Goodbye Hello
Julesmonster


Part 1



It is the night before Brian’s interview in New York and Brian and Justin are at the loft packing.  Justin says quietly, “Don’t go.” And then more forcefully, “You can’t go.  What are you going to do without me?”  He gives a small forced laugh as he folds a shirt.



“I don’t know,” is Brian’s flip answer, “I guess I’ll survive.”



“I doubt it,” Justin says in a husky whisper filled with emotion that he refuses to let show on his face.  He sighs.  “What about me?”



“I’m sure you’ll get along just fine on your own,” Brian says with a negligence that doesn’t ring completely true.



Justin can’t keep up the pretence any longer.  “No I won’t.”



“Yeah, you will,” Brian says.  “You’ll do what you should have done a long time ago. You’ll meet some twinkie your own age.”



“What do you think I want with some kid who doesn’t know shit?” Justin asks with frustration.



Brian has no answer for that and hesitates.  “I need to take a shower.”  He walks to the bathroom.



“Go,” Justin mutters, and then continues with increasing vehemence as he tosses Brian’s clothes around the bed.  “Go take your shower.  Go to New York.  Go to your new life.  In a year, probably not even that long you won’t even remember my name. Oh, what happened to that kid who wouldn’t leave me alone, who thought he was in love with me?”  Justin closes his eyes and tries to turn away from the pain that is eating away at him.  “If you fucking think of me at all.”



With the same casual cruelty Brian used the day after they first met, he comes out of the bathroom and says, “I won’t.  I won’t think of you.”



Justin gives a pained laugh.



“When I walk out that door, I don’t plan on ever looking back,” Brian says—in a gentler tone—as he approaches Justin who has now pulled his sweater on to leave.  “And I expect you to do the same.



They stare at each other for long seconds, Justin with tears he refuses to shed glistening in his eyes and Brian with a façade of indifference.   Finally, Brian brings his hand up to cup the side of Justin’s face, slipping around to the nape of his neck and draws him into a hug.  They hold each other tightly for long minutes while Justin sniffles but refuses to cry.*



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Justin woke with a start with the sound of his cell phone ringing, but the dream lingered.  He looked at his caller ID and shut off the ringer.  He could call back later, when he was awake.  Right then, the dream was more significant than yet another phone conference with his agent.  Why was he dreaming of Brian now, of all times?  It had been six years since Brian had left Pittsburgh to take a job with Kennedy and Collins in Manhattan.  And true to his word, Brian had never once looked back.  Justin had heard from Debbie that Brian had been back to Pittsburgh a few times a year to see Gus, but usually only for a couple days at a time and he never contacted Justin.



In fact, none of Brian’s friends contacted him anymore.  Brian had come back from that interview with a contract in hand and had been gone in a matter of days, a week before his thirtieth birthday and Justin’s prom.  Michael left not long after.  Ted and Emmett had never returned his calls after that and their silence had hurt—especially Emmett’s.  The same went for Mel and Lindsay.  They had always pretended to be his friends, but in the end he was just the kid that used to hang around Brian.  And with Brian out of the picture, they had no reason to keep in touch.



Debbie was different.  Debbie was Justin’s second mother in every way that counted and she refused to let him just fade into memory.  It was her love that had gotten him through some very tough times.  He thought he probably would be dead by now if not for her.  But she got him through and after he graduated, Justin stayed with Debbie and Vic until he started at PIFA.  Once school started, he went to live in the dorms, though he still had dinner at the house at least once a week and called more often, especially after Vic died.  His everyday life, however, became filled with school, extracurricular events and nights out at Babylon, even if he didn’t go dancing nearly as often as he had when he’d been with Brian.



The days immediately following Brian’s departure had been really hard.  Justin had wanted to ask Brian to go to his prom, but in the end, he was too depressed to go at all, even though he knew Daphne would have loved to be his date.  Instead the two of them had spent the evening getting high on a stash of weed Brian had left behind in his loft and eating ice cream.  At the time, the moving company hadn’t packed the place up and Justin still liked to go there and pretend that Brian would come walking through the door at any minute.  He spent many a day there, high or drunk or both, pretending that he wasn’t alone.  So it was a natural thing for him to gravitate there on the night of the prom; he and Daphne had smoked dope, drank liquor and watched corny movies on Brian’s TV.



After one particular close call that had involved too many drugs, too much booze and a walk down the center of a busy road, Debbie gave him some of her tough love and Justin had tried to do what Brian wanted him to do: he’d moved on with his life.  He stopped going to the loft when he saw that the movers had emptied the place out.  He still smoked a bit of weed and had a few drinks, but his hard core binging was over.  He still picked up tricks when he wanted a quick fuck and he dated a few guys, but none of them ever measured up to Brian… physically or emotionally.  No one could compare with the god that was Brian Kinney.



Eventually, Justin had stopped trying to find someone who could be more than just a casual fuck.  He hadn’t turned into Brian; he often kept the same guy around for weeks at a time, but as soon as they showed signs of getting serious, he was out the door.  He couldn’t love them.  He was always honest with them about that, but that didn’t mean they actually believed he would never have feelings for them.  One thing he did to make things a little easier was staying away from virgins.  Usually, he stuck to guys who were obviously older and more experienced, which was one reason he rarely fucked anyone from school.



Of course, on top of everything else that had gone wrong that spring, school had almost not happened.  Not long after Brian left, Jennifer had come to Justin and told him that Craig refused to pay for his schooling.  It took weeks of working with the financial aid office at PIFA, but since he hadn’t lived at home in more than six months, they were able to declare him an independent student and he could qualify for scholarships and loans that he couldn’t qualify for as a dependant.



Four years of school and two of taking working as a freelance artist—including for Brian’s old advertising agency, though it was Vanguard now—and Justin was finally getting somewhere with his art.  He knew that some people spent decades working without success, but Justin was never happy sitting back and waiting for what he wanted.  So he had sought out one of the nation’s top art agents and had hounded her until she took him seriously. In the meantime he worked his ass off to get his work shown in local galleries and had developed a reputation among local art buyers.



Finally, last June, at a gallery opening in the South Side where Justin’s work took up the entire main gallery space, the agent, Carol Bryce, approached him.  Now, just over six years from the day that Brian left, only a year since hooking up with Carol, and Justin was on the brink of reaching his career dreams. He hadn’t had to do freelance work for almost six months and he was making top dollar for his paintings. Carol had scheduled a gallery opening in New York that promised to bring in some of the art world’s top names.  If things went well, Carol thought she could get him into a show of regional artists at the Museum of Modern Art within a year.  Already, his larger canvases were fetching five figures and Carol promised that they would continue to increase in value.



Justin ran a hand through his hair and sat up in bed.  He reached for the pack of cigarettes on the hotel nightstand and lit one.  After a long drag, he sighed.  He was finally in New York, only days away from his big opening, and what is his subconscious concerned with?  Brian Kinney.  And it hadn’t been the stoic goodbye at the airport that Justin had dreamed; it had been the emotional scene before he’d even gotten the job.  After all this time, Justin couldn’t help but wonder where Brian was and what he was doing.  He had considered looking him up, but decided against it.  Brian had never called him when he was home and he probably wouldn’t appreciate being bothered by that kid who once thought he was in love with him.



Shaking his head, Justin crushed out his cigarette in the ashtray and turned to the other body in his bed.   “Hey.  Wake up.  You need to go.”  Justin wasn’t sure what the guy’s name was, so he didn’t use one.  “Hey!  Get up and get out!”



“Wha—huhn?”  A brunet head poked out from under the sheet and Justin saw hazel eyes looking back at him.  Well at least he was consistent.  He tended to go for that look.



“I’ve got to work, and you need to leave,” Justin said.  He stood up, not bothering to cover himself as he went to the dresser and grabbed the guy’s designer jeans and t-shirt and tossed them on the bed.  The brunet sat up and began slowly pulling on his clothes while Justin leaned against the dresser and watched.  “I’ll be in town for a couple more weeks if you want to fuck again.”



The guy got to his feet and blinked a few times.  “Yeah sure.  Let me find my phone and we can exchange numbers.”



Once the trick was gone, Justin grabbed his iphone and called Carol back.  “Hey.  You rang?”



“Justin, you were supposed to be at the gallery an hour ago,” Carol scolded.  “We still have to go over the final arrangements with the manager.”



“But he’s not there, Carol,” Justin said as he lit another cigarette.  “If I know anything about the art world it’s that gallery people are never on time.  Being late is their way of reminding artists that they have the power to make or break them.  I expect that I have at least another hour before he actually shows.  Tell me I’m wrong.”



Carol laughed.  “See this is why I love you Justin.  You make no apologies and you’re right more often than anyone should be allowed.  Grant’s assistant just came out to tell me that some emergency has come up and he’ll be here at 2.”



“So I actually have almost two hours,” Justin said with a smug tone that carried over the line.



“Yes,” Carol said.  “I was actually hoping to do lunch, but I’m guessing by the length of time it took for you to get back to me that you just got rid of the flavor of the night and haven’t even showered his scent off yet.”



“See, that’s why I love you, Carol,” Justin echoed her earlier response with amusement.  “You really know your artists and all of their quirks and eccentricities.”



Carol laughed.  “I’ll meet you at the hotel restaurant in half an hour.  I want to go over a few things before we actually meet with Grant.”



“You expect me to be presentable in half an hour?” Justin asked with mock horror.  “I take back everything I just said.  You don’t know me at all.”



Justin disconnected the call to the sound of Carol’s laughter and went to the bathroom to shower.  He really did still have to get what’s-his-name’s scent off of him before going out in public.



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“I am not going,” Brian said petulantly.  “You know how much I hate these events.  They’re always filled with pretentious wannabes and has-beens trying to pretend they have a fucking clue what the hell they’re looking at.  Not to mention the tongue-tied heteros.”



Cynthia sighed as she handed Brian his tie.  “So don’t fucking go.  I’m not your goddamned mother and I’m not going to ground you if you don’t go.  I will merely point out that Michael Richards is a huge art patron and has been raving about this show for weeks.  And since he’s not been all that eager to get into bed with us, I would think that you would be all over him.  But hey, I’m just the hired help.  What the fuck do I know?”



Brian snorted with amusement at her rant even as he straightened his black tie and pulled on his tuxedo jacket.  “Yeah right, hired help?  I think we changed that a while ago, didn’t we?”



“We never forget our roots,” Cynthia said regally as she walked Brian to the door of their offices.  “Have fun tonight.  Or at least pretend to have fun.  Richards is more likely to feel kindly if he thinks you share a common interest.  Besides cock.”



“How do you find out where these guys spend their evenings?” Brian asked just before she shoved him into the elevator and pressed the button to send him to the street.



“You’ll never know,” Cynthia said with a smile as the elevator doors closed.



Once on the street, Brian swore one more time.  This was the part of his job that he really hated.  Going to these functions was always tedious.  Then again, if he played his cards right, he might just get Richards to reconsider Kinnetik for his next national ad campaign.  They could really use the business.  And really, an art gallery wasn’t the worst place he had gone to get a client.  He remembered one client back in his Pittsburgh days that had wanted to make sex a condition of his contract.  Brian had surprised himself by turning him and his contract down.  Michael had been surprised too but Justin had been so proud of him.





Brian swore to himself once more as he hailed a cab and then gave the driver directions.  Six years and he still thought about the fucking twink several times a day.  Every day.  Despite his vow to never look back, he was constantly looking for Justin.  He would see a blond on the streets that had a similar build and swear for just a second that it was Justin.  He might see something or hear something and think that Justin would have loved it.  Sometimes he just wanted Justin to listen to him bitch about his day.  Justin was as much a part of Brian’s life today as he had been six years ago.  It was fucking disgusting.  Somehow, Justin had turned him into a lesbian when he wasn’t looking.



Brian couldn’t help but smile when he thought about his little blond twinkie.  He wondered where he was these days.  He got periodic updates from Debbie, but he wasn’t in touch often enough to really have an accurate idea.  He knew that Justin had graduated from PIFA a couple years ago and that he’d had a couple shows in Pittsburgh.  Brian knew the kid had talent and ambition; he expected that Justin would have a major show like the one Brian was attending in the next five years.  He still had the drawing Justin had done of him and he’d bought from the GLC show.  He’d had it framed and it now had a place of honor in the study in his apartment, where Brian could look at it and remember the few short months he’d had Justin.



Brian climbed out from the taxi and paid the fare along with a decent tip.  Standing on the sidewalk a few doors down from the gallery, Brian took a moment to check his appearance in a store window.  Handsome as ever.  He straightened his black bowtie and smoothed a strand of hair that wasn’t lying perfectly.  He nodded at his reflection and turned to the gallery.



Brian smiled politely at the young woman at the door who handed him a small pamphlet that described the artists on display and their work.  He knew from experience that in a gallery like this there were no prices listed either in the program or by the paintings.  Any purchases were negotiated behind closed doors and probably had a sale price upwards of five figures.  He tucked the program into his pocket without reading it and grabbed a glass of Champaign from a passing waiter before subtly looking for his target, completely uninterested in either the art or the other patrons.



Ten minutes later, he had cornered Richards in front of one of the paintings and he began to chat about the work.  “I have to admit that I don’t know much about this artist,” Brian said with a disarming smile.  “A friend recommended that I come.  She believed I would find the work intriguing and she was absolutely right.”



“Isn’t it though?” Richards gushed.  “You see his use of color and composition?  I haven’t seen Classical Realism as striking as this since Jacob Collins’ early works.”



Brian eyed the painting and really got a good look at the subject.  It was a street scene done in such accurate detail that he felt like he could almost walk into the picture.  It seemed more real and alive than a photograph.  But that wasn’t the most striking thing to him.  The street that the artist had painted was one with which Brian was intimately familiar.



“That’s Liberty Ave,” Brian said in awe, forgetting his companion for a moment.



“Yes,” Richards said.  “That is the title of the work.”



“No… I mean, yes,” Brian said with some uncertainty.  “I mean, that street is Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh.  That diner there… I went there after school every day when I was a kid.  My best friend’s mother worked there.”



“I do believe the artist is from Pittsburgh as well,” Richards said with some excitement.  “Perhaps you knew each other?”



“I doubt that. Pittsburgh may not be as large as New York, but it is pretty big,” Brian said, trying to regain some semblance of his usual cool exterior, even though his heart was hammering in his chest.  He took the program from his pocket and finally read it while Richards observed him.  There on the inside page was a biography and a picture of the artist.



Justin Taylor.



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*Dialogue taken directly from Season 1 Episode 21.

Part 2



“Or maybe I do know him,” Brian muttered.  “I’m going to kill Cynthia.  She had to know.”



“Well, my boy you simply must go find him and reintroduce yourself,” Richards said.  “I have to speak with the gallery manager and then I have another appointment tonight, but I would enjoy a chance to hear how all of this turns out.  I admit that I am a nosey old queen.  Have your assistant give Shelly a call and arrange lunch.”



“I’ll do that,” Brian said with a dazed look on his face and then watched Richards walk away.  How had that happened?  He didn’t have time to really dwell on it.  He had to find Justin.  But that was easier said than done.  The gallery was a crush of people and made up of a maze of rooms.  Brian made his way around the spaces and looked at the art, suddenly more interested than before in the paintings.  Richards was right, they were very good.  Exceptional really.



Even though he knew that this was Justin, it was still a shock when he found the painting of himself.  There was no way anyone else could know who it was, since the picture showed him from the back, laying on his bed, the sheets tangled around his legs.  It was very similar to the pose that he had in charcoal on his study wall.  And the blue lights behind the bed, the furniture, the room… they were all clear signs that this was Brian in his bed at the loft.



“It’s magnificent, isn’t it?” a woman said from beside Brian.  Brian tore his eyes away from the picture long enough to see the petite redhead beside him.  “I’m Carol Bryce, Justin’s agent.”



Brian snorted with sudden amusement.  Fate really was an unpredictable bitch.  “Of course you are.  Any chance I can buy this painting?”



Carol looked amused as well.  “Unfortunately, no.  Justin refuses to sell this particular canvas.  Sentimental reasons, I believe.  There may be another painting that you might be interested in, however.  Justin chose not to hang it, but I think he wouldn’t mind if I let you have a look.”



Brian was intrigued.  “Lead the way.”



Carol took Brian to a back storage room where the clean white walls gave way to softer shades of tan that were easier on the eyes, but not as good for showing art.  Along one wall there was a desk but the rest of the room was a mess of canvases from various artists who normally would be on display in the gallery.  Carol led Brian to one corner of the room where there was a stack of canvases leaning against the wall.  Several were taller than Brian.  He helped Carol shift the canvases around until the one she wanted was in the front and turned the proper way.  Brian stepped back and got a good look.



This was another picture of him laying on his bed, but this time with his face to the front.  He had a cocky grin on his face and was obviously pleasuring himself, taunting the viewer with his blatant sexuality.  It was Brian Kinney at his most irresistible.  He could remember Justin being angry with him on more than one occasion, but finding Brian like that always seemed to break through any walls Justin tried to put up.  In fact, Justin usually gave up rather quickly and jumped him within moments.  Some of their best sex was preceded by this pose.



“So, who are you?” Carol asked with some delight.  “Besides being Justin’s muse, that is.”



“Brian Kinney,” Brian said as he held his hand out.  She took it and smirked at him in a way that reminded both of Cynthia and Daphne.  Scary.  “I own an advertising agency here in town.  Is this Justin’s first New York show?  I noticed that a lot of the pieces out there have direct connections to Pittsburgh.  Has he relocated, or is he still working at home? ”



“He’s still working in Pittsburgh, though he’s had several shows here in the last year,” Carol said.  “I don’t believe he has any intentions of relocating.  In fact, he has said on many occasions that he hates New York.”



Brian laughed.  “He would.  Has he ever told you about the first time he came to New York? No?  He was 17 at the time and pissed off at me for some reason I can’t even remember any more.  I mean seriously pissed off.  So he stole my credit cards and flew to New York.  He made me come all the way out here to get him.  And the entire way, all I could think about was how much trouble he could get into in New York by himself.  I mean muggers, homophobes, rapists… so you can imagine my relief when I got here and found that he’d holed up in a hotel and hadn’t left once.  Of course that meant he ran up my credit card with room service.”



