thin smattering of applause accompanied him, but was quelled instantly by the loud sound of the judge’s gavel, and a stern warning.  Then came the opening statement from Hobbs’ head lawyer, Patrick Schmitz.  The man had very few losses during jury trials.  The hope at the Prosecutor’s table was that he wouldn’t be as successful, with a Judge ruling on the case.  Almost immediately, there was tension on the prosecution side. Schmitz began putting Brian Kinney’s character on trial from the very first words out of his mouth.  As Brian sat there taking it all in, he could feel the anger seething next to him from the way that Debbie’s hand squeezed his harder than ever before.  He also heard the mutterings and whispered curse words, through clenched teeth, coming from the rest of his friends.  Brian, who had never let what others said about him affect him too deeply, suddenly felt oddly uncomfortable in his own skin.  It appeared that having his skull smashed in, had affected more than just his memory. 

 

Finally, after Hobbs’ lawyer did a thorough job attempting to turn Chris into the victim of a callous older man, who deliberately went out of his way to antagonize him to the point of temporary insanity, the time for testimony was ready to begin.  Witnesses had been sequestered from the courtroom, which kept Brian from getting the chance to speak to Justin beforehand.  Justin apparently only arrived in town the night before the trial began.  If the kid wanted to avoid Brian, he was doing a first-rate job of accomplishing his goal.  This fact alone made Brian question just how important he could have been to Justin Taylor.  Although, this made Brian wonder even more why everyone appeared to be exaggerating their importance to each other. 

 

The first witnesses on the stand included paramedics who arrived at the scene after the attack, and cared for both injured men, along with officers who responded to the 911 calls.  Next came witnesses to the events preceding the attack, which included a highly emotional Daphne.  Brian hung on every word as the young lady proceeded to describe the way Brian and Justin danced together, and the reaction of those around them.  It sounded almost romantic, which made it impossible for Brian to grasp how that was possible.  He simply did not do romance.  That wasn’t who he knew himself to be.  Strangely enough, a few others, including a chaperone who had attended the Prom, testified in almost the same way as Daphne.  As time went on, Brian’s head began to ache with the effort of trying to force some memories back into his brain, based on what he was hearing.  Nothing… a complete blank wall… was all he could see.  If only he could see Justin Taylor in person.  Maybe that would help.

 

Finally, as if reading Brian’s thoughts, the Prosecutor called Justin Taylor to the stand.  Everyone in the courtroom swiveled around in their seats, in anticipation of seeing the young man who loomed large at the center of this entire affair.  Brian stared hard at the doors as they were opened by a guard, to let Justin enter.  And there he stood, his head slightly bowed as he slowly made his way towards the front of the courtroom.  Brian recalled all the descriptions he had been given of a radiant young man, with a dazzling smile who would light up any room he entered.  He recalled words like vibrant and energetic, to describe him.  Justin never even glanced towards him, as he made his way to the witness box, but what Brian saw was none of those things.  What he saw was a complete stranger to him who looked somber, as if life had delivered one hard blow too many to him.  How, he wondered, could he have almost lost his life over this sad pathetic creature he saw in front of him now?

 

To be continued…….

Justin Taylor entered the courtroom, unable to force himself to look either left or right at the people filling the room.  The only thing that brought him back to Pittsburgh was a burning desire to see Chris Hobbs punished for what he had done to Brian.  He knew his testimony was of the utmost importance in accomplishing that outcome.  Every detail of that horrific night was permanently etched in his memory, making a good night’s sleep almost impossible without the aid of sleeping pills.  Even with the pills, he sometimes abruptly awakened in the middle of the night with the cracking sound of a bat hitting bone, reverberating through his head like thunder before a storm.  He would jerk up from his bed, sweat dripping from his face, followed by tears.  Most nights, when he did fall asleep, he would hear his own voice echoing in his brain… ‘your fault, all your fault’.  He would remember how Brian once warned him that antagonizing Hobbs on Liberty Avenue had turned him into a ‘real’ enemy. 

 

Justin took the stand, raised his right hand, and swore to tell the truth.  Briefly he glanced over at the table where Chris Hobbs sat.  For a moment the old spirited Justin showed in his face.  His eyes blazed with a hatred that threatened to engulf Justin with its intensity.  He looked away quickly, forcing himself to remain in control.  He couldn’t afford to look like an aggressor in front of the Judge.  He wanted to look over at the other side where he knew Brian was sitting, but he was too afraid he would lose it.  His mother kept him informed as to Brian’s progress.  She always made it a point to keep in touch with Debbie, so that she could be a source of information for Justin.  Jennifer let him know that Brian was physically back to his old self.  He had even returned to work the previous week.  Justin was enormously relieved to hear that, but news that Brian still had no memory of the past year tempered any joy he might have felt.  It only reinforced his decision to avoid Brian.  He had no doubt his former lover would not welcome being confronted by the person responsible for his situation.

 

Justin settled into his seat, giving all his attention to the Prosecutor in front of him.  The next half hour was sheer agony.  He was forced to re-live much of what led up to that horrific moment when he realized what Hobbs was about to do to Brian, yet too late for him to stop it.  When they reached the point of describing the actual act itself, Justin could hear the crack of the bat as if it was happening again.  His body began shivering.  He felt his heart pounding, but there was no warmth from increased blood flow.  He felt cold all over. 

 

Brian’s eyes were riveted on the young man as he testified.  He couldn’t help noticing how Justin’s face softened when he described how Brian had shown up at the dance unexpectedly.  For a brief moment he saw Justin’s eyes come alive.  Surprisingly, Brian felt his heart quicken slightly.  Instinctively he pushed the feeling down.  Brian Kinney doesn’t do emotional reactions, he reminded himself.  When the Prosecutor started to question Justin about the bashing itself, Brian saw a completely different Justin Taylor.  He could tell that talking about it was extremely traumatic for the young man.  His eyes glistened with unshed tears and his voice kept breaking.  But Brian also saw that there was an inner strength in young Justin.  Each time it appeared he would not be able to go on, he would suddenly straighten his spine and start again, with even more of an edge to his voice as he recounted the attack.  This definitely impressed Brian.  This fit in better than his first impression, as to what his friends had been telling him all along about Justin’s personality.

 

Once the Prosecutor asked his final question, he turned Justin over to the opposing counselor.  Without warning, Brian felt that strange reaction again, something akin to anxiety and fear, as he watched the lawyer approaching Justin.  It was as if he couldn’t stand the thought of someone hurting the young man, but again he pushed the feeling away.  Justin sat up straighter in his chair.  He took on the look of a man ready to face an enemy in battle.  For all intents and purposes, that was exactly what he was about to do.  Justin wasn’t naïve.  He knew from the reports he received from his mother that many in the town were saying that he and Brian had been asking for trouble, as if they had gotten what they deserved.  He had no doubt that Hobbs’ lawyer would do his best to play that angle up with his questioning.  It wasn’t uncommon for defense lawyers to try and turn their clients into the victim.  Justin was not having any of that!  He was determined to show Hobbs up for the evil creature he truly was.  The first questions were almost innocuous.  Justin did not relax, however.  He sensed what was coming.  And it did.

 

“Before we get to that night… the night of the Prom Dance… let’s go back a bit, shall we, Mr. Taylor?” the lawyer began.  “Isn’t it true that you had a confrontation with my client in the locker room of your school, in which you came on to him, forcing him to deflect your advances?”

 

“That’s not the way it happened.”

 

“Perhaps it’s a matter of perspective.  But then, didn’t you use that brief encounter against my client, to embarrass him in front of his friends later on?  Wasn’t that the whole point of your attempts to seduce Mr. Hobbs, just so you could then make him an object of ridicule with his peers?”

 

“I didn’t have to seduce him.  He wanted me to jerk him off.  And as for what happened in the street that night, he provoked me with his snide remarks and name calling,” Justin answered tersely.

 

“Then let’s….”

 

“I’m not through,” Justin interrupted him.  “The only thing that happened on that street was verbal sparring.  Hobbs and his friends were on our turf and deliberately baiting us, but no one laid a hand on him, or any of the others.  The only physical violence came from him later on.”

 

A tiny smattering of applause followed Justin’s words, but was instantly quelled by the Judge’s gavel and a stern warning.

 

“So, you admit that you went out of your way to provoke a reaction from my client, just as you went out of your way to put him into a compromising position in the locker room.”

 

The Prosecutor stood up.

 

“I object, your Honor.  Is there supposed to be a question in there somewhere?”

 

“I’ll re-word it, your Honor.  Didn’t you deliberately put my client into a compromising position in that locker room, just so you could use it against him when the opportunity presented itself?”

 

Justin turned towards Hobbs, giving him a knowing stare.  “All I did in the locker room was give him what he wanted.  That he denies it, even now, doesn’t change that fact.”

 

The lawyer decided to move on, realizing he wasn’t going to get the reaction from Justin he was hoping for.

 

“Let’s move on to the night of the Prom Dance.  Isn’t it true that you invited your lover to the dance, for the sole purpose of provoking a negative reaction from my client?”

 

“I invited Brian to the dance because I wanted to be with someone I cared about on such a special occasion.  I had no ulterior motive.”

 

For the first time, Justin glanced over at Brian.  Their eyes locked for only a second, before Justin looked away.  Brian felt a stirring in his loins, which utterly shocked him.  It was harder to push this feeling away than the others.  For that one split second, Brian thought he could understand why his friends kept insisting he felt something different for Justin Taylor.  He leaned forward, not wanting to miss a word the young man said.

 

Through another half hour of questioning, Hobbs’ lawyer tried to paint Justin and Brian as the provocateurs, who knowingly set his client up for trouble.  No matter how he worded it, Justin never gave answers that bolstered the defense’s theory.  Finally, Justin stepped down.  Next came a slew of character witnesses for the defense, all of them describing a stable young man, with a brilliant future in front of him.  They made special note of how he was already being punished by losing his football scholarship, thanks to the permanent damage to his knee from the brutal bashing by Justin Taylor.  As each testified, the gall rose higher and higher throughout those who supported Brian and Justin.  Debbie had to be restrained from bursting out with protests by the firm hand of Mel, who as a lawyer was well aware of how damaging such an outburst could be to their case.

 

Finally, the defense also rested their case; all this done without Hobbs ever taking the stand.  The decision was now in the hands of Judge Dixon.  All eyes were on the judge.  He paused for only a moment, then abruptly announced that he would take time to go over all the testimony, and then he would render his decision in the morning.  An audible groan was heard, as he stepped down from his high bench, and exited through a side door.  The bailiff dismissed the courtroom, and everyone poured out into the corridors.  Debbie and the others surrounded Brian outside the courtroom, as if to shield him from any further harm.  Debbie was particularly pissed when she spotted Hobbs with his circle of friends and family and witnessed the smug expression on his face.  It was as if he already knew he wouldn’t be punished.  Before she could react, however, she also spotted Justin.  He was standing with Jennifer, off to the side, as far from them as he could get in the narrow hallway.  She broke away from the others, moving quickly so that she could keep Justin from leaving before she got the chance to talk to him.

 

“Sunshine!” she called out, as she approached him.  “Please don’t leave.”

 

Justin had been about to do just that, but stopped in his tracks when he heard Debbie call to him.  He had only hung around after his testimony in hopes of hearing a verdict from the Judge.  When one was not forthcoming, his only thought was to escape all the feelings that seeing Brian and the others had stirred up in him.  Hearing Debbie’s voice made that impossible.  He wasn’t about to ignore the woman who had treated him as a third son… who had never failed to support him and love him unconditionally.  He turned to meet her embracing arms. 

 

“It’s so good to see you again, Sunshine,” she whispered in his ear.  “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

 

Justin felt a bit of trepidation.  If anyone could persuade him to come back into the fold, it was Debbie.  That would interfere with his plans.  He wanted nothing more than to avoid Brian, with the hope that his former lover would never remember how much pain he had brought into his life.  But there was no way he was going to be so disrespectful as to say no to her request. 

 

“Can you come by Mom’s place in an hour?  We can talk freely there,” he responded.

 

Debbie agreed, hugged Justin once more with vigor, then returned to her group, who couldn’t fail to notice where she had gone.  She ignored their questions.  Her mind was strictly on how she was going to handle her meeting with Justin.  She prayed she would find the right words to comfort him and get him to see things differently.

 

 

The next morning dawned bright and clear, with a cloudless blue sky and perfect temperature.  The feeling of hope for justice pervaded the side of the courtroom, where all of Brian’s supporters sat.  That included Debbie, who was still smarting over her failure the previous night to convince Justin to remain in town, after the trial was over.  Nothing she said made a dent in his conviction that Brian was better off with him as far away as possible.

 

During their talk, he reminded her of all the trouble he had been for Brian, even before the Prom tragedy.  He brought up how his own father had tried to injure, if not kill, Brian by crashing into him on the road.  He reminded her how that event led to his moving in with Brian, which led to the loft being burglarized, due to his forgetfulness.  He also reminded her how he added insult to injury by ‘borrowing’ Brian’s credit card, enabling him to run away to New York City, forcing Brian to come looking for him.  He kept bringing up how he constantly went out of his way to insert himself into Brian’s life, even when the man kept telling him to go away.  When Debbie tried to remind him that all that paled in comparison to how Brian ended up caring so much about him, he countered with the fact that if Brian hadn’t given in to his persistence, he never would have been nearly beaten to death by Hobbs.  By the time Debbie left for home, she felt fairly certain Justin would never be a part of their lives again. It was just one more reason she wanted to see Chris Hobbs receive the maximum punishment.

 

The time had finely come for one and all to hear the verdict, as Judge Dixon entered the courtroom, and took his seat.  The room was filled with an undeniable tension.  Judge Dixon cleared his throat and began giving his decision.

 

“This has been a very difficult case to decide.  On the one hand, we have an older successful businessman who, through no fault of his own, became the victim of an uncontrolled burst of rage that never should have happened.  The fact that it was fueled by a combination of alcohol and provocation really is no excuse, although it does explain why it happened.”

 

Brian and his supporters felt a chill.  They were already sensing what the judge’s words were leading up to.

 

“On the other hand, we have a young man with his whole future lying brightly in front of him, who allowed said provocation to overcome his better judgement and perpetrated a violent act that has to be punished.  He is already suffering a degree of punishment by losing his chance at a college scholarship, which will impact the rest of his life.  I do not believe the Defendant had any intention of causing death at the time of the incident.  Thus, I do find the Defendant guilty of Assault in the First Degree.  In addition to time served, the Defendant is given three years, to be suspended barring any further acts of violence in the future.  He is also given three hundred hours of community service.  Court is dismissed.”

 

Judge Dixon hurried away from the growing sound of anger and confusion he left behind him.  Debbie could be heard crying angry tears while being comforted by those around her.  Brian sat numb, but not at all surprised.  Hobbs left the courtroom in a hurry, surrounded by friends and family who were feeling both relieved and joyous.  As he stepped towards the doors leading into the hallway, he couldn’t help noticing his old nemesis, Justin, sitting at the very back of the courtroom.  For one brief moment, a look of pure white-hot hatred passed between them before Hobbs was rushed out the doors.  Justin had felt many emotions throughout his young life, but nothing comparable to what filled his mind and body now.  Nothing in life made sense anymore.  Maybe nothing ever would again.

 

 

To be continued……………..  

Brian shrugged off the hand Michael laid on his shoulder.  He didn’t want to hurt his best friend’s feelings, but he was getting a little irritated at the way Mikey was always hovering over him whenever they were together.  This was only the third time, since leaving the hospital that Brian wanted to visit his favorite old haunt, Babylon.  The first couple of times he tried to visit the dance club, it had disturbed him when he unexpectedly felt freaked out by the large crowds and noise.  It was so out of character for him.  Normally he basked in all the attention he received at Babylon, but this time was different.  Many of the men crowded around him, asking all sorts of invasive questions about the bashing, making him feel like a freak on display.  Tonight, he called on his favorite companions to join him at Babylon, because Brian had no intention of letting that miserable verdict at Hobbs’ trial keep him from getting back to his old life.

 

Brian literally could not remember the last time he had fucked a trick.  He was determined to find a good candidate for a hot session tonight, but it didn’t help having Michael hanging on to him, as if to protect him from harm.  He sure as Hell didn’t need a cock-blocker or bodyguard either. 

 

“Damn it, Mikey, I’m not a fucking invalid.  Why don’t you go and find yourself a trick all your own and leave me to my own devices?  Or are you still being faithful to the good Doc, even though you show no signs of being in a hurry to return to Oregon?”

 

“David understands that I’m needed more right here for now.  Hell, Ma has been a basket case ever since that terrible night.  I need to be here for her.  And I know you’re not an invalid.  I just don’t want to see you rush into things before you’re ready.”

 

“Thanks, Auntie Mikey, but I think I know better than anyone if I’m ready or not.  Maybe I’m not quite ready to hear about all the things I’ve forgotten during this last year, but I am ready to get back to normal.  Now, I’m going into the backroom and see what I can scare up.  I’ll see you later.”

 

With that, Brian stepped away from Michael and made his way through the dancing throng, heading for the back-room.  After Brian’s reaction from his first couple of visits, the Babylon regulars got the hint and let him pass without disturbing his progress. Michael was smart enough to hang back, waiting for Emmett and Ted to come off the dance floor.  Ted was still trying to get over his break-up with Blake, by dancing with anyone who would ask him, and Emmett was simply being Emmett.  Meanwhile, Brian stepped through the door to the backroom and moved past the bodies lining the walls, or stretched out on couches.  Everyone was either already engaged in one sex act or another, or they were obviously on the lookout for the best hook-up.  It felt familiar, yet strangely discomforting for Brian.  There was no way, however, that he was going to let this foreign feeling distract him from his goal. 

 

Brian finally found an empty spot along the wall and rested his back against it.  It only took a few seconds for a tall well-built young man in his mid to late twenties to approach him.  The stranger had dark curly hair and was clean-shaven except for a neatly trimmed moustache.  He was approximately the same height as Brian with an olive complexion.   The trick stepped up to Brian and leaned forward, both hands on either side of Brian’s head.  He started to move forward, aiming for Brian’s mouth.  Instinctively Brian twisted his head, avoiding connection.  He didn’t stop right then to wonder why he had done that.  He had never had a problem with kissing before.  His trick got the message and pulled back.  This time he reached down for Brian’s belt and loosened it.  He then went to work unzipping Brian’s pants.  Brian’s head fell back against the wall and he closed his eyes tightly.

 

For the next six or seven minutes, Brian let himself enjoy all the sexual feelings he had been missing for so long.  The guy was moving rather quickly, so Brian found himself peaking in no time.  Just as he felt his release tipping on the edge, Brian opened his eyes and looked down at the head bobbing below him.  The image startled Brian so badly that he found himself jerking away from the hungry mouth engulfing him.  That, in turn, startled his trick. 

 

“What the fuck?” he asked with swollen lips.  “Did I do something wrong?”

 

Brian hurriedly tucked himself back into his pants and zipped up.

 

“Look, forget it.”  He paused.  “Just try covering your teeth a little better next time,” he growled.

 

Brian quickly moved off to the exit from the backroom, never looking back to see the confusion, along with a great deal of irritation, on the poor man’s face.  It was only when he was safely back in the cavernous dance club, did Brian stop to analyze what had just happened.  It had to be a trick of the eye, he told himself… probably just the lighting, or lack thereof, in the room.  Yet he still couldn’t banish the image of a fair-haired, light-skinned, totally clean-shaven young man from his brain.  Brian’s head began to ache again.  That kept on happening lately, and he was getting mighty tired of it.  This headache was enough for him to call it a day.  He’d find his friends and see if they were ready to leave.  If not, he’d leave on his own.  He wanted to get back to his loft.  Somehow he always felt more grounded there than anywhere else.

 

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

 

Jennifer Taylor felt such enormous relief.  She wasn’t certain how Justin would react, when she told him about the letter she received in the mail only days after the trial for Chris Hobbs had ended.  Justin had already returned to Maine, but she prayed the letter would bring him back.  Jennifer hoped so with all her heart.  She really didn’t believe that her beloved son would ever heal from his broken heart and feelings of guilt, by staying away.  The letter was from PIFA, an acclaimed college for the Fine Arts.  With everything that transpired since the night of the Prom, Justin had obviously forgotten how they had put in an application for a scholarship to the Institute before his graduation.  It had slipped her mind too.  Yet here it was; the welcome letter informing Justin that he was being accepted, starting with the new Semester. 

 

The letter had been addressed to Justin, but Jennifer took it upon herself to open it.  If it was a rejection, she had no intention of bringing it up, unless Justin asked about it.  However, an acceptance was a different matter entirely.  Once she caught her breath and felt she was calm enough, she placed a call to her sister’s house.  When she first gave Justin the good news, there was a lot of dead air on the phone.  She could almost see the wheels turning in his head.  He had wanted to attend the school for as long as she could remember.  They had never mentioned it to Craig, Justin’s dad, because they both knew he wouldn’t approve.  They also knew that a scholarship would be the only way he could attend, because Craig would never shell out the money for it, especially after she filed for divorce.  Craig went out of his way to blame Justin for the failure of his marriage, failing to take any personal responsibility for its demise at all.  She was certain, when Justin hesitated to be excited about winning the scholarship, it had everything to do with Brian.  Finally, after an agonizing minute passed, Justin responded to her news. 

 

“When do they need an answer, Mom?” he asked.

 

“Right away, Justin, but surely there is no question about your accepting it!  This is what you have been dreaming of.  You are going to be a great artist someday; you already have natural talent.  All you need is professional training and there will be no stopping you.”

 

“I know, Mom, but….”

 

“There are no buts, Justin.  Do you really think that Brian, if he still remembered you, would be happy at you passing up this life changing offer?  And what if all his memories of you do return?  How do you think he would react, after finding out that you didn’t have the courage to come back home and take on this challenge, despite your fears?  Damn it, Justin, Pittsburgh isn’t a tiny little hamlet where you would have no choice but to run into people you know.”

 

“I know, but…”

 

“No buts about it.  You come back home and live your life the way that Brian would want you to.  And if you’re lucky, he’ll capture all the memories that were stolen from him.  Then you two can work out your feelings of guilt, which I’ve said before and will say again, are bullshit!  Pardon my French!”

 

Jennifer heard a terse laugh at the other end of the phone.

 

“All right, all right, Mom.  I get your point.  You don’t have to drive it home with a sledgehammer.  And you are right.  I’d be a fool to pass up this chance, and Brian Kinney doesn’t do fools.  I’ll get a flight out tomorrow and see you then.  I miss you and Molly anyway.”

 

“And Debbie, and the others?”

 

“Of course I miss them too, but this doesn’t change anything where they are all concerned.  We’ll talk about it more when I get home.  And Mom, I love you.  Thanks for being there for me.”

 

“I love you too, Justin.”

 

Jennifer hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief.  Maybe this would be the first step towards getting her old Justin back. 

 

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

 

Brian reached out for the body lying on the bed beside him.  He pulled the man closer to him, buried his face in hair that smelled so sweet, and yet was totally masculine at the same time.  He felt his manhood expanding like a new flower bud, just awakening with the first Spring rain.  He could feel the taut youthful skin of his companion, as his fingers began exploring the delicious body in his arms.  He reached down and felt how excited his partner was clearly feeling at his touch.  Brian’s hunger for his companion grew with each passing second… with kisses that deepened more with each new kiss.  The young man turned over onto his stomach, raising his ass high in the air.  “Fuck me, fuck me now,” Brian heard his companion tell him.  He needed no further encouragement.  Brian pushed himself deep inside the stranger.  He had no idea who the man was, because his face was deep in shadow throughout their foreplay.  Now his face was half buried in the pillow.  Just as Brian was about to reach his climax, the stranger twisted his head and stared straight up into Brian’s eyes.  Brian gasped, shot his load, and pulled away abruptly.  He had seen those light blue eyes before, somewhere.  The young man smiled at him in a way that made Brian’s heart skip a beat.  He closed his eyes tightly, his heart racing so fast he thought he would faint.  And then blackness overcame him.

 

It was at that moment that Brian awakened.  He was lying alone in his big bed.  There was a damp spot on the sheet around his groin area.  He was perplexed.  He hadn’t had a wet dream since his teens.  But what puzzled him the most was a lingering feeling that he wanted… no, needed… to remember the details of a dream he knew he had just had.  But he couldn’t do it.  Whatever had startled him enough to wake him from a deep sleep, it was gone like morning fog on a sizzling hot Summer day.  Brian grabbed some tissues from his side table.  He wiped himself and his sheet clean, tossed the soiled tissues in the trash, and then settled back into his bed.  He hoped the dream would return, and he would remember it this time when he woke up.  All he could do, was hope.

 

 

To be continued……

Justin hurried down the hallway on his way to class.  He had been home for a little over a month and was just beginning to feel more like his old self.  He still had his dark moments… more like dark days on occasion, but he was learning to accept the darkness and move past it as best he could.  He made it a point to avoid Brian’s crowd at first, but Jennifer made sure that everyone knew he was back in town to attend the Art Institute.  They decided that if ‘Justin wouldn’t come to the mountain, the mountain would come to him’, so to speak.  Giving in to Jennifer’s advice, they decided not to come all at the same time.  She made it clear that this might be too intimidating or overwhelming for her son if they came en masse.  In a very real way, he felt he had lost everything he had, or might have had with Brian for good.  The pain of that, combined with his continued feelings of guilt, were still too raw.  Being in the company of everyone at the same time, who shared in his last year with Brian, might prove too much to handle. 

 

Debbie was elected to pay the first visit.  Her connection to Justin was more than just about Brian.  She had not only treated him like a son, but actually did think of him as one too.  By the time she left Jennifer’s house, the two made headway in re-establishing their close bond.  Justin had to admit that he missed her brash, yet totally honest ways.  They agreed to meet occasionally, as long as it wasn’t somewhere they were bound to run into Brian.  Justin declared that he simply wasn’t ready to face Brian yet.  Despite Debbie’s insistence that she knew Brian didn’t blame Justin for what happened to him, even without understanding who he was to him, Justin couldn’t get past his feelings of guilt.  The sheer fact that Justin said he wasn’t ready ‘yet’, rather than stating he ‘never’ wanted to run into Brian, gave Debbie a glimmer of hope.  She left somewhat satisfied with the outcome of their first get-together, since talking at the courthouse.

 

Over the next week or so, others came to visit Justin at his mother’s house.  First Emmett and Ted arrived.  Justin found himself thoroughly enjoying spending the time with the two men he had come to love as benevolent ‘Dutch Uncles’.  It didn’t hurt that neither man tried to impose their opinions on how Justin should handle his future, with or without Brian in it.  They kept the tone of their visit light, just as it usually was before the bashing.  Next came Mel and Lindsay, bringing baby Gus with them.  Justin felt such a warm tug in his heart when seeing little Gus.  He’d never forget his role in naming the baby.  It brought out a moment of pride in him.  The girls only talked about how Gus was growing, then asked questions about Justin’s schooling.  The fact that they cared so much about him, helped Justin to shake off a tiny bit of the depression that hung over him like an ominous dark cloud before a storm hits. 

 

Their visits, and the way they treated him, helped Justin to begin classes at PIFA with a bit more optimism for the future.  On this day, Justin was experiencing an excitement that had been ripped away from him the night of his Prom.  The only thing that would have made it better would be in having the old Brian, memory intact and unharmed, to share that feeling with him.  As often happened, Brian was at the forefront of Justin’s thoughts as he made his way towards his first class of the day.  He suddenly slowed when he heard music coming from the open door of the room next to his.  There was something so haunting about the sounds pouring from the room.  It was a violin, which had never been one of Justin’s favorite instruments.  However, the piece that was being played fit Justin’s mood to a tee.  It seemed almost melancholy, yet with a hint of comforting anticipation in it.  Justin stopped, then moved towards the door.  He had to see who was playing with so much feeling.

 

A peek inside the room revealed the slender form of a young man who appeared to be around Justin’s age.  He was dark where Justin was light.  He held his violin as if making love to it.  His eyes were closed as he swayed to the music he was creating.  Justin felt drawn to the young man’s creativity.  Without thinking, he took a few steps into the room, caught up in the sounds being produced.  Then, suddenly, the music came to an abrupt stop when the young man opened his eyes and saw that he had an audience.  He didn’t look surprised to see Justin standing there, just the opposite.  He seemed pleased to have someone watching him.

 

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to interrupt you while you were practicing,” Justin apologized.  “I just had to find out where that beautiful sound was coming from.”

 

“So you think my music is beautiful?” the young man asked.

 

“Yes, yes I do.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard that piece before.”

 

“You haven’t.  It’s my own composition.  My name’s Ethan Gold.  So, what’s yours?”

 

“Justin… Justin Taylor.” 

 

“Well Justin Taylor, are you also a student here, or are you just visiting?”

 

“Yes, I’m a student too.  As a matter of fact, I’m now late to my class, which is right next door, thanks to you.”

 

“Next door, huh?  So, you’re an artist?”

 

“I like to think I am.”

 

“Do you do portraits?  I’d love to have you do mine.”

 

All of a sudden it dawned on Justin that the stranger, this Ethan Gold, might be flirting with him.  He liked the feeling that he was attractive to someone again, even if it wasn’t the one person he really wanted to find him attractive.  Brian popped up in Justin’s thoughts again, as he did so many times, even when Justin tried hard not to think of him.  His thoughts were interrupted by Ethan.

 

“I asked if you would like to draw me; that is if you are into doing portraits.  I have my first CD coming out soon, and I could always use your sketch on the label.  I could even pay you for it.”

 

Justin was taken aback.  He hadn’t drawn any portraits of anyone since doing Brian’s.  No one else ever inspired him the way Brian always had.  He wasn’t so sure he wanted to draw anyone else.  Yet the thought did intrigue him.  Plus, it might be nice to finally make a little money from his work. 

 

“How do you know you’ll like my work well enough to pay me?”

 

“I have a feeling I’d like anything you drew, Justin Taylor.”

 

There it was again.  Ethan Gold was definitely flirting with him.  Before he could follow through on that thought, it dawned on him that he was going to be really late for class if he continued chatting with the violinist. 

 

“Oh damn!  I’m going to get in a lot of trouble if I don’t get to class.  And you probably want to get back to your practicing.”

 

“Then you’d better get going.  I’m sure we’ll see each other again.  And maybe you can give me an answer to my proposal then.”

 

Justin turned on his heel and started to leave, throwing out an agreement to meet again over his shoulder.  He missed seeing the amused look on Ethan’s face.  He had no way of knowing that Ethan Gold was a man who loved the pursuit of new romantic adventures, nor that he was fairly certain he’d just found his next conquest.

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

 

It had taken Brian a long time after leaving the hospital to feel prepared to learn about his missing year.  Before the trial, he only wanted to be told about the people he knew and cared about.  Mel and Linds brought baby Gus for a visit several times.  They surprised him by bringing up how he had become quite fond of his son after his birth, and actually spent quite a bit of time with him.  They even mentioned how he had refused, at first, to sign over his parental rights to Mel.  This felt strange at first, because Brian clearly remembered having no intentions of being involved in the baby’s life, once it arrived.  He was also surprised to learn where his son’s name came from.  However, he wasn’t quite ready to talk about anything to do with Justin Taylor yet.   He told everyone that Justin was a puzzle he wasn’t prepared to put together for the time being.  He wanted to work on learning more about the ones he already knew, and how the previous year had been for them first.

 

Michael was naturally the first to spend time with Brian, and give him the scoop on what his life had been like during the previous year.  His number one topic was all about his relationship with Dr. Dave.  Michael didn’t bother to hide the fact that Brian wasn’t too keen on the good doctor.  When he described some of the meetings the two men had, Brian was happy to hear something that sounded right in character for him.  He made a mental note to learn more about Dr. Dave from the others, in order to get an unbiased picture of why he objected to Michael’s relationship with the man.  Michael also avoided telling Brian about their temporary estrangement, which came about when Brian outed him to a co-worker at the thirtieth birthday party he threw for him.  He had no intention of letting Brian know that there was a time he was so mad at him that he shut Brian out of his life completely.  He did tell Brian about the support he gave him when Brian’s co-worker, Kip, tried to sue him for sexual harassment on the job.  When Brian asked Michael what happened to that case, he was happy to hear that the suit was dropped suddenly and mysteriously.  It appeared that no one had a clue as to why Kip changed his mind, then disappeared from sight.  It didn’t really matter in the end, because Brian knew he would never force himself on anyone, especially at work.

 

A visit from Debbie and Vic was very enlightening.  She was the one to tell him the details of his father’s death, and how the two men had come to a tenuous understanding when the old man found out that Brian made him a grandfather.  She pulled no punches when explaining how the animosity between Brian and his mother had intensified after Jack’s death, which explained why she never bothered to check on her son’s progress after the bashing.  She tried to insert some information about his relationship with Justin, but Brian wasn’t quite ready to hear those stories.  She wisely dropped it.

 

Brian was happy to get a visit from both Emmett and Ted at the same time.  It seemed the two of them were inseparable, more often than not.  That felt very familiar to Brian.  What didn’t feel right was learning of the things that had happened to them during the missing year.  When told about Ted’s brush with death from an overdose of drugs, Brian was surprised.  Although Ted was the oldest member of their little ‘family’, Brian knew he could be very naïve and a bit needy, but also not into overdoing anything.  When he heard just how the overdose occurred, it made more sense.  Then he was told about discovering how Ted had named him the executor of his living will.  His reaction to this news was no less incredulous than it had been when heard it for the first time.  Brian breathed a sigh of relief that Ted survived the ordeal.  However, he wasn’t too happy to hear that Ted had continued in his relationship with the young man, who almost got him killed, until the very day that Brian was bashed.  His surprise over Ted’s misadventures was nothing compared to the shock of hearing about Emmett’s attempt at conversion therapy, after a scare with a possible HIV positive diagnosis.  The last person he would have tapped for such a ridiculous situation was Emmett.  All the things he learned, including about Lindsay and Mel’s temporary split, along with Linds actually considering marrying a Frenchman so he could stay in America during this period, was enough to make Brian finally ready to learn all of the elements of his life during the previous year.  This included learning more about the young man, who had somehow become an integral part of his life during that year.

 

His fading reluctance to deal with the stranger, Justin, vanished completely after seeing him in the courtroom.  Brian’s curiosity was piqued at that time, and was then reinforced with the eerie feeling that Justin was a part of his dreams that he could never fully recall upon awakening.  By the time Brian was resolved to face Justin, it was too late.  The young man had left town for the second time.  It left Brian frustrated, but then he heard through the grapevine that Justin was returning to town to attend the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts.  Lindsay had already told him that Justin was a talented artist, which she enjoyed encouraging.  She also told him of sketches Justin created, which he showed them, including several of Brian.  Brian saw none of those sketches, being unaware that Michael had removed any he found at the loft before Brian came home.  Brian decided to give Justin a little time to adjust to school, remembering his own hectic first year of college.  Then he determined he would pay a visit to the school and seek Justin out.  It was time to get some answers directly from the young man himself; in particular, he wanted to learn why Justin kept away from him, if they really had once had such a close bond.

 

 

To be continued………

Justin sat across from the fellow student he had met only a week before, and tried not to show how nervous he was.  This was their second meeting outside of the school grounds.  The first time followed an invitation for Justin to visit Ethan at his apartment, supposedly just to discuss a sketch Ethan wanted of himself for a CD cover.  Justin was intrigued by the idea of having his work professionally utilized.  It would be his first venture into a profitable artistic future.  The apartment was a small single room with a tiny bathroom, along with a compact kitchenette in one corner.  The only thing prominent in the room was a large king-sized mattress on the floor.  It was set up with a short loveseat on one side, and a folding table with two chairs on the other.  Nothing looked new or particularly valuable.  Justin felt certain that Ethan was living on a shoestring budget.

 

The meeting at Ethan’s apartment was successful in one way.  The two young men agreed on a reasonable price for a sketch of Ethan, then Justin was prepared to leave.  That’s when things got a little sticky.  What had started out as a strong suspicion that Ethan was flirting with him, turned into full-blown knowledge that this was exactly what the violinist was doing.  As Justin was turning to depart, Ethan took hold of his arm, stopping him from leaving.  Justin turned back, a puzzled look on his face.

 

“What’s up?  Did we forget something?” he asked.

 

“No.  I think we’ve covered everything… everything involving business, that is.  I thought you might like to stay for dinner.  I make a mean spaghetti and meatballs, if I do say so myself.”

 

There was something in the way Ethan spoke that told Justin more than what was being said.  He suspected that Ethan would like nothing more than to make Justin his after-dinner dessert.  Once again, Justin felt a brief moment of satisfaction at being wanted by someone, as he had when first meeting Ethan.  But as before, Justin also became aware of feeling like this was somehow a betrayal of Brian.  He mentally kicked himself.  It was his own choice to step out of Brian’s life completely.  He didn’t have the right anymore to feel anything concerning Brian, let alone betrayal, for the man who didn’t even ‘know’ him.  But the feeling was there, nonetheless.  He simply wasn’t ready for any connection to another man yet.  He didn’t know if he ever would be.

 

“I… uh, well, I wish I could.  I mean, it sounds inviting, but I promised to have dinner with some friends,” he lied.  “Maybe another time,” he added, seeing the disappointment on Ethan’s face.

 

Before Justin left they agreed on the second meeting, in order for Justin to begin his sketch.  And now here he was, alone again in Ethan’s apartment.  He sat at the small table with his sketch pad and pencil in hand.  Ethan sat on the second chair with his violin propped against his chin, bow in hand and fingers placed strategically on the strings.  The pose began bothering Justin.  Ethan looked more like a lifeless statue than the passionate music maker he had witnessed at their first meeting. There was simply no inspiration to create with what Justin saw in front of him.

 

“Ethan, I can’t capture the true you, if you just sit there like a lump on a log.  I need for you to play for me… you know, like you were doing the day we met.”

 

“Do you want me to play the same song I did then?”

 

“Yes!  That would be perfect.  You are a different person when you are playing that piece,” Justin answered.

 

Ethan winked at Justin, got up from his seat and stepped up onto his mattress.  He closed his eyes tightly and began playing his personal composition again.  Within seconds, Justin could see a joy flooding Ethan’s body.  His movements had magic in them as the music flowed from his fingers.  Justin began sketching.  This was the musical artist that had first captured Justin’s attention.  Justin’s fingers moved rapidly as he sketched each line of the face and figure he saw before him.  He was nearly finished, when he looked up once more towards Ethan’s face to check on the features one last time.  He was startled to see that Ethan’s eyes were wide open and staring straight at him.  The music was still flowing, but it felt as if Ethan was also talking to him with his eyes.  The feeling caused Justin to feel uneasy all over again.

 

Justin quickly looked back down at his sketch.  Yes, he decided, he had all he needed.  The only thing left to do was take it back home and work on perfecting the rough draft.   He flipped the cover over his sketchpad, and started to slide it into the case he used for carrying his art supplies.

 

“I think I have what I need to complete your drawing,” he informed Ethan, still not looking the violinist in the eye.

 

“Are you sure?  I could stand here and play for as long as it takes”

 

“No, really, I’m finished.  I’ll take the sketch back home and give it the finishing touches needed.”  Justin stood up, preparing to leave.

 

“Do you really have to hurry off?  I’m still prepared to fix that spaghetti dinner I promised you.  It would be my way of thanking you for taking on this job for me.”

 

Justin hesitated.  He didn’t really need to hurry off.  He had nowhere special that he needed to be.  Yet there was still that nagging feeling that he would be somehow disloyal to Brian if he accepted the invitation to spend personal time with Ethan.  He knew it sounded ridiculous.  Even the Brian he knew and loved before the bashing would probably not object to Justin spending time with another man.  After all, he had told Justin often enough that he didn’t do boyfriends, and they were both free to have sex with anyone else, if they wanted to.  Justin mentally shook his head at the thought.  What was wrong with him?  It isn’t as if Ethan had invited him to fuck.  It was only dinner.  But, that didn’t seem to matter.  Justin simply wasn’t ready for any kind of involvement with another man.  Not yet.  He quickly made his apologies, promised to have the completed drawing ready ASAP, and left.

 

Outside Ethan’s closed door, Justin leaned against the wall and tried to steady his nerves.  He couldn’t go on like this… feeling like shit just because someone was obviously attracted to him, and that someone wasn’t Brian.  Thinking of Brian brought the now familiar feeling of loss he kept feeling so often since the day Brian came out of his coma.  And with that, came the even stronger urge to see Brian again… if only for a minute.  But no, he couldn’t give in to that.  He owed it to Brian to leave him alone.  He must never forget all the pain he brought the man he loved… never!

 

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

 

Brian had first thought about paying a visit to Justin Taylor at his mother’s house.  But after some consideration, he changed his mind.  He was aware that he was supposed to be quite familiar with Jennifer Taylor, but he could only remember seeing her that one time at the courthouse.  They hadn’t spoken at all.  The thought of ‘meeting’ both her and Justin at the same time was a little too much for Brian to feel comfortable with.  He felt that meeting Justin ‘for the first time’ should be on a more neutral ground… a place such as Justin’s school.  Debbie already gave him Justin’s class schedule, which she obtained from Jennifer.  He would wait for Justin to come out from his last class of the day.  Hopefully, the young man would agree to go for coffee somewhere they could talk.  And if nothing else, Brian knew he could always make a fast retreat if their meeting didn’t go over very well.

 

It was for this reason that Brian was now sitting on a bench, not far from the front doors to the building that Justin’s last class was in.  He tried not to be too fidgety, but he couldn’t help himself.  Once again, he felt confused by his own reaction while waiting for Justin to come out.  The thought crossed his mind that he was acting like a stupid schoolboy, waiting for a secret crush to appear.  That was so out of character for him that it could only be described as ludicrous.  Then again, the feeling made Brian even more curious about the young man.  What was this strange hold that Justin seemed to have over his emotions?  Brian knew he was finally ready to find out, so he could move on.  He just wanted his old life back… the one where he didn’t give a shit about anything or anyone, except for a very select few he’d known for years who were just like family.  Besides that, he was getting tired of having his dreams invaded far too often.  It was always in a disturbing way that he couldn’t grasp once awake.  Intuition told him that Justin had something to do with that too.

 

As he sat, trying to imagine how his meeting with Justin would work out, he watched students of all ages entering and leaving the building.  Not one had the face he was looking for.  Brian was about to give up and leave his spot on the bench when the door opened again, and he finally spotted Justin stepping out of the building.  He stood up and started to move forward to intercept the young man before he got away.  That’s when he realized that Justin was not alone.  He was walking beside another young man, who had his arm flung around Justin’s shoulder as they walked with their heads close together.  They were looking down at something Justin was holding in his hands.  Once outside, they came to an abrupt halt.  The other man released his hold on Justin, and the two faced each other.  The other man kept pointing to the thing in Justin’s hand as the two talked animatedly about something.  Brian was too far away to hear what was being said.

 

Suddenly the other young man slapped Justin on his arm, while letting out a loud laugh.  Brian saw Justin return the laugh with a big smile.  Whatever they had been talking about obviously pleased them both.  It happened again.  Brian felt the odd sensation that he could not remember ever feeling before his bashing.  If he hadn’t known better, he would call it a moment of jealousy.  What was wrong with him?  Why should he care if Justin gave such a bright smile to someone who, for all Brian knew, just might be an old friend he had known for years?  Whatever was causing this troublesome feeling in him, Brian no longer felt prepared for a confrontation with Justin.  He was about to turn away towards the parking lot on the side of the building when he heard his name called.  He turned back around.  Justin stood a little distance away with a look of utter surprise on his face.  For a moment the two men just stood there, staring each other down.  Justin was the first to move.  He hurried over to where Brian stood, leaving a bewildered Ethan behind.

 

“Brian!” Justin breathed.  “What… I mean, why are you here?  I thought at first that I was just imagining it was you.  But here you are.”

 

“Yes, here I am.  Look, I’m sorry.  I know I’m supposed to know you quite well, but… well, I know who you are, of course.  I did see you at the trial for that asshole, Chris Hobbs, but I… I just can’t remember anything about you.”

 

“Don’t apologize.”  Justin sounded distressed.  “It’s not your fault.  If anything, it’s my fault.  If you hadn’t attended the dance after I invited you, this terrible thing that stole your memories would never have happened to you.  I would never have asked you to come if I had known that Hobbs’ hatred for me would end up hurting you.”

 

“Look, kid… I mean, Justin, the only one to blame for what happened to me was that bastard, Hobbs.  I’ve heard enough stories to know that he is simply one sick puppy, who should be put down.  The fact that he wasn’t by that idiot judge doesn’t change the facts.  But look, I didn’t come here to talk about blame or stupid shit like that.  I came so that maybe I could get to know you a little.  Apparently, everyone who cares about me thinks you were important to me and I’d like to find out why.”

 

Brian stopped, seeing the look of surprise, followed by something akin to relief, in Justin’s face.  Before Justin could say anything, Brian continued.

 

“But it looks like I may have interrupted something,” Brian pointed over at Ethan, who looked none too happy at losing Justin’s attention.

 

“Oh, that’s just a fellow student.  I was hired by him to sketch his portrait for the cover of a CD he’s making.  We were just talking about the project.  We can do that anytime.  Would you like to go somewhere that we can talk?” Justin asked, not bothering to hide his excitement.

 

“Sounds like a plan, if your friend doesn’t mind my taking you away from him.  He looks a little pissed right now.”

 

Justin looked over at Ethan.  Brian was right.  Ethan certainly did look irritated, but it didn’t matter.  Brian obviously still didn’t know who he was, but for Justin, just the fact that he wanted to get to know him was enough.  Nothing was going to stop him from trying to reconnect in some way with Brian, knowing now that Brian wanted it too.  He’d make short work of re-scheduling a time to meet with Ethan about their project, because Justin had something much more important to do now.

 

 

To be continued………….

Brian and Justin sat across from each other in the diner booth.  So many memories of similar times at the Liberty Diner flooded Justin’s consciousness.  Brian, of course, didn’t carry the weight of those memories, but it did feel comfortable being at this unfamiliar diner with Justin.  There was a part of Justin that secretly hoped Brian would suggest going to the Liberty Diner for their sit-down together, but he opted for one near the PIFA instead.  Justin realized that Brian wouldn’t recognize how much the diner meant to him during the previous year. 

 

Justin would never forget how Brian had all but ordered him to work at the diner.  He had to do it.  It was to earn money to pay back the charges made on Brian’s credit card, when he ran away to New York City after the loft was burgled, while he was staying there.  He hadn’t thought it through at the time, but did realize afterwards that he ‘borrowed’ the card in hopes that Brian would come looking for it… and him.  And that’s exactly what happened.  Justin’s time at the diner ended up being more fun than he had expected, and seeing Brian often, because it was a favorite hangout for the gang, was a huge plus.

 

Justin recalled how it was while he was working at the diner, that Brian first asked him to come over after work.  True, it was primarily because he was missing time he normally spent with Michael.  The friends had become estranged after Michael’s birthday party fiasco, but it was Justin who Brian chose to spend time with as a substitute.  He could have easily asked someone else he knew to take Michael’s place.  He also recalled how he had used his job at the diner to try and get Brian and Michael to finally talk to each other.  They were in the diner at the same time, giving orders to go.  Justin deliberately switched their orders, but the ruse failed miserably.  Thankfully it didn’t cause Brian to rescind his invitation to the loft.  And what glory he experienced during that loft visit!  The sex was mind-blowing, followed by sweet ice-cream kisses.  But best of all, Justin felt he got an even clearer picture of the real Brian… the one whose heart was much bigger than he ever let others see.  He brazenly let Brian know that he was seeing through the brick wall that surrounded his heart.  Brian seemed irritated with him at the time, but it didn’t stop further visits to the loft.

 

There were so many times that he felt connected to Brian at the diner.  There were so many small unexpected gestures.  A favorite was the one when Brian laid his head on his shoulder, and then whispered a threat to tie his balls tight if he spilled the beans about taking care of baby Gus, when Brian was supposed to be doing the job.  It felt so intimate, the little secret they shared.  Of course, no memory of being in the diner with Brian warmed his heart quite like the one that occurred after The King of Babylon contest, which he won easily.  In a moment of perversity, because Brian downplayed his win, Justin stole the trick Brian was cultivating from under his nose, with the help of his crown.  The next morning, he joined the gang at the diner. They were naturally full of questions as to how his night ended, when he left with the trick.  Brian tried to display his usual ‘I don’t really care what happened’ attitude, but the mere fact that he also asked questions revealed a lot.  As Justin answered the inquiries with provocative answers, Brian’s face gave away more than he intended.  He did care!  Justin let the poor man off the hook with his final comment, which included one of Brian’s favorite sayings about ‘seeing him in his dreams’.  Brian couldn’t help showing how pleased that made him.

 

Of course, with everything else that took place between Brian and Justin at the diner, there were moments that didn’t bring a smile.  Justin would never forget the way his heart sank when Brian announced he was planning on moving to New York City to join a different ad agency.  It had felt like the end of the world at that moment.  Luckily the new job never happened.  But then again, if he had taken the job he would never have been at the prom, or mercilessly bashed by that bastard, Hobbs.  As Justin sat across from Brian now, he could not let himself go there again.  He knew that if he had any chance of connecting with Brian for a second time, it would never happen if he kept feeling all the guilt that simmered below the surface of his conscience.  Brian told him he wasn’t to blame.  He had to hold onto that.  It was his saving grace.

 

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

 

The two men ordered their drinks and a sandwich, while offering a charming smile to their young waitress.  Her response was a slight blush to her cheeks as she hurried away to fill their orders.  She wasn’t quite sure which one she found more attractive, the tall tanned one or the shorter blond.  The truth was, she would have gladly accepted a date with either of them.  But the two men had other things on their mind, besides a cute waitress… things like how to break the ice and who would start first.  Brian quickly decided to plunge in head first.

 

“Well, Justin, I think it’s about time we talked to each other, don’t you?  I’ve had everyone I know going on and on about you, and how you ended up being important to me… which, by the way, sounds more like them playing a prank on me than the truth.  Now I would like to hear the story straight from the proverbial ‘horse’s mouth’, if you don’t mind enlightening me.”

 

“No, I don’t mind.  I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” Justin promised.  “I wouldn’t have left town without talking to you, after you came out of your coma, but I thought it was best to leave you alone, once I realized that you had no idea who I was.”  Justin took a deep breath, and then continued.  “I also have to confess that I felt guilty because of your attack.  I have no doubt I was the one who Hobbs wanted to hurt.  He only went after you because he couldn’t get to me at that time, and you were right there in his path.” 

 

Justin shuddered at the flash of memory.  Brian saw his distress and reacted.

 

“That’s water under the bridge.  We can’t go back and change what happened that night, but I do want to go back in time and learn more about you.  I want… no, I need to figure out why and what placed me at that prom.  It’s the only way I can ever understand any of it.  My friends can tell me stories, but you are the only one who knows everything about ‘us’.”

 

“So, where do you want me to begin, Brian?”

 

“Where else?  At the beginning seems appropriate.  They tell me that I saw you for the first time outside Babylon.  If I’m not mistaken, you were only seventeen then, so what brought you to Liberty Avenue instead of home doing your homework?”

 

Justin began to describe that fateful night that changed his life completely.  It changed Brian’s life too, if only he could remember it.  Brian watched the young man across from him intently, trying hard to take in all that he was hearing.  He had to confess to himself that there was something about Justin, something intriguing.  Brian couldn’t put his finger on what it was, but the more he watched Justin, the easier it got to believe that he actually did approach him outside the club, even if Justin wasn’t his usual type of conquest.  Just as Brian was beginning to understand why he was attracted to him that night, Justin said something which broke the spell.  He began to tell Brian about the aftermath of their initial meeting, and what happened at the loft.  The first part of his story, concerning the seduction, sounded totally plausible.  He was taken aback to hear how he had told the story about his own first time with a gym teacher to Justin, who was a virtual stranger.  But it was the second half of their night together, which happened after discovering that Lindsay was at the hospital giving birth to his son, that Brian found hard to fathom.

 

Brian already knew what occurred at the hospital, thanks to stories told by Lindsay and Michael.  They confirmed that it was Justin who suggested that Gus, rather than Abraham, would be a good name for the newborn, which he then agreed to.   Michael had also informed him of why Justin was at the hospital in the first place, and how he couldn’t go home because his parents had no idea that he wasn’t staying with a friend.  Those incidents were only confirmed by what Justin was now telling him.  What the others could not impart, and only Justin knew about, was what happened once they returned to the loft a second time.  Brian wasn’t surprised to learn that he was higher than a kite on Ecstasy by this time.  Nor was he surprised by how far his seduction of Justin went, in spite of him knowing Justin was a virgin and only seventeen.  What did surprise the hell out of him was what Justin then told him, in an attempt to explain why he wanted to be with Brian again… and again… and again. 

 

“It was really your fault, Brian,” he started.  “I realized later on that being with me was just another fuck for you, but you said something in the height of passion during the night, which made me think it was much more than that.”

 

“And what was that?”

 

“You said you loved me.”

 

“Bullshit!” Brian almost shouted.

 

“Look, don’t get me wrong,” Justin hurried on.  “I know you were out of it, and couldn’t remember much of what happened in the morning, but I know what I heard.  It wasn’t my imagination.”

 

Brian started to interrupt him, but was quickly stopped.

 

“Don’t worry, I know it was the drugs talking… at least I figured that out later on.  But at the time it seemed so real, and it made me feel special.  I wanted that feeling back again, so that’s why I kept inserting myself into your life, despite all your rejections.”

 

“Rejections?”

 

“Oh yes, Brian, you were very direct in your attempts to dissuade me from pursuing you.  The one thing you came to learn about me was that I’m very stubborn when I believe in something… or in someone.  And I believed in you.”  Justin looked Brian straight in the eyes.  “I still do!” he added.

 

Brian felt that odd feeling creeping into his heart again.  It was something he couldn’t recall ever feeling around anyone else before now, but it kept happening with Justin.  He couldn’t give it a name, because it was foreign to the pre-attack Brian.  Yet it wasn’t altogether unpleasant, although it felt a little unnerving.  The one thing that Brian was increasingly sure of now, especially after spending this time listening to Justin and observing him, was that this young man was not a typical know-it-all, snot-nosed teenager.  He was obviously pretty sure of himself, but not in a cocky way.  Brian was beginning to like this kid.  He decided then and there that he did want to get to know Justin Taylor better.  And maybe, just maybe, getting to know him better, in more ways than one, might possibly resurrect all his lost memories of the previous year.  Hearing tales of the events that happened during that time was one thing, but Brian wanted to feel them as being real.  Justin might be the key to the whole thing. 

 

“I’ll tell you what, Justin, it’s getting a little late and I have some things I need to get done.  But I do want to hear more.  Are you up for another visit together?  And now that I think about it, maybe it would be a good idea if we meet somewhere that is familiar to both of us… somewhere that is connected to my memories of you.  That might help me to recover some of what I’ve forgotten.  So, what do you say?”

 

Justin felt a tingling throughout his body, almost like an electric shock.  He hadn’t expected Brian to be so kind to him after learning why he had been attacked.  But here he was, not only wanting to get to know more about him, but also wanting to see him in places that mattered to both of them.  The thought of it was both exciting and frightening.  How could he deal with it if Brian became bored with his stories and asked him to go away, like he did in the beginning of their relationship?  Justin knew he could never pursue Brian a second time the way he did back then… not with knowing how it ended up.  But then again, how could he not take the chance of getting the old Brian… the one who truly cared about him more than a little… back again?  Justin only hesitated a few seconds.  He knew it was worth the risk.

 

“I’d like that,” Justin answered.  “Just call me whenever you want to meet and tell me where and when.  I’ll be there.  You probably still have my number in the contact list on your phone.”

 

Surprisingly, Brian hadn’t bothered to check that out before now.  He had a lot of numbers, mostly business contacts, in his list and hadn’t needed it for a while.  He pulled out his cell and checked.  Sure enough, there was a number listed for Justin Taylor.  He smiled at Justin.

 

“Got it,” he told him.  “You’ll hear from me soon.”

 

Brian got up from the booth, setting some cash on the table to pay the bill.  He gave Justin a smile, which was happily returned.  As he turned to leave, Justin said, “Later.”  Brian instinctively answered, “Later.”  He didn’t see the tears that welled up in Justin’s eyes as he walked away.  He had no way of knowing what that one word meant, or what happened when they last said it to each other.

 

 

To be continued…….

More than a week passed since the get-together with Brian at a diner, and Justin was feeling the stress of waiting for an expected call from him.  Justin had gotten the impression that Brian was now eager to spend more time with him, yet no call came.  The nights became a torture, almost as bad as when Brian was in the hospital.  Each day, Justin lived in hope that the call would come.  Each night, he went to bed knowing it hadn’t.  Maybe Brian had changed his mind.  Maybe he had heard enough already and didn’t need, or want, to hear more.  Justin continued to attend his classes at school, but his mind was hardly on his lessons.

 

Justin’s mind was also not on Ethan Gold, although the guy was not getting the hint.  Justin had finished up the last touches on the portrait of Ethan for his CD cover during the previous week, primarily to distract himself while waiting for that important call he longed for.  They did see each other often in school, especially with Ethan’s practice room and Justin’s classroom being next door to each other.  Despite this, Justin did his best to avoid as much contact as possible.  Every time they did meet, Ethan brazenly flirted with him, and Justin was getting tired of it.  Justin thought the problem might be solved when he turned over Ethan’s sketch and was paid for his work.  It didn’t.  Ethan kept on turning up just outside Justin’s other classes too, or occasionally outside the building at the end of the day.  Despite being turned down for every offer of a date, Ethan wasn’t ceasing his pursuit of him.  If it wasn’t for the fact that it was so annoying, Justin could almost admire Ethan’s persistence.  After all, he reasoned, wasn’t that the way he was with Brian in the beginning of their relationship? 