“I paid you back,” Justin said from behind them and Carol and Brian both turned around.  “I worked my ass off at the diner to pay you every penny.”



“Took you six months too,” Brian smirked.  “How are you Sunshine?”



“God, I can’t believe you’re here,” Justin said with one of his infamous smiles that could light up a room.



Carol looked back and forth between the two men and grinned.  She knew when her presence was redundant.  “It was nice to meet you Brian.  Perhaps we’ll see each other again soon.  Justin, I think most of the major buyers have come and gone, so if you want to cut out early, you can.  Just call me in the morning.  Or afternoon.  Or whenever you actually emerge for the day.”



And then they were alone and Justin couldn’t hold back and he practically threw himself into Brian’s arms.  Brian wrapped his arms around Justin and they held each other tight for what felt like forever and yet not long enough.  Eventually, Brian pulled away, though he didn’t let Justin go completely.



“Let’s get out of here?” Justin said.



“Yeah,” Brian agreed.  “Any place you want to go?”



“Someplace quiet where we can talk,” Justin said.  “Maybe get something to eat.  I couldn’t eat before the opening.”



“I know a place,” Brian said and then they were on their way out the door and through the waning crowd of patrons.



Justin was stopped twice on the way out but he was able to politely extricate himself without too much fuss.  Once on the street, Brian hailed a cab and they were soon on the way to one of Brian’s favorite restaurants.  They walked in to the dimly lit restaurant and Brian greeted the hostess by name.  She showed them past the more public tables to a room at the rear of the building where there were a number of large booths.  Each booth was extremely private, and once they were seated, Justin felt like they were the only two people in the world.



“This is nice,” Justin said.  They made polite chitchat as they looked over the menu and then ordered.  Finally, after the server brought their drinks they were able to get to something more important than politics and current events.  “How did you find out about the show?”



“Believe it or not, I didn’t know whose show I was attending,” Brian said ruefully.  “I was going after a client who has been rather standoffish.  When I saw the picture of Liberty Avenue, with the diner right there, I was totally thrown.  I mean, who expects to see pictures of the Pitts in Manhattan?  I was totally off my game after that.  And then I found out you were the artist and I think Richards realized that I knew you.  He told me to go find you, and then left. But not before requesting a lunch meeting, so I guess I didn’t totally blow it.”



Justin laughed.  “I can’t imagine you fumbling over anything in front of a client.  I always thought you could shut out the apocalypse if a campaign was on the line.”



Brian was quiet when he said, “You were always able to throw me off my game.”



Justin smiled sadly, “But not enough to keep you.”



“Justin…”



Justin shook his head.  “Don’t.  I know why you left.  I know how important being here was for you.  I can’t imagine what I would do if I couldn’t paint or if I could paint, but was restricted by some arbitrary boundary.  Your career was here.  I get that.  I’m not hurt or angry or resentful.  That doesn’t mean I like it any more now than I did six years ago.”



Brian stared at the crystal tumbler of scotch in his hand.  He took a deep breath before answering.  “I don’t like it either.”



Justin chuffed a cheerless laugh.  “Great.  We agree that this sucks.  But hey, at least I’ve got a career most people would kill to have.  How about you?”



“Business is okay,” Brian said.  “I’m not sure if Debbie told you but I opened my own agency a couple years ago.  I was getting frustrated with the corporate politics that I had to play.  It’s bad enough having to kiss a client’s ass; I don’t want to rim the boss too.”



“Yeah, I guess that would suck.”  Justin said.  “I’m lucky.  I only have to kiss ass a few times a year when I have a show on.  The rest of the time, I’m safe in my little studio back home.”



“Debbie said you’re doing pretty well for yourself,” Brian said.  “Selling a lot of paintings.  Knowing the gallery you are in now, I can guess how much you make per painting.”



“More than I made in a year not so long ago,” Justin said wryly.  “It’s pretty perverted when you think about it.  What makes my art so much more valuable now than it was last year?”



“It’s all about marketing,” Brian said with a grin.



Justin lifted a glass in toast.  “To great marketing.”



Brian clinked his glass and they both took a drink.  The server returned then with their entrees.  Justin was as enthusiastic about food now as he had been six years ago.  “How can you eat steak at midnight?  And the carbs in that potato…”



Justin shrugged.  “I have a fast metabolism.  It’s genetic.  Not a fat person in the family in four generations.  And believe me, I’m not the only one who eats as much as I do.  You should see what my Uncle Eddy can scarf down.”



“You still see your family?” Brian asked.



“Just Mom and Molly,” Justin said.  “Mom’s parents moved out to Arizona years ago to be near my uncle and his family and only come back once in a blue moon.  Mom and Molly go see them every year, but I haven’t gone since I came out.  They don’t hate me, but they aren’t real comfortable either.  And Craig’s family… well, let’s just say they are about as open-minded as my father.  What about you?  You ever hear from you mom or sister?”



“St. Joan was martyred last year,” Brian said dryly.  “Though the doctors said it was liver failure, my sister assures me it was my fault.”



“So that would be a no,” Justin said with a small grin.



Brian grinned back.  “That’s definitely a no.”



The rest of dinner was rather lighthearted as they relived some of their shared memories.  When dessert came, Brian even caved and ordered a gelato.  They were just about to leave, not having yet decided what was to come next, when Justin’s phone rang.



“Hello?”  Justin said.  The name came up Daniel on his caller ID, but he wasn’t sure who Daniel was.  “Oh right, from the other night....  Yeah, that sounds interesting, but I’m with a friend tonight.  Unless you wanted to join us?”  Justin raised an eyebrow at Brian who smirked in return.  “Yeah, he’s definitely hot.  My hotel in an hour?  …Great.”  Justin ended the call and turned to Brian.  “I thought we could share for old times’ sake.”



“Sounds like a fitting way to finish a near perfect evening.”

Part 3



Justin was packing his suitcase and Brian flashed back to the day that Justin helped him pack for his interview with Kennedy and Collins.  He suddenly had an inkling of what Justin had felt that day.  He didn’t want Justin to go back.  They had spent almost two weeks together, spending as much time in each other's company as their careers would allow.  In fact, Brian went to the gallery with Justin on more than one evening and Justin went with Brian to meet Michael Richards for lunch and they told him their story—cleaned up for polite company—jointly.  Of course that had resulted in Brian getting the account.  And according to Carol, Richards had already bought two of Justin’s paintings at the opening.



But now the show was over and Justin was heading back to Pittsburgh.



“I’ll be back in November for another show,” Justin was saying, though Brian already knew this.  “And Carol’s in talks with the curator at MOMA for something in the spring.  They want the series of you, did I tell you?”



“Yeah,” Brian said quietly.  “You did.”



Justin looked at Brian.  “What’s wrong?”



“Can’t you stay for another week…or two?”



Justin sighed.  “I can’t, Brian.  I have responsibilities back home.  I have people counting on me.  I can’t just drop everything because we met up again six years later.”



Brian could hardly believe that this was the same person who had practically begged him not to leave.  Then again, maybe he wasn’t the same person at all.  After all, Brian wasn’t the same person he had been back then.  The fact that he was letting this get to him at all was proof enough of that.



“Yeah, alright,” Brian finally said.  “I’ll be in town for Gus’ birthday and for a few days around Christmas.”



“See, we’ll see each other again,” Justin said cheerfully, though Brian could tell most of it was faked and that made him feel infinitely better.



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Brian was in Pittsburgh as promised for Gus’ birthday.  Of course, Brian could only get a long weekend away from the office before he needed to head back to New York.  Justin picked Brian up at the airport and they drove straight from there to Mel and Lindsay’s house for the party—after they made a quick stop at one of the airport hotels.



“Justin, it’s so good to see you again!” Lindsay said when she saw the blond on the step with Brian.  “Where have you been all this time?”



“Same place I’ve always been” Justin said with a bit of ill-concealed resentment.  Brian squeezed his shoulder and Justin relented a bit.  “It’s good to see you again too.”



“I… Thank you,” Lindsay said, taken a bit aback at Justin’s first response.  The Justin she remembered was sweet and polite to a fault.  Instead of dwelling on that, though, she turned to Brian for a hug.  “Brian.  Gus has been telling all his friends about his father who lives in New York.  I think they believe you’re some sort of super hero or something.”



“I am,” Brian smirked.  “Just ask any of my previous conquests.”



“I can vouch for him if it helps,” Justin said playfully.  “He’s got a cock even kryptonite couldn’t stop.”



Lindsay almost swallowed her tongue.  It always took a few days for her to get used to Brian’s crudeness when he returned these days.  Without Brian and his band of friends to liven things up, their lives had become much more mundane.  Now that Justin was egging him on, she was sure Brian would be worse than ever.  “Well, Superman, why don’t you go see your son.  He’s out back.”



Brian looked at Justin and the blond smiled and nodded.  Soon Brian was off hunting down his boy and Justin was left alone with Lindsay.  “Justin, I really am sorry that we let things go for so long.  You were such a great kid…”



“But I was just a kid,” Justin finished for her with a hint of bitterness.  “You know, losing Brian was really bad.  But I lost Gus too.  And the rest of you.  I thought we were all friends, but suddenly no one returned my calls.  Debbie told me about Gus’ first birthday party—one I wasn’t invited to—and I knew then that I wasn’t really a part of your group.  I never would be.  I found my own friends and I made a life for myself.”



“I’ve heard a little about your successes from some friends still in the art world.  And now you’re back with Brian?” Lindsay asked as she led Justin into the kitchen where she was getting the refreshments together.  It was an attempt to make herself feel better about what they had done to Justin.  If he was happy now, then they had done the right thing, right?  “How did that happen?”



“I had a solo show in New York at the Kenmare Gallery,” Justin said and watched as realization dawned on Lindsay’s face.  His career was going a lot better than she knew, apparently.  “Brian was trying to impress a potential client and came to the opening.  He didn’t even know who the artist was.  You can imagine his surprise when he realized.”



“I certainly can,” Lindsay said a little breathlessly.  She was still reeling from the news that Justin had an exclusive show at one of the nation’s most respected galleries.  If he was showing there, his paintings had to be bringing in a fortune.  “So you were at Kenmare, where else have you shown?”



“Well, I’m sure you’ve kept up with the local shows,” Justin said facetiously.  “I’ve had a couple small shows at smaller galleries in New York since Carol Bryce took me on as a client, but Kenmare’s the largest so far.  I do have another solo show coming up in November at Ryan Fine Arts, and then MOMA is doing an exhibition on Classical Realism in March and April and I’ll have four paintings in that show.  Carol’s trying to negotiate a permanent spot for one of my paintings, but the conservator is holding out until after the exhibition.”



Justin knew that Lindsay had once had aspirations to be an artist and his success was probably eating at her, but he felt the need to rub his success in just a little.  It had hurt more than he would ever admit to her to lose her support when Brian left.  He had thought that she and Mel had liked him for himself, not as an extension of Brian.  He’d been proven wrong, and call him shallow, but he wanted just a little payback.



“That’s…” Lindsay was speechless, but was saved from having to come up with something polite to say by three kids running into the kitchen looking for the juice.



Justin let Lindsay get back to her duties and wandered out to the garden with the rest of the guests.  It was a bright and warm afternoon for late September, and there were plenty of kids and parents mingling.  Justin spotted Brian right away.  He was sitting on a chaise in a corner of the garden whispering back and forth with a boy Justin knew had to be Gus because he looked just like his dad.  Justin wondered what they were plotting, because the mischief was obvious in both pairs of hazel eyes.



He didn’t have to wonder for long.  Gus came running over just seconds later and tugged at Justin’s hand.  “Prince Justin?  You have to come with me.  Me and Daddy are pirates and we’re kidnapping you!”



Justin grinned at the little boy and said, “Okay, most fearsome pirate.  I am quaking with terror.  Please do not kill me with your trusty sword and I will come quietly!”



Gus frowned as he dragged Justin back over to Brian and said, “Dad, I need a rusty sword!”



“I think your mom would have both our heads if I gave you a sword, rusty or otherwise,” Brian said.  “I think we better stick to pretending.”



“Okay,” Gus agreed reluctantly.  He looked at Justin again and then back to his dad and asked, “Okay, so we got the fair prince, now what do we do with him?”



“Well, we could make him walk the plank,” Brian said thoughtfully.  “Or we could let him go for a ransom.”



“What kind of ransom?” Gus asked.



“Well, this fair prince has very special kisses,” Brian said.  “They’re magical kisses.  One kiss on the cheek from Prince Justin will bring you good luck forever.”



“That sounds like a pretty good ransom,” Gus agreed.  “But who’s he gonna kiss?”



“Well, we could make him give us each a magical kiss,” Brian said.



Gus smiled and pulled on Justin’s hand until the blond was leaning down to look him in the eyes.  “Give us a kiss each or walk the plank.”



Justin fought to keep a grin off his face.  “Yes sir.”  Justin leaned in a little and planted a quick kiss to Gus’ cheek.



“Now me,” Brian demanded and Grabbed Justin’s other hand and pulled the blond into his lap.  “I want my kiss too.”



Justin smiled, “Yes sir.”  He leaned forward and tried to bestow his captor with a simple kiss on the cheek, but Brian wasn’t going to go for that.  He maneuvered them both so that Justin’s kiss landed square on his lips.  As soon as their lips touched, Brian used his own magical ability to deepen the kiss until Justin was breathless.  Aware of their audience, Brian released Justin after only a few seconds.



“You didn’t kiss Daddy’s cheek,” Gus said accusingly.  “Does that mean you’re Daddy’s boyfriend?”



“What do you know about boyfriends, Sonny Boy?” Brian asked as he gathered Gus up and planted him on his other knee so that both of his favorite people were as close as possible.



Gus shrugged.  “Timmy says that when a girl kisses a boy that means they are boyfriend and girlfriend.  And Mommy says that boys can kiss boys and girls can kiss girls.  So if two boys kiss then they are boyfriends, right?”  He looked back and forth between the two men.



“So is Prince Justin your boyfriend?” Gus asked relentlessly.



“Something like that,” Brian said and looked at Justin, whose face showed his surprise.  “But usually you have to ask first before you can really become boyfriends.”



“So what are you waiting for? Ask!” Gus said with all the exasperation a seven year old can muster.  “You can’t get much better than a prince, can you?”



“No you certainly can’t,” Brian agreed, but his eyes were still locked with Justin’s.  “So, how about it, Prince Justin?  Wanna be boyfriends with a lowly pirate?”



Justin barely got a sound past the lump in his throat.  “Yeah.  I think I’d like that.”



“So that’s settled,” Gus said.  “Now you aren’t allowed to kiss anyone else.  Ever.”



Justin nearly choked on his own tongue when he heard that.  “Uh Gus…”



“That’s right Sonny Boy,” Brian agreed cheerfully.  “Prince Justin’s not allowed to kiss anyone but me. Ever.”



Now Justin raised a challenging brow. “And Pirate Brian isn’t allowed to kiss anyone else for ever either?”



“That’s right,” Brian said with a gravity that was lost on Gus.



“Brian…”



“Come on Daddy, Justin,” Gus said with excitement.  “Mommy’s got the cake.  That means presents are next!  What did you bring me?”



“You can wait,” Brian said as he followed his son to the table where the others were all gathered.  Justin shook his head with fondness.  The Kinney men were dangerous to his heart.

Part 4



“I think Gus likes you,” Brian said as Justin drove them to his place after the party.  Justin didn’t reply.  In fact he had been quiet for some time and Brian knew something was up.  “Justin!”  The blond jumped and Brian smirked.  “Okay, now that I have your attention, spill it.”



Justin looked a bit nervous as he glanced over at Brian before turning his eyes back to the road.  “Okay.  So the thing is I used to rent a place over in Squirrel Hill but then this spring, after I was sure that the sales from my paintings weren’t just a fluke, I decided to buy a place.”



“And this has you so nervous you haven’t said a word to me for the last hour?”  Brian asked.



“No. Well yes…” Justin said.  “See the thing is, just as I was looking for a place, my mom mentioned that your loft was back on the market.  And I know it sounds really stalker-creepy and all, but…”



“You bought my loft?” Brian asked with a laugh.  “Christ, I thought there was something seriously wrong.  I don’t give a fuck if you bought the loft.  In fact, I think it’s pretty cool that you did.  I mean, I like knowing that someone who can appreciate its unique charm is living there.”



“I got it for a song,” Justin told him.  “I felt kind of bad for the guy I bought it from.  I mean, he goes bankrupt and the real estate market bottoms out at the same time.  I financed about half the cost and used profits from my paintings for the rest.”



“Shit Sunshine,” Brian said.  “Even with the drop in the market, that’s a lot of money.”



Justin shrugged.  “I sold a lot of paintings last year.  Besides the shows here in Pittsburgh, two in Philadelphia and one in Boston, Carol set up a website and I get a lot of my sales from that.  And I haven’t had a painting sell for less than five grand since Carol took me on as a client.  I had enough to put fifty percent down and still have money set aside to fix a few things and do some upgrades.”



They had pulled up to the familiar building and they both climbed from the car.  “Fix what?”



“The guy who bought the loft didn’t like the open bedroom concept and had walls put in,” Justin explained as they took the elevator up to the fourth level.  “He also thought it would be a good idea to cover the hardwood floors with carpet, so they had to be removed and the floors refinished.”



“And upgrades?” Brian asked as they stepped from the elevator.



Justin smiled and unlocked the familiar heavy steel door.  Once the alarm was off, he let Brian enter.  The place looked amazingly similar to how it had when Brian was its sole occupant.  The sliding walls of frosted glass were a little different, but Brian figured that getting an exact replica of what had been removed would have been impossible since he’d had the partitions custom made the first time.  The bars of blue lights were gone from over the bed, though there was some sort of art piece of colored glass and stainless steel that was glowing in the dim light.  Brian really liked that change.  It was very Justin.  The furniture was obviously new.  It was of good quality—apparently Justin had learned something in his time with Brian—in warm brown tones balanced with cooler blues and greens.



“I don’t see any upgrades,” Brian said.



“Okay,” Justin said.  “First of all, did you know that you owned rights to the roof space outside the back window?”