 

There it was again.  Almost everything seemed to remind him of Brian in one way or another.  Early in the week, Justin had a class where he was required to sketch a model.  The young man was almost naked and built very similarly to Brian.  His face, of course, held nothing of the beauty or the interest that Brian’s did, but he certainly had a body that held the same appeal.  Justin was immediately brought back to those times when he was able to make a sketch of Brian, usually without him being aware of it.  As far as he was concerned, drawing Brian was the same as creating the image of an ancient god.  How he longed to be able to do that again.  But there was no chance that it would happen if he never heard from Brian again.  Justin now settled into his seat in front of the easel his mother had bought for him as a gift when he started attending PIFA.  He began sketching Brian, strictly from the unforgettable memories he had of the man stark naked.  And frequently, as his hand moved across the large pad, his eyes wandered over to the cell phone on his desk.   Ring, damn you, he thought to himself.  Ring!!!

 

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

 

Brian watched Mel shuffling a stack of papers around and felt like throttling her.  His patience was wearing thin, but then again it had been for more than a week now.  He wanted to get the ball rolling on his plans to mess up Chris Hobbs’ life, the way that jerk had messed up his.  Of course, he couldn’t risk doing it in the same way it was done to him.  Unlike what happened to Hobbs, he had no doubt he’d go to prison for years if he did, but there was another way.  If he couldn’t hit him physically, he sure as hell could strike at him financially.  And who better to help him deal the blow to Hobbs than his frenemy, Mel?  When Lindsay and Mel informed him of their recent break-up, they also told him of how he was directly responsible for getting them back together.  Apparently, he had held out on giving up his parental rights to Mel after Gus was born, but later used those rights as an incentive to get them back together.  It had worked too.  Not only did they reunite, but it saved Lindsay from making a dangerous mistake by marrying a Frenchman, so that he could get his green card.  That was another story that Brian found strange hearing about, and another reason he wanted desperately to retrieve his memories.  It was becoming obvious that his missing year was a complete departure from the well-ordered life he had become accustomed to in the past.

 

Mel finally found the papers she was looking for and handed them over to Brian, telling him to check them over and see if he approved.  She had been more than happy to support Brian with his plans to sue Chris Hobbs in civil court.  She felt she owed him as much for his help with Lindsay, even though she still felt uncomfortable with their closeness.  But more than that, she too was outraged when his attacker got off with a mere slap on the wrist after such a violent and deadly attack.  She was convinced that the judge who ruled on the case was prejudiced against gays, and that infuriated her.  The only positive thing that came out of the trial was a judgment of guilty.  This alone made a civil suit an almost certainty to be won.  Even though Hobbs was young, he was an adult at the time of the incident, so a winning case could mess up his financial future for years to come.  She felt it was the least the cocksucker deserved.

 

Brian scanned the sheaf of papers.  They seemed well in order.  Mel was a damn good lawyer.  He always gave her credit for that, even when they locked horns.  Now all they needed to do was file their suit.  A little smirk lifted the corners of Brian’s mouth when he pictured the look on Hobbs’ face, after being served with the papers.  Although he couldn’t recall having been served himself when one of his fellow employees sued him for sexual harassment, he was certainly able to imagine how it must have felt.  He had learned that Mel handled that case for him too, although it never went anywhere for some unknown reason.  No one was able to tell him why it was dropped.  He figured it didn’t matter now, but he was extremely glad to hear that it had been dropped.  He knew that a suit like that could have ruined him, in both future business opportunities and financially.  With any luck, his suit against Hobbs would end in his favor too.

 

Brian thanked Mel for all her hard work and hurried away.  Now that the business of getting his suit against Hobbs was finally moving forward, he could concentrate on the other task that had been occupying all his thoughts for some time now.  That was his desire to spend some more time with Justin Taylor.  The young man kept popping up in his thoughts ever since they parted at the diner.  And for some reason he found himself beginning to wonder what was so attractive about Justin, which had once made him want to fuck him more than one time… quite a bit more than once, according to so many who were in the know.  Maybe it was time to explore those answers too.  One thing was definitely certain, it was about time he touched base with Justin and set up another meeting.

 

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

 

It was a lovely Saturday morning.  Fall colors stood out in all their colorful beauty on trees outside the dining room window.  It wouldn’t be long before the chill of Winter arrived, but today was unseasonably warm.  Justin, who had an eye for beauty in all its forms, would normally have enjoyed the scenery while digging into his hardy breakfast, but his thoughts had nothing to do with Mother Nature, or what he was eating.  It was only a couple of days short of two whole weeks since he had been with Brian, and no call had been forthcoming.  Every day was becoming more of a trial to get through while waiting for that all-important call. 

 

He had the house to himself for the moment.  His mom had taken his little sister to the mall for a shopping treat.  She had invited him to go along with them, even bribing him with a clothes shopping spree for himself if he came, but Justin wasn’t in the mood.  There was only one thing he wanted to do, but he had to wait.  Patience was never his strong suit.  He was about to take another bite of the French toast his mom made, when his cell suddenly rang.  Justin nearly jumped out of his skin.  He kept the cell right beside him no matter where he was, so it only took a split second to grab it to check who was calling.  There it was!  Brian Kinney was on the other end of the line.  Justin took a deep breath to calm his nerves.  He pressed the answer button, putting it on speaker.  He was afraid he’d drop the phone otherwise.  He was shaking.

 

“Hello,” he tried answering coolly, as if his heart wasn’t racing a hundred beats a second.

 

“Hello.  This is Brian.”

 

“Oh, I know.  I’m glad you called.”

 

“You were waiting for my call?” Brian sounded slightly amused.

 

“Well, you did say you’d call to set up a date… I mean a get-together again.”

 

Brian smiled to himself.  He could hear the eagerness in Justin’s voice, despite his obvious attempts to conceal it.  He decided to give the kid a break.

 

“I did, didn’t I?  And I’m sorry it took so long to get back to you.  I’ve had one hell of a week taking care of business, but I’m free now.  So how about that… ah, get-together?”

 

“Of course.  Just tell me where and when and I’ll be there,” Justin answered, not even trying to hide his enthusiasm any longer.

 

“Okay, but I’ve been thinking about this.  When we met, it was at a place that meant nothing to either of us.  I’m thinking that it might help jog some memories if we meet somewhere more familiar to both of us.  What are your thoughts on that?”

 

Justin’s heart skipped a beat.  Images of times spent with Brian in so many places flashed through his mind.  He wondered how he would be able to handle being in those places with Brian now, even though the times they spent there would mean nothing to him.  Yet, if Brian thought it would help him with remembering, Justin would go along with it gladly.

 

“That sounds good to me.  So where would you suggest we start?”

 

Brian didn’t hesitate.  “How about the same as we did in our first conversation… start at the beginning.  I thought we could go back to the place we spent our first time together.”

 

This time Justin’s heart seemed to stop for several heartbeats.  Was Brian actually suggesting they meet at his loft?  The thought sent tremors throughout his whole body.  Memories of his time spent at the loft were as clear and sharp as they ever were.  Knowing those memories were not shared by Brian anymore was devastating.  But if being at the loft would shake loose even one of those memories for Brian, Justin was prepared to go along with his suggestion.  Justin agreed to come to the loft.  They agreed on a time and place for Brian to pick him up, with Justin using Herculean efforts to hide his conflicting emotions.  As they hung up, they both wondered what would come of their second meeting.

 

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

 

Justin waited with bated breath, very much as he had a year earlier, for Brian to slide open the door to his loft.  Unlike the previous year, however, his anxiety had nothing to do with a fear of the unknown.  He knew what Brian had to offer.  Of course, he knew he was presuming too much.  Brian hadn’t said a single word about having sex with him.  He was probably only thinking of talking about the past, not reliving it. 

 

Justin walked in, and all the old familiar sights and smells of the loft flooded his senses.  His mind’s eye flashed countless images of the two of them together as he scanned the interior of the place.  He caught his breath and forced himself to relax.  Without being told, he strode over to the couch he had shared with Brian so many times before and settled in.  Brian watched him carefully, getting the sense that Justin felt comfortable in the loft.  Brian joined him on the couch.  He was the first to break the silence that had fallen between them as soon as Brian picked Justin up at his mother’s place.

 

“Would you like something to drink?” he asked.

 

Justin seemed startled.  He composed himself and answered.

 

“Water, yes, just some water will be fine.”

 

The moment he said it, Justin regretted it.  An image of Brian splashing water over his half naked body, not long after they entered the loft on that very first night, caused the front of his jeans to become uncomfortably tight.  His eyes instinctively drifted down to his groin to see if what was happening was obvious.  It was.  He quickly looked up and noticed that Brian’s eyes had followed his gaze.  Justin’s face turned beet-red as blood rushed to his cheeks.  Brian decided to give the poor kid a break.  He jumped up from his seat and made his way to the fridge, taking out two bottles of cold water.  He returned to the couch and handed Justin his bottle.  Justin gulped the water, praying it would cool his body down.  Brian waited a moment, then continued.

 

“Would you now like to describe what happened here on the night I picked you up?”

 

For a brief moment, Justin froze.  Then, as if a light switch had been turned on in the dark, the boy from a year ago emerged.  That Justin had been unafraid… nervous yes, but eager to become a part of a world he knew he belonged in.  Justin stood up, straightened his shoulders, and locked his eyes on Brian’s.  He stepped towards Brian, pulling his T-shirt over his head as he did.  He tossed it over to the couch. 

 

“Why don’t I show you how it went down, rather than trying to describe it?” he boldly suggested.

 

Brian, never being one to turn down such an offer from someone who looked as good as a shirtless Justin did, didn’t hesitate.  He followed suit, removing his shirt too.  Justin moved in closer, unsnapping the fly of his pants as he did.  Brian copied his movements again, then unzipped his fly.  Justin reached out and grabbed the waistband of Brian’s pants, pulling them down his long legs until they lay on the floor at Brian’s feet.  Brian stood with only his briefs on.  Justin rose from his crouched position, stopping for a split second halfway up to admire the package he saw already filling out.  Once he was face to face with Brian, he reached forward and pulled him closer, placing his lips firmly on Brian’s. 

 

Brian’s breath caught in his throat.  He found himself kissing back with an intensity he couldn’t recall ever feeling before.  He had kissed more men than he could count in the past, but somehow not one of those had ever affected him in quite the same way.  Their tongues met, and Brian felt the heat rising throughout his body.  His manhood was suddenly raging inside his underwear.  It was obvious that Justin was feeling the same thing, because Brian could feel the stiffness pressing against his thigh.  The kiss seemed to go on forever, becoming more intense with each passing second.  Justin was the first to break from it.  He pushed himself away, then proceeded to unzip his own pants in order to discard them too.  Brian’s eyes filled with hunger.  Justin’s body was slim, but perfectly formed.  There was no disguising the generous package inside his underwear either.  Justin took Brian’s hand and led him to the steps leading up to the bed.

 

“I confess that it was you who led me to this room the first time around, but I was a virgin then and had no idea what I was doing.  I needed a teacher to show me the way.  I’m not a student any longer, thanks to your excellent instructions.  This time around I’ll show you what, and how you taught me.  Maybe then you’ll understand why I found it impossible to walk away from you after that first night.”

 

And so it began… the student became the teacher.  There would be time enough for talking later on, but for now body language was all that was needed or wanted.

 

 

To be continued……

Sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the apartment, filling the open-spaced living area with blinding light.  It even penetrated into the bedroom, where two bodies lay close together on a king-sized bed.  The sound of deep steady breathing filled the room.  Finally, one eye slowly opened, then the other.  Bright blue eyes scanned the room.  Justin could hardly believe what he was seeing.  He had been afraid that he would wake in the morning to find that the night before was only a fevered dream.  But no, he was still here in Brian’s loft… in Brian’s bed… again.  Memories of the night before rushed back, causing Justin to smile broadly.  It hadn’t been a dream.  Brian had indeed made love to him all night long, with a fierce passion so reminiscent of their previous encounters, that it made his skin tingle.

 

Justin felt like weeping with joy.  However, he knew he had to wait before celebrating.  If Brian woke up with his memory intact, THEN they could celebrate together, as if none of the nightmare they suffered had happened.  If he didn’t, then Justin had no way of guessing how Brian would react to the night they just shared.  Justin questioned himself.  Should he wake Brian up, or let the exhausted man sleep a bit longer?  No, he decided, it was best to continue the patience he had learned to develop in himself.  Besides, if the news wasn’t what he wanted to hear, maybe it was a good idea to put it off.  Making his decision, Justin quietly and carefully extracted himself from Brian’s side and got out of bed.  He stood looking down at the sleeping form of his lover, his naked body revealing the stiffness of his morning woody.  It certainly wasn’t going to shrink if he continued to gaze at Brian’s beautiful body atop the sheet.  Justin hurried off to the bathroom.  What he needed was a good pee and hot shower, so that he could face whatever the morning was going to bring.

 

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

 

Brian woke to the sound of shower water running.  For a brief second, he was confused.  No one should be in his shower but him.  He seldom ever let any trick stay overnight.  Michael did occasionally after they partied at the loft, but he hadn’t seen Mikey in several days.  Then, in a blinding flash, he remembered Justin.  Yes, that was the one in his shower.  Thoughts of the previous night flooded his mind.  He couldn’t help but smile.  The kid was barely out of high school, but he was as good at sex as someone twice his age.  Brian smiled even broader when he remembered that Justin said he learned about sex from him.  “I’m a damn good teacher,” he bragged to the empty room. 

 

Images of Justin’s supple young body rushed into Brian’s head.  He no longer had any doubts as to whether he had found the young man attractive enough to fuck that first time.  Now the only question that remained was, what did Justin have that prompted him to continue with more encounters after the first night?  Brian knew that part of the story was totally out of character for him.  He had never found a single man on the planet worthy of more than one or two fucks, since his first encounter in the shower at his high school gym.  It certainly wasn’t that the trick pool was shrinking, and he now had to fixate on a single sex partner.  Brian also knew he still had what it took to capture the attention of almost any gay man in town, or anywhere else for that matter.  Hell, he had even attracted the attention of a few men claiming to be straight.  Yet, everyone who mattered insisted that Justin had become more than a one-night stand… that he had even become a part of their little family. 

 

As the questions crowded his brain, Brian heard another sound from the bathroom.  Justin was singing.  Not a bad voice, Brian thought to himself.  But it was his bathroom and his shower.  It was time for him to take back control of what was his.  Brian scooted off the bed and stepped into the bathroom.  Justin had his back to the glass-paneled stall.  He looked extremely appetizing with the water streaming over his naked shoulders,  flowing down his back and over his well-rounded buttocks.  Brian felt his cock stiffen in anticipation.  He quietly eased the door to the stall open and stepped inside.  Justin continued singing some kind of show tune, oblivious to the intruder.  Brian moved in closer, reaching out to pull Justin against him.

 

“What the fuck!” Justin yelped.

 

“I’m sorry.  Did I scare you?  This is not one of ‘those’ kinds of shower scenes,” Brian laughed.  “I didn’t think you’d mind if I took a shower in my own home.”

 

Justin blushed.  “No, of course not.  I guess I should apologize.  I had to ask permission to use your shower that first time, but you never made me ask after that.  I guess I only used your shower out of a force of habit.  I suppose I should have waited and asked again.”

 

Brian took the soap off the shelf and began soaping Justin’s neck and shoulders.

 

“No worries, Justin.  The stall is big enough for both of us.”

 

Justin turned around and faced Brian.  “I suppose you don’t remember my taking a shower that first morning I woke up in your apartment, do you?” he asked hopefully.

 

Brian hesitated, appearing to be thinking hard about it.  “No, I’m sorry,” he answered.  “Believe me, I wish I did.”

 

“I do too.”

 

“So, Justin, would you like to try and jog my memory again, like we did last “night?”

 

“Did it?”

 

“Did it, what?” Brian asked, knowing full well what Justin was referring to.

 

“Did it work?  Do you remember anything about me and our time together?”

 

Brian felt a pull on his heart.  The unbridled eagerness for a positive response was achingly clear in Justin’s voice.  He didn’t like the idea of disappointing him, but he still had no recollection of being with Justin before last night.  But, he thought to himself, if the first time was anything like what he experienced last night, he was beginning to picture why he didn’t discard the young man like he did every other pick-up in his life.

 

“I’m sorry.  It’s all still a blank.  That doesn’t mean we should stop trying.  So why don’t you tell me about the first time you took a shower here… or better yet, why don’t you show me?  I am presuming that I joined you in the shower then too.  Am I right?  I do prefer having a good shower the morning after a hot session with a trick.”

 

Justin winced at Brian’s use of the term ‘trick’.  He knew he shouldn’t be bothered by it.  After all, that was all he was that first night a year ago.  Nonetheless, it did hurt.  He refused to allow it to stop him from agreeing to Brian’s idea.  Nothing would stop him from letting Brian make love to him any time he wanted to.

 

“You’re right.  You joined me the next morning.  Actually, it was kind of amusing.”

 

“Amusing?”

 

“Yes.  I had a lot of questions about you becoming a father.  I really didn’t understand then how it could happen, but you set me straight.  I thought maybe you had sex with Lindsay, just so you could make her pregnant.  When you told me what you really did, it kind of creeped me out.  Plus, I wondered why lesbians would want a baby, but you cleared that up for me too.  See, you taught me about more than just how fantastic having sex feels.  Actually, I learned a lot about life in general from you since we first met.”

 

Again, Brian was struck by how involved he had become with Justin, at least according to what he was hearing.  But, he decided, enough talking.  It was time for another demonstration of what they shared during that historic first time together.  Brian set the soap and washcloth aside.  He grabbed Justin around the shoulders and turned him back around, pushing him up against the glass wall.  Justin was immediately struck by how familiar Brian’s actions were.  The big difference was that he was no longer a novice, needing to be guided in what to do next. 

 

Justin thrust his ass out so that Brian had access to more of it.  He spread his legs apart, knowing what Brian would do with his magnificent cock, once it was fully loaded.  Brian reached around and grabbed a handful of Justin’s manhood and began giving it eager attention.  Justin gasped when he felt Brian’s lips on the tender part of his neck, and the tiny nips being given.  His head fell back against Brian’s chest, and he let out a pleased sigh.  Brian could see that it wasn’t taking any effort at all to harden Justin like a steel rod.  His own cock was more than ready by this time too.  Brian reached for the shelf that he used to store condoms in case of emergencies.  He had them stored in every nook and cranny of the loft, never knowing for sure where he might have his next fuck. 

 

Brian released Justin just long enough to slide the condom down the long length of his erection.  The moment it was securely in place, he stepped in closer and bent Justin slightly at the waist.  Justin spread his legs a tiny bit more, reaching back to see if he could help guide Brian to his target.  Brian spit into his hand and added it to the soapy water already covering Justin’s hole.  Once he felt the tight muscles protecting Justin’s entrance loosen slightly, he slowly began pushing his manhood forward.  Unlike the first time, Justin didn’t pull away.  He knew what was coming after the initial seconds of discomfort, and he welcomed it.  Instead, he pushed his ass further onto the weapon invading him, seeking to bury it inside him.  For a second, Brian thought about how right this was feeling, as if he was at home where he lay.  Then his thoughts clouded and all he could do was feel what was happening between them.  Both men were doing nothing but feeling… feeling how incredibly wonderful this passion was.  Justin knew, as he began reaching his climax, that he had to have this feeling again, and he didn’t want it with anyone else.  Brian, strangely enough, was feeling much the same thing.  As his release surged forward, he knew he wanted to do this with Justin again.  Yes, there was something about Justin.  Brian wanted to learn more, both in and out of a sexual embrace.   Maybe then he could better understand why he almost lost his life because Justin had become a part of it.

 

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

 

Normally, Chris Hobbs would wake up on a Sunday morning and start his day with a big breakfast, cooked by his devoted mother.  Then he’d meet up with his friends to blow off some steam, after enduring another miserable day on the construction job he had to take to make some money.  He tried not to think of how he would be spending his Sundays right now, if he had been able to keep the college football scholarship he had won during his last year of high school.  Whenever he let himself go there, he would find it hard to keep control of his temper.  When his temper flared, he always got in trouble, and he couldn’t afford any more trouble in his life at this point.  Nothing made him lose his temper faster than thinking about Justin Taylor and that fuck buddy of his, Brian Kinney.  He had no real reason to hate Kinney before the attack and simply considered him collateral damage.  Taylor was the one he wanted to demolish.

 

All that changed on Saturday afternoon.  Chris was mopping up at the AIDS hospice for his mandated community service hours.  He was already in a foul mood, just having to be so close to the sick folks he considered to be mostly nothing but filthy fags.  It was a sick twist of fate that this place was the one assigned to him by the court system.  But he gritted his teeth and bared it.  He had no choice.  Then, just about lunch time, he watched a stranger approaching down the hallway.  The neatly dressed man certainly didn’t look sick.  Chris figured he was probably another homo visiting one of the patients and stepped to the side to let the man pass.  He didn’t pass.  Instead, he stopped in front of Chris.

 

“Excuse me, but is your name Christopher Hobbs?” he asked, politely.

 

“Yeah,” Chris responded, warily.

 

The man reached inside his pocket and pulled out a large envelope.  He handed it to Chris.

 

“This is for you.  You’ve been served,” he informed a shocked Hobbs.

 

Hobbs stood there with his mouth agape, staring down at the envelope in his hand.  What the fuck was that guy talking about, he wondered?  Chris carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the legal looking papers inside.  A quick glance revealed what had just happened.  That bastard, Brian Kinney, was suing him for $20,000,000.00. 

 

This was the reason he was sitting at the breakfast table on this bright Sunday morning, barely touching his food.  He was too full of hate to care about anything else.  The hate he had felt for Justin Taylor now spilled over onto Brian Kinney, and it was as strong as ever.  Not only had the two of them ruined his life by making him lose his chance at a college education and possible career in professional football, but now Kinney wanted to destroy him financially.  The situation was intolerable.  Something would have to be done about it.  Hobbs didn’t know what that could be, or when he could strike back, but he wasn’t going to go down with a whimper.  Just as Taylor had crossed a line by taunting him on Liberty Avenue, Kinney had now crossed an even more dangerous line.  If he had his way, both of those butt-fuckers would pay in some way someday. 

 

 

To be continued…………. 

Michael, Emmett, and Ted sat in their booth, bantering in their usual manner for a Sunday morning.  The diner was full of colorful patrons, none of which were dressed in church going finery.  It was not because a number of the patrons held no religious beliefs.  Many of them did, but most preferred living their beliefs over attending organized religious establishments, where some were not even welcome.  Sunday morning was normally reserved for a gathering at welcoming places like the Liberty Diner, where they could enjoy an easy camaraderie with like-minded friends.  Mikey, Em, and Ted, along with Brian, had been doing it for years now.  As they continued with their gabfest, they wondered why Brian hadn’t joined them yet.  He had fallen back into the habit of joining them at the diner on Sunday morning not long after leaving the hospital.

 

Debbie stopped at the table to check on their needs, bringing a water pitcher with her.  She almost always took the Sunday daytime shift at the diner.  She hadn’t attended church since the day the family pastor openly chastised her brother, Vic, in front of the entire congregation for his evil lifestyle, warning him that he was on the pathway to Hell.  She preferred being at the diner on a Sunday morning, among her favorite kind of folks.  And the regular patrons of the diner were more than happy to see her there, especially after a hard night of weekend partying.  No matter how hung over or sore they were, she always made them feel good about themselves. 

 

“So boys, where is your fearless leader this morning?” she asked to no one in particular.

 

“Haven’t seen him since the middle of the week,” Michael piped up.

 

“Yeah,” chimed in Emmett.  “Nobody has in the last few days, but I heard through the grapevine that he was up to something involving Melanie.  Dying to get the lowdown on that bit of gossip,” he grinned. 

 

“Well no matter what he’s been up to, I certainly expected to see him at either Woody’s or Babylon yesterday, but no show,” remarked Ted.  “I wonder what kept him away?”

 

“Well, don’t look at me.  I tried calling him yesterday, but he never picked up.  I even left a few messages.”  Michael sounded a little put out.

 

“Whatever has Brian distracted right now, I’m sure he’ll tell us all about it when he’s ready.  Maybe he just got tired of having all of us constantly looking out for him as if he was still an invalid.  Maybe he just needed a break from it all,” Debbie surmised.

 

“C’mon, Ma!  Losing his memory doesn’t make him an invalid, and none of us have been treating him like one.”  Emmett and Ted nodded their heads in agreement.

 

“Really?  I’ve watched all of you constantly checking up on him, asking him how he’s feeling.  And maybe, I have to admit that I’ve been a little too over-concerned about how he’s doing too.  I know he’s grateful that we are taking time to tell him about the stuff he’s forgotten, but just maybe it’s become an overload of information.  I think it’s time we pulled back a little and let the man have a break,” Debbie pronounced, staring straight at her son.

 

Michael was about to respond when the bell above the diner door tinkled.  All eyes automatically were drawn to see who had just stepped in.  Surprised looks and open mouths greeted the new arrivals.  Brian stood at the entrance, Justin close at his side.  Both men looked at ease, as if nothing traumatic had ever separated them.  Debbie was the first to shift from being surprised to being delighted.  She let out her trademark squeal and rushed forward, nearly dropping her water pitcher as she did.  In one swift movement, she set the pitcher on the counter next to the door and gathered both men against her ample bosom.  They did their best to wriggle loose. 

 

Once free, they headed towards the booth holding their friends, with Debbie right on their heels.  As if on cue, Michael scooted as far over to the wall as he could get, leaving plenty of room for both Brian and Justin to take a seat.  Debbie leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of Justin’s fair hair.  She patted Brian on his shoulder.  There were tears glistening in her eyes.

 

“I’m so happy to see my Sunshine back here again,” Debbie laughed, placing another kiss on Justin’s head.

 

“Sunshine?”  Brian looked puzzled.

 

“Damn!  I forgot that you don’t remember anything about our Justin here,” said Debbie.  “Let me explain.  The very first night I met Justin, I called him Sunshine.  Who could blame me?  I mean the kid has a smile brighter than sunlight.”

 

Justin blushed, remembering how he mocked Debbie to Michael at that first meeting, not realizing at the time that she was Mikey’s mom. 

 

Debbie continued.  “After a while, Brian, you even started calling him Sunshine.”

 

Brian looked over at Justin and smiled.  “Yeah, I can kind of see what you mean, Deb,” Brian agreed.  “Anyway, the two of us had the chance to get to know each other better yesterday at the loft, and I thought it would be a good idea if we came here for breakfast.  My thought is that familiar surroundings would be more conducive to jogging my memory than meeting somewhere that means nothing to either of us,” he explained.

 

“You spent the night at the loft together?” Michael asked.  His face revealed more than he would have wanted to.

 

“We thought that reliving some of our time together would help resurrect the past,” Brian responded, with a hint of teasing in his voice.

 

“Did it work?” asked Emmett.

 

Justin answered.  “No, not yet.  But it wasn’t for a lack of trying.”

 

“Details… I want details,” smirked Ted.

 

Debbie reached over and gently swatted Ted on the head.

 

Brian and Justin just grinned like two young boys sneaking a smoke behind the barn.

 

“Enough talk,” declared Brian.  “We’re starving, Deb.”

 

Debbie straightened up and pulled out her pad.  “Shoot,” she told them.

 

Michael winced, remembering the off-color remark she made in front of Justin before taking their orders the first time he was in the diner.  Brian ordered his usual healthy egg-white omelet with dry toast, while Justin ordered his typical breakfast special with a little of everything on the plate.  Brian, being unaware of Justin’s eating habits, was amused.  He wondered how Justin was able to maintain such a delightfully fit body if this was his customary way of eating.  Ah, the young, Brian thought to himself!

 

While waiting for Brian and Justin’s food, Michael, Emmett, and Ted polished off the last of their own meals.  They sat back in the booth and sipped from their coffee cups, chattering on about nothing in particular.  They were trying to be polite and let the couple finish their own meals before bombarding them about the events from the night before.  Brian and Justin seemed to be deliberately, maddeningly slow as they took their time with breakfast.  Finally, Justin swallowed his last bite of eggs.  He and Brian also settled back into the booth, sipping at their coffee cups too.

 

“Okay, Brian, I think we’ve been patient enough.  Spill!  What did you two talk about and did any of it give you even a glimmer of recognition?” Michael asked.

 

“We talked about a lot of things, Mikey.  You even came up in conversation a time or two.  But don’t worry, it wasn’t all bad.”

 

A pained look crossed Michael’s face.  He was tempted to ask what was said about him but changed his mind.  Some things were better left unsaid.  If Brian and Justin were starting to reconnect again, Michael had no desire for Brian to learn how he had blamed Justin for the bashing in the beginning.  He thought better of it now, especially after his mom had a long talk with him, but there was no need for Brian to hear about it.  He only hoped that Justin didn’t tell Brian about any of the other times he expressed his disapproval of their relationship.  It was true that he had finally accepted Justin as being important to Brian, especially after landing a man of his own in Dr. Dave, but he had no desire to explain his actions to Brian before that acceptance.

 

“I guess it’s nice to know that I’m important enough to come up in your conversations,” Mikey said, sounding a tiny bit peeved.

 

Brian responded with a look that Michael recognized.  He decided not to say anymore.  He’d leave it to the others to try and ferret out any information about the success or failure of the meeting between Brian and Justin.  But before either Ted or Emmett could start probing, the bell above the diner door tinkled again, announcing more customers.  Instinctively, eyes turned to the doorway again.  This time they saw Mel and Lindsey standing there.  The girls spotted the men in their usual booth and made their way towards it.  Lindsey pushed a stroller in front of her.  When she reached the table, she reached down and brought baby Gus out of his seat. 

 

Gus wasn’t even a year and a half old yet, but he was a big boy for his age.  He already looked so much like his father that Brian would have had trouble denying his parentage.  When he first woke from his coma and learned that he had a son, Brian tried imagining what it felt like.  He didn’t feel much of anything… that is, until the girls started bringing Gus around to spend time with him.  Before he knew it, Brian felt an attachment to little Gus that truly surprised him.  It didn’t mean that he liked the thought of raising a child himself.  He was more than happy to leave that job for the mothers of his son.  But Brian felt more and more proud of his boy, never realizing that he had already fallen in love with Gus long before now.  Brian reached for Gus.  Lindsey handed him over into Brian’s arms.  Justin reached over and stroked the baby’s silken hair.

 

“It’s so good to see you with Gus again,” Lindsey told Justin.

 

Justin smiled.  “I’ve missed seeing Gus too,” Justin admitted.  “I’ve missed all of you, more than I can say.”

 

This was the first time that Brian saw for himself just how at ease Justin was with his friends, and they were with him.  He was impressed.  Debbie came back to their table so she could coo over baby Gus.  She had felt like the baby’s grandmother from the very first day she saw him. 

 

Mel finally spoke up.  “So, Brian, have you told the others about your plans to take down Chris Hobbs once and for all?”

 

“What plans?” Nearly everyone asked in unison.

 

Mel answered.  “I’ll let Brian tell you.  He came to me with the idea and I back him on it one hundred percent.”

 

All eyes turned to Brian.

 

“It’s simple,” Brian began.  “The fucking law gave the little turd a pass for what he did to me, but I’ll be damned if I will.  I’m going to sue the fucking bastard within an inch of his life.  He’ll be in my debt from now till Doomsday when I’m through with him.  Mel says I have every chance of winning in civil court, simply because he’s already been found guilty in criminal court.  All I have to do is prove damages.  That won’t be too difficult.  The bastard cost me a fortune in lost income from the agency.”

 

“Not to mention stealing almost a year of your life from you, at least for now,” added Justin.

 

“And don’t forget the pain and suffering he’s caused you,” added Michael.  He turned to the others.  “Brian told me that he still gets nasty headaches sometimes out of nowhere.  That’s definitely been caused by his head injuries.”

 

“Well, bravo for you!” Debbie responded.  “I’m proud of you, Brian.  Too bad you can’t sue that ignorant judge who barely gave him any kind of punishment.  I had half a mind to pull some kind of dirty trick on him after he gave his judgement, like letting the air out of all his tires or painting the word ‘homophobe’ on his car, but decided he wasn’t worth going to jail for.”

 

“Smart thinking, Deb,” declared Mel.  “But don’t worry.  We may not be able to do anything about the judge, but Chris Hobbs is another story altogether.”

 

Everyone laughed.  Every single one of them liked the idea of Chris Hobbs facing an entirely different courtroom this time and coming out of it a broken man.  They eagerly looked forward to having a front row seat on that day.

 

 

To be continued………… 

Chris Hobbs was still fuming.  His damned father had no problem supporting him when it came to keeping him out of jail for the sake of the family name.  But, the bastard made it clear he wasn’t going to come to his son’s aid when it came to stopping him from ending up with an enormous debt.  Of course, it might not come to that.  After he was notified that a suit had been filed against him by Kinney, Hobbs worked hard to convince himself that the butt-fucker could never beat him in a civil suit.  This is what he was telling himself.  The self-delusion then faded after he saw a civil lawyer who his criminal lawyer recommended.  Scott Jackson, his new lawyer, pulled no punches.  He bluntly told him that he would very likely lose the suit.  Of course, for a hefty fee, Jackson was more than willing to take on his case and work to win it for his client.  That’s where Hobbs had expected his father to come in to help by paying the hefty fee. 

 

Hobbs made a decent enough living from his construction job.  It was enough to rent a place of his own, which he did right after his criminal trial ended, but it wasn’t enough by any means to pay huge legal fees.  Hell, he was still paying back his father for covering his legal fees during the criminal trial.  Now he had come to ‘good old dad’ with his hand out again, asking for help with the new lawyer.  Despite his mother begging on his behalf, his father made it clear that the family bank was closed.  When his father reminded Chris that it was his own fault he found himself in this position, it made his father’s refusal to help sting even more. It also increased his hatred of Kinney and Taylor a thousand times over. 

 

Just when Hobbs was at his wit’s end as to how he would be able to pay the lawyer, his mother came to the rescue.  It was something she had done for her only child countless times over the years.  Chris had a tendency to get into trouble far too many times while growing up, although nothing serious enough to put him in jail before the bashing incident.  Most of the time when he lost his temper and did something regrettable, or drank too much and made a fool of himself, the problem could be solved with a little cash.  Even his father had covered up a lot of his son’s mistakes in the past.  That is, until Chris finally crossed the line and did something that came close to sending him to prison.  Dad had finally had enough and swore to never rescue his son again if he got in trouble in the future.  Mom was another story.  As far as she was concerned, her baby boy was the victim.  She explained away most of his actions as being caused by someone deliberately provoking her child.  She firmly believed that her darling boy would not have ever attacked that man, Brian Kinney, if the fags hadn’t egged him on.  And now she was incensed that they were trying to ruin Chris’ future financial stability.

 

Hobbs was at home drinking his fifth beer, and still bristling at his father’s rejection to help him financially, when he heard a knock on his door.  The one thing he wasn’t in the mood for was company of any kind.  He decided to ignore it as he gulped a few more swallows from his bottle.  The knocking persisted.  Finally, he heard a familiar voice through the door.

 

“Christopher, darling, it’s your Mom.  I know you’re home.  I can see your car in the garage.  Please, honey, I need to talk to you.”

 

Although he was in no mood for talking, Chris couldn’t ignore his mother.  She was the only person who had always had his back.  He reluctantly made his way to the front door and let her in.  He stood stiffly as she tried to give him a hug.  He finally relented and allowed a brief one before pulling away.

 

“Darling boy, please don’t be like that.  I know how upset you are that Dad has refused to help you with your little problem.”

 

“Little problem?” Chris blurted out.  “For fuck’s sake, Mom, I wouldn’t call a chance of being shackled with millions of dollars in debt a ‘little problem’!”

 

“Please, Chris, watch your language.  I don’t mean to minimize what you’re facing.  I didn’t come here to upset you any more than you already are.”

 

“Then what the fuck are you here for?” he asked, ignoring her request to avoid cursing.

 

Mrs. Hobbs flinched, but went on.  “I tried to get through to your father and change his mind, but you know how stubborn he is when he makes a decision.  I couldn’t budge him.  Then I remembered something important.”

 

“And that is?”

 

“Do you remember me telling you about my parents passing within months of each other when you were just a baby?”

 

Chris nodded his head. “Yeah, vaguely.  But what has that got to do with me?”

 

“Well, what I never told you about was my inheritance.  Your grandfather had his own business and did quite well with it.  When he passed, he left everything to your grandmother.  Then when she passed shortly after, everything came to me as their only child.”

 

“Hell, Mom, that was nearly twenty years ago!  Whatever you inherited has to be long gone by now.”

 

“That’s just it, son.  Your father and I did use a chunk of it to buy our house, but there was still a fair amount left.  We invested the balance in some stocks in case of emergencies in the future.  I’d call this an emergency for my boy, wouldn’t you?”

 

“Well damn, Mom, there is no way that Dad will allow you to give me any of the proceeds from your stock,” Chris angrily stated.

 

“That’s not a problem, Chris.  Your father has no control over it.  The stocks are all in my name.  The executor of my mother’s will insisted upon it before turning over the money.  He was very close to my family, and the truth is that Mom and Dad never really liked your father.  They didn’t trust him, so the executor was just carrying out their wishes.  Besides that, I’m not sure your father even remembers I have the stocks any longer.  He never mentions them, and it has been a very long time since they were bought.”

 

“Then I have to ask, how do you know the stocks are worth anything now?”

 

“I didn’t know for certain, although they were reliable investments at the time.  That’s why I checked before bringing this up to you.”

 

“And?”

 

“And, most of them have increased nearly ten-fold since I bought them.  They are worth nearly a hundred thousand dollars in today’s market.  It’s more than enough to cover your lawyer’s fees with some to spare.”

 

“So, you’re telling me that Dad can’t stop you from selling the stocks and letting me have the money?” 

 

Mrs. Hobbs nodded her head.  “Then screw the old man!  Thanks, Mom.”

 

“And you can pay me back whenever you can, Chris.  Don’t worry about it.”

 

Chris hesitated, but then finally responded, “Yeah sure, Mom.”

 

Mother and son continued to chat for a few more minutes before Chris hurried his mother away with a quickly thought out excuse.  He wanted to be alone to think about what had just happened.  He knew the chances that he would ever repay his mother back were slim to none, but that’s what mothers were there for… to take care of their children when they needed them.  It was the least they owed their kids.  Now he wouldn’t have to stress over the cost of defending the goddamned lawsuit.  But this still didn’t cover the catastrophe that would confront him if he lost the suit.  Nor did it diminish his hatred for the man who had put him in this precarious position.  His mother couldn’t solve that little problem for him.  If he wanted to end his problem with Brian Kinney for good, and maybe even take care of Justin Taylor at the same time, he’d have to do it himself. 

 

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

 

Nearly a week passed since Brian and Justin made their first visit to the Liberty Diner together since the bashing, and both men were too busy to meet up again during the week.  Brian was sent out of town on Monday to meet with a client he remembered quite well.  They had been clients of his for almost four years, and now wanted to discuss a new campaign for the coming Spring with their favorite ad man.  He had to be in Chicago until Friday morning.  Justin, in the meantime, occupied his time with his classes at PIFA.  Classmate, Ethan Gold, continued to try and attract his attention up until the moment Justin set him straight on Friday morning.  Justin knew Brian would be back in town and his hope was that he would want to spend another weekend with him.  He had no intention of letting Ethan get in the way of his goal.  Ethan put on a good show of feeling tremendous disappointment at being rebuffed by Justin, but was then spotted at the end of the school day flirting with another attractive young student named Mark.  Justin just shrugged and muttered something about ‘knowing the guy was a player’ under his breath.

 

Justin returned home to his mother’s place after school.  He had made no plans for the weekend.  He wanted only one thing, and that was to hear from Brian.  He was just finishing his dinner of pork chops and asparagus when his phone rang.  One look at the caller’s name and he knew his prayers were answered.  Justin excused himself from the table and hurried off to his bedroom.  Jennifer smiled and winked at her daughter.  She knew that only one person could make Justin look that excited to receive a call.  She had no problem with it at all, unlike her feelings when she first learned of her son’s relationship with the older man.  Like a truly good mother, she only wanted her son to be happy, and she now knew that it was Brian who brought Justin the most happiness he’d ever had in his life.  If it was Brian that Justin wanted to be with, then Brian was okay with her.  If he ever broke Justin’s heart, that might be another story, but she prayed that would never happen.  The moment Justin reached his room, he closed the door and answered his phone.  He felt a sudden shiver of delight at hearing the voice on the other end.

 

“Hi,” was all he could think to say, but his voice conveyed his excitement.

 

“Hi back at you,” Brian responded.  “I told you last weekend that I’d get in touch with you when I could, and now I’m free this weekend.  Would you like to get together again and go over a few more things I’ve managed to forget?”

 

“Name the place and time and I’ll be there,” Justin boldly answered.

 

“Well then, how about Woody’s for a starter, tonight?  Everyone tells me we spent some interesting times there last year.  You do remember where it is, right?”

 

“Of course, I do,” Justin replied, sounding slightly offended.  “I really like the place, even if I am too young to indulge in the spirits.  Of course, that never stopped you from letting me have a sip or two of your drinks.  I guess you figured that if I was old enough to fuck, I was old enough to drink.” 

 

For a moment, Brian was surprised by Justin’s boldness, but then he realized that he had already seen hints of the young man’s directness.  Maybe, he thought, that trait in him was one of the things that drew him to Justin in the first place.  In a way, Justin reminded him of his own fearlessness when he was a teenager.  Certainly, there were not many high school boys who would boldly walk into a shower while their naked coach was bathing, hoping to entice the man.  Somehow, Brian could picture Justin doing something very much like that himself, if the opportunity ever arose.

 

“Then it’s a date.”

 

Justin caught the single word immediately.  “I thought you said you don’t do dates.”

 

“It’s not a romantic date, for fuck’s sake.  You know, Justin, I’m beginning to see that you can be a little cocky sometimes.”

 

“I thought you liked cock… y,” Justin shot back.

 

“Keep it up, kid, and I’ll have to take you over my knee.”

 

“Promise?”

 

Brian smiled, despite himself.  “Okay, that’s enough.”  He tried to sound irritated.  “Do you want me to pick you up, in say an hour?”

 

“Works for me.  I’ll see you then, Brian.”

 

Justin heard the phone click off.  He couldn’t help but laugh.  He knew Brian a hell of a lot better than Brian knew him since Hobbs’ attack, and he knew he had gotten to the man. 

 

“Brian,” Justin declared to the empty room, “you don’t know it yet, but you are falling for me all over again.  I know it, and one of these days, you’re going to know it too.” 

 

With that said, Justin rushed to his closet.  He had to look his best for Brian.  Who knew where this night would lead them?  And wherever it was, Justin was happy to go there.

 

 

To be continued…………….  

The sound of gossiping and gaiety was at least several decibels higher than normal in Woody’s on this chilly Friday night.  It didn’t take long for Brian and Justin to spot their friends sitting in a corner table, near the pool table.  They were about to head in that direction when they heard their names called from the nearby bar.  A quick glance to the left, and they spotted Debbie sitting on a bar stool, next to her brother, Vic.  It had been quite a while since Justin had seen Vic, so he decided to visit them first.  He had come to respect and love Vic as though he was as much his uncle as Michael’s.  Brian, without thinking about it, sent a ‘give me a minute’ signal to his friends, and followed Justin.  Debbie, as usual, jumped from her stool and gave Justin her patented ‘Mother Hen’ embrace.  Finally, she released him and turned to Brian.  Brian, having years of experience, managed to put Justin in between Deb and himself, avoiding her enthusiastic hug.

 

“This is such a treat, Sunshine,” she said, turning to Vic.  “We’ve missed seeing you here.  Haven’t we, Vic?”

 

Vic nodded his agreement.  “It’s been too long, kid.  But better late than never, I always say.  So, what brings you out to our old haunt?”

 

Brian answered for Justin.  “I asked him to come with me to Woody’s.  And I was thinking that we’d pay a visit to Babylon later, if that’s agreeable with him.”

 

Justin felt that now recognizable excitement again.  The times he spent with Brian at Babylon were even more significant than their times at Woody’s.  It was becoming increasingly clearer that Brian was feeling a need to reconnect with him, even if he couldn’t remember that they had ever been connected before.

 

“We have decided to revisit the places that hold meaning for us, according to all the stories I’ve heard,” Brian continued.  Maybe one of these visits to the past will shake loose some memories that were stolen from me by that asshole, Hobbs.”

 

“And, Vic, did Debbie tell you what Brian has decided to do in order to get some sense of justice from Hobbs?”

 

“Yes, she did, and I’m proud of you, Brian.  You know you have the support of every one of us.  We still can’t believe that bastard got off with nothing but a slap on the wrist.  I say, slap the homophobe so hard this time that he’ll go blind.”

 

Debbie laughed.  “Blind and cripple him, so he’ll never be able to hurt another innocent one of our folks again!”

 

“Or, you could just sic my sister on him.  Bet she could do more harm to him than anyone else on earth.”

 

Justin laughed.  “You know she could at that, Brian.  But I think he can handle Hobbs all by himself.  Wouldn’t you agree, Vic… Debbie?”

 

Brian interrupted before either could answer.  “We’ll talk some more, but I see the boys are getting restless.  They keep giving me the eye.  You coming with me, Justin?”

 

Justin nodded, gave Debbie and Vic a quick hug, and hurried to join Brian.  As they approached, Michael spoke first.

 

“We were just talking about you, Brian, and here you are.  And I see you brought Justin with you… again.”

 

Emmett, sensing a sudden tenseness in Michael, quickly took control.  He jumped from his seat and threw his arm around Justin.

 

“And we are so glad you did.  You’re looking yummy, as always, Justin.  Looks like college work isn’t kicking your butt too hard.  So, how do you like your school… what is it called?”

 

“PIFA… short for Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts.  Maybe I’ll learn enough to be an accomplished renowned artist someday.”

 

“Oh, dear boy, we’ve seen some of your drawings.  I don’t think you need to worry about that.  You have all the natural talent you need to be a success.  Right, guys?”

 

“Right,” piped up Ted.

 

“Yeah, right,” added, Michael.

 

Brian’s curiosity was piqued.  “When did you boys see Justin’s drawings?  I haven’t seen any of his work yet.”

 

“Well, sure you have, Brian.  We saw them in your loft.  There were just a few sketches that he probably drew while he was staying with you.  I mean, you were… ahh, naked in one of them,” Emmett answered.  “And if I remember right, it was a very… ahh, impressive rendering of his model.”

 

Justin smiled, thinking back to the few times he was able to catch Brian unawares and draw quick sketches of him.  He also remembered leaving them behind when he had to leave and move in with Debbie after the burglary at the loft.  What he didn’t know was that Brian had apparently found the sketches and left them out where others could see them.  That meant he must have liked them.  Justin’s heart twisted, being aware that Brian no longer remembered seeing them at all, or maybe noticing the love he had put into the drawings.  He wondered if Brian would even care, now that he was made aware of their existence.  He didn’t have to wait long for the answer to his thought.

 

“Wait a minute… if you saw these sketches at my place, how come I’ve never found any of them since coming home?”

 

Both Emmett and Ted shrugged.  Michael let his head drop, saying nothing.

 

“Mikey, what gives?  You look like a kid who has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.  You know something about the sketches that you’d like to tell me?”

 

“Ah, well, I ahh… well, I thought the best thing to do was remove them from the loft for the time being.  I mean, I was thinking of you, Brian.”  Michael turned to Emmett.  “Emmett, you remember that time we went to Ted’s place to remove any of the things we thought would disturb his mother, while he was laid up in the hospital in a coma?  That’s what was on my mind when I took the sketches out,” he swore, turning back to Brian. 

 

Without waiting for Brian to respond, he continued, “You were already really upset when you realized you had lost your memory of the previous year, and you obviously didn’t believe any of us when we talked about Justin.  So, I thought seeing the sketches and not knowing where they came from, might be too much for you to handle when you first got home.”

 

Brian interrupted before Michael could say anymore.  “So, exactly what did you do with Justin’s work… all in the name of protecting me, of course?”  The hint of sarcasm in his voice was hard to miss.

 

Michael flushed.  “I still have them.  I had no intention of destroying them, for fuck’s sake.  If you ever remembered Justin, I would have brought them right back to you in a heartbeat.”

 

Emmett put an arm around Michael.  He had always known about Michael’s unrequited love for Brian and knew how it hurt whenever Brian was upset with him.  Brian’s face showed how irritated he was at his best friend for the moment.  Em knew Mikey was feeling the pain.

 

“I appreciate you not destroying my sketches,” Justin finally said.  “I’d actually like it if you would return them to me.  They won’t mean anything to Brian, but they hold a lot of meaning for me.”

 

“Sure, sure!” Michael promised.  “Like I said, I was only holding them until the time was right to return them.  I should have offered them to you in the first place, but you had already left town.  Truth is, I forgot all about them until now.”

 

“If you don’t mind, Justin, I’d like to see them before you take them back,” Brian requested.

 

“You would?”

 

“Of course.  Everyone else has seen your artwork.  I think I should check it out for myself, don’t you?  Besides, I get the idea that at least one of them might give me a clue as to just how close we had become. That is, if Emmett isn’t exaggerating, which he has been known to do a time or two.”

 

Emmett was taken aback.  “Moi?" he shot back, looking offended at the very idea.  “Hand over my heart, I am not exaggerating one tiny bit, although I think Justin may have done so with that particular sketch,” he laughed, winking at Justin.

 

Justin blushed.  “I’ll have you know, I don’t exaggerate with any of my drawings.  I only sketch what I see.”

 

“So, who’s up for Babylon?” piped up Ted, hoping to divert everyone’s attention to something else.

 

Brian turned to Justin.  “Ah yes, Babylon.  I’ve heard tales of our adventures at the club.  Since nothing is coming back to me here at Woody’s, maybe Babylon should be our next destination.  You up for heading that way, Justin?”

 

Justin felt his usual shiver of anticipation at the mention of the dance club.  Babylon did indeed hold a lot of memories for him.  With any luck, a visit there with the whole gang might be just the ticket to unlocking Brian’s own memories.  It was certainly worth a try.

 

“I’m game.  Lead the way,” he ordered.

 

Brian smiled.  “Coming, boys?”

 

The five men left their seats and headed for the exit together.  Every single man, even Michael, was hoping that this would be what made all the difference for Brian and gave him back his missing year.  Soon enough, they’d have an answer.

 

 

To be continued…… 

If there was anyone who thought that Woody’s sounded too busy and noisy it was like a Zen retreat, compared to Babylon on this raucous Friday night.  The excited visitors to the popular dance club were celebrating the end of another long week in a way that only a large group of happily gay men could.  Brian and his companions had no trouble being admitted to the club.  They had been attending regularly since the doors first opened.  No one even questioned Justin any longer either, despite that he was still almost three years under the legal age limit.  He was with Brian, the undisputed top draw for the establishment, so that was good enough for the proprietors.  And, of course, Justin was also the latest winner of the King of Babylon contest, which alone made him a welcome visitor. 

 

Naturally, Brian knew nothing about Justin winning the crown on that fateful night, which occurred not long before the bashing.  Nor did he know how he had reacted while watching Justin up there on the stage, showing off his moves, while nearly naked to the crowd of leering appreciative patrons.  He would never admit that he felt a twinge of jealousy, but his actions said differently.  Brian might not remember that night, but Justin certainly did.  He had almost gotten a perverse sense of pride in being able to entice the trick that Brian was cultivating, away from him with his crown.  It was Justin’s way of paying Brian back for making him feel like a back-up plan in case he didn’t find anyone more interesting to fuck with. 

 

The best part of that whole situation came the next day, when Justin joined the gang at the diner for breakfast.  Naturally they wanted to question him about the trick they saw Justin leaving with, but it was Brian’s response that was most intriguing.  He gave it his best effort to show little reaction to what Justin was saying, but his eyes exposed his feelings.  He really didn’t want to hear how good the sex was with the trick, and Justin knew it wasn’t because he had wanted the man for himself.  Justin, despite Brian’s best efforts, had a firm grasp on who Brian was deep inside.  Despite his youth, his spirit had connected to the older man soon after their first meeting.  His goal became to make Brian recognize and admit that connection too.  The Prom had become all the validation he needed that he had reached his goal.  At least it was until Hobbs destroyed it all.

 

As Justin scanned the room, his thoughts centered on whether Brian would finally recall their connection, and how perfect their night was at the prom, right up to the moment before Hobbs turned their world upside down.  The dance floor seemed a little crowded at the moment, so all five men made their way to the bar first.  A little libation was just the ticket for loosening up their inner party animal.  Brian ordered his favorite bourbon, requesting two of them.  The bartender’s look questioned the request.  “I’m really thirsty,” Brian declared, echoing a previous comment to a different bartender at Babylon.  Both glasses were provided and once Emmett, Ted, and Michael had their drinks in hand, Justin accepted the glass Brian offered.  They all clinked glasses together.

 

“Here’s to reliving the past,” Brian toasted. 

 

Once the drinks were downed, the men surveyed their surroundings.  Justin’s thoughts traveled back to that very first night when he stepped into the club to see a world he had only imagined before then.  His first impression was a little daunting, which is why he suggested to Daphne that they turn around and leave.  Thankfully, she wanted to stay, so instead they stepped further into the club and mingled with the crowd.  It took a little time, but eventually Justin was able to spy Brian on the dance floor.  He was sandwiched between two men, looking totally in control of both of them.  It was at that moment that inspiration hit Justin.  He would use the dance floor and the men Brian was flirting with to attract his attention.  Without an ounce of trepidation, Justin peeled off his shirt and stepped onto the dance floor, leaving behind an astonished Daphne.

 

Justin still remembered the feeling it gave him when the duo encasing Brian, slowly but surely, found themselves more attracted to his style of dancing than they did Brian’s.  Justin openly challenged Brian and it worked, much to his own amazement, not to mention his ego.  The two men began grinding on Justin from both sides, but he knew it was Brian he wanted to dance with, not the hot hunks.  Although he was enjoying their attention, he prayed that he wasn’t overplaying his hand.  He didn’t have long to wait to find out if he had or not.  Brian moved in quickly, using his arms to separate the tricks from Justin’s body, pushing them very decisively away from the teenager he still thought of as nothing more than a rather sweet twink.  But there were those who observed this action from the balcony, and felt that something more was happening down on the dance floor.  At the time, Justin had no way of knowing that it was totally out of character for Brian to feel the need to claim him as his own, if only for the night.  Others knew from long experience that Brian didn’t do repeats, yet here he was with the same kid he had picked up such a short time ago.

 

That, of course, was not Justin’s only memory of time spent at Babylon.  It was simply the most significant one in their early ‘relationship’.  At the time, Brian would have cursed out anyone who dared to call it a ‘relationship’.  Yet, it was the beginning of something, no matter what name it was called by.  Of course, not all memories of Babylon visits were positive ones.  Justin would never forget the night that the gang stepped out of Babylon and Brian showed off his decidedly unsexy rental car after Justin’s father messed up the Jeep.  As Michael, Ted, and Emmett walked away, Brian began kissing on him.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, Craig appeared and cold-cocked Brian.  He didn’t stop with simply knocking Brian to the ground.  He continued his attack with kicks to Brian’s stomach and ribs.  Justin rushed to stop the attack seconds after realizing what was happening.  Once Brian was back on his feet, he would have fought back until he was warned who the attacker was. 

 

Justin had always loved his father, but at that moment his anger at the man was red hot.  When Craig gave him a choice of coming back home and giving up his aberrant behavior, or never returning home again, Justin hesitated for less than a second.  He made his stand and shouted that he would never go back home again.  Although he wouldn’t say it out loud, he felt afraid.  Some of the fear receded as Brian comforted him.  By the next day, the fear had evaporated.  He relished telling his story about defending Brian at the diner over breakfast.  As the memory of that night flashed through Justin’s brain, it occurred to him that maybe some memories were better left forgotten.  He didn’t like the idea of Brian remembering how much harm he had come to, thanks to his dad.  But then again, he probably already knew about it, thanks to the stories others told him.  After all, someone had to give him a reason why he had let Justin live at the loft for a short while.  The night of his father’s attack was the whole reason behind that move.

 

Happily, most of the Babylon memories were pleasant ones.  It was at Babylon, while they were dancing the night away, that Brian told Justin how the sexual harassment against him by a co-worker had been inexplicably dropped.  Standing at the bar, Justin had to inwardly smile at this memory.  He was the only one who knew exactly why the lawsuit was dropped.  At the time, he decided he’d keep it to himself.  Maybe, just maybe, he might reveal the truth someday.  He often wondered why he didn’t say anything.  Of course, it wouldn’t matter even if he had told the truth back then.  Brian certainly wouldn’t recall who his hero was now, even if he had known at the time.

 

It was also at Babylon that Justin told everyone he would be attending PIFA after graduation.  He was pleased to see that Brian seemed happy to hear the news, after his slightly less enthusiastic reaction to hearing Justin had applied to Dartmouth and other out-of-town colleges.  They were also at Babylon when Justin told them he decided to change direction and attend Dartmouth instead, after finding out about his parent’s divorce and blaming himself for their decision.  Brian, never one to mince words, confronted Justin, challenging him to be brave and forge his own path the way he did on the night they met.  Brian’s words made all the difference.  Later that night, he destroyed his Dartmouth application.  It was just one more example of how Brian changed his life for the better.

 

But all the thoughts running through Justin’s mind tonight involved the past.  He wasn’t standing here in Babylon so that he could think only of the past, which he couldn’t share with Brian.  His interest in coming here this time with Brian was to make new memories, with the hope that in doing so he would bring back the past for the man he loved.  And now was the time to begin.  The one thing they did best together at Babylon was dance.  Justin set his drink down and grabbed Brian’s free hand.  Brian looked at him quizzically.

 

“Let’s dance,” Justin said, pulling Brian away from the bar.

 

Brian quickly set his glass down and followed Justin to the dance floor.  It didn’t occur to him that letting Justin take the lead in pulling him to the dance floor was completely out of character for him.  Without recognizing it, he instinctively wanted to dance with Justin.  Moments later they were dancing in perfect timing with each other.  Michael, Emmett, and Ted saw what was happening and recognized the familiarity of the scene.  One dance led to two, then three, then four.  Each dance brought them physically closer to one another, until there was no longer a quarter inch of space between their bodies.  By the end of the fourth dance, their lips were fused together as they swayed to the music.  Finally, thirst brought them back to the bar for another round of drinks. 