For the first time, Brian noticed a set of French doors that were now a part of the wall of windows in the rear of the space.  He walked over and opened the doors.  There was now a deck which covered the entire twenty by thirty foot roof area.  Justin had outdoor furniture set up as well as a couple planters and a barbeque gas grill.



Brian walked back inside and noticed something else.  “This area is narrower.”



Justin grinned.  “That actually wasn’t me.  That was the other guy.  He gutted the bathroom and closet, bumped this wall out by two feet and you won’t believe what a huge difference it makes.  There is a walk in closet now that is actually large enough for two people, even if one of them is you.  And the bathroom hasn’t really lost anything.”



Brian checked it out and was surprised that he had never thought to do it himself.  It made a huge difference.  He walked back out to the living area and noticed that the kitchen had undergone some changes.  There were new cabinets, though they were still in the same basic configuration.  And the appliances were upgraded.  Then again, Justin cooked and Brian didn’t so he’d never cared much about the kitchen except that it looked good.



“There’s one other thing,” Justin said.
Brian looked around once more and finally noticed a doorway between the kitchen and back windows.  “You busted through to the storage area?”



Justin nodded.  “I never knew that it went all the way back to the end of the building.  There’s more than 1,200 square feet that wasn’t being used at all.  I had a guest room and bathroom put in for when Daphne comes to visit.  There’s another large storage closet.  But my favorite part is the studio space overlooking the roof deck.  I added French doors in there too.  Of course, I haven’t used it much yet.  They just finished the renovations last month and I haven’t had time to move out of my old studio until this week.”



“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Brian declared and Justin let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.  “You really have made it yours.”



Justin shrugged.  “It is mine now.”



There was something wrong with that statement, but Brian couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.  Did Justin mean the loft or something else?  Was he claiming something else as his own now?



The phone rang, interrupting their tour.  Justin looked at Brian intently for a moment before turning to pick up the receiver.  “Yeah?”  Justin looked annoyed suddenly.  “Todd, I told you. Not this weekend.  Brian is in town…. Yeah, he is more important…. Grow the fuck up.  I never lied to you…. That’s fine Todd.  You do that.  And just so you know, there are dozens of men waiting in line to take your place who won’t give me this shit…. Bye Todd!”  Justin hung up the phone.  “What a prick.”



“Who’s Todd?” Brian asked carefully.



“The latest fuck buddy,” Justin shrugged as he went to the kitchen and poured them each a glass of scotch.  He brought one to Brian and then led him to the living room to sit.  “Somehow they always end up thinking they mean more than they do.  He’s only been in the picture for a couple weeks.  We weren’t even exclusive but he thought he could dictate who can stay at my place.  Yeah right.”



“That’s why I always limit them to one time,” Brian said.  “The only times I ever broke that rule landed me in shit.”



“Okay, this I have to hear,” Justin said.  “I know about me, though I resent the sentiment.  And you were with Kip on two occasions.  Who else?”



Brian looked a little sorrowful.  “There was Mike Dunham in college.  We were fuck buddies.  He wanted more and I turned him down rather bluntly.  He threw himself off a bridge.  He was rescued and forced to get counseling, so it wasn’t a horrific end to the story, but I swore after that that once was more than enough.”



“I never knew that,” Justin said quietly.



“There was a lot you never knew,” Brian said, forcing a lighter tone into his voice.  “I didn’t give you enough time to poke and prod at me until you knew all of my deepest secrets.”



“I found out a lot in nine months,” Justin said.



Brian looked directly into his eyes.  “Yeah, you did.”



“What are we doing Brian?” Justin asked as he looked down into his drink.



Brian shook his head.  “I have no fucking clue.”



“I can’t…” Justin shook his head and stood up to pace.  “I can’t let myself get hurt like that again.  It nearly destroyed me.”



“I know,” Brian said mournfully.  “I can… I can get a hotel.”



“No!” Justin adamantly denied.  “No, you’re staying here.” He sat back down, this time much closer to Brian.  “I just need you to understand how things have to be.”



“Open doors,” Brian said.  “No strings.”



“Yeah,” Justin said.  “And no promises we can’t keep.”



“This is because of earlier, with Gus?” Brian asked.



“A little,” Justin shrugged.



Brian chuckled and kissed Justin deeply.  “That was a little boy’s game with a little boy’s rules.  We can make our own up as we go.  Okay?”



“Yeah,” Justin said with some relief.  He leaned into Brian’s embrace and kissed his neck.  “So, order Thai in first or try out my bed under the new lights?”



“Bed first,” Brian said as he ran his lips over Justin’s ear and nibbled on the lobe.  “Then we have two days to try out all the new furniture.  I’m especially interested in fucking you on that chaise out on the deck while it’s still warm during the day.”



BJBJBJBJBJ



Brian hired a limo and picked Justin up at the airport when he arrived in New York in November.  There would be no hotel this time.  For two weeks, Justin was staying at Brian’s Chelsea condo.  Brian vowed that this time he would get Justin into some of his favorite designers, even though Justin swore just as vehemently that he didn’t need labels to feel good about himself.  It was a debate they had been having over the phone and through emails for weeks.



As soon as Justin saw Brian waiting for him with the chauffeur’s cap and sign, he ran over and kissed him fiercely.  When he pulled away, Justin smiled and said sweetly, “I don’t need labels.”



Brian laughed and pinched Justin’s ass.  “Everyone needs labels.  How else do you know who and what you are?”



Justin followed Brian down to the luggage carousel.  “I know what I am by the paint stains on my clothes and hands.  I know who I am because you call me Justin all the time.  See, no labels required.”



“How was the flight?” Brian asked, letting the debate drop for the time.



“Bearable,” Justin shrugged.  “Better than driving.”  He had made the mistake of driving on the last trip.  “So, what’s on the agenda?  I’m all yours until Monday afternoon.”



“Let’s see,” Brian mused.  “Maybe a club or two… and shopping.”



Justin groaned.  “You better reward me with some pretty spectacular sex somewhere in there.”  He reached out to grab his suitcase and Brian soon took it from him.



“I think you’ll have as much sex as you can handle,” Brian smirked as he led the way to the waiting limo.  “Just as soon as I can get you in the back of the limo.”



Justin laughed and knew that they would soon be providing quite the show for their chauffeur.

Part 5



Brian was sitting at his desk, staring blankly out the window, not really seeing the skyline behind him.  He had been sitting there for more than an hour when Cynthia came in and cleared her throat.  Brian didn’t move.  Cynthia shook her head.  Brian’s head hadn’t been in the game for a few months now and it was beginning to concern her.  He’d been even worse since Justin had gone back to Pittsburgh three days before.  They were already struggling to compete with the larger, more established agencies in town; they couldn’t afford for their biggest asset to lose his focus.



“Brian,” Cynthia called out and he swiveled around to meet her gaze.  “This has got to stop.  You haven’t gone through any of the proposals I left on your desk.  You’ve been moping for months.  This is almost as bad as when you first left Pittsburgh.”



Brian groaned and rubbed his face with both hands, “Yeah, but at least then I had the excuse that I was just getting settled into a new job.  There’s no excuse for this now.”



“Talk to me,” Cynthia said.



“There’s so much…” Brian said.  “I think I’m doing this all wrong.”



“What, the business?” Cynthia asked.



Brian huffed.  “All of it.  The business, my kid, Justin…  I feel like I’m screwing it all up and I have no idea how to fix it.”



“Talk it through, maybe we can brainstorm,” Cynthia said as she sat in the chair across the desk from her friend and employer.  “Let’s start with Justin.”



Brian took a deep breath.  “I’ve turned him into me.  Some of that is good; he needed to toughen up a little.  But he’s just as cavalier with his sex life as I am.  That’s not right.  Justin was made for settling down and lasting love.”



“You want to give him that,” Cynthia guessed.



“I can’t give him that,” Brian said with frustration.  “Even if I could give up the tricks and make a go of monogamy, I live in New York and he lives in Pittsburgh.  His work is there.  His family is there.  He hates New York.”



Cynthia nodded.  “Okay.  Let’s leave that for now while I think it over and move on.  What about Gus?”



“I miss him,” Brian said with a defeated shrug.  “He was never supposed to be anything more than a sperm donation, but somehow… he means everything now.  And seeing him once every few months for a day or two just sucks.”



“Have you talked to Lindsay about longer visits?” Cynthia asked.  “Maybe now that he’s getting older, he could come here for some of his school breaks.”



“If Mel lets him,” Brian said.  “When I signed over custody, I lost any right to ask for anything.”



“Well, I would start by asking,” Cynthia said.  “And then I would look into what legal option I had if they weren’t willing to work something out.  The only lawyer you have ever talked to about this is Melanie and she’s a bit biased against you.”



“Yeah, I guess I could at least make some inquiries,” Brian said, getting a little more animated.



Cynthia leaned back in her seat and sighed.  “Now, the business.”



Brian grimaced.  “I feel like I’m banging my head against the wall.  Kinnetik is the mom and pop corner store and we’re trying to compete with Walmart and Target on either side of us.  We’re getting lost among the giants.  Our best feature is our innovative and unique approach and individualized service, but none of the clients can see that.  All they see is that we’re not as big as the other guys and we haven’t been here for a hundred years.  Our overhead is killing our profit margin and we aren’t recouping our initial investment.  But you already know all this.”



“I do,” Cynthia agreed.  “I was just waiting for you to get your head out of your ass and get ready to do something about it.”



Brian glared at her, but it morphed into a chuckle.  “Alright, tell me what we’re doing wrong.”



“You said we’re getting lost among the giants,” Cynthia said.  “So why don’t we move to where the giants aren’t.  You said we’re unique, so set us apart from all the others by literally setting us apart.  Go to a smaller market, where our overhead won’t kill us.  Supplement our national campaigns with smaller regional campaigns.  With technology and some creative networking, we can still attract the big boys without being in their back yard.”



“Move away from New York?” Brian asked with some skepticism.  “It sounds more like giving up.”



“It’s not giving up,” Cynthia said.  She handed the file she had been holding to Brian.  “It’s a strategic repositioning of your assets.  Look at the research I’ve been doing.  The market for boutique firms is growing exponentially as technology expands the potential marketplace.  If we can offer a complete package—television, print, and internet based advertising—and do it innovatively, the clients will come to us.  And I think we both know a certain regional market that has been stagnating since we left.”



Brian, who had been glancing at the research Cynthia had done, sat up now and grinned.  “That would solve a few problems, wouldn’t it?  You see, this is why I made you COO.”



“To give you a map and a flashlight so you can find your way out of your ass?” Cynthia chuckled.  “Good to know I’m appreciated.”



BJBJBJBJBJ



Brian scheduled three weeks in Pittsburgh around the holidays.  Normally he would only spend a few days, but things were different this year.  This year, Brian had work to do.  Brian told Justin that he wouldn’t need a ride from the airport. He had arranged for a rental car.  He would need one to get around to all the places he needed to be.  Brian grinned as he pulled the rented Mercedes up outside the loft.  Minutes later, he was face to face with Justin.



“Brian,” Justin breathed and then he was in Brian’s arms and they were kissing.



It wasn’t until the next morning that they got around to actually talking.  “I have appointments scheduled this afternoon and for the rest of the week.”



“Work?” Justin asked.  “You have a client in Pittsburgh?”



“Not yet,” Brian said cryptically.  Justin let it go, but he was very curious.



The two weeks before Christmas were filled with meetings with the real estate agent to look at properties and interviews with potential employees to replace key personnel who had confirmed that they would not be making the move away from New York.  Surprisingly, there were more going with them than not.  Cynthia was sure that it was because they could see that Kinnetik was going to go far in the next few years.  Brian just scoffed and said it was because they hadn’t yet been exposed to the horror that was Pittsburgh.



Brian was able to hire a new Director of Technology and New Media who was putting together a team capable of creating and maintaining internet and social network advertising as well as introducing web-conferencing and other new media tools that would enable them to keep in constant contact with a client anywhere in the world.  He also filled three art positions, hiring students fresh out of PIFA looking for their first real job.



The meetings with the real estate agent had been a complete bust—the woman had no idea what creative and different meant—so Brian made a call to Justin’s mom.  Jennifer was not altogether happy that Brian was keeping this a secret from Justin, but she was willing to help.  She took him to a few places that had potential, but weren’t quite right.  It wasn’t until she brought him to the old baths on Liberty Ave that Brian’s face lit up.



“This is more like it,” Brian said.



“The baths closed down a few years ago,” Jennifer said.  “They were shut down by the police after one too many raids.  Public sex and illicit drugs, if I recall correctly.  Anyway, with the two floors of apartments and the empty dance studio above and the space down here, I thought it could work.  It will definitely need some serious cleaning and refurbishment.”



Brian chuckled as he watched Jennifer sidestep a pile of used condoms that had probably been there for years.  “This is the place. How soon can we get the deed and start fixing it up?”



“It has been on the market for three years,” Jennifer said.  “I’m pretty sure we can set our own terms on this one.  Second week in January would be the earliest we could get a crew in here.  It takes that long to process the sale.  You’ll have to discuss the renovation with the contractor, but I can get you the name of a really good one.”



“Let’s get this started then,” Brian said.



By Christmas Eve, the paperwork was filed, the seller had agreed to let them begin construction before the sale was finalized, and the contractor was scheduled to start work on Wednesday, the day after Christmas.  Brian had promised a large bonus if the crew could get the first floor ready for business by February 1st.   They would stagger the move, bringing one department at a time until all the renovations were complete.  With the promise of a second bonus if the entire project was finished by the end of February, Brian was confident that the move would go as planned.



“What have you been up to, Brian Kinney?” Justin asked when Brian finally arrived back at the loft just in time to change for dinner.  They were going to Debbie’s for dinner tonight, and then tomorrow they would go to see Gus for a few hours and then have a late dinner with Jennifer and Molly afterward.



“I can’t tell you,” Brian said.  “It’s a surprise.”



“Well, it is Christmas Eve,” Justin cajoled as he rubbed up against Brian provocatively.  “You could tell me and call it a Christmas present.”



Brian looked teasingly at his lover.  “So I can take back the other gifts I bought for you?”



Justin pouted and let Brian get dressed.  “Not likely.”



Brian smirked and kept his silence.  Once they were in the car and on their way to dinner, however, Brian turned towards Liberty Avenue instead of towards Debbie’s.  Justin didn’t seem to notice as he chattered on about what gifts he had gotten for Debbie and Gus, and wondering aloud whether they would like them.  He didn’t really stop until Brian pulled the car to a stop in front of the old bathhouse and parked.



“Brian?  What are we doing here?” Justin’s confusion was clear on his face.



“We’re taking a tour,” Brian said.  “Come on.”



Justin followed Brian into the rundown building reluctantly.  It was already dark out and there were few streetlights on this part of Liberty.  Once inside, however, Brian knew just where to find the light switch and soon the space was dimly lit.



“This here is going to be the reception area,” Brian said.  “We’ll take down these walls and open it up.  And we’ll keep the curved glass block wall here.”  He grabbed Justin’s hand and pulled him further into the disgusting space.  “And this area will be the executive offices.  These walls will be replaced with more glass brick to match the style out front and to give more light to the space.  And back here,” Brian said as he dragged Justin to what had once been the core of the orgiastic structure.  “This is going to be my office.”



“Your office?” Justin asked.  “Wait.  Kinnetik is moving here?  Into the old bathhouse?”



“Yep,” Brian said with his sexiest grin.  “I’m strategically repositioning my assets for a greater return on my investments.”



“You’re moving Kinnetik to Pittsburgh so that the company can grow?” Justin asked.  “How does that work?”



“We’re dying in the city,” Brian said. “Even with my talent and great contacts, the overhead and the competition with agencies that have been dominating the market for decades has been too much to fight.  We saw some success, but not enough to really build the company into what I know it can be.  So Cynthia did some research.  Not only does Pittsburgh offer access to a fairly large regional market, with advances in technology we can still pitch the national campaigns from right here with out all the overhead.  And we’re only a commuter flight from both New York and Chicago.  This way we set ourselves apart from the crowd, making Kinnetik more memorable.”



Justin took all of that in as he looked around the dingy space and noticed more glass block windows that led to the outside.  At least Brian would get some sunlight in this room.



“And there’s another reason we’re moving back,” Brian said softly.



Justin looked at Brian and knew that he was going to say something profound that would change both their lives forever.  He couldn’t let that happen.  Not right now.  He wasn’t ready for that.



“What about the rest of the company?” Justin asked quickly.  “Where will they be?”



Brian blinked at the abrupt change in direction but let it go.  “There are three floors above this; art, copy, IT, finance, legal… all that will be upstairs.  The contractor is going to incorporate some of the same design elements from down here in those spaces, but this will be the area that clients see.”



“It sounds really great,” Justin said and then turned bewildered eyes on Brian.  “I… I’m not sure what to think about all this Brian.”



Brian gave a self-deprecating chuckle and turned to stare at the street light shining through the glass block window.  “I guess it may not be as exciting for you as it is for me.”



“No, Brian, that’s not…” Justin took a step towards Brian but stopped himself before he could reach out to the other man.  “I would love to have you here all the time.  I would love being able to see you and spend time with you and… It’s just…”



Brian turned back towards Justin and lessened the gap between them by another step.  “It’s just that I hurt you and you don’t know how to trust that I won’t do that again.”



“Yeah,” Justin said and he took another step, this time he was close enough to reach out and touch Brian’s face.  “I can’t just walk into this blindly and pray that it will all work out.  I’m not 17 any more.”



Brian stroked Justin’s cheek and then reached for the nape of his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace.  “So we take our time and we talk about it.  But Justin, I can’t just walk away from you again.”

Part 6



Christmas Eve at Debbie’s was interesting.  Justin actually saw Michael for the first time since Brian left.  Justin knew through Debbie that things hadn’t worked out with David and Michael had come running home.  He also knew that he had married a professor from Carnegie Mellon named Ben.  Justin liked Ben right away, especially when he scolded Michael for being rude to Justin.  Of course, Justin wasn’t a 17 year old kid any more and he could definitely hold his own with the likes of Michael Bruckner.  Hell, he could take on Michael when he was 17.