 

“You two looked quite comfortable out there on the dance floor together.  Any sparks of recognition strike you, Brian?” asked Emmett.

 

“Can’t say that it did,” Brian answered.  “But I have to say, you are one fucking good dancer, Justin.”

 

“Good enough to win the King of Babylon contest,” piped up Ted.

 

Brian looked surprised.  “No one passed on that little tidbit of history.  Are they messing with me?  Did you really win that contest?”

 

“Scout’s honor,” Justin promised.  “But I’ll tell you more about it later.  So, if you enjoyed dancing with me so much, how about giving it a go again?”

 

“Lead the way.”

 

The next couple of hours passed quickly as the couple took turns dancing, drinking, and making snappy comments about the other patrons during breaks.  Although Brian was obviously enjoying himself a great deal, he still showed no signs of recalling previous visits to Babylon with Justin, or any of the events that occurred there when they were together.  As the night began to wind down, Justin decided there was only one place left to go in Babylon that could possibly do the trick… the back room.  It was the first time he ever had any sexual contact in a public place and, of course, it was Brian who made him feel safe enough to do it.  For the last time the entire gang grouped together at the bar. 

 

“I think I’m ready to call it a night,” said Ted.  “I’ve had my quota of rejections for one night.  You coming, Em?”

 

Emmett turned to Ted.  “Since you’re my ride, I guess the answer is yes,” he sighed.  He turned to Michael.  “You coming with?”

 

Michael had been living with Emmett before moving in with Dr. Dave, so when he returned to Pittsburgh he was welcomed back into Em’s place.  Debbie had wanted to leave her son’s room free in case Justin changed his mind and wanted the room back again after the bashing.  Michael looked over at Brian with a silent question in his eyes.

 

“You go ahead with the boys, Mikey.  Justin and I will tackle a couple more dances and call it a night ourselves.  If that sounds okay with you?” He asked, turning to Justin.

 

Justin nodded his assent.  He waited until Michael, Ted, and Emmett were out of sight, then turned to Brian.

 

“I have a different idea in mind rather than another dance.  There’s one other place that we sometimes visited together.”

 

“And where would that be?”

 

“Right here… in the back room.”

 

“I took you to the back room?” Brian seemed genuinely surprised.  Justin nodded.

 

Brian kept thinking how young Justin must have seemed to him during the previous year.  He had certainly not interacted in such a way with anyone in their teens since he was also a teenager, and not even very often then.  Yet now he was being told that he introduced Justin to public sex in the back room.  And apparently it hadn’t scared the kid away, because he was suggesting a revisit now.  Well, if Justin was game, so was he.

 

Brian took Justin by the hand and did the leading this time.  The two stepped through the door and entered a place that was entirely different from the bar and dance floor.  There were certainly plenty of noises in here too, but the sounds were entirely different.  Rather than music, laughter, and gossiping, these sounds included moans, groans of pleasure, and heavy breathing.  The couple passed man after man standing or kneeling along the walls until they reached the inner sanctum. There they saw bodies meshed together on scattered couches and chairs. 

 

They finally stopped at a small alcove that appeared to be empty.  Brian pulled Justin into the space and pulled him close to his body.  One arm wrapped tightly around Justin’s back, while his other pulled Justin’s face up closer to his own.  His lips captured Justin’s and began working their magic.  Justin could feel the reaction their torrid kiss was causing for Brian, as well as his own.  Their mutual stiffness pressed into one another as if begging for a little attention.  The kiss didn’t stop.  Brian worked Justin’s lips with an ease that came from years of practice.  Justin, despite having much less experience, met each kiss with equal fervor.  Brian had taught him well and he was happy to share his knowledge with the man he loved once again.  The couple continued to grind their loins together through their clothing when Brian suddenly pulled away.  Justin was left startled and out of breath.  His face registered his surprise.  Had he done something wrong?  The answer came swiftly.

 

“I want more than a quick blow job or fuck tonight, Justin.  I want you all to myself all night.  Will you come with me to my place?  Screw trying to bring back old memories for now.  Let’s see if we can make some new memories instead.  Are you with me?”

 

Brian didn’t need to ask twice.  Justin wanted Brian to remember what they had built during their first year together more than anything in the world, but the simple fact that Brian wanted to be with him now, despite not having those shared memories, was satisfaction enough for the time being.  Tonight was what counted right now.  Tomorrow was another day.

 

 

To be continued…………

Justin laid in bed with his eyes tightly closed, trying hard not to lose the dream he’d been having.  The more awake he became, the more his dream faded.  Finally, he gave up and opened his eyes.  The dream had vanished like green leaves in the midst of Winter.  Somehow however, he knew it had been a wonderful dream.  The images were gone, but the feeling of contentment lingered on.  When he sat up and saw where he was, he thought maybe this was why the dream had been so pleasant.  Justin was lying in his favorite bed, Brian’s.  At first, he wondered where Brian was.  The bed was empty, besides himself.  Then he heard sounds coming from outside the bedroom.  He peered through the slats surrounding the bedroom and could see Brian bustling around in the kitchen.

 

Justin settled back in the bed, covering himself up, and sighed with contentment.  There was a slight tenderness in his nether region, but it was a more than welcome feeling.  Thoughts of the previous night flooded his memory.  Brian made love to him as if they had never been separated by violence.  Brian could possibly still be thinking he was only fucking Justin last night, but the young man knew better.  During the previous year, Brian wasn’t the only one he had had sex with, so he knew the difference in how it felt to fuck for fun, as opposed to making love with someone you cared about.  No question, they had made love during the night… actually, it was more than once.  Unfortunately, by the time they became too exhausted to have another go around, Brian still showed no signs of remembering any of their past.  As he lay in bed wondering if the morning would bring welcome news, he heard Brian coming up the steps to the bedroom. 

 

“You awake, Sunshine?”

 

Justin was surprised.  Had he heard Brian correctly?  Had he really called him by his nickname?  Did this mean what he hoped it did?  Was Brian remembering something?

 

“Sunshine?”

 

“Didn’t I hear that Debbie would call you that?  You just looked so hot stretched out all naked on my bed this morning, it’s the first thing that came to mind.”

 

Justin’s disappointment that he didn’t use the name from memory was tempered a little because of his explanation as to why he did use it.  So Brian thought he was hot!  That brought out a broad grin.  He tossed the covers aside, exposing his still naked form.

 

"So you think I'm hot?

 

"Don't be coy with me, kid," Brian laughed.  "You know damn good and well you're hot.  And I suspect you use it to your advantage every chance you get.  According to my friends, you used your charms on me a time or two... which I have to say is quite remarkable.  I learned long ago not to be charmed by anyone."

 

"So maybe you should ask yourself why my charms worked on you, if you're so immune," Justin grinned.

 

Brian leaned over and slapped Justin on his butt. 

 

"It's getting late.  I have a date and I'm going to be late if you don't get moving.  I suggest a shower.  I'll even join you.  We both kind of stink after last night's workout."

 

Justin's grin faded.  "Date?"

 

Brian laughed.  "Linds and Mel.  It's Sunday, and they invited me over to visit with Gus and have lunch," Brian explained.  "I told them I might be busy with you this weekend.  They suggested I bring you along.  Of course, if you aren't interested, I can go alone."

 

Justin's grin returned full force.  "Yes!  I'd love to see them again.  I love the little guy, and it's been ages since I last saw him."

 

"Then get your butt in gear.  I don't want to give Mel any excuse to chastise me, which she will if we're very late."

 

Brian didn’t have to repeat his order.  Justin was excited at the prospect of visiting his favorite ladies and baby Gus.  No one, other than Brian and his Mom, had been more encouraging when it came to what Justin wanted for his future goals.  He had also felt a special connection to Gus, not just because he had a little to do with the name, but for something almost intangible… a feeling as if the little boy was meant to be a part of his life from the moment he was born.  Justin was never able to pinpoint the reasons behind it, but he had always felt a kind of kinship with Gus. 

 

Justin took off for the shower, barely escaping another slap to his ample bottom as he passed Brian on the way.  He stepped right into the roomy shower stall, already as naked as the day he was born.  He turned on the water, setting the temperature to the perfect warmth.  His back was to the shower door as he rested his hands on the wall and let the warm water flow over his scalp and down his back.  He heard the distinct click of the shower door being opened and closed but didn’t move a muscle.  Seconds later, he felt strong arms circling his waist and pulling him backwards.  He felt Brian’s warm body pressing into him.  He knew instantly that Brian was already fully aroused.  He didn’t have to look down to know that he was also more than ready. 

 

Brian let his left hand reach up to one of Justin’s nipples, the one where he briefly wore a nipple ring just to impress Brian.  His fingers gently tweaked it, while his right hand reached down for the real prize he was after.  Brian got a firm grip on Justin’s manhood and began slowly, methodically manipulating it.  Justin’s dampened head fell back on Brian’s chest.  He reached back in search of a prize of his own.  His hand connected with what he sought, and the two men fell into a rhythm that brought them both mutual pleasure, punctuated by increasingly heavy breathing and tiny moans.  After some time enjoying the foreplay, Justin suddenly removed his hand and pressed his ass firmly against Brian’s erection.

 

“I want you in me,” he ordered, his voice husky with lust.

 

It was all Brian needed.  He reached for the bowl of condoms set on the little stand in the stall and removed one.  With practiced skill, he tore it open with his teeth.  Releasing his hands temporarily from their earlier tasks, Brian sheathed his manhood quickly.  Grabbing the tube of waterproof lube from its place in the stall, he covered the condom with enough to make his entry as smooth as possible for Justin.  Justin assumed the position, making it easy for Brian to allow his cock to find its home.  With deliberate slowness, in order to build the tension, Brian seated himself comfortably inside Justin’s willing body.  Then they began the rhythmic dance that they did even better than the one on Babylon’s dance floor.  All the while, as Brian slid slowly, maddeningly in and out, his hands teased and taunted Justin’s own erection.  Brian was in no hurry, despite his earlier comments.  He hadn’t felt this connected to anyone before… not to his knowledge, and he wanted it to last as long as possible. 

 

Of course, as with all pleasure, it had to reach its peak and end.  First came a cry of unbridled joy from Justin as he shot out onto the shower wall.  The sound, along with Justin’s spasming ass, brought Brian his welcome release.  His body relaxed against Justin and the two men stood against the wall, connected as one for long minutes before finally separating.  Both had to catch their breath before speaking.

 

“That was…”

 

“Amazing,” Justin finished Brian’s thought.

 

“Yeah!  But if we don’t hurry up and finish washing, the girls will kill us.”

 

“Right!”

 

The couple hastily finished washing up, drying off, and dressing, punctuated with a few kisses for good measure.  Finishing off a quick cup of coffee and toast that Brian had prepared before checking on Justin, they hurried down to Brian’s car.  The next stop would be a visit with the girls and their favorite baby boy.

 

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

 

Mel stood inside the foyer, holding Gus, with a slight scowl on her face.  Lindsay, on the other hand, happily embraced first Brian, then Justin.

 

“I told you it was a good idea to fix cold cuts and salad instead of something hot for lunch, didn’t I?” Mel complained.

 

Linds turned to her partner and grimaced.  “Yes, you did… and I did, didn’t I?”  She turned back to Brian and Justin.  “Well, don’t just stand there.  Come on in.  Damn, Justin, it is so good to see you again.  Gus has missed you too.”

 

“Isn’t he a little young to miss anyone?” Brian asked.

 

“He adores Justin,” Mel announced.  “He’s not too young to feel when someone cares about him.”  There was almost an accusatory tone in her voice.

 

“And I don’t?”

 

“I didn’t say that.”

 

“That’s enough, you two.”  Lindsay knew she needed to lower the temperature in the room.  “Mel is just a little irritated that you are nearly an hour late.  You know how punctual she is.  That’s the lawyer in her.  But you two are here now and lunch is all ready.  So why don’t we sit down and enjoy it.”  She turned back to Mel.  “And without any squabbling.”

 

“Yes, Mother,” Brian agreed.  “Now, can I have my son?” he asked, holding out his arms for the baby.

 

Lindsay gave Mel a warning look, and she reluctantly handed the baby over to Brian. 

 

“You can set OUR son in his high chair,” Mel told Brian. 

 

Brian chose to ignore Mel’s response and carried the baby to the dining room, followed by the rest.  The table was already laid out with table settings in place.  The girls hurried to the kitchen and came back loaded with platters of sandwiches, fruits, and salads.  A second trip to the kitchen provided pitchers of iced tea and lemonade.  Once everything was ready, each took a seat at the table.  Lindsay had thoughtfully placed the high chair next to Brian’s seat so he could interact with his son.  They set to work polishing off their meal while chatting about everyday things, most of which concerned little Gus.  It galled Brian that he couldn’t remember a thing about his son’s beginning of life and most of his first year.  He had already heard some stories involving Gus, but he never tired of hearing more.  Eventually the conversation came around to how Justin ended up becoming so close with Mel, Lindsay, and baby Gus.

 

“So, Justin, just how did you become friends with these two?  I already know how you met them on the night Gus was born because I let you tag along with me when I got the news.  It had something to do with you being afraid to go home because you had lied to your parents about where you were?”

 

“It all happened with a chance meeting on Liberty Avenue.  I was there with Daphne and I spotted them with the baby.  They needed help with their packages, so I offered to give them a hand.  Next thing I know, they are inviting me to their place, so I said goodbye to Daph and followed them home.”

 

“It was just a coincidental meeting, but you seemed to think he planned it.  You never were very trusting,” interrupted Mel.

 

“Anyway, when I got to their place, we started talking and I told them how much I loved to draw.  I ended up showing them some of my drawings.  They thought I had talent and Lindsay asked me if I’d draw a portrait of her.  I was working on it when you arrived with a gift for Gus.”

 

Melanie interrupted, “Yes, and we both know that Michael probably picked it out.”

 

Brian quirked an eyebrow at her, then turned back to Justin.

 

“Anyway, that’s when you first saw one of the drawings I made of you naked.  I tried to stop Lindsay from showing it to you, but I was too late.”

 

Justin paused.  Something dawned on him that he hadn’t thought of before.  He had made several drawings of Brian, including a few in which he was barely dressed, but he didn’t remember any others that showed Brian in all his manly glory besides the one he was now talking about.  Thanks to Mel and Lindsay’s encouragement, the drawing had been put on display at the Gay and Lesbian Center Art Show and later sold to an unknown buyer.  Was it possible that what he was thinking was true?  Had Brian been the buyer?  Even if it was true, Brian wouldn’t be able to tell him if he was right or wrong in his assumption.

 

“And?  So how did I react?”

 

“You seemed a bit flattered, but one could never tell what you were thinking most of the time.  I ended up showing the drawing of you at the Gay and Lesbian Center Art Show and someone bought it.  Never did find out who it was.”

 

“It was probably someone who appreciated the subject matter of the drawing,” Brian bragged.

 

“Modest much, Mr. Kinney,” said Mel.

 

“Just stating facts, Madam Lawyer,” retorted Brian.

 

Justin and Lindsay laughed.  They were quite comfortable with the sarcastic bantering between Mel and Brian by now.  Despite the antagonistic attitude they used towards each other, Justin and Linds knew there was also an underlying mutual respect in some ways too.

 

“I’m looking forward to Michael returning the drawings I made so I can see which ones you kept, Brian.”

 

“Me too.”  Brian wasn’t kidding.  He was more eager than ever to see just what Justin had drawn.  Maybe the images on paper would spark a memory or two.  They must have meant something to him, because Brian knew he hardly ever held on to anything.  He was by no means a collector, unless you counted collecting notches on his bedpost of the countless men he had fucked over the years.  If he had held onto Justin’s drawings, that was significant. 

 

Gus suddenly let out a loud cry.  He was tired of being ignored while the grown-ups talked.  He liked having everyone’s attention.  All four pairs of eyes turned to the little one, still sitting in his high chair.  Time for conversation was over.  It was now time to give their attention to the little prince, something that both couples were more than happy to oblige.  Time seemed to fly by as they entertained Gus until he started to show signs of needing his nap.  Soon enough it was time for Brian and Justin to leave.  It had been a pleasant visit overall, but no glimmer of recognition of past events before the attack had resurfaced.  As they said their goodbyes at the door, Brian and Justin promised to return for another visit soon.  When they walked back towards Brian’s car, the women watched and noticed just how at ease the two men were with each other.  Brian might not remember anything about caring deeply for Justin from before, but they could clearly see it was happening all over again.  They couldn’t help wondering where it would lead to this time around.

 

 

To be continued…………

Justin tucked his sketchpad into a portfolio, which he then slipped into the large carrying bag his mother had bought him for his first day at PIFA.  He felt relieved that this was his last class for the day.  It was only Monday, but he was already wishing the week was over so he might have the chance of spending another weekend with Brian.  The ad man hadn’t actually set any kind of specific date for the two of them to get together again, but Justin had high hopes it would happen soon.  He based this thought on their goodbyes Sunday night.

 

After spending an enjoyable afternoon with Mel, Lindsay, and Gus, Brian drove Justin and himself over to Woody’s.  There was no planned meeting with anyone in particular, but neither was surprised to find Michael, Ted, and Emmett sitting at a table, engrossed in an animated conversation.  As they approached, they clearly heard Dr. Dave’s name being mentioned.  Brian knew nothing about the man outside of the stories he had heard, mainly from Michael.  At first, Michael seemed to praise the good doctor highly, but in recent weeks he spoke far less about him.  When the name did come up, Michael seemed reticent to say much about the doc or his future with him.  Brian’s interest was immediately piqued.  He took the empty seat directly across from Michael without asking permission, which he knew was unnecessary.  Justin found a nearby seat and pulled it up to sit next to Brian. 

 

“Hello, boys.  Anything on the menu for tonight, before we have to turn in early, to be fresh and ready for the coming week?” Brian inquired.

 

“Since when do you have to turn in early on Sunday?  We all know that no matter how late you are going home or how many men you fucked for the evening’s entertainment, you always wake up fresh and ready to tackle the advertising world on Monday morning.  We’ve been asking your secret for years, but you always just shrug and give us a knowing wink,” Ted remarked.

 

“True,” Brian laughed.  “But, although I don’t remember it happening, apparently I turned thirty and maybe I need to slow down a little.”

 

“Yeah, right!” Michael shot back.  “I told you then, and I’ll repeat it… no matter how old you get, you’ll always be young and beautiful.”

 

“Ah, Mikey, I didn’t know you cared.”

 

It was Emmett’s turn to speak up.  “Yeah, right!  You know he does, and you love it.”

 

“Anyway, enough about me.  So, what were you hens talking about before Justin and I arrived.  I thought I heard Dr. Dave’s name mentioned.”

 

Michael answered for the group.  “They were pestering me, wanting to know when I was flying back to join David again.”

 

“And?  So when are you, Mikey?  What’s holding you back?  I’m fit as a fiddle and don’t need you looking out for my welfare anymore.  Which reminds me, I’m still waiting for the return of those drawings we were talking about earlier.”

 

“Yes, Michael, I’d like to see them again too.  I can’t remember which ones I left behind,” Justin told him.

 

“Okay, I just forgot about the drawings, but I’ll get them to you tonight if you’ll stop by before going home.  Secondly, I don’t know if I’ll fly back to join David.  He’s gotten more and more unreasonable and demanding since he learned you were out of the hospital.  And the truth is, he wasn’t very understanding even when you were still in a coma.  I don’t particularly like that side of him, and it’s made me think twice about whether I want to make a life with him or not.  I know you don’t remember this, but you warned me that he wasn’t the right kind of guy for me from the very beginning, and I think now that you were right.  After our last conversation, I’m not so sure he wants me back anyway.”

 

“I don’t think Deb will be too happy to hear you say that.  From what I’ve heard, she was looking forward to having a doctor for a ‘son-in-law’.

 

“She’ll get over it.  She always does.”

 

The men continued their banter for a while longer while sipping drinks and playing a couple of rounds of pool.  Eventually they decided to have dinner at the Liberty Diner before calling it a night.  All, except for Michael, had jobs or school to get to early the next morning.  Michael was still in limbo while trying to make a final decision on whether to fly out to return to Dr. Dave or remain in Pittsburgh.  Dinner was a pleasant enough affair, because they all talked about the future, rather than trying to bring up the past.  It felt like old times, even for Brian.  Once they were finished eating, they went their separate ways… Michael tagging along with Emmett and Ted, Brian leaving with Justin.  Just before separating, Michael reminded Brian to stop by Emmett’s place, so that he could return the purloined drawings, although that wasn’t quite the way he referred to them.  His comment was more on the line of… ‘now that you are ready to see them, I can give them back to you.’

 

Rather than driving Justin directly home before heading for Emmett’s, Brian asked him if he’d like to stop by Emmett’s place with him.  He reminded Justin that he had said he’d like to see the drawings that were taken too.  It wasn’t necessary for him to bring that up.  Justin was eager to see which ones he had left behind when leaving the loft.  He honestly couldn’t remember all of them, although he did recall the majority of sketches he had forgotten to pack when he had hurriedly prepared to leave the loft after the break-in.  He knew that quite a few of the drawings featured Brian, but certainly not all of them.  He doubted if the sketches would shake loose any memories since nothing else had worked, but it was worth a try to find out.  If they did, Justin wanted to be there when it happened. 

 

Brian and Justin pulled up to Emmett’s apartment house only minutes after Ted dropped Emmett and Michael at the front door, and left for his own place not far away.  They took the stairs to Emmett’s floor, anticipation making their movements hurried.  The door was answered immediately by Michael.  He ushered the couple into the living area, where Emmett was picking up pieces of clothing that had been carelessly discarded before they went out for the evening.  Michael knew exactly what Brian was there for, so he excused himself and quickly left the room.  He returned a few minutes later with a large brown folder with its flap secured by a rubber band.  He handed it to Brian, then sat on the couch in the space just cleared off by Emmett, who had judiciously removed himself from the scene by heading for his bedroom. 

 

“Are all of the sketches inside the folder, Mikey?”

 

“Of course,” he answered, his tone sounding slightly hurt at the suggestion that he would hold anything back.

 

“Good!  And thanks for taking such good care of them, although I’m not quite sure why you thought it was necessary to remove them from the loft.  You know, it’s always possible that seeing them when I first returned home would have helped my recovery, rather than caused me any emotional stress.  But I guess you hadn’t thought it through when you ‘borrowed’ them.”

 

Michael had the decency to look embarrassed.  He knew when Brian was chastising him, even when he was trying to make it sound like he was only showing his appreciation.

 

“You’re right… of course, you’re right.  Like I told you earlier, I had every intention of returning them once you got to know who Justin was, and would appreciate why you had the drawings.  I just didn’t realize how quickly you two would connect, and start to get to know each other again, or I would have said something earlier.”

 

“That’s okay, Michael.  We have them now,” Justin interjected. 

 

“Yes, and now we have to go.  Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.  We’ll see you and the boys later.”

 

For the first time Michael felt relieved that Brian wanted to leave so quickly.  He walked Brian and Justin to the door and locked it behind them.  He breathed a sigh of relief.  Even at the time that he took the sketches, he had developed second thoughts but then gave in to his first impulse.  Now he wished he had listened to his conscience and left them untouched.  He knew Brian wouldn’t hold taking them against him, but he wouldn’t forget either.  Brian never forgot.  As long as Brian forgave him for his misguided decision, Michael would have to be satisfied.  Now he found himself wondering just what kind of effect seeing all the sketches would have on Brian, especially the most intimate one. 

 

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

 

Brian pulled to the front of Jennifer’s house, put his jeep in park, and turned to Justin.  He reached for the folder that held all the sketches that Michael had taken from the loft, which Justin held in his lap.  When they first settled in the jeep, Brian told Justin he could open the folder and check what was inside while he was driven to his mom’s place, but he said he wanted to wait for Brian.  Now he handed them over.  A shadow crossed his face as he did so.  Justin felt a slight trepidation as to how Brian would feel about his work.  Last year’s Brian had nothing but praise for his work, but that didn’t necessarily mean that he would still feel the same way.  Justin wondered if he would find it too amateurish.  Maybe he would wonder why in the world he had kept the sketches around after Justin moved out of the loft. 

 

Brian interrupted his train of thought.  “Shall we have a look at what you forgot to take with you when you left me to move in with Debbie?”

 

“I didn’t leave you to move in with Debbie,” Justin shot back defensively.  “You kicked me out because I was forgetful and let your place get robbed.”

 

“Oh yes, I remember the story,” he replied, sounding amused at Justin’s reaction.  “Anyway, why don’t we take a look before you go in and see if anything hints at a memory?”

 

Justin nodded and watched as Brian slipped the rubber band off, and opened the flap to expose a large sheaf of papers inside.  He slid them out and set the folder aside.  Justin leaned in closer so he could see each sketch as Brian looked them over under the overhead light.  There were far more sketches than Justin remembered working on while at Brian’s place.  Most of them were still-lifes of different areas in Brian’s loft.  Brian was extremely impressed by the detailed work of even the simplest of subjects.  He immediately knew why everyone had been telling him that Justin had a great future in the art world if he continued to pursue it.  Justin smiled as Brian gave out sounds of obvious approval with each new sketch.  Finally, he reached a sketch of himself where he was sitting at the table in his robe, eating breakfast.  The drawing was so realistic that Brian could almost smell the toast and coffee in the picture. 

 

Brian looked up.  “Damn, Justin, you really ARE talented.  They weren’t shitting me.” 

 

Justin’s smile grew broader.  This was even better than he had hoped for.  He watched Brian’s face as he flipped to the next page.  He heard Brian gasp.  A look of surprise filled his face.  Justin looked down at the page in Brian’s hands to see what had caused such a reaction.  And there it was!  The one sketch Justin had loved creating the most, but thought was lost to him when it sold at the Gay and Lesbian Center Art Show.  Brian had never confessed to buying the sketch.  Justin couldn’t recall ever seeing it again after leaving the Center. 

 

Brian looked up at Justin again.  “When did you draw this one?”

 

Justin blushed.  “Early on.  I woke up long before you one morning when you let me stay over and you looked so… so…”

 

“Sexy?”

 

“Beautiful!  I couldn’t resist.  But I didn’t leave that one behind.  I didn’t even know you had it.  I used it in my display at the art show they had at the Gay and Lesbian Center, and they told me later that someone bought it anonymously.  I never imagined it was you.”

 

Brian looked thoughtful, his brows furrowed as he tried to imagine what possessed him to buy the sketch secretly.  But the more he stared at it, the more he realized that it wasn’t narcissism that drove him to make the purchase.  It was the quality of the drawing.  He must have been just as impressed by Justin’s talent then as he was now.  Whether he bought the sketch as an investment for the future, or simply as a souvenir of his time with Justin… it didn’t matter.  He was just glad he had done so.  He ran his fingers through his hair as he contemplated what to do next.  Then he made his decision.

 

“Look, Justin, in all fairness these are your sketches and you should have them back.  That is, of course, except for this one (holding up the sketch of himself naked).  I bought it so I must have had a good reason and I think I’ll keep it.”

 

“I appreciate it, Brian.”

 

“No, wait!  I have a better idea.  Why don’t we get together again at my place, and together we can comb the loft from top to bottom to see if Michael missed any of them?  That way we can keep them all together, at least for now.”

 

“I uhhh, yeah, I’d like that,” Justin agreed. 

 

“Then it’s a date.  I’ll call you later and we’ll set up a time that works for both of us.”

 

Justin’s smile could have lit up the interior of the jeep.  As if by habit, he leaned over and gave Brian a quick kiss before exiting the vehicle.  With the door shut, he poked his head in the window.  “Later,” he grinned.

 

“Later,” Brian shot back.

 

As Brian drove away, Justin prayed it wouldn’t be too much later before he saw Brian again.  It was going to be a long week otherwise.

 

 

To be continued……………  

 

Brian’s eyes flew open, rapidly scanning the room in search for the source of the sickening sound that yanked him out of his restless sleep.  His eyes darted around the room, which was still in darkness despite the blue lights hanging from the back of his bed.  There was nothing to see out of the ordinary… nothing that could account for the sound that was still reverberating in his brain.  It slowly dawned on him that the sound was probably nothing more than a part of his dream, a dream he couldn’t recall. 

 

 

 

Brian tried hard to concentrate in hopes that snatches of his dream would return. For some reason, he felt it was important that he remember it but couldn’t say why.  As he laid his head back down on the pillow and shut his eyes, he tried to relax his body so that he could fall asleep again.  Maybe, if he was lucky, the dream would repeat itself.  And maybe he would remember the details of it when he woke up this time.  Little by little, his breathing evened out and he finally fell back into slumber.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Brian had been asleep for barely over an hour when he was awakened suddenly by that same sickening sound that had haunted him the first time.  Only this time he recognized that it came from his dream and was somehow familiar to him, although he couldn’t say why.  All he knew was that whatever made it seem familiar was not something pleasant.  That was obvious from the way his skin felt chilled and his heart beat twice as fast as it should.  But again, the dream had dissipated like a nighttime fog on a bright sunny morning.  Brian decided he had had enough sleep.  He had no desire to reclaim the dream if it was going to make him feel as shitty as it was now. 