Justin was more surprised by Emmett and his date than he was by the fact that Ted was back together with the tweaked out meth-head who had almost killed him.  “Aren’t you…?”



“George Schickle,” George said with a twinkling smile.  “I’m very pleased to meet you, young man.  I have read quite a bit about your art in recent months.  Taking New York by storm, or so the NY Times claims.”



Justin grinned, “Things are going pretty well, thanks.  Have you been to any of the local shows?”



And so for the rest of the evening, Justin was happy to discuss art and their intersecting social circles with George as well as politics, spirituality and literature with Ben.  He found the dirty looks Michael shot at him whenever he was near either Brian or Ben amusing and he ignored both Emmett and Ted who had ignored him for so long.  It wasn’t the greatest evening of his life, but both Brian and Debbie wanted him there, so he came and tried to be sociable.



The only real conflict came just as he and Brian were about to leave.  Debbie asked them what they were doing for Christmas.  Justin told her, but Michael overheard.  “What?  Brian, you aren’t coming here?  What the fuck?”



Brian raised his eyes in a gesture the Justin knew meant he was angry but trying not to cause a scene.  Michael, apparently missed the warning because he continued to rant.  He called Justin every kind of slur he could come up with and claimed that the younger man had somehow tricked Brian into whatever was going on between them.



“Enough!” Brian finally shouted and Michael fell silent.  In fact the entire house was silent as they waited for Brian to speak.  “Michael, Jennifer is actually the one who invited me to Christmas dinner and Justin didn’t know I had accepted until yesterday.  As for the shit you keep spouting about Justin, I can’t believe that you are still so fucking jealous and immature!  And then you wonder why I never come home!  Get the fuck over it Mikey!”



Justin was silent through the entire thing and only spoke when Brian was finished to wish Debbie a happy Christmas and to thank her again for dinner and the new scarf she gave him.  Brian was already out the door and halfway to the car before Justin caught up with him.



“I’m sorry about that,” Brian said.  “I was hoping that he might have grown up a little in the last six years.”



Justin laughed.  “I can’t believe his husband puts up with his shit.”



“Ben’s a fucking saint,” Brian said. “Though he does have his share of issues.”



“Everyone does,” Justin said.  “Emmett certainly lucked out with George.  And I don’t mean because of his money.”



Brian snorted.  “The money certainly doesn’t hurt.  But I know what you mean.  He’s a good man.  Much more down to earth than most rich guys I know.”



“He want’s me to do a portrait of him and Emmett,” Justin told Brian.  “I think I will.  I really like George.”



“More than you like Emmett or Ted or Michael,” Brian said. It was a statement, but Justin could hear the question there.  They had reached the car, but Brian didn’t unlock the doors.  He was waiting for an answer.



Justin shrugged.  “Brian they deserted me.  I thought we were friends but they all fucking shunned me without warning or explanation.  They all just stopped answering my calls and avoided me if we ran into each other in public.  Two weeks ago, I saw Ted and Emmett at Babylon—it happens every few months—and as usual when they spotted me they turned in the opposite direction.  That’s been happening for six years.  I’m not going to be a drama queen about it all, but that doesn’t mean I want to just forgive and forget.  Hell, they haven’t even apologized.  The only thing any of them said directly to me tonight was hello, and that was only to appease Debbie.”



“I’m sorry,” Brian said and wrapped his arms around Justin.



Justin chuckled.  “You aren’t the one who needs to apologize.”



“Yes I am,” Brian said.  “If I hadn’t left, this wouldn’t have happened.”



“We’ve been over that,” Justin said as he pushed Brian away and stood beside the car door, waiting.  “You did what you needed to do.  There’s nothing to apologize for.  Besides, sorry is bullshit.”  Brian gave him a long look before pressing the remote and unlocking the doors.



BJBJBJBJBJ



The week between Christmas and New Year’s went quickly.  Justin and Brian spent most days with Gus, who was out of school for the week, doing things that Brian usually didn’t have enough time to do when he visited like go to museums or the movies or to the indoor water park in Erie that Gus was always talking about in his emails.  Of course, Brian being Brian didn’t tell anyone that he was moving Kinnetik to Pittsburgh.  His response when Justin asked was, “They’ll figure it out eventually.”



For New Year’s Eve, the last night they were to be together, Brian told everyone that they had private plans and refused to tell anyone, including Justin, what those plans were.  That night, Brian loaded Justin into the rental car and they headed out.  About fifteen minutes after they left, Brian swore and turned the car around.  “I forgot the invitation.  Now we’re going to be late.”



Justin shrugged and went along for the ride.  He wasn’t bothered one way or the other.  “I’m just as happy staying home.  I just want to spend the time together.”



Brian didn’t say anything, but when they arrive back at the loft Brian asked Justin if he just wanted to go up and have a quiet night at home.  Justin smiled and followed his lover back upstairs.  When he opened the door to the loft, however, it was not as they had left it just a half an hour before.  There were candles everywhere you looked and a gourmet dinner was laid out on an immaculately dressed table.   Champaign was chilling in a silver bucket on the kitchen counter and music played over the stereo.  It was the most romantic thing Justin had ever seen.



“Brian…” Justin was not only speechless, he was breathless.



“Surprise,” Brian said and wrapped his arms around Justin.  “You like?”



“I love it,” Justin said with a smile as he turned in Brian’s arms and leaned up for a kiss.  “This is perfect.”



And it was.  They rang the New Year in together, by that point naked in bed, sipping Champaign and smoking a joint.  It was the best New Year that Justin could remember.  And he showed Brian his appreciation long into the morning of the first day of the year.  In fact, neither of them got more than a couple hours of sleep before Brian had to leave for the airport.



“I’ll be back in two weeks to finalize the sale,” Brian said.  “After that, I’ll be setting things up here while Cynthia closes up shop in New York.”



“Why does two weeks suddenly sound like a lifetime?”  Justin asked morosely.  “I mean, we were apart for six years.  And then, we were apart for months at a time.  Now two weeks is too long.”



Brian tilted Justin’s face up to his and kissed him softly and slowly.  “Because we know what we’re missing and we know that there’s an end in sight finally.”



Justin smiled.  “The end is in sight isn’t it?  Well, I guess I can hang in there for another two weeks.  You’re staying here when you get back, aren’t you?”



Brian looked up from where he had gone back to zipping his suitcase.  “I honestly hadn’t thought about it.  I don’t want to put pressure on you.  I can find a hotel or something until I find something more permanent.”



Justin nodded slowly.  “Yeah, you could, but I’d like for you to stay here.  We can see how things go.  I mean it would be silly to go buy a place and then have to sell it when I finally decide I’m brave enough to try this again.”



Brian noticed that he said when and not if.  That was definitely a step in the right direction.



BJBJBJBJBJ



Justin was at the airport two weeks later and practically threw himself into Brian’s arms when the brunette appeared through the security barrier.  Brian dropped his briefcase and tightly hugged Justin, whose legs were wrapped tight around his waist.  When their lips met, the heat radiating from them was surely enough to get them fines for indecent behavior if there had been a cop paying attention.



“Fuck, Sunshine,” Brian gasped out as he broke away.  “Any more of that and I’m going to have to drag you into the men’s room.”



Justin slowly let his legs return to the ground and bent to pick up Brian’s briefcase.  “Don’t tempt me.  We have places to be and no time for detours to the men’s room.”  Brian reluctantly agreed and the two men went to claim Brian’s luggage.



Once in Justin’s SUV, Brian sat back and let the fact that he was finally home wash over him.  Until now, he had been too busy with plans and packing to think about the reality of what he was doing.  He had spent the first thirty years of his life trying to get away from Pittsburgh but now he was choosing to come back.  It was truly mind boggling.  Then again, Brian thought that he’d been a little bit crazy from the moment he had met Justin Taylor.  The kid had drawn him like a moth to a flame that night as he stood under the street light, and for months Justin knew just how to play him, just how to turn him inside out.  The fact that he was returning to the place he vowed never to return to was a testament to how much power Justin still had over him.  Because he could talk it up all he wanted, say it was for the business, for Gus, for cost of living… in the end it came down to one person.  He was here because this was where Justin was.



Brian wasn’t sure how he had managed to walk away all those years ago.  He knew that it had taken months for him to recover from leaving, even if Justin was right and it was the right thing to do for his career.  He felt horrible for hurting Justin, but he’d hurt as well.  Cynthia had watched him flounder for months while he figured out how to exist without Justin.  Of course, he could never come right out and tell Justin that, even if it might help win him over.  Then again, this slow and steady move from nothing to something seemed to be working without spilling his guts.



Their first stop was at a car dealership.  Brian had haggled and negotiated over the phone to get exactly the car he wanted and it was ready and waiting for him when they arrived.  The salesman, a smarmy guy that Brian would never let anywhere near his sales team, kissed their ass the entire time they were in the showroom.  Of course, they weren’t there for very long, just long enough to sign the final papers and get the keys to Brian’s Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 convertible.  Justin liked the bright blue exterior with the white racing stripes.  He also liked the fact that it had a back seat for Gus.  He knew that Brian had wanted a Corvette, but there was no back seat.



After the dealership, they dropped Brian’s luggage and Justin’s SUV off at the loft, grabbed a bite to eat for lunch and headed to the real estate office for the closing on the Liberty Ave property.  That took less than an hour—even with Jennifer’s digging for information about the status of their relationship—so they drove to the site to see how the renovations were coming along.  The contractor showed them around the first floor, which was ahead of schedule.  At the rate the crew was working, the first floor would be done in a week if there were no major surprises.  In fact, they were far enough ahead that they had begun doing some of the preliminary work on the upper floors as well.



Their last appointment for the day was with Debbie for dinner.  They had decided to see her together away from the rest of the gang.  Brian still wasn’t sure when or if he wanted to tell Mikey and the gang he was back.  He still hadn’t talked to him about the way they had shunned Justin after he left and he wanted to know before he made a decision.  Debbie, however, was different.  She would strangle them both if they kept something like this from her.  So Justin had arranged to pick her up for dinner out, a rare treat for the professional waitress.



“Hey Sunshine,” Debbie said with a smile when she saw Justin at her door.  “I’m all set. Just let me grab my coat.”  Minutes later, they were walking down the front walk and Debbie was looking for Justin’s vehicle.  “Uh, Sweetie, I don’t see your SUV.”



“That’s because we aren’t taking my SUV,” Justin said as he continued to lead her to Brian’s car.  “We’re taking Brian’s Mustang.”



“Brian?” Debbie asked with surprise but her question was answered when she saw Brian standing beside the sporty blue car.  “Holy shit, asshole!  That’s a pretty car!”

Part 7



Debbie walked up and grabbed Brian in a fierce hug and then pinched his cheeks.  “What are you doing here?  I thought you would be in New York.”



“Let’s go to the restaurant and I’ll explain everything,” Brian told her.



So Justin climbed into the back seat and Brian settled Debbie into the passenger seat before going to the driver’s side and getting them on the road.  They headed to one of the nicer places downtown and were soon seated at a quiet table.



“So?” Debbie prompted once the server had brought their drinks and a plate of cheese and olives.  “What’s the deal?”



Brian looked at Justin but the blond just shrugged.  This was Brian’s tale to tell.  Brian cleared his throat and said, “I’m back… for good.  For reasons too complicated to really get into, the business will do better in a smaller market and this isn’t the worst regional market around.  Besides, Gus and Justin are both here.”



Debbie ignored the rules of decorum and squealed with delight as she hugged Brian over the top of the table.  “When?” She asked once she was sitting again.  “How soon before you can close up shop?”



“Well, actually, I’m here for good now,” Brian said.  “I set all this in motion about a month an a half ago.  The New York office will be moving here in stages over the next month or so.  Cynthia is staying to shut things down there.  I sold my condo last week, and most of my things are on a moving truck somewhere between here and New York right about now.”



“Jesus,” Debbie said.  “You move fast.  So where are you staying?  With Sunshine?”



“He’s staying with me,” Justin said, “But we don’t know if it’s going to be a permanent arrangement yet.”



“Why wouldn’t it be?” Debbie asked.  “You two are… well you should just be together.”



“We’re working shit out,” Brian told her.  They paused the conversation while the server brought out their entrees.  Once he was gone again, Brian said, “There was something I wanted to ask you.  Can you not tell Michael or the others that I’m back for the time being?”



Debbie frowned and looked back and forth between Brian and Justin.  “Why?”



“Because I’m not sure how angry I am with them yet,” Brian said.



“Why would you be angry?” Debbie asked.



“Because of the way they treated Justin,” Brian said.  He had thought she would know about that, but her blank look was clear indication that Justin hadn’t told her anything.  “Justin?  Why didn’t you tell her?”



“Tell me what?” Knowing there was only one reason Justin would keep something like this from her, she asked, “What the fuck did Michael do?”



Justin shrugged.  “It wasn’t just Michael, and it isn’t important.  I’m sure they all had a good reason.  And I don’t think that Brian has any reason to be angry on my behalf.”



“Are you saying you aren’t still hurt and angry?” Brian asked.  “Because I can call Mikey up right now and I’m sure he’ll drop everything if I tell him where we are.”



Justin scowled.  “You know I have no desire to see him.  Yes.  I am still hurt and angry, but you shouldn’t be.  They didn’t do anything to you.”



“Just what the fuck did they do?” Debbie demanded, finally regaining Brian and Justin’s attention.



“When I left, they all stop answering Justin’s calls,” Brian said.  “They deliberately shunned him.”



“Is that why you decided we should have our private dinners?” Debbie asked.  “You just didn’t want to see the others?”



Justin shrugged and played with his food.  “After the first couple dinners when you and Vic were the only ones talking to me, I kind of got the hint.”



“This has Michael’s fingerprints all over it,” Debbie seethed.



“See this is why I didn’t tell you,” Justin said with exasperation.  “Now you’re angry too.”



“I’m angry because Michael and his friends treated you badly,” Debbie said.  “If I had realized what was going on, if you had told me six years ago, I would have knocked a little sense into all of them back then and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”



Justin took the reprimand in silence and they all concentrated on their dinners for a few minutes.



“Have you asked why they did it?” Debbie eventually asked Brian.



“Not yet, but I intend to,” Brian said.  “And I can’t keep the move a secret forever.  I want to be able to see Gus, which means the dykes will know.  And since Melanie can’t keep a secret, the rest will know soon after.  But I’d like a chance to get to the bottom of this first.”



“I’m right with you,” Debbie said determinedly.  “They won’t hear it from me.  But I expect you to tell me what you find out.”



“I promise,” Brian vowed.  Justin simply tried to pretend that they weren’t plotting on his behalf as he ate the rest of his dinner.



BJBJBJBJBJ



“Daphne can sleep on a pull out bed when she comes,” Justin argued with Brian three days later as they sorted through Brian’s furniture and other items in storage.  They had to decide what would stay in storage and what would go to the loft before the movers returned the next day but they had hit a bit of a snag.  “Seriously.  You need a place to work.  So we turn that room into the study and put in a pull-out sofa so that we have a place for guests… though if we ever have any besides Daphne I’ll be shocked.”



Brian frowned.  On the one hand, he didn’t want Justin to sacrifice anything for him.  On the other, it would really be helpful to have a place to work, especially until the renovations to Kinnetik were finished.  “Okay.  We’ll bring the desk and the file drawers.”



“And the shelves,” Justin said.  “There’s plenty of room for them since there’s only one window taking up wall space.  It’s a good thing your furniture will go well with the red brick and the cream painted walls in that room.”



Brian smirked.  Justin was always looking for the positive angle.  “What about kitchen items?”



“I think I have everything we’ll need,” Justin teased.  “As I recall, I did more cooking in a week than you did in the ten months that we were together.”



“I’m just glad the closet is bigger,” Brian said as he set the last of six wardrobe boxes aside to be moved to the loft.



“Just make sure you leave me with a quarter of the space,” Justin said as he eyed the boxes warily.



“Not all of these will be out at once,” Brian said.  “Some of these will be rotated in and out seasonally.  The rest of the time, I’ll keep them in the storage room at the loft.”



Justin looked at several boxes marked office.  “Are these to go to Kinnetik or are they for your home office?”



Brian didn’t even look.  “All of the Kinnetik boxes are being sent by Cynthia once we can move into the first floor.  These are for home.”



“See this is why you need the study,” Justin said as he started moving the file boxes to the side.  “Do you really work this much at home?”



“In New York I worked pretty much all the time,” Brian said carelessly as he continued to sort the boxes and containers.  “I went out to the clubs a lot at first, but it wasn’t the same and I had so much work to do to keep up with the sharks that I had to cut back drastically.  And after I opened Kinnetik, it was even worse.  I mean, I still love to dance and I pick up tricks when I can, but I usually have to stick to weekends.”



“I didn’t go out as much after you left either,” Justin admitted.  “I still go to Babylon once or twice a week, but usually only when I’m looking to get laid.”



“I can’t believe you aren’t out dancing all the time,” Brian said.  “The way you move it’s a sin to keep that to yourself.  That settles it; we’re going to Babylon tonight.”



Justin laughed.  “You think we’ll be up to dancing the night away after moving boxes all day?  And what happened to keeping a low profile?”



“A hot shower, some dinner and we’ll both get our second wind,” Brian said with a smirk.  “As for keeping a low profile, do you really think that any of the old gang will be out on a school night?”



Justin admitted defeat.  “No. In fact I usually go during the week because I’m not likely to see any of them.”



“Alright then,” Brian said.  “Let’s get a move on.”



BJBJBJBJBJ



Babylon was alive.  The throbbing heartbeat pumped energy through the mass of hot bodies writhing on the dance floor.  It wasn’t as crowded as it could get on the weekends, but it was still like walking into a sauna.  The sounds, the vibrations, the lights and the smell of sweaty men all fit Brian like a second skin.  He had never felt this at home in the New York clubs.  Sure he could still pull any trick he wanted, but it had felt empty and anonymous.  Here, everyone knew who he was and what to expect from him.  And those who were too young to remember him from six years ago would soon learn from the others.