 

 

 

Brian slid off the bed and padded his way to the bathroom.  He took care of his call to Nature, brushed his teeth, and stepped into the shower.  He hoped the sting of hot water would warm him up and wash away the remnants of his mysterious dream.  He stood under the spray several minutes longer than usual and slowly began to feel more like himself again.  Feeling better, he completed his shower, exited the stall, and dried himself off.  Shortly after, he was dressed and in the kitchen preparing his usual breakfast.  As he was pulling a glass down from the cabinet for his orange juice, it somehow slipped from his fingers and fell, shattering into a dozen sharp shards on the tiled floor.

 

 

 

Cursing at his clumsiness, Brian gingerly stepped over the glass and made his way to the small utility closet where he kept household cleaning supplies.  His broom, with the thick wooden handle, was tucked neatly behind a mop and large pail he kept in the closet for the cleaning lady.  Brian made it a rule to avoid housework whenever possible.  He tried pulling the broom from behind the mop and pail, but lost his grip for a second time.  The broom tilted to the left and fell away from what was holding it up against the wall, then crashed to the floor.  The sound echoed loudly in the cramped space of the tiny closet.  It pierced Brian’s ears like a dagger.  Suddenly, he recognized it as a similar sound to the one that kept waking him up during the night.

 

 

 

Most disturbing of all was an image that seemed to flash in his brain like the flickering reflection on the screen in a movie theater.  It faded as quickly as it came to him, but in that brief instant, he clearly saw the face of his attacker on the night he was bashed, along with the object the man was holding in his fist.  Even stronger than the image was a voice he heard calling his name.  As he struggled to hold onto the brief memory, he realized that the voice he heard was coming from Justin.  Brian began shaking like a leaf.  Forgotten was the broken glass on the kitchen floor, as Brian stumbled back up the stairs of his bedroom.  He sank onto the edge of the bed and forced himself to calm down.  That was it… what he had obviously been dreaming about was the night of the attack.  More than that, the sound of the broom striking the floor had obviously been the catalyst to the first true memory from his missing past. 

 

 

 

Brian had never truly doubted all the stories his friends had been telling him about the missing year, but that didn’t mean he found some of the things believable, even if they were true.  Now, however, he felt there was hope that more real memories would be unlocked.  If one memory could come back, why not others?  Brian suddenly had the overwhelming urge to tell Justin what had just happened.  He didn’t bother to stop and think about why it had to be Justin he wanted to talk to about this and not one of his longer relationships.  The why of it didn’t matter for now.  All he knew was that he felt great excitement at being able to tell Justin what he had just experienced.  He looked forward to Justin’s take on it all.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Justin had just stepped out of the shower and was toweling himself dry when his phone rang.  A quick glance told him that it was Brian on the other end of the line.  His heartbeat quickened, as it always did, when it was Brian calling him.  He was surprised, however, because he never called on a weekday so early.  It was so early now that he hadn’t even had time to eat breakfast before heading off to school.  Whatever Brian was calling about had to be important if he was calling this early.  Justin quickly answered.

 

 

 

“Hey, Brian.  What’s up?  I just got out of the shower.  Kind of early hearing from you.  Everything okay?”

 

 

 

“Well, I could tell you that I just wanted to hear your voice, but that smacks a little too much like a romantic gesture to me,” Brian laughed.  “Yes, everything is okay.  Actually, better than okay.  I thought you might like to know that I’ve had a breakthrough this morning.”

 

 

 

“Really?”  Justin’s voice crackled with excitement.  “What kind of breakthrough are we talking about here?”

 

 

 

“I thought maybe we could get together for lunch today, and I can tell you all about it.  What do you say to that idea?”

 

 

 

Justin couldn’t hide how excited he was when he answered in the affirmative.  Brian had to smile as he pictured Justin naked, probably skipping from one foot to the other with anticipation.  He asked Justin when he would have a break at school.  Justin gave him his schedule for the day.

 

 

 

“Alright then.  How about if I pick you up at noon and take you to the Liberty Diner for lunch?  Then I can get you back to school in time for your next class.”

 

 

 

With no hesitation, Justin agreed with Brian’s plan.  As he hung up, his mind raced with thoughts of what kind of breakthrough Brian was hinting at.  He instinctively knew it had to be something important.  Brian obviously didn’t want to wait for the weekend to discuss whatever it was.  Justin’s pulse quickened at the thought that the breakthrough might involve Brian’s previous feelings for him.  He forced himself to discard the thought, at least for now.  Surely, if that was the case Brian wouldn’t even wait for lunch.  It would be too momentous to delay passing such news on to him.  Justin reminded himself that he needed to stay focused and wait for Brian to divulge his story.  Guessing about it would only make it impossible for him to get through the hours at school while waiting for Brian to pick him up.  For now, he would dress and get moving.  The sooner he got to school, the sooner it would be lunch time.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Brian pulled up to the loading and unloading area of the PIFA parking lot and scanned the small crowd of students leaving the building.  It didn’t take long for him to spot Justin.  His face lit up with a smile.  He had begun to realize that every time he heard Justin’s voice, or saw the young man, or even heard his name mentioned he would feel himself smiling.  There was just something about Justin that made Brian’s heart feel lighter.  No one had ever done that for him before.  Even Michael, who he truly loved like a brother, had never made him feel so alive.  Brian was in no way ready to call what he felt for Justin, love, but it was certainly something he wanted to continue feeling.  And now, more than ever, he wanted to retrieve his lost memories.  Maybe then, he would be able to understand these strange feelings he was having for Justin a little better.

 

 

 

Justin spotted Brian’s Jeep and made a beeline for it.  His day had dragged by slower than molasses as he waited for lunchtime to finally arrive.  One of his professors had even rebuked him for his lack of concentration on the assignment, noting that it was obvious his mind was elsewhere.  Justin didn’t bother arguing with the man, although he was one of Justin’s least favorite teachers.  The man was right.  Justin wondered why he even bothered attending classes after getting the call from Brian this morning.  All he could think about was the poorly concealed excitement in Brian’s voice and what he had said about some kind of breakthrough.  The possibilities of what that meant seemed endless.  Of course, for Justin, the one possibility he hoped for the most was that Brian finally remembered his feelings for him just before the attack.  As he reached the Jeep, Justin smiled broadly at that particular thought.

 

 

 

“Hey, Justin, you ready for lunch?” Brian asked, as Justin slipped into the seat next to Brian.

 

 

 

“Starving,” he answered.

 

 

 

“Then let’s go,” Brian responded, putting the vehicle in Drive and pulling out of the waiting area. 

 

 

 

For the first half mile, the couple remained quiet, but Justin finally couldn’t take the silence any longer.

 

 

 

“So, are you going to tell me about this breakthrough you mentioned on the phone, or are you going to continue to torture me with silence?”

 

 

 

Brian laughed.  “Don’t worry.  I promise to tell you everything, but I’d rather be face-to-face when I do, so let’s wait until we’re seated at the diner.”

 

 

 

Justin tried to control his irritation.  He wanted to know what was going through Brian’s head, and he wanted to know right now.  But Brian was obviously the one in charge.  Justin gave a wry smile, knowing that Brian always liked being the one in charge.  He knew he couldn’t change Brian’s mind once it was made up, so he settled back in the seat and waited.  Luckily the school wasn’t that far from Liberty Avenue, so they arrived at the diner barely ten minutes later.  Brian found a spot not far from the diner and grabbed it.  Luck was on their side, since parking was normally scarce at this time of day. 

 

 

 

They walked into the diner, hearing the familiar tinkle above the door, and were both happy to see that Debbie was one of the waitresses on duty.  She spotted them immediately, as it was her long-time habit to check everyone who stepped into the diner to see if there were any strangers.  She liked to give newcomers special attention so they’d feel welcome to return.  Her face lit up when she saw that it was two of her favorite men coming through the door.  Although Brian sometimes frustrated the Hell out of her, and she didn’t wholly approve of everything he did, she had a soft spot for Brian that made her love him unconditionally.  And although she hadn’t known Justin for nearly as long, her heart was filled with love for him too.  Hell, she felt they were all her sons, especially the ones that she met through Michael.

 

 

 

“Right this way, boys,” she instructed, pointing towards an empty booth.

 

 

 

Brian grimaced.  Debbie still insisted on referring to him as a boy on occasion, despite the fact that he was now in his thirties.  The little tidbit of information about how he reacted to turning thirty was one of the few things Brian didn’t mind forgetting all about.  Although his friends seemed to enjoy telling him about the “Death Day’ party they threw for him on that historic day, Brian doubted if he enjoyed it as much as they did.  But that story didn’t disturb him half as much as the one Michael told him not too long ago.  Michael seemed hesitant to bring up how Brian had tried a risky trick called ‘scarfing’ the night of his birthday, but was saved at the last minute when Mikey showed up at the loft unexpectedly.  Although Brian didn’t like hearing how he had risked his life in such a stupid way, he wasn’t really surprised.  When he turned twenty-nine, he remembered fearing the thought of becoming thirty.  Of course, now that he had come so close to dying in an even more horrendous way, he felt grateful that Michael had shown up when he did and saved him from himself.  Brian knew he would never take such a ridiculous chance with his life again.  Debbie interrupted his train of thought as he took a seat across from Justin. 

 

 

 

“So, what’ll it be, boys?  Cook’s conjured up a great chili for a cold day.”

 

 

 

“I’ll have the turkey on whole wheat, and hold the mayo.  Add a hot cup of coffee, and I’m set.”

 

 

 

Debbie turned to Justin.  “Chili sounds good, Deb.  And how about some loaded French fries and a double chocolate shake to go with that?”

 

 

 

“Coming right up,” she answered, as Brian groaned over Justin’s order.

 

 

 

“How in Hell you keep that girlish figure of yours, I’ll never understand.  If I ate like you, I’d be as big as a house.”

 

 

 

Justin grinned.  “Oh, I have my ways of burning off the calories,” he told him cryptically.  “But, now I am waiting for you to tell me your news.  You’ve kept me in suspense long enough.”

 

 

 

“Patience, young man.  Wait until we have our food.  We don’t want any interruptions while I’m telling you what happened.”

 

 

 

Justin sat back in the booth and gave Brian a look that didn’t disguise his frustration one tiny bit.  Brian stuck his tongue against his cheek and grinned.  He wasn’t sure why he was being so coy with Justin, but somehow he found himself enjoying the fact that Justin obviously cared so much about him, that he was more than a little anxious to hear whatever good news Brian might have to tell him.  Thankfully, Debbie arrived with their coffee and milkshake within minutes, and the rest of their meal arrived shortly after.  By this time, the place had filled up with customers, so the couple knew Debbie wouldn’t stop and check on them for a little while.  They each took a couple of bites of their food, barely tasting it, before talking to each other again.

 

 

 

“Okay, Brian, enough messing with me.  If you don’t tell me what happened this morning, I swear that the first chance I get I’ll tie your balls together so tight that you’ll be a soprano for the next month.”

 

 

 

Brian shuddered at the image, but then laughed.  “I thought I had heard that you have the patience of a saint.  That doesn’t sound too saintly to me.  But, you’re right.  You’ve waited long enough.”

 

 

 

Brian proceeded to describe the events of the night before.  How his dreams kept waking him up, but left him unable to remember why the dreams felt disturbing to him because of a sound that seemed to linger just out of reach from his memory.  Concern, mixed with puzzlement, was etched on Justin’s face as he listened intently.  He wasn’t sure where Brian was going with the story.  Was he saying that later on he finally remembered the entire dream? 

 

 

 

Brian continued, talking about his morning and getting ready to start the day.  He finally got to the part where he dropped the glass and it broke.  His voice changed slightly as he went on to tell about his attempt to retrieve the broom so he could sweep up the broken glass, and how it fell to the floor hard enough to make a loud noise… a sound that brought the first flash of memory from the night he was attacked.

 

 

 

“I saw him, Justin!” he whispered intently.  “I saw his face, and I saw the bat coming towards me!”

 

 

 

Justin gasped, his eyes starting to water. 

 

 

 

“But that’s not all.  Justin, I heard you!  I heard your voice calling out my name.  You must have seen what was about to happen and tried to warn me!”

 

 

 

Justin’s voice was shaky.  “I…I did try to warn you.  I was about to return to the dance so I could find Daphne.  You were on your way to your car.  We were going to meet up later.  But before I could leave, I thought I spotted some odd movement in the garage in the corner behind you.  I didn’t realize it was Chris Hobbs, but the figure somehow felt menacing and was closing in on you fast.  Then I saw that he had something in his hand and it looked like he was going to hit you with it, so I screamed.  But, I was… oh damn, Brian, I was too late.  You turned around and he struck you.  I thought the world had ended.  I’m so sorry I was too late!  I’m so sorry!”

 

 

 

“Damn it, Justin, stop it.  I don’t want to hear you apologize like that again.  Do you hear me?  None of what happened is your fault.  I wish I could remember even more, but at least it’s a beginning.  That’s a good thing!  Given time, I believe more of the past will come back to me.  And we’re going to work on it together.  Right?”

 

 

 

Justin looked at Brian with so much gratitude.  A little of the guilt he had been feeling since that awful night slipped away, thanks to Brian’s words.  The love he had felt for Brian for such a long time expanded. 

 

 

 

Brian continued, “Now, let’s eat up.  I don’t want to get you back to class late.  But I was thinking we could talk about this more tonight while the memory is still fresh in my mind.  You know, rather than waiting for the weekend.  I could order something up for dinner at the loft.  What do you say to that?”

 

 

 

Justin nodded his head vigorously.  He couldn’t believe his luck.  Brian wanted to spend time with him again so soon after they had spent the weekend together.  Whether Brian’s memories returned or not, Justin was beginning to feel as if their past was no different than the future that lay before them.  For now, he’d be content to spend another evening with Brian at his loft.  Tonight couldn’t come soon enough for Justin.

 

 

 

To be continued……….

 

Justin puttered around his mother’s condo, tackling one domestic chore after another, all in hopes of distracting himself.  He felt out of sorts because it was Saturday, and he had become accustomed to seeing Brian over the weekends.  Not possible this time, because Brian had to go out of town on business.  Justin had to admit to himself that he was simply missing the hell out of being with Brian, especially after the night they spent together just days before.  Justin had to smile as he remembered the events of that evening.

 

 

 

It all started with Brian’s first memory breakthrough.  When Justin discovered why Brian had wanted to have lunch with him in the middle of the week, his excitement knew no limits.  Not only did Brian remember how Justin had tried to warn him about the approaching danger in that parking lot, but he had wanted to tell Justin about it before all the others, including his long-time best friends.  That alone would have gladdened Justin’s heart immeasurably, yet knowing that Brian had finally recalled something that he thought was lost forever was truly the icing on the cake.  But Justin’s joy didn’t end with just those two things.  For the first time since the bashing, Brian didn’t want to wait for the weekend in order to show just how he was feeling about the two of them.  

 

 

 

That evening, Brian kept his promise to order dinner from one of their favorite take-out places, which they had used frequently before the attack, and they settled in for a casual chat while enjoying their food.  Justin continued to recall more stories of things they had done together during that year, many of which no one else could have told Brian about, because they were private experiences.  By the end of the evening, they were both relaxed, and feeling very comfortable with each other.  They had retired to Brian’s couch in order to continue their conversation.  Then, without notice, Brian suddenly moved in even closer and laid his hands on each side of Justin’s face.  Justin smiled broadly, loving the feel of Brian’s hands on his cheeks.  Brian stared deeply into Justin’s eyes.

 

 

 

“You really are quite beautiful… you know that?  I can understand why I was drawn to you that night I came out of Babylon with the guys.”

 

 

 

“I was feeling the same way about you while I watched you approaching me.  I thought my heart would beat out of my chest.  I was so fucking scared, but unbelievably excited at the same time.  I know now that you were aware that I was bluffing about everything I said and did that night, and that I was just a scared little boy wanting to find out what being a gay man was really all about.  Yet, you never made fun of me.  Instead, you took me by the hand, and then ushered me into a world that I wanted to be a part of more than anything in my life.  I think that is why I fell in love with you so quickly and couldn’t just let you disappear from my life, even though you did your best to ignore me.”

 

 

 

Justin laughed.  Brian grinned.  “Yes, I heard stories about how you kept pursuing me, despite my attempts to discourage you.  I guess your persistence was what I found most appealing, although it surprises me, since I’m not particularly fond of stalkers.  It must have been the way you kept inserting yourself into my life.  Obviously, I never found it too threatening.”

 

 

 

“Well, just take a look at me,” Justin smiled.  “Do I look very threatening?”

 

 

 

Brian moved in even closer, still holding Justin’s face in his hands.  He seemed to be studying every single inch of that face.  Then, slowly he moved forward and placed his lips on Justin’s.  Justin reached up and caressed Brian’s face as their kiss began to deepen.  Suddenly, as if a spark had been struck on a match, heat rose between them as they wrapped their arms around each other, abandoning their banter.  Their growing need for each other fed the passion that had been ignited.  They rose from the couch, but only so that they could quickly and efficiently remove every stitch of clothing that separated their yearning bodies.  Brian reached down into the bowl on the end table that was filled with condoms.

 

 

 

Justin, emboldened by Brian’s obvious desire for him, pushed his lover back onto the couch.  He gazed lovingly at the manhood that stood proud and erect between Brian’s thighs.  He settled onto his knees, spreading Brian’s legs as he did so.  He grasped the rock-hard length of Brian in his hands and placed his lips softly onto the head.  He began by kissing the tip with great gentleness, and then flicking his tongue out to lick it.  He did this several times until he heard Brian sighing deeply.  He looked up and saw that Brian was staring down at his actions, with lust clearly building behind his eyes.  Justin went back to work, this time letting his tongue travel up and down the long, thick length of Brian’s cock, stopping only long enough at the top to administer a suckle, before traveling along the length again.  This action was repeated over and over again, until it was becoming more and more obvious, thanks to their sounds and movement, that Brian was very close to losing it. 

 

 

 

Once Justin realized what was happening, he stopped abruptly.  He quickly tore open the package, and covered Brian’s manhood with the pre-lubricated condom.  Standing up, he pushed Brian’s legs together again while separating his own.  Moving in closer, he began straddling the long legs until his stomach and groin were pressing against Brian’s chest.  Brian stared up at Justin with smoldering eyes.  Justin grabbed Brian’s shoulders and began moving downward, seating himself, inch by slow inch onto the gift Brian was offering so willingly.  Justin’s knees buried themselves in the cushions as he began riding Brian’s cock once he was firmly seated.  Soon, the room was filled with sounds of pleasure as Brian pushed upward to meet Justin’s downward strokes.  Their lips crushed together and tongues began searching for the quickened pleasure it provided them.  Brian stroked Justin’s cock in time with the strokes Justin gave him.  Much too soon, Brian filled the condom with his seed as he gasped in pure delight.  Following immediately on the heels of that, Justin released his own orgasm between their chests.

 

 

 

Justin smiled again as he remembered how that first lovemaking session was only the beginning of the evening.  After resting up from their labors, they sat together and watched an old Western on TV, before Brian asked if Justin wanted to go home… or stay the night, and he would see to it that Justin got to school on time in the morning.  Before Brian could get out the last word of his query, Justin was back in his arms and demonstrating his answer.  They did finally get some sleep, but not before having another torrid session of lovemaking.  Justin was a little sore the next day, as he sat gingerly in his class, but he didn’t mind one tiny bit.  Of course, now he was even happier that he had the chance to be with Brian mid-week, because their usual weekend visits were on hold, thanks to Brian’s job.  But more importantly than that… he felt the closeness between he and Brian growing stronger with each passing week.  He was finally having hope that Brian would discover how deep his feelings for Justin had become, before that infamous prom night, even if he never recalled the time they spent together before the bashing.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Chris Hobbs sat facing his lawyer, Scott Jackson, and handed over the check that would retain his services.  His mother had come through for him, just as she promised.  She sold her stock from her parent’s inheritance and handed all the money over to him.  He, of course, thanked her profusely, all the while knowing he would never pay her back.  But there was someone who he intended to pay back… and pay back in full.  He was willing to pay the lawyer for now, but Hobbs had other ideas brewing as to how he might avoid ending up in court with Brian Kinney.  The thoughts were not fully formed yet, but the germ of an idea was planted.  Now all he needed to do was cultivate it until it became a reality.

 

 

 

His first thought was to feel out some of his old high school buddies… those that he knew felt exactly as he did about gays.  What he really wanted to do was punish both Brian and his boy toy, Justin, at the same time.  This would never be possible if he attempted it on his own.  Getting caught once was enough for him.  He would need backup for what he was considering.  As he left the lawyer’s office, he glanced down at his watch.  He was glad to see that he wasn’t running late.  He had invited several of his old friends to his house for a party and it was important to be there on time.  Thankfully, there was still a nice chunk of change left in the bank after paying the lawyer… at least enough, he felt, to bribe his pals for their help if it was needed. 

 

 

 

An hour later, Hobbs opened his front door to the guests he was expecting.  The husky looking quartet filed into his house, looking excited at the prospect of some drinking, and game playing.  All of them were ex-jocks from the football team at St. James Academy.  They were eighteen and nineteen-year-old men who had either dropped out of college or never bothered to attend, and not one of them had any specific goals in life.  Hobbs had picked them out carefully, knowing that they were either on the outs with their families and/or had no real ambitions in life that could be fucked if they got caught breaking the law.  He also knew they would welcome the chance to make some money, no matter how it was accomplished. 

 

 

 

Hobbs brought out the first six-pack of cold beers to the living room.  The fridge was stocked with plenty more six-packs when needed.  Thus, the evening began.  Several hours later, not one man could claim to be sober, except for Chris who was nursing his beers to keep a cool head on his shoulders.  Several of his guests were playing poker, while Hobbs and another finished up a popular war game on the Xbox.  Hobbs deliberately lost the last round to his adversary to make him feel triumphant.  He waited until the guy finished crowing about his accomplishment, and then asked all of them to stop what they were doing, and join him for one last beer before leaving for home.  Once they were all gathered in the kitchen, and popping the lids on their final bottle, Hobbs finally got to the point.

 

 

 

“Hope you bums enjoyed yourselves, ‘cause this is probably the last fucking time I’ll be able to have you guys over here for anything like this.”

 

 

 

“What ya’ talking ‘bout, Chris?” slurred one of his friends.

 

 

 

“I’m talking about that fag, Kinney, suing me in court and probably winning.  He’ll drain me dry.  I’ll be begging on the streets if that ass fucker gets his way.”

 

 

 

“Well, fuck, man… we can’t let that ass wipe do that to our old pal, here,” slurred another of his companions, draping his arm over Chris’s shoulder.

 

 

 

“So, man, what ya’ gonna do ‘bout it?” asked the first man who spoke up.

 

 

 

“Shit!  I don’t know, but I’ve got to do something, or I’m screwed from now to Eternity.  Problem is, I don’t think I can handle the problem on my own.  That Kinney bastard is always with someone… usually with our old pal, Justin Taylor.  I’d be outnumbered no matter what I did.”

 

 

 

“Well damn, Chris!  If you need any help, you can count on all of us… right, boys?”

 

 

 

“Right!” they all echoed as one. 

 

 

 

“Yeah, you just let us know what you need, and we’ll be there for ya.  There’s not one of us that wouldn’t like to see those fags being taken down a peg or two.”

 

 

 

Chris smiled chillingly.  He stuck out his hand, palm up.  They took the hint, and one by one clasped their hands on his.  Finishing off their drinks, they stumbled to the front door.  Chris watched as the entire inebriated gang slid behind the wheels of their cars and drove off.  He hoped they would make it home safely, because he would need them later.  As he slowly closed his door, he allowed a short laugh to escape.  It was the first time, since first being served by the process server, that he felt a ray of hope.  Step One of his plan to stop Kinney from taking him to court had been successful.  Even if one of his old friends chickened out, he knew that most would keep their promise to help him.  Now all he needed to do was make up his mind as to when and where he would accomplish his goal.  He needed to get it done soon.  The court date wasn’t that far off.

 

 

 

To be continued……………

 

A little more than two weeks had passed since Brian experienced his first flash of memory from the night of Justin’s Senior Prom.  Brian had kept the news to himself, except for Justin, intending to tell those who loved him all about it that weekend.  Those plans changed when he was called out of town on business, but Justin kept his word to remain mum on the subject until Brian returned.  On Monday, after work, Brian managed to arrange a meeting with everyone who cared about him.  By eight o’clock that night, his living room was filled with curious loved ones who knew something was up.  Brian never called everyone together like this, unless it was for a prearranged party to celebrate something, and even then it was seldom held in his loft.  A disastrous thirtieth birthday party for Michael was an exception to that rule.

 

 

 

However, now they were all here… Michael, Debbie, Vic, Emmett, Ted, and even Daphne and Jennifer.  Justin had already been at the loft ever since Brian picked him up immediately after classes were out for the day at PIFA.  Justin was the only one present who was already privy to Brian’s reasons for gathering everyone together.  And although he felt it was a shame, he understood why there were no blood family members of Brian’s at the loft too.  He understood it all too well, now that his relationship with his father had soured so badly that they never spoke to each other anymore.  He was just grateful that he still had his mother in his corner.  He was also grateful that Brian had Debbie, who was as much a mother to him as any woman could be.  All those present stood around theorizing about the reason Brian had called them together.  They hoped it was good news.  There had been enough bad news to last a lifetime for Brian as far as they were concerned.  Finally, they spotted Brian stepping down from his bedroom and coming towards them.  A hush fell over the group.  Inquisitive eyes fell on Brian as he approached.

 

 

 

“Glad to see you all came tonight,” Brian began.  “I’m sure you are wondering why I asked you to come.”

 

 

 

“We are a little curious,” piped up Michael.  “It must be important for you to give up a night at Babylon just to see all of us.”

 

 

 

“Mikey’s right.  You don’t care whether it’s the weekend or a weekday.  Babylon is where you are usually at this time of night,” added Emmett.

 

 

 

“Babylon will be there tomorrow, but as for tonight, I thought I would celebrate my big news with the folks who care about me the most.  And yes, I know you love me.  Can’t blame you for that,” Brian grinned, tongue planted firmly in his cheek.

 

 

 

Debbie piped up with, “Okay, Brian, you have our full attention.  This is obviously very important to you, and we are all now on pins and needles to find out what is going on.  So, spill.”

 

 

 

Justin stood off to the side and listened as Brian recounted the story of his miraculous memory recall.  He glanced from one face to another as he saw them taking in the news.  It pleased him to see that everyone looked so happy to hear what Brian was telling them.  From the discussion that followed, he could tell that they were all hoping Brian would continue to have further breakthroughs.  Unfortunately, nothing did happen for the next couple of weeks.  No one was giving up hope, especially Brian and Justin.  Yet, some things had changed since that meeting, and everyone who had been there noticed it.  There was no longer any questions about how the relationship between Brian and Justin was growing closer by the day.  They had witnessed it happening once before, and now they were seeing it again.  And no one was happier about the direction their relationship was headed than Justin.  Although he still longed for Brian to remember their time together before the bashing, he was feeling a lot more comfortable in simply making new memories.  But then Justin got a phone call that promised to change everything. 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Justin had just arrived at his Mom’s condo, after spending the entire weekend with Brian at the loft, when his cell phone rang.  He checked the caller ID, thinking maybe he had forgotten something at Brian’s.  It wasn’t Brian on the line, it was Daphne.  He smiled to himself.  He knew she was missing him, because he now spent far less time with her than in the past.  But they still kept in close contact via phone calls and texts.  He enjoyed chatting with her.  He answered her call with a smile.

 

 

 

“Hey, Daph, what’s up?  I just walked in the door.  Can you let me set my stuff down and get comfortable while you hold on for a minute?”

 

 

 

Daphne’s voice came back, sounding very excited.  “Yeah, sure, but don’t be long.  I’ve got something important to tell you!”

 

 

 

Justin had heard that tone in Daph’s voice plenty of times since they had grown up together, but there was something more urgent than usual in its timbre.  He quickly decided not to waste time getting comfortable.  Instead, he hurried up to his room and tossed his school supplies carelessly on the bed before settling down in the computer chair at his desk.  He had not been surprised, although extremely pleased, that his mother had brought everything from his old bedroom to her new place, once she and his dad sold the family’s house.  She then set everything up in her spare room next to Molly’s bedroom.  Sitting here now was like déjà vu, it felt so familiar.  It felt even more so as he put the phone to his ear and heard Daphne humming one of her favorite songs, as she waited for him to answer.  He could just see her impatiently bouncing from one foot to the other, dying to tell him the news she seemed so certain he would want to hear.

 

 

 

“Okay, I’m back,” he told her, smiling as he pictured her eager face.  “What’s the big news you are so excited to tell me?”

 

 

 

“Right!  So, do you remember our old classmate, Jackie?  She was the girl who wanted to be a photojournalist more than anything in the world.”

 

 

 

“Yeah, I think I remember her.  Didn’t really talk to her much, but I do remember that a lot of the kids would use her to take pictures for them for things like birthday parties and such.  If I recall, she was pretty damned good at using a video camera too.  But why ask me about her?  I don’t even remember you being close friends with her.”

 

 

 

“No, we weren’t that close, but we were friends.  You know, you weren’t the only one I hung out with.  And once you met Brian, I hardly saw you anymore, so I spent most of my senior year getting to know a few new friends better.  Jackie was one of those.  Anyway, that’s not why I called you… to talk about old school acquaintances.”