Justin took Brian out on the floor, and Brian noticed that now the looks tossed Justin’s way held some of the same hero-worship that he used to receive.  The twat may not have come as often, but he certainly was making an impression when he did come out.  Brian tuned the others out and allowed the music and the feel of Justin’s body moving with and against his own to take him away to the nirvana he had only ever found here with this man.



After an indeterminate time, they were both hot, sweaty and in dire need of hydration so they made their way to the bar.  Justin had learned to ignore the whispers that followed him around the club, but he was suddenly attuned to the fact that everyone seemed to be talking about Brian.  “Did you see that?” “What’s Kinney doing back here?” “I thought he was gone for good.” “Do you think he’s still as hot as he used to be?” “Do you think he’ll fuck me?”  Justin grinned.  Brian was once again the stud of Liberty Ave and the unofficial king of Babylon.  Justin gladly returned the throne to the rightful ruler.



“Wanna bring one home?” Justin asked Brian once they had each finished a bottle of water and were waiting for doubles of bourbon.  “Or would you like to bring two to the back room?”



Brian eyed Justin.  “I didn’t bring you out so we could trick.”



“Does that mean you aren’t interested in fucking that cute little twink in the blue shirt you’ve been eying for the last five minutes?” Justin asked provocatively.  “Because I think maybe he’d beg for the chance to blow you.”



“What about that blond Adonis who was all over your ass on the dance floor?” Brian returned.  He studied Justin’s face to try and discern what he really wanted.  Was it the same thing Brian wanted?  Brian didn’t think fucking some trick in the back room was worth ruining his chances for a real relationship with Justin.  On the other hand, Justin really seemed to want to play around.  “I’ll leave it up to you.  If you get the Adonis, then I’ll get the twink and we’ll go to the back room.  You get the twink and we’ll take him home.  Or you get me and we can fuck wherever you want.”



Justin knew what Brian was doing.  He was trying to gauge how Justin really felt about tricking even though they were trying to build a relationship.  With Brian, actions were always more effective than words, so Justin reached up and pulled Brian into a heated kiss.  Just when Brian was really getting into it, Justin pulled away and gave him an impish grin before heading onto the dance floor.  Brian’s gaze never left him as he went for the twink.  But instead of bringing the twink back, Justin dragged the kid over to the Adonis and within minutes, they were all headed back to Brian.



“I got the entertainment,” Justin said.  “Ready to go?”



Brian just laughed and kissed Justin hard.  Leave it to Justin to come up with an option he hadn’t thought of.

Part 8



They really should have realized that Brian would be recognized by half of gay Pittsburgh and that it wouldn’t take long for word to get back to Michael.  It only took 12 hours before he was calling Brian on his cell phone.



“Brian?  When did you get in town?” Michael asked even before Brian had said a word.  “Why didn’t you call me?  We could have gone out together.”



Brian looked at Justin who was making them sandwiches for lunch.  He motioned for the blond to come over and listen.  “Hey Mikey.  What makes you think I’m still in Pittsburgh? I didn’t call because I was only in town for the night and I know that you and Ben go to bed early on a school night.”



“I would have gone out,” Michael protested.  “For you.  Ben would understand.”



“Yeah, well, I wanted to spend some time with Justin,” Brian said pointedly.  Justin smiled at him and he kissed Justin softly in return.



“What exactly is going on with you two?” Michael asked.  “I mean, he’s gone for what, six years?  And all of a sudden he’s back and latched on to you again?”



“Michael, Justin never went anywhere,” Brian said smoothly, his voice dripping with meaning.  “He’s been here the whole time.  I was the one who left.  Just ask your mom.  She’s had dinner with Justin every week for more than six years.  Except for the weeks he’s in New York for work.”



“That’s how you two met up again, isn’t it?” Michael said, ignoring Brian’s reference to Debbie.  That meant he already knew but refused to acknowledge it.  “Did he track you down in New York and convince you to come see his art?”



“Actually, it was a complete coincidence,” Brian said.  “I was chasing a client, in the non-sexual way, and ended up at his opening.  Quite exciting when I saw a portrait of my ass on the gallery wall.”



“He displayed your picture without telling you?” Michael said indignantly.  “That’s not right.”



“Actually, it’s perfectly legal,” Brian said and winked at Justin.  “As long as he isn’t using my likeness to endorse a product, he can paint it, photograph it, or sculpt it and put it on display for the world to see.  Besides, I like Justin’s art.  He makes me look good.”



Michael snorted.  “You like anything that makes you look good.”



“So true,” Brian agreed.  “But Mikey, you never answered my question.  Why did you think Justin was gone?  I mean you and the boys, even Melanie and Lindsay seemed to have taken a shine to Justin before I left.  I mean, he babysat for the girls.  He and Emmett were shopping buddies.  And he helped you and me work out our differences.  I thought you all would have made sure he was okay while I was gone.”



“Why?” Michael asked, his voice getting that whiney quality that Brian loathed.  Justin wrinkled his nose in distaste at the sound.  “He was just a kid and he didn’t belong.  Why should we have kept him around?”



“Because he was your friend? Because he was young and alone?  Because he was a fellow human being who needed friends?” Brian asked darkly. All pretenses of a friendly chat were gone.  “What did you tell the others to get them to agree with this shit, Mikey?  Ted I could see.  There was never a real connection there.  But you had to do something to convince Melanie, Lindsay and Emmett.  They actually cared about him.  So, what did you do?”



“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Michael denied.  “Besides, I was in Portland then.”



“You didn’t leave for Portland for more than a week after I left.  Maybe I should call up Lindsay and ask her,” Brian said.  “Do you think she’ll tell me?”



“I…”



“Mikey?”



Michael sighed.  “I convinced them that it would be better for Justin if he went back to his own life.  I told them that by keeping him around they were making it harder for him to let go.”



“Why?” Brian demanded.  “Why would you do that?”



“I don’t know,” Michael admitted quietly.  “I… Brian, I’m sorry.  I really thought…”



“No, Mikey, don’t even pretend that you thought it was best for Justin,” Brian said coolly.  “You thought it was best for you.  Your jealousy reared its ugly head once again.  Tell me this:  what was the reasoning behind the silence at Christmas?  You all could see we were together, what purpose could continuing to shun him serve?”



“I didn’t do that,” Michael denied.  “I know that I… well I felt guilty.  I figured he wouldn’t want to talk to me, to us, after what we did.  So I didn’t say anything.”



“You obviously didn’t feel too guilty or you would have apologized and owned up to your actions,” Brian said.



“Brian…”



“Listen Mikey,” Brian interrupted.  “I’m going to be in and out of Pittsburgh a lot for a while.  I want to spend as much time with Gus and Justin as I can while I’m traveling for work.  If you hear that I’m in town, ignore it.  I’ll let you know if and when I’m ready to forgive you.”  Brian clicked his phone off and turned to face Justin who was looking stunned.   “Hey, you okay?”



“Yeah,” Justin said and took a deep cleansing breath.  “In a way I feel relieved.  I mean, it wasn’t me.  I tried to tell myself that I hadn’t done anything to deserve being treated that way, but it’s hard to really believe that, you know?  I mean, something must be wrong with me, some defect that makes me disposable… My dad, you, and then them…”  Justin’s eyes were filled with tears that he brushed away absently.



Brian reached out and pulled Justin into his arms and held him there.  “You are not disposable.  And I’m sorry that I ever made you feel that way.  Justin, you are one of the best people I know.  You have a generous heart and a love of life that I envy.  If I had known then what I know now, I would have packed you away in my suitcase and dragged you along to New York with me.  But I was an idiot then.



“As for your dad,” Brian continued without letting Justin squirm away.  “He was the biggest moron I’ve ever met.  That he couldn’t or wouldn’t see how wonderful you are, how privileged he was to know you was his defect, not yours.”  Brian let Justin pull back just enough to let him look Brian in the eye.  “And the idiots I called friends… well, they are just that: idiots.  They don’t deserve your friendship if they put so little value on it.  You are better than the lot of us put together.”



Justin chuffed a small tearful laugh.  “I’m not sure that’s true, but thank you.”



“Look on the bright side, Michael is about to pay big time for his sins,” Brian said lightly.  “Because Debbie is not going to let him get away with hurting her Sunshine.”



This time, Justin’s laugh was more lighthearted and Brian knew that things would get better now.



BJBJBJBJBJ



Weeks passed and Brian and Justin fell into a comfortable rhythm.  Kinnetik was up and running right on schedule and Brian spent his days making the move work to their benefit with great success.  They were able to work out a system that allowed them to spend time with Gus regularly without letting even his mothers know Brian was back in town.  Justin continued to paint the people and places that most inspired him.  In fact, his latest portrait was of Brian and Gus dueling in the park wearing the pirate hats, eye patches and plastic swords Justin had bought for them on a whim.  (He even included the shiny fake gold crown Brian had made Prince Justin wear, letting it hang from the park bench where Justin usually sat with Brian.)



And then in late March Brian decided he would schedule client meetings in New York while Justin was there for the opening of the MOMA exhibit.  Brian was surprised to see him and Gus on the walls of the museum; Justin hadn’t told him which pictures would be hung.  The frontal pose of him on the bed was there as well, making Brian grin when he received numerous lusty looks from both men and women at the opening.  The other two pictures were streetscapes from around Pittsburgh.  Brian was startled to recognize Kinnetik’s new home in one of those.  Justin was filled with surprises.



“You chose these?” Brian had asked.



Justin had shrugged.  “I made suggestions and the curator made the final decisions.  But I have to admit these are the ones I would have chosen.”



That trip had lasted only a week and they were soon back in Pittsburgh, living the life they had created for themselves.



Of course their peacefully anonymous existence wasn’t meant to last forever.  The week after they returned from New York, the local paper decided to do an article on Kinnetik as part of a series on businesses moving into the area.  Brian knew that agreeing to the interview would effectively end his secret life, but he knew that it was probably time anyway.  Gus was getting anxious to spend more time with him and Justin and Justin was getting anxious to go out dancing more than once every other week, and then only on weeknights.



It actually took a lot longer for the information to get around than Brian had guessed it would.  Then again, who among their ilk actually read the business section of the newspaper?  In fact, the article was brought to Ted’s attention by his boss, who remembered the fact that Ted was friends with Brian and wondered if Kinnetik could be a potential new client.  Ted had in turn told Melanie and Michael, in that order.  In the end, it was a full twenty-four hours after the article was printed before Brian started getting the calls.  Numerous calls.



“Hold all my calls, unless you know exactly who it is and why they are calling,” Brian told his assistant over the intercom after shutting off his cell phone.  Michelle had taken Cynthia’s place three years before and she knew how to handle Brian and his moods by now.



“Brian, there’s a visitor in reception causing a bit of a stir,” Michelle said smoothly.  “He insists that he’s your best friend.  Richie told him he would need to wait to be announced, be he decided to just barge in anyway.  When the security guard wouldn’t let him wander through the building on his word alone, he started throwing a tantrum.”



“Michael,” Brian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.  He could feel a headache coming on.  “Tell Richie and the guard that I’ll deal with him in a few minutes.  And tell them to threaten to call his mother if he doesn’t settle down and behave like a civilized person.  Her name is Debbie Novatny.  That will keep him quiet for a while.”



Michelle laughed and hung up.  Brian picked up the phone and dialed Justin.  “It has begun.”



“I know,” Justin said with a little chuckle.  “I’ve had more than twenty calls to my cell phone in the last hour.  It’s funny, not one of them has called in years, but suddenly they all want to talk to me.  Must be your influence.”



“I am a magnet for trouble,” Brian said lightly.  “Are you sure you want to keep me around?”



“Pretty sure,” Justin said.  “At least you make life interesting.  Never a dull moment with you around.”



“Mikey’s here,” Brian said.  “I expect Lindsay pretty soon too.  Once I can get them out of here, I’m coming home and we’re turning off the phones.”



“I’ll have lunch waiting for you,” Justin promised.  “Then we can hide in bed for the rest of today.”



They said goodbye and Brian hung up his phone.  With a deep sigh, he got to his feet, straightened his jacket and necktie and walked out towards the front of the building.  When he reached reception, Brian stood and watched Michael whine and try to cajole Richie, the receptionist, into letting him back.



“Listen Mr. Novotny, even if I let you past you would still have to get past Mr. Kinney’s assistant,” Richie said reasonably.  “And let me tell you, you don’t want to cross that woman.  Why don’t you just take a seat and be patient.”



“I can’t believe this!” Michael muttered as he stomped back to the comfortable sofa by the front glass block windows.



“Mikey,” Brian said, bringing attention to himself.  He smirked when all three people present straightened up and turned to look at him.  “Let’s go to my office.”  While Michael gathered his coat, Brian turned to Richie and Martin, the security guard on duty, and said, “Thank you for your patience, gentlemen.”



“Yes, sir, Mr. Kinney,” Martin said and Richie beamed with pride at the praise.



Brian led Michael through the renovated offices without speaking.  There was no commentary about how this space used to be the showers or that conference room was once a steam room.  In fact, Brian didn’t once look to see if Michael was even following him.  When they reached Michelle’s desk outside Brian’s office, Brian paused to give her some quiet instructions before ushering Michael through the door.



“Have a seat,” Brian said, gesturing to the sofa along one wall while he turned a chair around to face him.  Once Michael was settled, Brian asked, “Is there any particular reason why you felt the need to disrupt my place of business with a temper tantrum?”



“Why didn’t you tell me that you were moving back to Pittsburgh?”  Mikey demanded, ignoring Brian’s question.  He really didn’t have an answer, anyway, so it was best to just move on.  “Ted said that you’ve been here for months.”



“Since mid-January,” Brian agreed.  “As for why I didn’t tell you, I thought that would be obvious.”



“Not to me,” Michael said with a frown.



Brian sighed and rolled his eyes.  “Alright, let’s try this.  How would you feel if I called Ben a roid-head only interested in getting his next lay and spreading his disease?”



“Those are lies!” Michael shouted and stood up from the sofa.



“Sit down!” Brian ordered.  Once Michael was sitting again, though he was seething with anger, Brian continued, “Right, so you would be angry if I started spouting lies and unfounded accusations about your husband.  So why do you think I wouldn’t be just as angry that you would do that to Justin.  And not just once, but for years you’ve been putting him down and making groundless allegations against him.  Hell, it’s been two months since I forced you to admit the shit you did to him when I left for New York and you still haven’t made any attempt to contact him, apologize or even tell the others that you lied!”



Brian took a deep cleansing breath.  “Christ Michael, your blind hatred is fucking repulsive and I won’t subject Justin to it.  So no, I didn’t call you up and announce I was home because I didn’t want to see you.”



“You didn’t even tell Lindsay,” Michael said.  “She’s the mother of your kid!”



“And I’ve made a point to see my son a lot more over the last couple months,” Brian said.  “Lindsay didn’t need to know why I was able to see Gus more often.”



“Are you really going to push your closest friends away for him?” Michael asked with shock.



“And what would you do if all of your friends were cruel to Ben?” Brian said.  “What if they all ignored him, stopped taking his calls, turned away from him when they saw him at Babylon and completely shunned him?”



Michael seemed to deflate and sagged back into the sofa.  “So what do I do?  How do I fix this?”



“I’m not sure that you can,” Brian said bluntly.  “I’ve given you enough chances to try and fix things with Justin, but you’ve ignored me every time.  And unless he can find it in himself to forgive you, I won’t let you be a part of my life and continue to hurt him.”



“Shit Bri,” Michael sighed.  “Even when you were in New York I knew that we were still friends even if we only saw each other a couple times a year.”



“Yeah, well, you’re going to have to live with the knowledge that you fucked that up,” Brian said.

Part 9



Lindsay showed up at noon, looking to go out to lunch to discuss Brian’s “lapse in judgment.”  Brian was particularly amused by that turn of phrase and turned it around on her as she sat in the same spot Michael had recently occupied.  “I’m not going anywhere with you until you fix your own little lapse in judgment.”



Brian had to hand it to her; she certainly caught on a lot quicker than Michael.  And she seemed to feel a lot guiltier than Michael had.  Michael was, as usual, more concerned with losing Brian’s affection than he was about hurting Justin.  Lindsay at least seemed to know that she had behaved horribly.



“I knew we were wrong,” Lindsay said.  “I hated shutting him out.  But Michael was so fucking… Melanie agreed with him.  She thought Justin would be better off if we cut any ties he had to you, even indirect ties.  In some way I think for her it was as much about you as it was about Justin.  But I should never have given in.  In my heart, I knew it was wrong.”



Brian stared at her blankly.



“Okay,” Lindsay said.  “You have made your point.  I’ll see what I can do to make things right.”



In minutes she was on her way again.  Brian had set up a time to pick Gus up that weekend.  The zoo was opening for the season that weekend and Justin had promised Gus that they would go.



Once Lindsay was gone, Brian gave some last minute instructions to Michelle and left the office.  His blue Mustang roared through the streets and he was soon parked in the small lot behind the loft.  Justin’s SUV was parked in his usual spot and Brian smiled.  A quick trip up the elevator to the fourth floor and Brian was home.  There was no sign of Justin in the main living space, so Brian walked through the doorway into the newer area.



As he walked he looked in each of the spaces.  To the left, closest to the front of the building, was the storage closet.  It was rather small, but they were able to fit quite a lot into the small space.  Then the study was next.  There were two windows that looked out over the alley and let in plenty of natural light.  Brian’s desk and shelves took up much of the space, but Justin had gotten his way and there was also a pullout sofa for when Daphne came to visit.    Next was the bathroom; it was quite small, but adequate for a second bath.  Finally, the hall opened up into Justin’s studio at the back of the building.  This room had windows looking over the alley, windows at the back overlooking the parking lot and windows and French doors leading out to the roof deck.  It was obvious why Justin had chosen this space for his studio.  With so much natural light, it was an ideal space for a painter.



That was where Brian found his lover, working on the portrait of Emmett and George.  It was a surprise for Emmett, so George had sent Justin photos of the two of them together that he had said would be used for a Christmas card.  Justin used both the photos and his memory to recreate the portrait, adding in his own small touches. For instance, Brian knew that there was no globe in the background of the pictures, but there was in the portrait.  Justin said it was to commemorate the trip the two had taken around the world several years back.  Justin had included a lot of little things like that, details he had gotten from long talks with George over the phone.  It looked finished to Brian, but Justin was still working on a few small details that were lost to the non-artist’s eye.



“How’s it going Sunshine?” Brian asked when Justin stepped back to get a look at what he had done.



Justin looked over and grinned.  “I was just finishing up.  I thought you’d be a little longer getting here.  I think I’m just about done with this one.  Give me ten minutes to finish and another ten to clean up and I’m all yours for the rest of the afternoon.”



Brian smirked.  “You shouldn’t make promises like that.  I might just take advantage.”



Justin came over and, careful not to get paint on Brian’s suit, leaned up to kiss him.  “I like when you take advantage of me.”



Brian groaned.  “That’s way too tempting.  But I have plans and you aren’t going to sidetrack me from them. Now go paint, stud, while I change and make a few calls.”



BJBJBJBJBJ



Brian’s good intentions were for naught.  One look at Justin, stripped for his shower half an hour later, and Brian was ready to join him under the hot spray.  Of course, that had delayed them both for quite some time.  It was a good thing that Brian’s plans were somewhat flexible.  One call and he was able to set back their timetable.



“Where are we going?” Justin asked as they left the city and headed out towards the country.



“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise,” Brian said.



It took them almost an hour to reach their destination, but even as they pulled into the long driveway of a farmhouse, Justin still had no idea where they were or why they were there.  Brian just smirked at him as he parked the Mustang and they climbed out.



“Where are we?” Justin asked.



Before Brian had a chance to answer, however, the front door of the house opened and a pretty woman in her mid-thirties stepped out.  “Mr. Kinney?”



“Brian,” He corrected with a smile as he held out his hand for her to shake.  “And this is my partner Justin.”



“Well, Justin, nice to meet you,” she said.  “And happy birthday.  My name’s Allison Carter.”



“It’s nice to meet you,” Justin said.



“Well, I guess I should show you the pups,” Allison said.



“Pups?” Justin asked, turning to Brian who was grinning.



“Puppies,” Brian said.  “Allison raises puppies.  And she has a litter ready for sale.”



Justin laughed even as they followed Allison.  “You’re giving me a puppy for my birthday?  You, Mr. Dogs-aren’t-getting-anywhere-near-my-designer-labels Kinney are buying a dog?”



“Yeah, well, things can change,” Brian said.  “Besides, I know you’ve always wanted one.”



Allison led them into a well insulated and heated barn.  In one of the stalls where Justin would have expected to see a horse, he saw a mamma dog and six puppies.  The puppies were scrambling all over each other as they fought to get to the food dish that Allison set in front of them.



“They’re purebred Weimaraners,” Allison informed Justin.  “I’ll keep the best of the litter for showing or breeding, sell four to good homes and donate one to the seeing eye dog program.  You can pick any of them except the one with the yarn tied around his neck. That’s Nicky.”



Justin watched the puppies play and smiled.  “Do they always live out here?”



“Some do,” Allison said.  “Some are part of the family and live in the house.  But things would get really crazy if they all lived in the house.  And the puppies all stay out here until they are weaned.  Nicky will come into the house after his brothers and sisters all go.”



Of the five puppies left, all but one was the pretty silvery gray color that Justin expected.  The one, however, had a darker blue-gray coat that Justin loved.  Then again, as he watched them eat and play and fell in love with all of them.



“So, which will it be?” Brian finally asked.



“All of them?” Justin said jokingly.  As he watched, however, the dark one ambled over to him and began sniffing around his feet and then planted his front paws on Justin’s leg and looked up at him.  Their eyes met and Justin was hooked.  He bent down and picked him up.  “I think he’s chosen me.”



“Smart dog,” Brian said dryly.  He noticed one of the lighter puppies sniffing at his loafers and grimaced.  “You can’t chew those.”  He picked the puppy up and looked into his blue eyes and was hooked.  “Shit.”



Justin saw Brian and laughed.  “I think we’re getting two puppies.”



“Alright,” Allison said with a smile.  “I’ll get their paperwork together.”



Brian followed her to the office area while Justin played with the puppy in his arms.  The little guy licked and sniffed Justin wherever he could reach and Justin was literally tickled by the action.  He hardly noticed the other two leave, and he hardly noticed when they returned a few minutes later.



“They’ve had their first round of vaccinations, but there is another round that will need to be done at three months,” Allison said.  “Now the blue one is less popular and rarely shown.  I would suggest that if you don’t plan on breeding them that you get them fixed.  Otherwise, they’ll start humping pretty much everything in a couple years.  Better to do it early.”



Brian cringed at the thought as he continued to stroke at his puppy’s head, but Justin nodded in agreement.  Well, the blond would just have to take on the job himself, because Brian wasn’t going to have anything to do with “fixing” anyone.



The mamma dog came over when she sensed they were getting ready to go and sniffed at Brian and then Justin.  She gave a small “wuff” and Justin leaned down to her level.  The mamma looked at him and then licked at her puppy one last time before nudging them both away and returning to her bed.



A few minutes later, they were back in the car with the puppies in a towel-lined cardboard box in the back seat and headed back towards Pittsburgh.  Before they reached home, however, Brian stopped at one of the large pet stores in the city and they carried the puppies in with them while they bought all the necessities and a few items that just looked like fun.  Brian also signed them all up for obedience training and for housetraining lessons.  He figured it was best to get the experts to help.  Justin went to the counter where they etched the dog tags and began looking through the options.



“He needs a name before you tag him,” Brian reminded him.



“I thought we might call him Randy,” Justin said.



“Synonym for horny,” Brian mused.  “I like it.  And this guy will be Harry.”



Justin rolled his eyes and filled out the form to give to the attendant.  While they waited, they filled out the license applications the store had in a pamphlet holder.  Brian put them into his jacket to be mailed along with a check when they got home.  Before long they had Randy and Harry’s tags ready to be put on their brand new collars.  On the front were the dogs’ names and on the back was their names and information.  Soon they would add the license.



Once they loaded everything into the trunk of the car, and some to the back seat, they were off to the loft.  A quick unload, and Justin was setting up food and water dishes, two doggie beds, a basket with their new toys, and their leashes hung by the front door along with the bags that he’d have to carry to clean up after their walks.



As soon as Justin set the puppies free from their box, they were off like a shot, exploring every nook and cranny of their new home.  Of course, in his excitement, Randy had his very first accident.  Luckily it was in the bathroom, where the tile was relatively easy to clean.  Of course, Brian swore that this was a sign that they should have called Justin’s dog Little Pisser.  And of course, Harry was a perfect angel… at least in Brian’s mind.



All in all, it was a great birthday for Justin despite the way it had begun.

Part 10

Justin delivered the portrait to George’s estate on Friday, once the paint had dried enough to transport it safely.  It barely fit into the SUV, even with all of the seats down, but Brian helped Justin load it up before he left for Kinnetik.  George’s butler helped him unload and carry it into the sitting room where George was waiting with a tea tray and cookies.  They took a few minutes to look at the completed work and discuss it.  George was suitably impressed with the small details that were only meaningful to him and Emmett. 

Once they sitting with tea, George turned the conversation to another topic.  “I hope you’ll forgive an old man for interfering where he has no business, but…”

“If this is about Emmett, I think he really needs to speak for himself,” Justin said, but there was no real heat in his words.

“I agree,” George said.  “And I have told him so on several occasions.  Having said that, I do know that it is not easy to go to a friend you have wronged and seek forgiveness, even if you regret your actions.  I do not believe Emmett feels he deserves your forgiveness.”

Justin took a sip of his tea and thought about that.  Since they had discovered what Michael had told the others, none of them had made any move to approach him.  Could it be that they needed to believe that he could forgive them?  Was he prepared to make the first move?  He thought about Brian and how tough it had to be for him to lose his friends.  For Brian, he could forgive just about anything. 

“Maybe if there was a reason for us both to be in the same room, he might feel more inclined to talk to me,” Justin said.

“Without the pressure of being watched by the others,” George agreed.

“Any ideas?” Justin asked.

“Well, I thought I could invite you and Brian to dinner to thank you for the portrait,” George said with a small smile.  “It is only polite.”

“I think I could convince Brian to show up,” Justin said.

“Tomorrow?” George asked.

“We have Gus tomorrow,” Justin explained.  “How about Sunday?”

“For brunch?” George asked.

“I think that will work,” Justin said with a smile.

BJBJBJBJBJ

Justin had to bribe Brian with sexual favors in order to get him to agree, but he did eventually agree to go to brunch.  So just before noon on Sunday, Brian drove the mustang up the long gravel driveway to the front of George’s estate.  Justin climbed out and waited for Brian to join him as they made their way to the elaborate front doors. 

“We’re going to have a place like this someday,” Brian said.

Justin grinned.  “I like the loft.  But Randy and Harry might like a yard.”

“So your dog can stop pissing on the floor in the bathroom,” Brian muttered.

Just then the door opened and the butler greeted them. They were shown to the breakfast room and served mimosas.  They had barely taken their first sips when George and Emmett entered.  It was obvious that George hadn’t told him who was coming because he stopped in his tracks and stared at Justin. 

“Oh.  Oh my,” Emmett said in a breathy whisper.  “Baby.”

“Hey Emmett,” Justin said.

Emmett was seriously flustered.  “Georgie showed me the painting.  It is… like nothing I have ever seen before.  It’s a masterpiece.”

Brian and George nodded to each other, but otherwise remained on the periphery, observing their partners’ interaction.

“Thanks,” Justin said.  “When George asked me to paint it I… I wasn’t sure you would want it if you knew I was the artist.  He convinced me you would.”

“Oh baby,” Emmett moaned with tears falling unchecked from his eyes.  “I am so sorry.  I never wanted you to believe… but… No, that’s no excuse.  I was a fool and I’m just sorrier than I can ever tell you.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”  Emmett asked with some confusion.

“Yeah,” Justin said with a small smile.  “You’re sorry.  I forgive you.  That’s what friends do, right?”

Emmett swallowed back a choked sob.  “Yeah, baby, that’s what friends do.”  And then Emmett was moving and Justin was being engulfed in a tight hug from his weepy friend.

BJBJBJBJBJ

“That little pisser peed in my Gucci loafers!” Brian shouted from the bathroom.  “What the fuck is he learning in obedience class if it isn’t to not pee in my shoes!?”

Justin rolled his eyes and eyed the puppy that was hiding under the chair in the corner of the room.   Randy had learned quickly to avoid Brian when he sounded like this.  Harry, on the other hand, was dancing happily around Brian’s feet.  He never peed on Brian’s stuff.  He did, however, like to chew on Justin’s things.

“He’s learning,” Justin said.  “But it takes time to train a dog.  He’s still young and doesn’t have complete control of his puppy bladder yet.  You shouldn’t have left your Gucci loafers in the bathroom.  You know that’s where he has most of his accidents.  Would you rather he started peeing on the rugs instead?”

“Harry doesn’t seem to be having this much trouble learning.”  Brian was sounding petulant and just the slightest bit smug because his puppy was obviously superior.

“No, Harry is much more devious,” Justin said dryly.  “He chews on something and then hides the evidence so you, Mr. Alpha-dog, won’t find it.  And since you don’t seem to care that he chews on my paint brushes—or the coasters my mother gave me for Christmas last year, or my favorite sweater, or charger for my phone—he hasn’t made any attempt to alter his behavior.”

Brian poked his head out the bathroom door in order to glare at Justin.  “Twat.” 

Justin chuckled and went back to fixing breakfast.  Brian knew better than to leave his things on the floor of the bathroom, but they had gotten in late from Babylon the night before and Brian had simply stripped everything off in the bathroom while trying to drunkenly get Justin into the shower with him. 

Justin was setting two plates of French toast out on the table with Randy and Harry both dancing around his feet a few minutes later when Brian came out of the bedroom wearing a pair of worn jeans and a white tank looking completely edible.  Justin preferred Brian this way: relaxed, comfortable and sexy rather than buttoned up and dressed in suits that cost more than Justin’s annual budget for paint.  Brian gave him a kiss on the cheek as he passed by to pour himself a mug of coffee. 

“I’m so glad we have the whole day to ourselves,” Brian said as he cut into the French toast made with wholegrain bread and egg-whites.  He refused the Vermont maple syrup that Justin preferred and added some of the fresh berries instead.

“Well, not completely to ourselves,” Justin reminded him.  “We do have training for the dogs at one.”

The dogs were hard to forget as they sat staring at their owners and whined like they were being starved to death.   “Go eat your own,” Brian muttered and pointed to their dishes of food.  “You don’t see me begging for your food.”

The puppies whined some more, but first Randy and then Harry slunk off to eat the food Justin had set out for them. 

Justin shook his head.  “I have no idea how you get them to listen to you like that.”

“I’m the alpha dog,” Brian smirked, throwing Justin’s words back at him.  “They’ve seen who bends over for whom around here.”

“Fuck you,” Justin muttered and then grinned mischievously.  “That might just work.  Maybe it’s about time I fucked you.”

Brian raised his eyes and the smirk slowly fell from his face as he caught the substance behind Justin’s teasing tone.  “Yeah, okay.”

Justin, who had risen to take his plate to the dishwasher almost dropped everything in his hands in surprise.  “What?  Brian… I was… It was a joke.”

“Yeah,” Brian said.  He took the plate from Justin and set it, along with his own, into the sink before dragging Justin towards the bedroom.  “But it was a good idea.”

“But you don’t…”

“Of course I bottom,” Brian contradicted carelessly, as though they were discussing the weather.  “I even enjoy it as much as any other man.  I just very—very—rarely want to let anyone have that much control.  But I trust you.  And I want you to fuck me.”

“Oh.”  A grin slowly formed on Justin’s face until he was beaming at Brian.  “Then let’s go back to bed.”  He tugged the other man into a kiss that was scorching hot and showed just how much the thought of Brian giving up control to him turned Justin on.  For his part, Brian was just as aroused by the notion.  He had seen what Justin could do with and to a lover; now it was his turn to experience that skill first hand. 

Somehow they made it to the bedroom, wrapped up in each other’s arms, hands stroking in a manner that was practiced and designed to stimulate and provoke.  They kissed again and again as each man savored the feeling of his lover’s cock aligned with his own, even through layers of denim.  This was heaven.  With practiced ease, they began the dance that would leave them totally naked and wanting. 

Once they were both bare, Brian sat on the edge of the bed and then scooted his body to the middle.  Justin crawled across the bed until he was straddling Brian’s lap.  They kissed again and Brian found himself stretched out beneath his younger partner, their bodies blazing against each other.  Without breaking the kiss, Justin somehow managed to not only find the lube, but flip the cap open with one hand and coat his fingers.  Reaching between their bodies, Justin trailed his slick fingers up and down the crack of Brian’s ass.  It didn’t take long before Brian’s hole was twitching and begging to be filled with something more substantial than fingers.

“Fuck Justin!” Brian cried out.  “I’m not a fucking virgin!  Fuck me already!” 

Justin studied Brian’s face and body language for confirmation before letting a grin take over his face.  Justin stretched out a hand to grab a condom but Brian grabbed it from him and ripped it open to roll it onto the blond’s cock.  “Oh fuck,” Justin moaned as he felt Brian’s hand on him.  He prayed he could really make this good for Brian and not completely fuck it up. 

“Now,” Brian commanded, but with a touch of vulnerability that Justin barely recognized.  He kissed away Brian’s insecurity, pulled one of Brian’s legs over his shoulder and lined up his cock.  He took his time pushing through the tight ring of muscles.  He wanted this to be good for Brian.  He wanted this to be the best fuck Brian had ever experienced.  He needn’t have worried, however, because for Brian, it was always the best simply because he was with Justin.  He may still trick, but Justin was always better than anyone else he could pick up because there was more than just physical gratification.  With Justin, there was love and joy and history and heartache and a fullness of emotion that echoed the fullness he was feeling in his ass right at that moment.

It took a few minutes but eventually, Justin was fully sheathed in Brian’s tight heat.  They both took a minute to let their breathing calm and to adjust to this newest alteration to their relationship.  Then Justin kissed Brian and Brian tightened the muscles in his ass and they were both soon lost in the need that was steadily building between them.  Justin flexed his hips and sensations washed through Brian, causing his entire body to spasm.  The slow and steady rhythm that Justin set escalated over time until they were both straining, sweaty and begging for release.  Justin barely reached for Brian’s cock only to find the brunet already had it in a tight grip. Rather than leaving him to it, Justin twined his fingers with Brian’s and the both stroked in time with his now fast and brutal thrusts.

When they came, they came together.  Justin’s grunts and moans were echoed by Brian’s growling groans until they were both tensing and coming hard.

“I love you, you know,” Brian told Justin later after they had both calmed a bit and were enjoying the afterglow of great sex.  He was holding the younger man in his arms, stroking his fingers through sweat soaked hair.

“I know you do,” Justin said and kissed Brian’s chest.  “I love you too.”  In truth, nothing Brian could have said or done could have convinced Justin more of Brian’s feelings than that single act of trust Brian had shown him that morning.  “I… I don’t want to hold back any more.  I want…”

Brian smiled to himself and thought of their conversation after Gus’ birthday party.  “You want to be my boyfriend?”

Justin grinned and swatted at Brian’s stomach.  “Yes.  I want to be your boyfriend.  And your lover.  And your partner.  And whatever else you want me to be.”

Brian turned Justin’s face up so that he could see his eyes.  “Are you still scared?”

“Terrified,” Justin admitted.  “But I trust you.”

Brian smiled and kissed Justin.  It was sweet and tender and filled with all the promises he could never voice out loud.

When they finally broke apart, it was because the puppies had figured out how to climb onto the bed and were now dancing playfully on and around the pair of lovers.

“I think we’re going to have to start shutting them in the bathroom when we’re in bed,” Brian muttered with more ill-humor than he was actually feeling.  Harry must have heard the threat in his tone, however, since he went to lick at Brian’s face and plead with those adorable blue eyes that reminded the brunet of his blond twink.  “Fine, not the bathroom, but you’re definitely not allowed to climb on the bed.  Get down.”

The puppies looked at each other and then to Justin.  Justin growled at them and they hustled off the bed and down the steps.  Justin laughed so hard he almost fell out of bed.  “I guess we know who’s top dog now!”