 

 

 

“So then, why did you call?”

 

 

 

“Because, old pal of mine, I ran into Jackie at the mall yesterday and she told me that she had made a video of the Senior Prom, and that the dance you and Brian shared is on it.  She even told me that she offered to share it with the prosecutor in Chris Hobbs’ trial, but they decided not to use it.  Told her it wouldn’t be needed for their case.  Anyway, she told me she could make me a copy of it, in case I was interested.  And, of course, I said yes.  She’s going to give it to me tomorrow.  So, you interested in watching it with me, or not?”

 

 

 

Justin sat with his mouth agape.  Their dance… the dance that changed their lives beyond words… was recorded?  He could hardly believe his ears.  What could that mean for the future?  He didn’t have to think long on what he wanted to do with this new information.

 

 

 

“Oh Daph, of course I’m interested!  I not only want to see it, but I think we should show it to Brian.  What do you think?”

 

 

 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking too.  Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow as soon as I get the copy from Jackie.  I told her I would pay her for it, but she refused.  She told me she hadn’t said anything before because she thought it might be too upsetting for us, after what happened to Brian.  But when I ran into her and we got to talking… and yes, we talked about you and Brian too… anyway, she realized it might help more than hurt you to see it, so that’s why she wanted us to have it.  Oh, and by the way, she has always had a bone to pick with Hobbs herself.  Said, he and his buddies used to bully her about wanting to go into a profession only fit for men.  She thought he was a jerk, just like most of us.”

 

 

 

“Sounds like my kind of girl.  Thanks, Daphne… thanks a million.  I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.”

 

 

 

They exchanged a few more pleasantries before hanging up.  Justin sat still in his chair, his eyes staring off into the distance.  He was no longer in his bedroom, he was at the prom.  He saw himself dancing with Brian and the love that shone in Brian’s eyes as he held him in his arms.  Tears sprang to his eyes as he pictured that beautiful moment in time, and how it all ended that night.  He wasn’t quite sure how Brian would react when he viewed the video, but nothing was going to stop him from showing it to Brian… nothing at all!

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

It had been a couple of weeks since Chris Hobbs first gathered his old pals together at his house, in order to seduce them with beer and games into helping him stop Kinney from suing him.  They had met again a few times since then, but Chris hadn’t given them any real plans to think about so far.  As long as it was still only talk, they enjoyed themselves bragging about what they would do to Kinney and Taylor once they got the chance.  The drunker they got on his endless supply of beer, the bolder their talk became.  But Chris wasn’t fooled.  He knew that talk was easy, but carrying out any plans he came up with would be the true test as to who was with him, and who would chicken out.  He just hoped his cash reserve would buy him the help he needed, if loyalty to his cause wasn’t enough for them.  The thing is, he finally thought he knew what would be the best way to solve his problem. 

 

 

 

Whenever Chris wasn’t at work, or serving some of his community service time, he had been stealthily keeping watch on Brian Kinney’s comings and goings, especially at night and on the weekends.  He had started doing it right after being served for Kinney’s suit against him, not really knowing why he felt the need to do so at the time.  During his surveillance, he began to notice that Justin was spending more time with Kinney with each passing week, and that they were spending more of that time alone than in the beginning when he first started tailing Kinney.  This simple fact helped form the idea as to what he wanted to do to the two of them, and how it could be accomplished.  He wasn’t quite ready to pass on his plans to his friends.  He knew it held an element of risk, so he needed to find the right time to make it palatable for them.  But soon… he knew he wouldn’t have to wait much longer.  He couldn’t afford to anyway.  The court case wasn’t that far off, and he had no intention of facing Kinney in court.

 

 

 

To be continued…..  

 

 

 

Justin sat, nervously picking at the hem of his sweater, waiting for Brian to join him in the living room.  He had no clue as to how Brian would react to the video he had just slid into Brian’s player.  He already knew exactly what was on the recording.  He felt it was necessary for him to view the thing first, so he could be prepared for whatever Brian would see.  He could still recall the feelings that threatened to overwhelm him as he watched the video for the first time, with Daphne sitting beside him.  That whole night came rushing back like a tidal wave, trying to steal the breath from his body as he absorbed what he was viewing.  He had spent every month, every week, every day, every hour, trying not to think about Prom Night.  Even though parts of it were full of unbridled joy, those memories were always tainted by how the night ended.  It was just easier not to think about the dance at all.  Yet there he was, forcing himself to watch that night unfold in front of his eyes.  And now he was going to relive it again with Brian.  He prayed he wasn’t making a mistake.

 

 

 

He finally heard the sound of the toilet flushing, and stiffened in anticipation.  Brian, who had no idea what he was about to see, came into the room with a wide smile on his face.  He had begun to enjoy every time Justin came over for a visit.  Actually, so much so that he found himself contemplating inviting Justin to move in with him.  He clearly remembered scoffing at his friends when they told him that he had invited Justin to stay with him once before, knowing that it was entirely out of character for him to do such a thing.  He wasn’t surprised to find out that he had also kicked the young man out after his place had been robbed, due to something careless Justin had done.  But, he thought to himself, Justin had been a green kid at the time and he certainly seemed very mature for his age now.  The thought of having Justin around every night for pleasure, as well as the wonderfully stimulating conversations he always provided, was becoming more enticing with each passing week.  As he took a seat next to Justin on the couch, he wondered what kind of interesting entertainment the young man had in store for him tonight.  All Justin would say, when he asked if he could come over and bring something that he wanted to show him, was that he thought Brian would find it worth his time.  So, now it was time to find out what Justin had up his sleeve.

 

 

 

“Okay, Sunshine, (he had taken to frequently using the nickname that others told him he used a lot in the past) I’m here and ready for whatever you have in mind.  If it’s a little gay porn, I don’t think I need anything to stimulate me… not when I have you around.”

 

 

 

Justin couldn’t help himself.  He blushed with pleasure.  But then he turned serious.

 

 

 

“No, not porn, but thanks for the compliment.  No, this is a video, which a classmate that Daphne and I knew from high school, made on the night of our Senior Prom.  She’s a very talented videographer, and she captured a lot of what was going on during the whole night.  However, when she showed it to Daphne, she realized that Jackie… that’s the girl who made the video… anyway, Jackie zeroed in on you and me almost from the moment you walked into the ballroom.  She must have realized what a unique situation it was, for a grown man to just casually walk into a high school dance, looking dressed to kill, and seeking out a single person.  Of course, it is up to you whether you want to watch it or not.  But I will warn you, she zoomed in on us and caught every single moment of our dance.”

 

 

 

Brian wasn’t quite sure what to make of the feelings he was having as he listened to what Justin was telling him.  There was an eerie feeling of dread, yet it was also mixed equally with an excitement that made his body tingle with anticipation.  He suddenly squared his shoulders and looked Justin right in the face.

 

 

 

Without hesitation, he said, “Play it!”

 

 

 

Justin clicked Play on the remote and the television screen suddenly came to life.  Justin fast forwarded through much of the teens dancing, along with scenes of teenagers laughing, gossiping, flirting, and making out with each other, which the videographer captured on her recorder.  Finally, he recognized what was coming up next on the video and paused it.  He turned to Brian.

 

 

 

“Are you sure you want to see this, knowing what happens after we danced?”

 

 

 

“Play it!” Brian repeated his request.

 

 

 

Justin hit the Play button again and sat forward, his eyes intently watching the screen.  At first, the camera only caught the reaction of students as Brian stepped into the ballroom.  It didn’t take Jackie long to realize that everyone’s attention had been caught by something or someone at the entrance to the ballroom, so her camera turned to see what the cause was.  The camera clearly caught Brian as he entered the ballroom, along with capturing the look on his face as he scanned the room, obviously searching for someone.  From that moment on, her camera was trained strictly on Brian.  You could see some of the teenagers staring at Brian as he strode purposefully towards Justin and Daphne.  Although you could not hear what was being said between the threesome, you could see Justin and Daphne’s reaction when Brian approached them.  Then you saw those same teenagers parting ways to make room for Brian as he led Justin to the dance floor.  No one else seemed interested in dancing any longer, as Brian lovingly guided Justin around the floor, dancing in a way that no one had ever seen him do at Babylon. 

 

 

 

As Brian watched the screen, witnessing what he had been told, but not being able to see it in his mind’s eye until now, his whole body leaned forward.  Without thinking, his hand reached for Justin’s, and he held tight.  Justin had stopped watching the screen, but was intensely watching Brian instead.  His heart was beating so hard in his chest, that it was almost a physical pain.  He was unaware that he was holding his breath, only letting it out long enough to take another deep breath as the dance continued.  He already knew how Brian twirled him around the dance floor, and even ended up dipping him in a romantic gesture.  Suddenly Brian let out a sound similar to a gasp.  Justin’s eyes flew to the screen, where he saw Brian kissing him at the end of the dance.  He remembered that kiss so well, and the way Brian looked at him as their lips separated, just before Brian held his hand (just as he was doing now) and pulled him from the dance floor. 

 

 

 

Images continued to flicker across the screen, as Jackie trained her camera around the room to capture the reactions of her fellow classmates behind Brian and Justin’s retreating backs.  Neither of the men were watching the screen any longer.  Their eyes met, and Justin saw something in Brian’s eyes he hadn’t seen since that glorious, yet tragic night.  Moments passed, which seemed like forever, but was only a minute or two.  The tension was almost unbearable, yet no one spoke.  Then the silence was broken.

 

 

 

“I think I fell in love with you that night,” Brian almost whispered.  “Did I tell you that, before….?”

 

 

 

“No, you never said it, Brian, but I saw it in your eyes.  When we left the dance, before you went out into the parking garage, we had a moment alone together and I knew that something had changed… had grown between us.  I was to meet up at your place after I took Daphne home.  You said you had something waiting for me there.”

 

 

 

Brian suddenly stiffened.  His hand was still holding Justin’s, and he now squeezed so tight that Justin cried out in pain.  Brian quickly let go, and his eyes appeared haunted.  He began trembling as if a sudden chill had filled the room.  Justin realized that he now seemed to be staring straight through him, rather than at him.

 

 

 

“Brian… Brian, what’s wrong?” he asked, panicked.

 

 

 

“I saw that bastard coming at me again, only much clearer this time,” Brian cried out. 

 

 

 

Then, just as suddenly as the image came, it faded away leaving the clear memory intact.  Brian reached for Justin’s hands again, only this time holding them gently in his own.  Justin could see his body relaxing.  The haunted look vanished from Brian’s eyes, replaced with warmth.

 

 

 

“That’s not all I remember, Justin.  I clearly remember being with you at the dance, and what we said to each other when we left together.  And no, in case you are wondering, the memory has nothing to do with what we just watched.  I remember every word we said to each other even before we danced.  More than that, I remember how I felt when I was trying to find you in that crowd of pimply-faced teenagers.  I wanted nothing more than to hold you in my arms and show you how glad I was to be alive… even if I had just turned thirty.”  Brian grimaced.  “Oh God, that’s not all that I am remembering.”

 

 

 

Brian saw himself being pulled down from the chair he had been standing on when trying to play a scarfing game, risking the very life he almost lost later that night.  A few more images became clearer in his mind, most of them involving times he spent with Justin before that night.  Then, like a door being closed, the memories stopped.  His next thought was… ‘somehow that door has to open again.’  He sensed that there were many more memories of his time with Justin left to recover.  And he wanted to bring back his missing year with the others that he cared about too.  But for now, he was just overjoyed to know that some of the missing puzzle pieces of last year had begun to form a picture he could recognize.  Best of all, the pieces he did have, were a confirmation of the growing special feelings he was experiencing for the young man, who now sat on the couch beside him, looking worried.  Brian let go of Justin’s hands and gathered him in his arms. 

 

 

 

He whispered in his ear, “It’s all good, Sunshine.  I think I may have fallen in love with you… then and now.”

 

 

 

Justin drew in a shaky breath, as he pulled back just enough to look deeply into Brian’s eyes.  Yes!  He saw that Brian wasn’t fooling.  His heartbeat quickened as Brian kissed him.  Brian’s hands pulled at Justin’s clothing.  He wanted to tell his lover everything he had just witnessed in his head, but it could wait until he showed him how he felt first.  And he had no resistance from Justin.  He could wait too.  First things first.

 

 

 

To be continued…….  

 

Debbie leaned over the table, carefully placing a dish in front of Emmett, who was sitting in the far corner of the booth.  She reached for a second plate and laid it in front of Ted.  Both men gave her a smile of gratitude as they grabbed their forks, and then began digging into their dinners.  Debbie turned to her left, placing a third plate in front of Justin, who quickly offered his usual sunshine smile in return.  Brian, sitting closest to where Debbie stood, looked up in anticipation.  Debbie removed the fourth plate from her tray and set it down in front of Brian with a… tsk, tsk, tsk.  Everyone else had a plateful of hearty food in front of them.  Brian had the usual simple healthy sandwich without mayo or dressing, with a small salad on the side.  Even though he was now fully recovered physically from his trauma, he still looked too skinny to her.  She would have loved to fatten him up a bit.  Brian just ignored her.  He knew she meant well, and he loved her for it.

 

 

 

The banter between the four men and Debbie flowed smoothly as they began eating.  Debbie reflected on how grateful she was that everything was starting to look more like the previous year.  A few weeks before, Brian let everyone know about his second memory breakthrough, which came as a result of an amateur video made during Justin’s Senior Prom.  Each day, since then, seemed to reveal another flash of memory from Brian’s missing year.  Most of those, so far, were mundane everyday things that he recalled saying or doing.  All of them seemed to involve someone different, although the majority of those involved Justin, which only helped to confirm how important the young man had become to him during that first year in which he was a part of his life. 

 

 

 

Recently, he recalled almost deciding to move to New York City in order to work for a big ad agency there, after talking with a hottie when he was chosen to receive an award as Ad Person of the Year.  He remembered how it felt when the job he wanted fell through.  He also recalled his feeling of abandonment when he learned that Michael planned on moving to Portland to be with Dr. Dave, especially since he wouldn’t be leaving Pittsburgh for something better himself.  He knew it was selfish of him to feel that way, but he couldn’t help it.  Although, to the world he seemed like a man with an overabundance of confidence, and it was true that he believed in himself in many ways, but it was also true that there was a ‘little boy’ inside him who needed someone else to believe in him too.  Michael had always provided that hero worship that kept the ‘little boy’ at bay.

 

 

 

His most recent flashback, which involved Justin, was when the young man won the King of Babylon dance contest at Babylon.  It was simply more proof that his feelings for Justin were different than for anyone else, because when the images came to him right after making love to Justin that night, he clearly remembered feeling jealous of the trick Justin stole from him, after winning the crown.  Jealousy had never been a part of his makeup in the past.  This feeling concerning Justin, along with knowing now how he felt about Justin at the prom, set in stone the knowledge that he had fallen in love with Justin, despite himself.

 

 

 

As the foursome began digging into their meals, the bell above the diner tinkled, announcing new arrivals at the diner.  Emmett, ever the most curious one of the group, turned to see who had arrived.  He smiled broadly and waved his hand above his head when he saw that it was Michael.  Michael acknowledged spotting his friends and turned to the tall, good-looking man standing next to him.  By this time, the other three looked to see who Emmett was waving at, and saw Michael pointing to them while saying something to his companion.  Moments later, Michael had joined them at the booth with the stranger in tow.

 

 

 

“Brian… guys, I’d like you to meet my new friend, Ben Bruckner.  Ben, these are my best friends.  That’s Brian, and next to him is Justin.  And over here is Emmett, and last but not least, Ted,” he said, pointing to each one individually. 

 

 

 

Emmett reached over Ted and grabbed Ben’s extended hand, shaking it vigorously.  Ted followed suit, as did Justin.  Brian gave Ben a rather odd look, but then also shook the stranger’s hand.

 

 

 

“Haven’t I met you somewhere before?” Brian asked.

 

 

 

Ben responded with a slight shrug of his shoulder, and then “I’m not sure, but it is possible.  I’ve lived here my whole life.”

 

 

 

Michael spoke up, speaking directly to Ben.  “Brian has suffered some memory loss this last year after being attacked by a homophobic prick. You probably read about it in the papers or heard it on the news.  It happened a while back, but he’s starting to remember things now.”

 

 

 

Suddenly, Brian clicked his tongue and the inquisitive look on his face changed into something very different… almost like the cat who’d swallowed the proverbial canary.  No one seemed to notice the difference, except for Ben, who turned to look at Michael instead. 

 

 

 

Brian said, “Don’t forget, Mikey, that I didn’t lose all my memories, only the ones from that one year after meeting Justin.  But I’m sure it will come back to me if I’d ever met Ben before.  So, how did you meet Ben?”

 

 

 

“It was at the comic store… you know, the one that I’ve been talking about hoping to buy soon from the owner when he retires?  We bumped into each other and got to talking.  Ben here, is a Professor at the University and was doing research.  I was able to help him with some of his questions.”

 

 

 

Justin spoke up next.  “That’s great, Michael.  There’s nothing better than making a new friend from meeting a stranger you find you click with,” he said, grinning at Brian.

 

 

 

Brian, whose arm had been resting behind Justin on the booth, slapped him gently on the back of his head, while Ted and Emmett grinned too, being in on the not-so-subtle joke.  Just then, Debbie came striding down the aisle and spotted her son.  She had a tray full of dishes for her other customers, but gave a little shriek at seeing Michael and hurried over to stand next to him.  She held tight to her tray as she reached up to kiss her son on the cheek.  Just then, she heard her customers, two booths away, calling for her.

 

 

 

“Hey, Debbie, we’re starving here,” they called.

 

 

 

“Keep your pants on, boys.  I’m coming,” she answered them back.  “I’ll be right back,” she told the gang, as she hurried to deliver the orders.  She dropped the plates off and rushed back to her boys.  Debbie, who had eyes like an eagle when it came to her boys, had noticed the way Michael stood so close, almost intimately, next to the gorgeous tall man she had never seen before.  She stopped short in front of the booth, just as everyone was moving over as tightly as they could to make room for the newcomers.   With an inviting smile, Debbie spoke to Michael.

 

 

 

“So, Mikey, are you going to introduce me to this tall drink of water?”

 

 

 

Michael smiled sheepishly.  He still felt uncomfortable with the way his mother always seemed to be judging the few men he brought around.  Of course, she had thoroughly approved of Dr. Dave, just because he was a doctor.  She had been very disappointed in the unpleasant way that relationship ended, and since then he had become a little reticent about introducing someone new to her.  With fingers crossed, he gave the introductions and explained again how the two of them met.  Surprisingly, Debbie seemed pleased to see her son becoming involved with someone again, which helped Michael to relax. 

 

 

 

After she hurried off to fill Michael and Ben’s dinner order, the men chattered on about anything and everything.  Sometime, as the meal and conversations were winding down, Brian sat back in the booth and took in the scene in front of him.  It felt so comfortable… so familiar… so right.  After long, confusing months of pain and struggle to get back to normal, Brian was finally feeling that the world had righted itself.  Fresh memories of his missing year seemed to appear at a steady pace now.  At last, he was starting to believe that he could put all the trauma behind him.  He only had one more task left to accomplish before he could truly say it was over… nailing Chris Hobbs’s skin to the wall with his lawsuit.  Destroying that man’s future felt like a fair punishment for him stealing Brian’s past, and trying to end his future.  He turned to see Justin smiling at him with that radiant look that earned him the nickname ‘Sunshine’.  Brian returned the smile.  Yes, he was feeling fucking good, and the best part was having Justin in his life, and his future

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Hobbs pulled out the sheets of paper that had all his plans written down in detail.  If he was to succeed in stopping Kinney from destroying him in court, his cohorts would have to study the plans, and follow them to the letter.  If even one of them screwed up, it would put all of them in jeopardy.  His plans finally firmed up in his mind after weeks of stalking Brian Kinney’s every move.  Luckily, the man was pretty much a creature of habit, having his favorite pastimes and visiting the same places pretty regularly.  An added bonus was that much of his activities, outside of work, involved being with Chris’s old nemesis, Justin Taylor.  If his plans worked, he would be able to take out both of them at the same time… two perverted birds with one blow.  At least, that was what he hoped would happen. 

 

 

 

One thing in his favor was that the parking lot for Kinney’s apartment building was in the back of the building.  It was well lit, but that could be taken care of when the time arrived.  Another thing that fell into his lap was when he learned last week that one of the apartments in Kinney’s building was up for rent.  The next day, he was given a tour of the building and empty apartment when he knew Kinney would be at work.  It gave him the chance to see the layout of everything inside, including the exact location of Kinney’s apartment, and how to reach it by either elevator or stairs.  The following day, he paid a visit to a paternal uncle.  He knew the man had a number of guns locked away in a safe, which he had always loved taking out and showing off to his young nephew when he came for a visit.  He was unaware that Chris had memorized the combination when he was in high school, so that he could ‘borrow’ a gun to show off to friends, before sneaking it back into the safe after serving its purpose. 

 

 

 

Recently, Chris used the excuse that there was something wrong with the way his car was running to get his uncle out of the house, since the man fancied himself an expert with engines.  He was relieved to find that his uncle hadn’t changed the combination on the safe, so he hurried to remove four of the guns inside.  He vowed to return them before the old man ever knew they had gone missing.  Now that he had the weapons to threaten Kinney and Taylor with, in order to get their cooperation for Step Two of his plans, Chris was ready to put those plans into action.  All that was needed now was to make sure his entire gang of cohorts were on the same page, and ready to help him carry out their parts in the mission… that and pick the right day to carry them out.  By the end of whatever day they picked, Chris would never have to worry about his future finances again.  And, as a bonus, the world would be a better place without the two perverts polluting it ever again.

 

 

 

To be continued…………..

 

Excitement filled the streets.  You could almost feel it, like a tangible entity touching every last nerve in the body.  It was Pride Week in the Pitts, and every out and proud GLBTQ! in the community was ready to celebrate.  That included the Liberty Avenue Gang in full.  Brian felt especially blessed to be alive to enjoy another Pride Parade and all its accompanying festivities.  Only one thing was different this time around from all the other ones he had attended… he was going to this parade with someone special as his date.  Or rather, as his boyfriend, as he was now known to claim when he thought no one was paying attention.  This would be Justin’s first Pride Parade, and Brian was eager to share the experience with him.  He had always been a tiny bit cynical about the whole thing, despite participating every year, but not this time.  Not only was he proud of who he was, which had never really been a problem, but he was also proud of his community as a whole.  That was due in a large part because of the way they had shown so much support during his ordeal after the bashing.  He also felt that Justin had a lot to do with his tempered cynicism about a lot of things, including this special event.

 

 

 

Justin sat on the front stoop of a building, nestled close to Brian.  They watched as throngs of people lined the sides of the street where the parade was just coming into view.  Justin had never seen so much color and creativity in one place before.  Male, female, young, and old were decked out in everything from simple street wear to feathers, fringes, and sparkles, not to mention the almost naked.  Justin tried to act nonchalant, as if this was old hat for him, but he was in awe and couldn’t disguise it.  Brian smiled inwardly, knowing how Justin was feeling.  He clearly remembered the first time he attended a Pride Parade.  He had snuck out of his house while still in high school and along with Michael had joined the crowds enjoying the colorful parade.  He wasn’t quite as jaded then as he became soon after, so he had also been in awe of all the goings on at that time.  Right now, he was simply happy that Justin was obviously enjoying being a part of this rite of passage for their community. 

 

 

 

Several floats had already passed by, along with a group of female bikers that included Mel, with Lindsay holding tight around her waist.  That’s when they heard the familiar sound of their names being called.  Seconds later, they saw Emmett, Ted, and Vic pushing their way through the crowd to reach them on the stoop.  The trio stopped in front of the couple, all wearing curious grins that looked far from innocent.  They each bent down to give a quick peck to the tops of Brian and Justin’s heads.

 

 

 

“Okay, boys, what’s that look for?  You three are obviously up to something”, Brian questioned.

 

 

 

Emmett giggled like a little girl.  “Just wait.  You’ll soon see,” he laughed.

 

 

 

Brian didn’t have time for their tomfoolery.  He was too busy pointing out the things he thought Justin would love the most about the parade.  Some gaily dressed men on stilts passed by.  Next came a float sponsored by their favorite dance club, Babylon.  There were a dozen men, with only tiny tight-fitting gold and silver bathing trunks on and nothing else, who gyrated on top of the float to loud club music.  The foursome recognized the men as go-go dancers from the club.  The crowd lining the streets hooted and hollered their approval at the display.  Surprisingly, next came a large group of men on horseback wearing cowboy outfits, as if they had come out of Central Casting for a Western movie. 

 

 

 

Suddenly, Emmett jumped up and started laughing.  “Hey, here they come,” he shouted. 

 

 

 

Brian and Justin stood up and peered into the street, trying to see over the bodies of the horses and riders to see what Emmett was so excited about.  Suddenly, they recognized the long sign being held high by marchers that proclaimed they were from the PFLAG group.  And right in the front of the marchers with the sign was the familiar faces of two PFLAG mothers, Debbie and Jennifer, marching hand in hand.  Then, out of nowhere, a rather good-looking young woman in a bright sparkly purple dress and gold lamé shawl stepped up to join the ladies.  They could see Debbie turning to the young woman and telling her something, then pausing to do a double-take.  In that instant, Emmet shouted, “You go, girl!” as they came closer.  It was then that Justin recognized Michael under all the makeup.  He laughed out loud and turned to Brian.

 

 

 

“Don’t you recognize who that is walking with Debbie and Mom?”

 

 

 

Brian, who was more interested in the handsome studs on horseback, hadn’t paid that much attention to the older folks marching for PFLAG.  He now checked out the figure of the girl walking next to Debbie.  That’s when he too recognized his lifelong friend.  He almost choked.

 

 

 

“What the Hell?”

 

 

 

Emmett, who heard him, bent down and explained.

 

 

 

“Don’t worry, Brian, Michael isn’t turning into a drag queen.  We just talked him into wearing Lady Godiva’s outfit to honor her after her passing.  You know, she was the heart and soul of our parade, because she had attended every single one of them since the very first official one was held.  She had picked out that outfit herself and it seemed a shame not to use it.”

 

 

 

“Well fuck, it looks like Debbie’s proud of her boy,” Brian answered.  “Hey, Justin, why don’t you go down there and show your mother how proud you are to be a queer too.  Don’t worry, I’ll be here waiting for you at the end of the day.  I’ll meet you at Woody’s later.”

 

 

 

“You sure?”

 

 

 

“I’m sure.  It’s your first Pride Parade, and Jenn’s first one too.  You should be together.  And later tonight, we’ll have a little celebration of pride all our own, if you’re up for it and not too worn out from marching.”

 

 

 

“Oh, I’ll be up for it,” Justin laughed.  He gave Brian a crushing hug and kiss that made plenty of promises for the coming night, before scampering off to join his mother.  Jennifer showed her pride in her son when she saw him hurrying over to join her, as they passed the stoop where Brian sat watching the action.  Both mothers and sons continued down the street, heads held high.  Both women not only loved their sons, but they wouldn’t have wanted them to be anything other than their true selves.  Both sons not only loved their mothers, but they knew how lucky they were to have them in their lives.  Pride was exactly what all of them were feeling on this beautiful afternoon.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Chris Hobbs was seeing red, but he stifled his feelings with gargantuan effort.  This was no time for him to reveal what he was thinking, not while being surrounded by the hundreds of deviant queers everywhere the eye could see.  He wouldn’t have taken a step within a mile of this whole perverted thing if it hadn’t been important to keep an eye on Kinney and his butt-buddy, Taylor.  It didn’t take a fag to know that this day was important to them, and the chances were more than certain that Kinney and Taylor would end the night together at Kinney’s apartment.  At least, that was what Hobbs was praying for.  As he watched, his hat pulled down low over his brow to conceal his identity, the Pride Parade continued to flow smoothly down the street.  He had managed to get a spot to stand almost directly across from the stoop that his prey was sitting on.  He witnessed a lot of the interactions between the two men, including the others who had joined them, which Hobbs knew were close friends of the couple.  At first his heart skipped a beat, thinking that the friends might join Kinney and Taylor at the apartment when they all left the party.  But he would have to take a chance that this was something that wouldn’t happen.  After all, his plans were set, and tonight was THE night.  The court case was just too close to delay his revenge any longer.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Pride Day was all and more that Justin had hoped for.  But now it was time for Pride Night to kick into action.  Brian had promised him a night he would never forget, and Brian always kept his promises.  Almost all the hetero onlookers had departed, including parents and loved ones of the GLBTQ! community.  Justin had to admit that he felt enormous pride in the way his mother had participated.  He knew she had been nervous about his being gay in the beginning, but her support was now unwavering.  He would never forget how she hugged him goodbye earlier, then whispered in his ear how very proud she was of him.  But now was the time to think only about the night’s festivities. 