Part 11



It was mid-July and Justin was jogging through the park with the puppies, now quite a bit larger than they had been when he and Brian had brought them home, when he quite literally ran into Ben Bruckner.  Of course, given that Ben was built like a linebacker and Justin was built more like a… well smaller than a linebacker, Justin did not come out of the encounter completely unharmed.



“Oof!” Justin grunted as he landed hard on his tailbone, the dogs in a tangle around his feet.



“Oh god!  Justin! I’m so sorry!” Ben apologized profusely.  “Are you okay?”



Justin took a minute to untangle the dogs’ leads and then took the offered hand up.  “Yes.  I think so.  Maybe bruised my pride a little.”  He dusted the dirt off his ass and winced.  “And maybe my posterior as well.”



“I am so sorry,” Ben offered once again.



Justin smiled.  “It’s okay, Ben.  Really.  I should have been watching where the dogs were dragging me.”



Ben, as though just noticing the puppies, bent low to greet them.  “They’re beautiful.  When did you and Brian get dogs?”



“A few months ago, for my birthday,” Justin said.  He began to walk along the path to the dog park and Ben fell in beside him.  “Actually, Randy was my present.  But we got to the farm to pick him out and Brian got suckered by Harry.  He’s the sneaky one.  So we both got dogs for my birthday.”



“With their striking blue eyes, I can believe Brian could easily be swayed by one of these puppies,” Ben said meaningfully.  “They’re Weimaraners, right?”



“Yep, pure-blooded and completely pampered,” Justin agreed wryly.  “How have things been for you?  Debbie keeps me somewhat informed about who is doing what, but she’s still a little pissed at Michael, so she doesn’t talk much about you guys.”



In fact Michael was the only one who hadn’t approached Justin to apologize and attempt to make amends.  After his reunion with Emmett, it seemed like Lindsey, Melanie and Ted all found the courage to seek Justin out.



“Things have been… okay,” Ben sighed.  “I’ve tried to get him to see sense about you and Brian.  He’s just…”



“He blames me for the fact that Brian is angry with him,” Justin said.



“Yes,” Ben agreed.  “He’s got some sort of blind spot where that man is concerned.  It wasn’t nearly so obvious when Brian was still living in New York.  Now that he’s back, however, Brian seems to be all that Michael can think about.  He obsesses on ways to get Brian to forgive him, but he never stops to consider that he’s the one in the wrong.”



“I’m sorry.”



Ben looked at Justin with some confusion.  “For what?”



“Because my presence in Brian’s life is what prompted all of this,” Justin shrugged.  “If Brian hadn’t moved back to Pittsburgh to be closer to me and Gus, none of this would have happened and you wouldn’t be watching your husband obsess over another man.”



Ben actually laughed.  “That’s one way to see things.  I prefer to think that the universe has a reason for the way things happen.  Michael once told me that when he and Brian were on the outs, you were the one who brought them back together.  You even returned some expensive comic book that Brian had bought for him.  That comic book is how Michael funded his comic book store, which in turn is how he and I met.  Everything happens for a reason.  And in time, I’ll know what the reason for all this is.”



They reached the fenced area where the dogs could run free with other dogs and Justin let the puppies off their leashes and watched as the two headed straight for their favorite area: the agility training equipment in the training area.  Justin had seen other owners teaching their dogs to weave through the bars, crawl through the tunnels, jump over the hurdles and balance on the bridges.  Somehow, Harry and Randy seemed to just naturally understand how to perform each of the tasks.  Justin let them explore each time they came, and then took them through a run that one of the trainers showed him.  They were getting very good and Justin often wondered if he should let them compete.



“They seem to be quite good at that,” Ben commented as they watched the two dogs play.



“They’re hunting dogs by nature,” Justin said.  “And they are very agile.  I do some training with them, but they pretty much do most of the work themselves.  And they egg each other on.”



“Like human siblings,” Ben mused.



Justin grinned.  “Exactly.  Harry is better at remembering what comes next in the course, but Randy is the faster of the two and makes up for any mistakes he might make with sheer speed.”  Justin pulled out a tennis ball and whistled for the dogs.  “Watch this.”  Once the puppies were both sitting politely at Justin’s feet, staring intently at the ball, Justin threw it as far as he could.  The puppies took off after the ball with Randy in the lead almost as soon as they were moving.  He got to the ball well ahead of Harry.  But Harry danced around his brother happily, nipping at the other dog’s tail occasionally until Randy barked at him and dropped the ball.  Harry snatched it up and trotted back to Justin to hand it over for another throw with Randy loping along behind him.



“I see what you mean,” Ben laughed.  “Wow.  I never realized how much personality dogs have.”



Justin tossed the ball again and started a pattern over the next half hour while he and Ben continued to talk about life and animals and the universe.  Only twice did Harry actually beat Randy to the ball, and then only because he distracted the other dog.  Only three times did Randy actually make it back to Justin with the ball still in his mouth.



“They seem like they need a lot of attention,” Ben finally said as Justin gave them water from the doggie fountain before they started the long run back to the loft.



“They do,” Justin admitted.  “They’re active dogs and need to run every day.  They also get very attached to their families.  But since I’m home so much working, it hasn’t really been a problem.  If I have to be gone, or we can’t exercise them for some reason, we take them to a doggie daycare that keeps them moving.  In fact, I take them there every Thursday even if there’s nothing else going on, just so that they get used to being there.”



Ben had to laugh.  “Doggie daycare?”



Justin looked sheepish.  “Yeah, that was Brian’s response too.  But it works.  They make sure they get lots of exercise and they are socialized with other dogs, and I get a whole day without them under feet. Plus the caretakers reinforce the training classes we all attend on the weekends.”



“Well, I suppose it’s working,” Ben said.  “They seem very well trained to me.”



“If only people were so easy to train,” Justin mused.



Ben had to agree with the younger man.  “I’m still working on him, but I don’t know if Michael will ever really understand what he did.  I think the best anyone can hope for is for him to change his future behavior.”



“I don’t think Brian will let it go at that,” Justin said sadly.  “He misses Michael.  I know he does.  But he won’t let him back into his life until he makes things right with me.  Not by my urging, but because…”



“Because he loves you,” Ben said.  “I would feel the same way if I was in his place.”  Ben paused for a moment as though pondering something.  “I just don’t get what is so special about Brian.  I mean, he was a great fuck and all but…” He looked at Justin guiltily, as though he hadn’t meant to say that much.



Justin chuckled in response.  “Don’t worry, I know about the White Party.  I wouldn’t recommend telling Michael, though.  As for what makes Brian special, you wouldn’t respond to it in the same way because you have the same sort of confidence and self-awareness that draws people to you.  You may get it from your spirituality and Brian from his sexuality, but that self-assurance is like a magnet to most people.  Especially someone as insecure as Michael.”



Ben nodded slowly.  “I suppose I can see that.  And I would think you would fit the self-assured category as well.”



Justin shrugged.  “Maybe.  Not quite as self-assured as you and Brian, but definitely more than Michael and most of the other fags in Pittsburgh.  The important thing to remember is that Michael does love you.”



Ben nodded again and gave Justin a genuine smile.  “I’m really glad I ran into you.”



“Me too,” Justin laughed.



They went their separate ways when they reached the edge of the regular park, but Justin and Ben both hoped that things might be different in the future so that they could actually be friends.



BJBJBJBJBJ



“Michael, I won’t tell you again, unless you make things right with Justin, I don’t want to have anything to do with you,” Brian said and hung up his phone.  He closed his eyes and scrubbed his face with his hands before falling heavily back against his desk chair.  He sat there for long moments with his eyes closed as he gathered himself together.  When there was a quiet clearing of a throat, he looked up to find Cynthia standing in his doorway.  “What’s up?”



“I just got a call from  Frank G. Hall’s executive assistant,” Cynthia gushed in a way that was totally unlike her.  “He wants a meeting.  With you!”



Brian rolled his eyes, but inside he was just as excited as Cynthia.  “So?  What did you tell him?”



“He’ll be in town this weekend for his goddaughter’s wedding,” Cynthia said.  “You’ve got breakfast meeting with him Friday morning.  His assistant said, and I quote, ‘He thinks your boss is either crazy or very shrewd for moving out of New York.  He wants to see which it is.’”



“A little of each,” Brian said with a smirk.  Then he couldn’t hold his excitement in any longer.  “Fuck!  Do you know how many companies he owns?  How many national brands he has under his parent corporation?”



“364,” Cynthia said smugly and then squealed.  “That’s one for every day of the year with a day off for Christmas.  A quarter of those accounts would be enough to make us one of the largest agencies in the country.”



“Don’t jump ahead too far,” Brian said.  “We aren’t set up for that many national accounts yet.  And he’ll want to test us.  It’ll be a slow build.”



“But it will happen,” Cynthia said knowingly.  “Shit Brian, he asked to meet with you personally.  He’s not sending one of his flunkies.  The fact that he knows who you are and that we made the move at all speaks volumes.  Brian, this is going to happen.”



“I’m going to do my damnedest to make sure it does,” Brian agreed.  “I need you to get me everything you can on Mr. Frank G. Hall and his companies.  I’m not going into this blind.  We have three days to prepare and I intend on using every second.”



BJBJBJBJBJ



“Brian?” Justin said sleepily.  “Why are you still up?”



It was two in the morning and Justin had woken to find that Brian had slipped out of bed sometime after Justin had fallen asleep.  Brian had been working like mad for since Tuesday and Justin had no idea why.  All Brian would tell him was that he had a meeting with a potential client coming up that was very important.



“I’m sorry,” Brian sighed and rubbed his face with both hands.  “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d read through these files one last time.”



“Cramming the night before a test never works,” Justin told him teasingly as he climbed into Brian’s lap and wrapped his arms around the other man.  “Either you know it by then or you don’t.  The best thing to do is get a good night’s sleep and try to relax.”



Brian chuckled.  “That might work for the SATs but I doubt it will be the same with Frank Hall.”



“Frank Hall?” Justin said.  “As in the Frank Hall that owns restaurant chains and soda companies and toiletry companies and… and pretty much anything that can be sold in this country? Frank Hall the richest gay man in America? That Frank Hall?”



“That’s the one,” Brian said.  “I have a breakfast meeting with him in…” he checked his watch “…six hours.  He asked to meet with me personally to discuss why I moved Kinnetik from New York.  He thinks I’m either crazy or very smart.  I intend to prove the latter.”



“Let him think you’re a little of the former as well,” Justin said.  “The most successful people are a little crazy.”  Brian gave his blond a skeptical look.  “No seriously, genius is often confused with madness.”



“I’m trying to get his business, not scare him off,” Brian said.  “Can you be serious for a minute?”



“It’s rather difficult at two in the morning,” Justin said.  “But okay.  Brian, you don’t have to impress this guy; he’s sought you out because he’s already impressed by you.  Just relax and be yourself and he’ll see exactly why you are so good at what you do.  You don’t have to memorize his life history to do that.  You have the gift of reading people, gay or straight, and charming their pants off.  Just do that.  Pretend he’s just another potential client and loosen up.”



Brian closed the file on his desk and then turned to his lover and kissed him.  “You’re right.  I do need to relax.  Know what’s the most relaxing thing in the world?”



“I have an idea,” Justin replied with an impish grin.  “Why don’t we go back to bed and you can show me?”

Part 12



Brian was surprisingly energetic the next morning when he headed off to his breakfast meeting.  He and Justin had fucked twice before sleeping for a couple hours.  And when the alarm had rung Justin had followed him into the shower for another round.  The result was a Brian who was not only calm and relaxed for his big meeting, but was filled with self-confidence.  That had probably been Justin’s intentions all along.  A sexually satisfied Brian Kinney was a Brian Kinney who was at the top of his game.  Justin had made sure he left his insecurity and tension in the study last night.



Brian followed the hostess to the table where Frank Hall was already sitting with a cup of coffee.  He looked exactly like his press photos: handsome in the silver fox sort of way with dark hair highlighted with silver at the temples and scattered through the rest of his hair in a pleasing way.  He was taller than Brian and in very good shape for a man in his early sixties.  All in all, Brian might have slept with him under other circumstances.



“Mr. Hall,” Brian said with his most charming smile.  “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting?”



Hall stood up and shook Brian’s hand. “Not at all, Mr. Kinney.  Actually, I’ve just arrived myself.”



They both sat and Brian nodded to the waiter who brought him a cup of coffee.  They took a few minutes to look through the menu and place their orders and then they were free to talk.



“So, Brian...May I call you Brian?”  At Brian’s smile and nod of consent he continued.  “I suppose you are curious as to why I asked to meet with you.”



“I assumed it was my charm and intelligence which drew you,” Brian said with a flirtatious bat of his eyelashes.



Hall laughed loudly, genuinely amused.  “I suppose you could view this as a courtship of sorts.”



“I’ll warn you, it will take a lot to turn my head,” Brian said.  He was still using the playful flirtatious tone, but they both knew that there was more seriousness in that statement than appeared.  Brian, and Kinnetik, would not come cheap, no matter how small the agency was currently.  They were still one of the best in the country.  “I’ve been courted before.”



“I’m sure you have,” Hall conceded.  “And it is obvious that you know your value on the market.  I can see why you are so good at what you do.”



“Thank you, Frank,” Brian said.  “May I call you Frank?”



Hall laughed again.  “Certainly.  Let’s cut to the chase here, Brian.  I own a huge conglomeration with potential advertising in almost every major consumer market.  Currently, each brand handles its own advertising campaigns.  Unfortunately, there is no continuity in that and the larger corporation has been completely neglected.  I intend to put all marketing of Hall-Way and its many brands under one agency.  I’m here to find out if Kinnetik is the agency for this project.”



Brian nodded.  The waiter came with their food and Brian was glad for the reprieve.  He needed to think this through.  This was bigger than he could have dreamed.  He and Cynthia had fantasized about a fraction of the brands coming their way, but Hall was offering him all 364 brands as well as Hall-Way.  It would be a huge undertaking and they would have to expand their current operation to more than double their current capacity.  It would take time and a hell of a lot of work.  But it really would make Kinnetik one of the biggest agencies in the country, if not the world.



Brian gave Hall a rueful look.  “There’s a part of me that wants to jump at your proposal.  There’s no doubt in my mind that I can sell you on my vision, even having only had a few minutes to come up with one. If we were only talking about copy and concepts, there would be no question that we are the agency you want and need.  But we aren’t just talking about concepts and the truth is we are still a small agency.  Building up to the all-encompassing campaign you’re talking about will take us time.  We just don’t have the manpower currently.”



“I’ve done my research,” Hall said easily.  “I know your current client list.  I know your capacity.  I’m willing to make this transition slowly over the next five years in order to give you time to expand your operation as necessary—IF I think your agency can offer those concepts you seem so sure you can give me.”



Brian sat back in the booth and eyed Hall.  “A trial run with one of the smaller brands?”



Hall shook his head.  “No, I want a pitch for the full Hall-Way campaign with concepts and a timeline for how we can bring in the other brands over time.  I’m serious about wanting continuity.  Everything from commercials to packaging to restaurant uniforms should fit into the plan.”



“So we aren’t just talking about a simple ad campaign,” Brian said.  “You want a complete marketing overhaul.”



“That’s right,” Hall said.



“How long do we have to put this comprehensive marketing pitch together?” Brian asked.



“Two months,” Hall said.  “I’ll be back in Pittsburgh then for my goddaughter’s birthday.”



“We’ll be ready,” Brian said.  “Frank, may I ask a question?”



“Why did I choose you?”  Brian nodded and Hall got a mischievous smile.  “I don’t think you remember, but we met a couple years ago at some boring charity function in Manhattan.  You were charming and polite and yet you were still able to not only pin down your potential client, but get a contract out of him without ever letting him know you were pushing for it.  You reminded me of me when I was younger.  So I kept an eye out on what Kinnetik was doing.  You truly are one of the brightest and most innovative minds in the business.” Brian nodded.  There was no arrogance, just acceptance of a truth.  “May I ask something in return?”



Brian grinned.  “Certainly.”



“Why did you move out of New York?”  Hall asked.  “I have a bet with my assistant.  He says it was to regroup financially.  I say it was a strategic move for growth.”



Brian chuckled. “You are both right and you are both wrong.  The high costs in Manhattan played a factor, and I did want to get out from under the shadow of the bigger agencies so we could grow, but personal reasons played a larger factor than anything else.”



“Personal?”  Hall asked.  “I know you came out of Pittsburgh originally, but I didn’t realize you had obligations here still.”



“I have a son,” Brian said.  “Though I wouldn’t call him an obligation; he lives with his mothers.  Being closer to him was important.”



“I hear another reason under that explanation,” Hall said.



“When I moved to New York, I left behind a very important person,” Brian said.  “When I found him again, I realized that I didn’t want to spend any more time apart.  It was a good time to make the move, so I did.”



Hall smiled.  “It’s that sort of passion and spontaneity that makes your work so exceptional.  I take it things have worked out between you and this other man?”



“We’re living together again,” Brian agreed.  “We’re committed.  We have dogs.”  This last was said with no small measure of disbelief.



Hall laughed.  “I can’t wait to see what you bring to the table.”



BJBJBJBJBJ



“So?” Cynthia and Justin were both sitting in Brian’s office when he got to Kinnetik.  “How did it go?”



“He wants us,” Brian said with a grin.



“Yeah, but for what?” Cynthia asked.



“For the whole fucking thing,” Brian said.  “All 364 brands and the Hall-Way parent company as well.  A complete marketing makeover to unify the brands and improve public relations.”



“Fuck, Brian!” Justin shouted.  “That’s fantastic!”



“That’s horrible!” Cynthia groaned.  “You didn’t promise him that we could do it did you?  We don’t have the staff to handle a project that big!”



“We have five years to bring the various brands into the campaign,” Brian told her.  “Which means we have time to grow as we go along.  But we only have two months to get the pitch put together.”



“Two months?  For everything?” Cynthia was back to panicking.



Brian grinned and kissed Justin.  “We’re going to do this and then… the sky’s the fucking limit.  We’ll have that mansion sooner than either of us thought.”