 

 

 

The whole gang made their way through the remaining crowds to their favorite bar, Woody’s.  The place was chock full of every kind of gay known to man.  There were big beautiful bears, hairy from head to toe, older men for the most part.  There were the jocks who could easily pass for straight if and when they wanted to.  There were the circuit boys, muscular, and often totally self-involved or drug addled.  There were the queens, who couldn’t disguise their orientation no matter what, and more often than not they didn’t wish to.  They were usually quite proud of their flamboyance.  And of course, there were their alter egos, the drag queens.  Unlike the queens, they preferred dressing up as women, and often looked better than many of that gender.  Then there were the twinks.  They were the young ones just learning what being gay was all about, and on the lookout for someone willing to teach them.  If they were extremely lucky, they would find the right one just as Justin had.  Then there were the power gays, men who fit in anywhere and usually had the best careers, with plenty of money to indulge themselves.  Finally, there were the gays who defied any particular category.  They all mixed and mingled as one big happy family on a night like this.

 

 

 

At first, Justin found it amusing that so many young men kept approaching Brian, obviously flirting outrageously in hopes of making a hook-up.  Brian seemed to take it in stride, neither encouraging nor discouraging them fully.  But unlike previous Pride afterparties, the one thing he didn’t do was go off with any of his admirers.  It was clear that he enjoyed their attention, but his eyes were fixed on Justin.  He even showed slight signs of jealousy himself (although he would have denied it loudly and firmly), whenever any older man approached Justin with similar intent to those coming on to Brian.  He need not have worried.  Justin had eyes for Brian only.  The couple chatted with friends and caught up with the latest gossip.  Later, as the festivities were winding down and closing time was fast approaching, the crowd began spilling out into the streets.  Music blared from a loud speaker set up outside.  Folks began pairing off, dancing to the rhythm of the music.  Brian grabbed Justin by the hand and led him out into the street.  The two clung together as their bodies swayed to the beat.  Kisses were exchanged intermittently, as thoughts of another important dance flooded their memories.  The night had, indeed, been magic, but it wasn’t over yet.

 

 

 

Brian pulled Justin close again and whispered in his ear, “I’m ready to go home.  You with me?”

 

 

 

“Yes!  We’ve taken our pride to the streets.  Now it’s time for us to take it to…”

 

 

 

“The sheets?” Brian laughed.

 

 

 

“Lead on,” Justin requested.

 

 

 

The couple left the few remaining stragglers, who were not ready to call it a night, and made their way to Brian’s jeep.  As they climbed into his vehicle, they both looked forward with eagerness to the end of the night.  Somehow, they felt it was going to be a night they would never forget.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Chris Hobbs shrunk back against the wall of the building, making sure to be hidden as much as humanly possible.  He knew his two friends were doing the same in other parts of the apartment house parking lot, but he couldn’t see them.  That was a good thing.  Earlier that night, they had knocked out one of the two night lights set up in the parking lot so that visibility would be lessened without arousing suspicion.  The only thing that pissed him off was that a couple of his friends, who had promised to help him in the beginning, had backed out at the last minute.  They hadn’t even had the guts to face him, but simply made excuses in a text message instead.  After cursing them out as the cowards they were, he told the others that they would be enough to accomplish what was needed.  He hoped he was right.

 

 

 

The hour was growing late.  The three men, dressed in all black with dark ski masks perched on top of their heads, were growing increasingly impatient.  Just as their nerves were about to completely unravel, the sound of a car could be heard turning into the narrow driveway leading to the parking lot.  Bodies tensed up, fingers grasping tight to tire irons and a gun.  Just then, Brian’s car could be seen at the entrance to the lot.  He maneuvered his vehicle into its assigned spot, turned off the engine, and sat back with a sigh.  It had been a wonderful day and evening.  Now he was happy to be home, especially with Justin sitting beside him, looking good enough to eat… and Brian was ready to take in as much of his lover as he could on this special night. 

 

 

 

Brian turned to Justin.  “You must be exhausted.  It’s been one hell of a day.  So, young man, what did you think of your very first Pride Parade?”

 

 

 

Justin leaned over and laid his head on Brian’s shoulder.  He looked up at the man he had loved for over a year, and gave him his best signature smile.

 

 

 

“It was more than I had ever imagined… but being with you was definitely the best part.  It wasn’t that long ago that I thought we would never have a night like this together.”  His face suddenly clouded over.

 

 

 

“But they didn’t win, Sunshine.  The homophobic bastards of this world can beat us, but they can’t break us.”

 

 

 

The shadow vanished from Justin’s face.  Brian brought his hand to the back of Justin’s head and pulled him in for a tender kiss.  Their mouths locked together, tongues joined as the kiss deepened.  They were out of breath when they finally parted.

 

 

 

“Enough of this,” Brian whispered breathlessly.  “I want all of you, in my arms, in my bed.  I fully intend to ravish you this entire night,” Brian promised. 

 

 

 

Justin caught his breath and nodded his head.  The couple got out of the car simultaneously.  Brian clicked the locks on and walked around to join Justin.  He threw his arm around the young man, and the two of them began moving towards the back entrance to the apartment building.  They were so wrapped up in each other with thoughts of what the night had to offer, that they failed to notice several shadows moving in close behind them from nearby hiding places.  They had just reached the door, Brian’s key at the ready, when Brian suddenly felt something moving behind him.  He started to turn, when the couple heard a deep raspy voice coming at them from out of the darkness.

 

 

 

“Don’t turn around,” it ordered.  “We have guns trained on the back of your heads.  One false move and you won’t live to see tomorrow.  If you cooperate, you won’t get hurt.  We’re just here to rob you.  Now, carefully unlock the door and lead us to your apartment.”

 

 

 

Brian’s sense of self-preservation, and desperate need to protect Justin, kicked in.  If all they wanted was to rob him, he wouldn’t stop them.  He couldn’t be certain the one man was alone, but he wasn’t going to take a chance that the man was lying.  He would do what he was told for now, buying time in hopes of finding a way out of the dangerous situation.  There had been robberies in this neighborhood before with no casualties.  He had even been robbed once before.  Hopefully this would end well for them this time too, and all he would lose was some property that could easily be replaced.

 

 

 

To be continued………    

 

It quickly became obvious to Brian that their captors had knowledge of the apartment building.  Once they had entered the building, Brian caught a glimpse of more than one masked man close behind them.  The man in front was definitely holding a gun, just as he had warned.  Brian could see the hallway light bouncing off the metal in his hand, as he held it up at chest level, aimed directly at Justin’s back.  That alone caused Brian’s blood to freeze in his veins.  He prayed the bastard wasn’t trigger happy.  When Brian tried to walk towards the freight elevator that would take them up to his loft apartment, the gunman hissed at him, directing him to take the stairs instead.  The son of a bitch obviously knew that there would be less chance of running into anyone on the stairs, rather than the elevator. 

 

 

 

Brian felt Justin squeezing his hand as they took the stairs up to Brian’s floor.  He knew that Justin was frightened out of his mind, but he didn’t let out a whimper.  When they reached the top of the stairs, Brian saw the look of fear in Justin’s face, but there were no tears of fright.  Brian felt proud of the way Justin was refusing to show his fear.  No matter what it took, Brian would get Justin out of this safely.  He made that promise with his eyes, and Justin seemed to understand.  His death-like grip on Brian’s hand eased slightly. 

 

 

 

“Let’s go,” the muffled voice from the gunman ordered.  “We don’t have all night.”

 

 

 

Brian obeyed, pulling the door key from his pocket, unlocking the massive door to the loft, and sliding it noiselessly open.  Suddenly, Brian felt strong hands pushing him into the entranceway of the loft, dragging Justin in with him.  Once inside, the couple turned to face their captors.  That’s when they could plainly see that there were three men in the gang, all with faces fully covered by dark ski masks.  All three were husky looking men of indeterminate age.  Now, they could see that the only man holding a gun was the tallest one, who was obviously the leader.  The other two were carrying tire irons.  It didn’t really matter.  Brian knew he had done the right thing in cooperating.  One gun alone could have been deadly for both of them if he hadn’t.  As the couple was taking in this new knowledge, the leader spoke again.

 

 

 

“Both of you, get over there on that couch and sit down!”

 

 

 

Suddenly, Brian heard Justin gasp.  He turned to see what had made the young man react that way.  He saw Justin staring hard at the leader.   Before he could ask what was happening, the gunman pointed directly at them and gave Brian a little shove.

 

 

 

“I said, move!” he hissed.

 

 

 

Brian pulled Justin along with him and took a seat on the couch, bringing Justin down with him.  Justin still had this queer look on his face that Brian first noticed a moment ago.  Before he could ask why Justin looked so strange, Justin spoke first.

 

 

 

“You can take that fucking mask off, Hobbs.  I know that’s you.  I recognize your voice.  I’ve heard it often enough when you bullied me in school.  And I’ll bet those two (pointing first at one man and then the other) are probably some of your old buddies from school too.”

 

 

 

“You stinking fag,” Hobbs hissed, whipping the mask off his face.  “You think you’re so fucking smart.  Well, knowing who I am ain’t gonna do you one bit of good… not when we get through with you two.”

 

 

 

“What the hell do you want from us, Hobbs?” Brian spit back at him.

 

 

 

“Want?  Nothing much.  I just want to finish what I started.  It’s all your fault too, you stupid asshole.  You couldn’t just leave well enough alone.  Instead of being grateful that you survived, you had to come after me by suing me.  Did you really think I would just sit back and let you ruin my life… my future?”

 

 

 

“The only one who ruined your future is you,” Justin answered him.  “If you hadn’t been so full of hate that you mindlessly attacked Brian that night, you would have graduated and gone on to college, and who knows what after that.  We didn’t take any of that away from you… you did!”

 

 

 

“You shut your filthy mouth,” Hobbs shouted.

 

 

 

He started to approach Justin with his free hand raised, as if to strike.  Brian started to rise in order to block Hobbs from reaching Justin.  Hobbs quickly stepped back, raising the gun and pointing it directly at Brian’s chest.  Brian wisely sank back into the cushion, his hand reaching for Justin’s. 

 

 

 

“That’s smart, Kinney.”

 

 

 

Just then, one of the other men, still masked, came up behind Hobbs.  He whispered something in his ear.  Hobbs nodded, keeping his eyes glued to his captives.

 

 

 

“My friend here just reminded me that we are here to take whatever we want, but first we need to make sure you don’t interrupt us.  So, you two turn your backs to each other.”

 

 

 

Hobbs pointed to his friends.  “You two, tie their hands together behind their backs.”

 

 

 

“What with?  We didn’t bring any rope,” one of the two asked.

 

 

 

Hobbs’ irritation showed when he answered.  “Use your fucking imagination.  Check his fucking closet.  The man wears fancy suits with ties all the time.  Get a couple of those.  Tie them tight enough and I’m sure they won’t be going anywhere.  Tie their hands together.”  He laughed dryly.  “Hell, they like being connected to each other.  We’ll be doing them a favor.”

 

 

 

Hobbs laughed dryly again, then waited with his gun pointing steadily in the direction of both of his captives.  Several tense minutes passed before the accomplice returned with several ties gripped in his hand.  The couple were ordered to stand and remain perfectly still while the man wrapped first one tie and then another around the wrists of Brian and Justin.  He then looped them together with a third tie.  Hobbs then stepped up and pushed them unceremoniously down.  The couple fell sideways to the floor after losing their balance.  They struggled to sit into an upright position.  Hobbs watched, amused at the sight of their struggling.  Once he felt they were secure and unable to go anywhere, he ordered his friends to start ransacking the place.  The two men hurried off to see what they could find, pulling out large black trash bags they had stuffed into their jacket pockets.  Meanwhile, Hobbs decided to check out the kitchen.  All this fun was making him thirsty.  He was willing to bet that Kinney had a decent stock of liquor for him to quench his thirst.

 

 

 

The moment Hobbs was far enough away, Brian whispered, “Are you okay, Justin?”

 

 

 

“Yes, but Brian, I don’t think even Hobbs is stupid enough to rob your place and let us live to tell about it… especially now that I was foolish enough to let him know that I knew it was him.  I’m so sorry.  I should have kept my fucking mouth shut.”

 

 

 

“Stop it!” Brian hissed.  “He has a gun and those other bastards have tire irons.  I don’t think he came here just to rob the place.  We already know that he has the ability to try and kill someone.  I think he came here with every intention of finishing the job.  I’m just sorry that I brought you back here with me tonight.”

 

 

 

“Now you stop it!” Justin ordered through his teeth.  “Maybe you’re right, but I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else.  But how do we get out of this?”

 

 

 

Just then, Brian’s cell phone rang.  Hobbs came rushing back to the room.

 

 

 

“Who the fuck would be calling you at this hour?” he demanded.  He began fishing in Brian’s pocket, looking for the phone.  He pulled it out and checked the caller ID.

 

 

 

“It’s that jerk friend of yours, Michael.”

 

 

 

“You’d better let me answer.  He knows I would never leave him hanging if he’s calling this late at night.  It has to be something important.  If I don’t answer, he’ll just show up here.  He has his own key to my place.”

 

 

 

The phone stopped ringing, but seconds later, it rang again.

 

 

 

“See, I told you.  He’s persistent.  He won’t give up until I answer, or he comes here to talk to me in person.  He knows I came home after the Pride Party.”

 

 

 

Hobbs cursed under his breath, then told Brian, “Okay, but I’m putting it on speaker, and you had better not try anything funny.  If you do, your little butt buddy here will die tonight.  You got me?”

 

 

 

Brian nodded.  Hobbs clicked the phone on.  Michael’s voice, shaky and obviously upset, came over the speaker.

 

 

 

“Brian, I’ve got bad news.  Ma went in for her shift tonight, and while she was bringing an order to a customer, she passed out.  She came to quick enough, but we are trying to get her to go to the emergency room to be checked out.  It’s a good thing that we decided to stop in for a late-night snack, or we wouldn’t have been here for her when it happened.  But I need you to come and try to talk some sense into her.  I’m falling apart here.  What if this is something serious?” he cried.

 

 

 

“Calm down, Mikey.  If she’s not bleeding profusely, she’s going to be fine.  Look, I’m too busy right now to come, but why don’t you get your boyfriend, Dr. Dave, to help you.  I’m sure he can handle anything that comes up.  Look, I’ve got to go.  And don’t bother to call me again, because I really can’t be of any help to you.  I have my own problems.”

 

 

 

Hobbs, quickly clicked the button, ending the call.  Brian sighed inwardly with relief.  He had prayed that Hobbs would be impatient to end the call, not giving Michael a chance to question why he had brought up the good doctor.  Now all he could do was pray that Michael was smart enough to recognize that something was terribly wrong at the loft.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Michael stood looking down at his phone and didn’t know how to react.  Brian had always been there for him when he was really needed.  Why was he brushing him off like this, and especially when it had to do with Debbie?  He knew that Brian thought of Debbie as his mom almost as much as he did.  Even if there was no real emergency, which was probably true, based on her arguing that she was just tired, and on her attempt to avoid going to the hospital, he was still freaked out.  He needed Brian to help keep him calm and talk some sense into her. 

 

 

 

Then, out of nowhere, it dawned on him as to what Brian had actually said.  What the fuck did he mean… get Dr. Dave to help him?  He knew that his former boyfriend was long gone from his life.  He also knew that Ben was the new man in his life and would be the one he would turn to for help, not David.  Something was wrong, really wrong, because it was more than him bringing up David… it was also his tone of voice and the dismissive way he talked to him, especially about Debbie.  That wasn’t his best friend, Brian, talking.  Suddenly, Michael felt a chill run down his spine.  He felt an overwhelming desire to check on Brian.  It was the same feeling he had gotten the day he found Brian trying to hang himself.  He had felt that something was wrong then too, when Brian was the only one who didn’t show up for his going away party with David.  This situation was totally different, yet it felt just as frightening.   Then there was also what he said about having his own problems.  What problems?  Brian was quite happy with his life right now.  Michael rejoined Ben, Ted, Vic, and Emmett at the booth, where they were still trying to talk Debbie into going to the emergency room, or at least going home for the night.

 

 

 

“Is Brian coming?” asked Vic.  He too believed that Brian could talk his sister into either a hospital visit or going home.  Brian was good at talking folks into things.

 

 

 

“He said no,” Michael sighed.

 

 

 

“No?”

 

 

 

“No.  But something is wrong.  It was the way he said it.  He even told me to get David to come and help us with Ma.”

 

 

 

Debbie looked up at her son from the edge of the booth.  She felt extremely tired, but fine otherwise.  She hadn’t had a day off in a couple of weeks, and combined with the excitement over the Pride Parade, she knew she had simply overdone it.  A part of her was glad that Brian hadn’t let Michael’s fear get to him.  And yet, why would he mention the good doctor?  That made no sense at all.  He, unlike her, had been overjoyed when that relationship ended.  Maybe Mikey was right.  Maybe something was terribly wrong with Brian.

 

 

 

“Look, let me call him,” Emmett offered.  “Maybe he will tell me what’s bothering him.”

 

 

 

“Couldn’t hurt.  He told me not to call again, but he didn’t say no one else could.”

 

 

 

Emmett pulled out his phone and clicked on Brian’s name.  The phone rang several times, then went straight to voicemail.  Emmett tried again, with the same results.  Only this time he left a message.

 

 

 

“Hey Brian, just checking to see if you would like for one of us to call you later with an update on Debbie.”

 

 

 

They waited to see if Brian would respond, but nothing.  Alarm bells began ringing loud and clear.  Brian cared a great deal about Debbie, even when they didn’t see eye to eye, so his cavalier attitude about her simply didn’t sit well with any of them.  When you combined that, with his bringing up David instead of Ben, there was no question that Brian was acting strange.  Debbie saw the worry that the boys were feeling, and she had to admit that she felt it too.

 

 

 

“Look, if I agree to have Vic take me to the emergency room as a precaution, will you boys go and check on Brian?  If he gets irritated with you for bothering him for some reason, just tell him that I ordered you to do it.  I’ll take the heat if this turns out to be nothing about nothing.”

 

 

 

Michael quickly kissed his Mom on the top of her disheveled red wig, which had gone askew when she fainted. 

 

 

 

“Thanks, Ma,” he told her.  “C’mon guys, we have to find out what’s up with Brian.”

 

 

 

“Hey, Mikey,” Debbie shouted at her son’s retreating back.  All four of the men stopped in their tracks, turning to see what she wanted.

 

 

 

“Did any of you think to call Justin?  Didn’t they plan to spend the night together?  That’s what Jennifer told me when we took her home earlier.”

 

 

 

“Shit!  Of course.”  Michael pulled his phone back out and clicked on Justin’s name.  It rang and rang, but no answer.  It finally went to voicemail as it had with Brian.  If Justin was with Brian, there seemed no reason for him to avoid his call.   For a moment, Michael had images of the two of them being too busy having sex to answer the phone.  But this wouldn’t explain Brian’s attitude or words spoken from the first call.  More than ever, they knew they had to find out what was going on.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Hobbs heard the phone ring in Justin’s pocket.  He bent down and yanked it out unceremoniously.  The ID showed it was from that same asshole who had called Brian earlier.  What the fuck did these queers do… spend all night talking on the phone with each other, he asked himself.  But this time he had no intention of letting Justin answer the phone.  He had taken a big enough risk letting Kinney do it.  Hobbs tossed the phone over onto the couch.  He left the couple tied up and went to see what his friends were doing and what was taking them so long.  The moment he was out of hearing, Justin spoke to Brian.

 

 

 

“Who do you think was calling me?” he asked, fear he couldn’t hide anymore in his voice.

 

 

 

“I don’t know, but I’m praying it was Michael, or one of the others.  Look, try not to worry.  I gave Michael enough clues that we’re in trouble.  Hopefully he picked up on what I was trying to say.”

 

 

 

“But what the hell can he do, even if he thinks there’s a problem here?  If he comes to check it out alone, he’ll just end up in as much trouble as we are.”

 

 

 

Brian tried hard not to reveal his true feelings.  He was genuinely scared shitless, but he didn’t want Justin to guess that he had doubts about them getting out of this mess.

 

 

 

“I don’t know, but he’s our best chance.  No matter what, we won’t go down without a fight.  Right?”

 

 

 

Although his voice quavered, Justin responded, “Right!”

 

 

 

In what seemed like hours, but was actually only fifteen minutes, the couple listened as Hobbs and his friends continued to ransack the entire apartment, making nasty jokes about some of the things they discovered.  All the while, Brian and Justin worked their hands as much as possible, in an attempt to loosen the grip Brian’s ties had on them.  They were just beginning to feel a slight give in the tightness around their wrists when there was a knock on the door of the loft.  It was soft, at first, but became louder as it continued echoing in the room. 

 

 

 

All three of the intruders came running back to the living room where Brian and Justin remained tied up.  Hobbs put his gun to Justin’s head and hissed at Brian.

 

 

 

“Don’t make a sound or your little butt buddy will have his brains splashed all over your clean floor.”

 

 

 

Suddenly, a voice could be heard through the door.

 

 

 

“Brian!  Brian, I know you’re in there.  Your car is in the parking lot.  I’m not leaving till you tell me what’s wrong.”

 

 

 

Brian warned Hobbs, “I told you he was fucking persistent.  He won’t go away unless I persuade him that all is fine, and I just wanted to be left alone with Justin tonight.  He’ll believe that.  And if I don’t talk to him, he might go to the police.  He’s a drama queen, after all.”

 

 

 

Hobbs felt trapped.  He had been stalking Kinney for a while, but still didn’t really know all his routines and habits.  Maybe the man was telling the truth, and this jerk outside really would go to the police, even if he didn’t have any proof that his friend was in trouble.  He couldn’t risk that happening.  As he looked over at his friends, he could see that they were starting to panic too.  They just might bail on him if he didn’t get rid of this guy.  His mind made up, Hobbs ordered one of the men to separate Brian from Justin, then remove only the tie holding Brian’s hands.  The guy hurried to obey, fumbling with the knots in his nervousness.  Hobbs ordered Brian to tell his friend he was coming, because Michael wouldn’t stop knocking.

 

 

 

Brian did what he was told, and got back to his feet.  He looked down at Justin and saw the dread in his eyes.  His heart hurt at the sight.  Luckily, Hobbs chose to follow him to the door, rather than standing by Justin with the gun pointing directly at his head.  Instead, he kept the gun pointing at Brian as he stepped to the side of the massive sliding door to the loft.  He hissed one final warning, just as Brian unlocked the door and began to slide it open.  It was at that exact moment that Brian saw his one chance to take control of their fate.  Either he would be making the biggest mistake of his life, which could cause all of them to lose their lives, or he would end their nightmare once and for all.  It was a risk he knew he had to take.

 

 

 

As Brian began moving the door open, he also stepped backwards while holding onto the door.  He knew that Hobbs was only a few feet away from him.  Suddenly, with lightning speed, Brian ducked down as he whipped his body around to face Hobbs.  The unexpected movement caught Hobbs completely by surprise, throwing him mentally off-balance.  Without any time to think, or aim properly, he tried to pull the trigger of his gun, but Brian was already tackling him.  Both men fell to the ground.  The gun fell out of Hobbs grasp.  Both men tried reaching for the gun at the same time, but only succeeded in knocking it further away as it skidded on the bare floor.  They grappled together as they tried again to reach the gun.  They both managed to reach it and grab onto the gun at the same moment with their final attempt.    

 

 

 

In the few seconds that all this was happening, Michael rushed through the door, followed closely by Ben, Ted, and Emmett.  They were shocked at what they were seeing… Brian wrestling with his former attacker, Hobbs, and Justin sitting on the floor nearby with his hands tied behind his back.  They also saw two other men, who had by now removed their mask, standing across the room carrying trash bags that looked full.  When the two saw several men coming through the door, panic set in for real.  They dropped the bags they were carrying and rushed for the front door, forcing their way past the men who still stood there.  Everyone reluctantly parted to let them through… their concern more for what was happening with Brian and Justin.  They had seen their faces and they wouldn’t forget what the escapees looked like.

 

 

 

Before anyone could react, and step in to help Brian, they heard a gunshot.  Everyone ducked.  The room turned totally silent.  The two men fighting on the floor lay still, their bodies in an eerie embrace.  The silence was broken seconds later by Justin screaming, “Brian!!”

 

 

 

It was at that instant that they all saw blood seeping out from beneath where Brian and Hobbs still lay.  Michael rushed over to the two men.  As he got there, Brian pushed Hobbs away from him.  It was then that they could see blood forming a large circle on Hobbs shirt.  With a huge sigh of relief, Michael bent down to help Brian back to his feet.  Brian wasted no time running to Justin.  Emmett was already there working to loosen the tie that bound Justin’s hands behind his back.  Brian pushed Emmett aside and finished the job.  The moment Justin’s hands were free, he wrapped them around Brian, who carefully pulled him up from the floor.  The two men stood with their arms wrapped tightly around each other.  They kissed as if it was for the last time.  No one interrupted them.

 

 

 

Ted called 911, while Emmett and Ben helped Michael check on the condition of Hobbs.  The injured man moaned, so they knew he was still alive.  They passed on pertinent information to the 911 operator and did their best to follow her instructions in order to stop the bleeding.  They all stayed close to Hobbs, just in case the man wasn’t as injured as he appeared and tried to escape. 

 

 

 

Happily, the police and an ambulance arrived quickly.  The last they saw of Hobbs was him being carried off on a stretcher with two police officers as escorts.  The rest of the night was a blur, as Brian and Justin told the police everything that had happened since arriving home.  Descriptions went out for the two accomplices who had managed to escape.  EMTs checked to make sure that both Brian and Justin were not injured in any way.  Once they and the police had left, Brian and Justin were bombarded with questions by their friends.  They tried to answer patiently, but were more than happy when their friends were finally satisfied, for the time being, and left the couple alone.  Brian and Justin knew this wasn’t the end of their nightmare.  They would have to tell their story to family and friends again, as well as deal with all the legal stuff surrounding their ordeal, but at last they could breathe easily now. 

 

 

 

A lot of Brian’s things had been ransacked and lay scattered all over the place.  Many of his things, especially clothing, was still stuffed into trash bags.  But none of that mattered at the moment.  It could all wait for the morning.  Tonight belonged to them, and they intended to celebrate their survival. 

 

 

 

“You’re my hero,” Justin whispered in Brian’s ear as his lover took possession of his body. 

 

 

 

The joy of being alive brought their lovemaking to new heights that overwhelmed their senses as they fell asleep in each other’s arms, totally satiated for the time being.  Neither man had any doubt that there would be many more countless nights of intense passion in the future for the two of them.  It helped to dispel the ugliness that they had faced together for the second time.  Tried again… failed again!

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

It hadn’t taken the police long to find the two men who had helped Hobbs.  As for Chris Hobbs, no amount of help from his mother or lawyer was able to get him out of trouble this time.  After emergency surgery removed the bullet from his chest, which missed his heart by a hair’s breadth, thus saving his life, he spent the rest of his time in the hospital recuperating with a brand new bracelet connected to one wrist and the side of his hospital bed.  Once released, it was into the arms of his new companions, the police.  He was still sitting in jail awaiting his trial for attempted murder (with the caveat of it being a hate crime), when Brian won the civil suit against him.  That was not the last of Hobbs’ misfortunes.  Months later, he stood in court to hear the result of his trial… guilty as charged on all counts.  His five to ten year sentence was doubled for the hate crime, along with another five for attempted robbery.  He stood there, impotently fuming as he heard his two cohorts receive only five years total as a result of testifying against him for the State. 

 

 

 

As Hobbs was led out of the courtroom between two burly officers, he turned to see his mother crying in his father’s arms.  The look on his father’s face told him that he would not be welcome in the family home once he was released.  There were no friends of his present on his side of the courtroom… only court reporters and a few total strangers gawking at the creature who had been headline news recently.  Chris Hobbs was now a man alone.  He quickly glanced over to the other side of the courtroom.  The pews were filled with people.  Right there in the front row were the objects of his fate, Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor.  They sat, hands clasped, while all those around them smiled and clapped them on their backs.  Surprising even himself, Hobbs felt nothing.  All that his burning hatred for them had gotten him was the destruction of his own life.  Now, he had more important things to think about… like how to survive life in prison.

 

 

 

Brian and Justin felt all the support that surrounded them and welcomed it.  The support had been there from the moment word spread about their narrow escape.  Since that awful night, the couple had grown ever closer with each passing day.  Brian continued to remember little bits and pieces of his lost year on a regular basis.  And although life went on, there always seemed to be a pause on moving forward fully.  Once Hobbs and his cohorts had been removed from the courtroom, the crowd that had come to support Brian and Justin began leaving too.  Last to leave was Brian’s surrogate family… Debbie, Michael, Vic, Emmett, Ted, Ben, Lindsay, and Melanie.  With last hugs, they too left the courtroom.  Brian and Justin continued to sit, their hands still locked together.

 

 

 

Brian turned to Justin with a deep sigh, “It’s over!  I think it’s time we got back to the life we want for ourselves, don’t you?”

 

 

 

“Yes!  And I remember hearing once that the best revenge is to be happy and live life to its fullest.”

 

 

 

“And to be with someone you love, and who loves you.  So, I’m asking… will you come back and live with me again?  I think we’ve both grown up a lot in the last year.  I believe we have a shot at making it work this time.  So, Justin Taylor, what do you say?”

 

 

 

Justin said nothing.  His lips spoke without words as he joined his to Brian’s in the first of countless kisses the two would share in the future.

 

 

 

The End