BJBJBJBJBJ



Justin had to make another trip to New York in September, but Brian was too busy finalizing the pitch for Hall-Way and couldn’t go.  It was the first time the two had been apart for more than an evening since Brian had moved home, and Justin found that he really didn’t like sleeping without Brian in his bed.  The show, however, was a huge success and went a long way towards making up for the discomfort.



He was scheduled to return two days before Brian’s meeting with Hall, giving him enough time to make sure Brian didn’t freak out before the pitch.  When Brian came to meet him at the airport, however, Justin could see that Brian was already panicking.



“We have two hours to get home, get you changed and meet Hall at the restaurant,” Brian stated in lieu of a greeting.



“Well, hello to you too,” Justin muttered.  “Wait, I thought Hall wasn’t supposed to get into town until tomorrow and the meeting was for the next day.”



“Meeting is still on Thursday,” Brian huffed.  “But his partner is in town for some convention and found out that Hall was going to meet the Justin Taylor, artiste extraordinaire.  He just couldn’t wait an extra two days.  They got in this afternoon and we’re meeting them in… one hour and fifty-eight minutes.”



Justin sighed.  “I’m sorry.  But Brian, it’s just dinner.  It will be fine.”



“You say that,” Brian said, “but you can’t know that.  You know nothing about this mystery boyfriend.  Hell, I know nothing about this mystery boyfriend.  How is that okay?”



Justin chuckled.  “I never thought I’d say this to you, but you need to get laid.  When was the last time you picked up a trick?”  Brian mumbled something incomprehensible.  “What was that?”



“Not since you and I picked up that twink at Woody’s a couple weeks ago,” Brian said more clearly.



“Jesus Brian,” Justin said.  “I’ve been gone for a week.  Tell me you haven’t been fucking celibate for seven days!”



“Six,” Brian corrected.  “Assuming I’m gonna get laid tonight.”



“No wonder you’re in a mood,” Justin said.  They pulled up to the loft and climbed from Brian’s Mustang.  “That’s it.  They can wait a half hour.  Tell them my plane was late or something.  You, my love, are getting your rocks off before we go anywhere!”



Brian began to protest, thinking about how important Hall was for the future of his company.  And then he thought of fucking Justin and how much he had missed his blond over the last six days.  “I’ll call and push dinner back for an hour.”



BJBJBJBJBJ



Once again, sex with Justin served to sooth Brian’s nerves.  “I think you’re better than Xanax.”



Justin rolled his eyes as he straightened his tie in the mirror.  When he was sure he was presentable, he joined Brian at the door.  “I’ll take that as the compliment I’m sure it was meant to be.”



It was Brian’s turn to roll his eyes as they took the stairs down three flights.  “I didn’t mean it that way and you know it.”



“As a compliment?” Justin teased.



“As an insult,” Brian corrected haughtily.



“So, who is this boyfriend?” Justin finally asked once they were in the Mustang and headed for the restaurant.



Brian shrugged easily.  “I’m not sure.  I know they’ve worked very hard to keep their relationship private.  I also know he’s younger than Hall.  Beyond that, it’s a complete mystery.  And believe me when I say that Cynthia looked.”



“I’m sure she did,” Justin said, knowing that Brian would have demanded all the information they could get about a potential client.  “Well, if he’s into art, it should be fairly easy to keep a conversation going with him while you talk business with Hall.  Or are you not talking business tonight?”



“Not tonight,” Brian said.  “We’re saving all of that for the meeting on Thursday.  Tonight just about socializing.”



They entered the restaurant a few minutes later to find that Hall and his companion had already arrived.  “Brian, good to see you again.  You look well.  And this must be Justin.”



“Frank,” Brian said as he shook the man’s hand and then Justin did the same. “This is Justin Taylor.”



“Good to meet you,” Justin said politely.



“And this is my partner, Jackson Reynolds,” Frank said.  “Jack, this is Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor.”



“It’s a real pleasure to meet you Justin,” Jack said eagerly.  He was a handsome man in his mid-to-late forties.  He had dark eyes and dark hair, but a warm smile.



They all finally took their seats and got through the business of ordering while making small talk.  Eventually, however, the waiter had come and gone and they were free to really talk.



“Jackson Reynolds,” Brian said musingly.  “I have a friend who would go absolutely ape shit if he knew we were having dinner with you.”



“Really?” Jack asked.  “There are few people who would recognize my name and fewer who would recognize my face.  Most people just skip over the title page and head straight for the good stuff.”



Brian snorted and turned to Justin who was looking thoroughly confused.  “Jackson Reynolds is the lead graphic artist for Cosmic Comet.”



“That new homoerotic comic book?” Justin asked.  He looked at Jackson with more interest.  “I don’t usually read comics, but a friend turned me on to this one.  I was very impressed with the quality of the art work.  I never realized how artistic graphic novels can be, but Cosmic Comet really is fine art.”



“Thank you,” Jack said.  “That means a lot coming from an artist of your talent.”



Justin smiled and blushed faintly.  It was one thing to accept praise from people who liked his work.  It was another thing to accept praise from someone whose work you admire.  “Have you been to any of the New York shows?”



And so the two men were off on a discussion of the prominent artists of their time and Brian and Frank were left to either chime in when they could or carry on their own conversation.  Much of the meal was spent in this manner.



“You should stop by my studio while you are in town,” Justin told Jack over dessert.



“I’d love to,” Jack said.  “I have the convention tomorrow afternoon and most of Thursday and Friday, but I’m free in the morning.”



“I’ll have to drop the dogs off at daycare in the morning.  I can pick you up afterwards and we can have brunch at the loft and look through the studio,” Justin said.  “Then I’ll drop you off at the convention center in the afternoon.”



“Sounds like a great plan,” Jackson said.



“If I wasn’t so sure that you were mad about me, I might be jealous,” Frank said to Jack.



Jack chuckled.  “I am mad about you.  But you don’t do anything really cool, like paint pretty pictures.  You spend all day buying and selling companies.”



“At least I do that very well,” Frank said.  “Something I think we can all be grateful for at this table.”



“I’ll drink to that,” Brian said and lifted his glass of scotch.  The others laughed but lifted their glasses as well.  It was a better evening than Brian could have ever hoped.

Part 13



Justin was sitting behind the table with Jack as he signed comic books of the fans that had been standing in line all day.  They had laughed and chatted like old friends all morning, so when Justin drove Jack to the convention, he’d invited the blond to hang out.  Now they sat together talking about other comics and the weird people who dressed up like their favorite characters.  They had seen more than thirty grown men in Captain Comet outfits that day; Justin kept count.



“Justin?”



The previous fan had moved away from the table and suddenly Michael was standing at the table.



“Michael.”



Jackson looked back and forth between the two men.  “Is this the friend that Brian was talking about last night?”



Justin smirked.  “He’s the one.”



Michael’s ears perked up.  “Brian talked about me?”



“He said you were a huge fan of Jackson’s,” Justin said ruefully.



“I am,” Michael said as he suddenly remembered why he was there.  He gave his comic to Jack to sign and they talked for a brief moment about the characters and plots.  When his time was up, Michael turned back to Justin.  “Do you think Brian would…”



Justin shook his head sadly at Michael’s complete inability to recognize his culpability.  “You know what he wants.  He won’t budge until you do it.”



“But you could…”



“But I won’t,” Justin said coolly.  “I’m sorry Michael.  What you did… you need to make it right or he won’t let it go.  I haven’t asked that of him, but I’m not going to discourage him either.”



Michael scowled at Justin and stomped off like a kid who had been denied his favorite toy.  Justin sighed and waited for Jack to finish with the last few people in line.



“What was that all about?” Jack asked after they were left alone.  That afternoon had been just for the VIP’s and store owners, so Jack was finished for the day.  The publisher’s rep was already cleaning up their booth and waving Jack off.



“That was Brian’s best friend Michael,” Justin sighed.



“I take it that all is not well between them,” Jack said mildly.



Justin chuckled.  “You could say that.  Brian and I met when I was 17 and from day one Michael couldn’t stand me.  But Brian is Brian and ignored his pettiness.  Then Brian went off to New York and I was left alone.  Literally.  I’d been tossed out by my father after I came out and was living with Michael’s mother.  Michael convinced all of the friends I thought cared about me to shun me after Brian left.  Debbie was still there for me, but… Well I went off to school and put it all in the past until Brian and I met up again last year.”



“I take it Brian figured out what his friend had done?” Jack asked.



“That’s the gist,” Justin said.  “Brian has explained to Michael several times that he needs to apologize and try to make amends.  Michael doesn’t see that he did anything wrong.  The others have all apologized, and we’ve come to a sort of peace, but Michael refuses and Brian won’t let him back into his life until he does.  He says he doesn’t want to be friends with anyone who would hurt me like that.”



“He’s in love with Brian?” Jack wanted to know.



Justin chuffed a laugh.  “Has been since they were fourteen.  He’s married to a really great guy, a Gay Studies and Literature professor, but he still obsesses over Brian.”



“I’m sorry,” Jack said sincerely.



Justin shrugged.  “Personally, I can’t stand the little twerp, but Brian loves him and misses him.  I just wish Michael could find his way out of his ass long enough to do the right thing.  I’ll forgive him if he just fucking apologizes.  I’d do it for Brian’s sake.”



“How’s his husband taking all this?” Jack asked.



“He’s trying to give Michael a map and a flashlight so he can find his way, but…”



“Has to be hard on their marriage,” Jack said.



“Yeah,” Justin agreed.  They had arrived at Justin’s SUV and climbed in.  “Why don’t you and Frank come over for dinner tonight?”



Jack really wanted to accept.  “I don’t know.  Brian and Frank have that meeting tomorrow.  Will he be okay with us invading tonight?”



“I’ll call him,” Justin decided.  Brian picked up his private line on the second ring.  “Brian, I want to invite Jack and Frank for dinner at the loft.”



There was silence on the other end of the line and Justin could tell that Brian was weighing all the factors in his head.  Would he be finished in time? Was he prepared to spend another evening with a potential client?  What would they eat?



“I can’t get out of here until 630,” Brian said.  “Why don’t you ask them to come at 8?”



“That’s perfect,” Justin said with a bright smile.  “Thank you.”



“Will you need me to pick up anything on the way home?” Brian asked.



“A couple bottles of red wine,” Justin said.  “And I think you’re almost out of scotch.  The rest I’ll get.”



“Alright,” Brian said.  “Later.”



“Later,” Justin echoed and then turned back to Jack.  “How’s 8 sound?”



“Great,” Jack said with a grin.



BJBJBJBJBJ



Justin checked the lasagna and removed the foil cover just as Brian walked through the front door.  “You’re late.” Justin’s tone was saccharine sweet.



“I know,” Brian said in an echoing tone.  “I had a last minute crisis with the boards for tomorrow.”  He was already in the bedroom and stripping his clothes off.  “Dinner smells great.  I’m going to hit the shower before they come.”



“Hurry,” Justin said.  “You’ve only got fifteen minutes.  That’s assuming they aren’t early.”



Brian’s voice drifted out from the bathroom.  “Justin?  Why is Randy in our bathtub?”



“Because he likes it there,” Justin said.  He finished buttering the garlic bread and set it aside.  He wiped his hands on a towel and walked up to the bathroom.  “He likes this room and he likes getting baths.”



“Well he’s not taking a shower with me so get him out of here,” Brian complained as he put the shower on to heat up.



Justin chuckled and grabbed Randy’s collar.  “Let’s go.  You can have a bath tomorrow.  I’ll even take you to the groomers.”



“You aren’t going to let them dress up Harry this time,” Brian said from behind the glass walls of the shower.  “Last time you took them to the groomers, Harry came back with a vest that would make Emmett gag.”



“It wasn’t that bad,” Justin argued.  “I thought it was cute.”



“No playing dress up with my dog,” Brian ordered.  “You can queen up Randy all you want, but leave Harry alone.”



“Yes, your highness.”



Justin flipped Brian the bird and walked back out to the kitchen.  He grabbed the bag with the wine in it that Brian had left on the counter on his way past.  The wine was good and would match well with the pasta.  He’d have to get Brian at least a little drunk tonight or he’d hear him bitching for hours after Frank and Jack left about the carbs Justin was using to poisoning him.  He opened both bottles to let them breathe.  He had a couple bottles of less impressive wine still in the wine cabinet, but he’d wait to see if they needed them before he opened those.



Brian was just entering the bedroom when the buzzer rang.  “Shit.”



“It will take a couple minutes for them to get up here,” Justin said.  “Just throw something on.”



Brian glared at his lover.  It was a look that said a lot of bad words silently.



Justin chuckled and let their guests in before turning back to Brian.  “Tonight is supposed to be casual and relaxing.  Put on some jeans and a shirt.  You look good no matter what you’re wearing.”



“That’s the way to kiss ass,” Brian said.  He emerged from the bedroom and met Justin near the front door.  He gave his lover a deep and soulful kiss.  “How was your day, dear?”



“Just peachy,” Justin said.  “I saw Michael at the convention.”  Brian looked like he wanted to ask what happened, but just then there was a knock.  “I’ll tell you later.”



Brian drew the heavy door back to reveal not their invited guests, but Michael.  “Aw fuck.” Brian muttered as he turned away to pour himself a scotch.  The dogs started growling at the intruder and Justin sent them to lie down.  “What do you want, Mikey?”



Michael looked back and forth between Brian and Justin.  “I saw Justin today and… When did you buy back the loft?  You decorated differ this time, but I like it.”



“I didn’t buy the loft back,” Brian said.  Justin gave his lover a smirk but said nothing as he went to take the lasagna out of the oven.  “Justin did.”



Michael frowned at Justin.  “You bought his loft?”



“I got it for a song, too,” Justin bragged.  “Want to see the additions I’ve made?  No?  Okay then.  Glad you could stop by.  Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out!”



Brian couldn’t help but chuckle at Justin’s antics.  “What do you want Mikey.  We have guests coming and I’d rather you were gone when they get here.”



“Too late,” Jack said ruefully from the doorway that was still open.  “Sorry, the door was open.”



“It’s fine,” Justin said.  “Here, let me take your coats and then we can give Frank a tour while Brian deals with Mikey.”



“Sounds like a plan,” Frank said with good grace.  “I’d love to see the art that Jack has been gushing over.”



While they chatted and Brian poured wine for them, Michael stood stock still and just watched the interplay.  Justin was leading their guests towards the back hall when Michael seemed to to come to himself.  “I’m sorry!”



Justin froze with his back to the room and took a deep breath.



“Mikey, this isn’t the time,” Brian said quietly.



“No, you’ve been telling me that I have to make things right,” Michael said.  “Well there’s no time like the present.”



“Sure there is,” Brian said drolly.  “There’s tomorrow.  There’s next week…”



“I’m sorry,” Michael said again, louder as though Justin couldn’t hear him from across the room.



“I heard you the first time,” Justin muttered.  Justin turned to Jack.  “Would you mind?”



“I think Frank and I can entertain ourselves for a few minutes,” Jack said with genuine sympathy.



“The view from the deck isn’t the greatest, but it is nice this time of day,” Brian suggested.



Frank nodded, “That’s a fine idea.”  The two men went to the French doors and out onto the deck.



Justin watched Jack close the door behind them and then turned to Michael.  “You always have to have your way.  Fine.  You’ve made our guest uncomfortable and interrupted our evening so you could have your say.  So say it.  What exactly are you sorry for?”



“I’m sorry I told them to shut you out,” Michael said.  His voice was quiet, but his tone still held a wealth of resentment.  “I blamed you for Brian leaving and I wanted you gone.  I wanted you to hurt the way I was hurting.”



“You don’t know pain,” Justin said sadly.  “You don’t have a fucking clue what you did to me. You think I wasn’t hurt by Brian leaving.  He was my whole fucking world!  I needed friends who would support me, but what I got instead were unreturned calls and the cold shoulder.  I had no one!  No family left.  No friends left.  No lover.  I was so fucking alone and in so much fucking pain that I…”



Brian had moved to hold Justin who was now shaking.



Michael asked, “What did you do?”



Justin shook his head.  “It doesn’t matter now.  You say you’re sorry.  Fine.  I’ll forgive you because Brian, for some reason, still cares about you.  I’ll forgive you because I love Debbie too much to let this feud go on forever.  I’ll forgive you because I forgave the others.  But you and I will never be friends, Michael.  We’ll see each other at parties and say polite words to each other, but there will never be more than that.  I don’t trust you and I don’t like you.



“You came here to apologize,” Justin continued.  “But not because you’re truly sorry for what you did.  You’re sorry that your actions cost you Brian’s respect and trust.  I’ll forgive you, but you’ll have to earn his trust back all on your own.”



Brian squeezed Justin in his arms and the blond reached up to kiss his partner before he stepped away.  He picked up his wine glass and took it out to the deck to entertain their guests.



“Fuck, Mikey,” Brian sighed.  “You just can’t seem to get it right, can you?”



“Why won’t the little shit just let it go?” Mikey said.



Brian scoffed at his friend’s ignorance.  “Let it go Mikey.  He’s given you as much as he can.  Take it and run with it.”



“But… what about us?” Michael asked.  “Are we friends again?”



Brian sighed.  “Mikey, I’ll always love you.  You know that.  But Justin is my partner and I’ll do what I can to keep him from hurting.  You refrain from talking about him or doing anything to hurt him and we can be friends.  But it won’t ever be what it used to be.  Justin’s right.  I lost respect for you.  How am I supposed to trust a grown man who would kick an innocent kid when’s already hurting?”
“But I apologized,” Michael muttered in bewilderment.



“And sometimes words just aren’t enough to erase the pain you cause,” Brian said sadly.  “Go home, Mikey.  Talk it out with your husband.  He’s a smart guy.  I’ll call you next week after…all this other stuff is settled.  Okay?”



“Yeah, okay,” Michael said.  He wasn’t sure if he should be happy with the outcome of their talk or not.  He really would need to talk it over with Ben.  “You’ll call?”



“Tuesday,” Brian promised.  “We’ll talk then.”



Michael got ready to go, but turned back to hug Brian.  The taller man allowed it and hugged his friend back, but there was none of the intimacy that they had once shared.  And when Michael finally left, all Brian could feel was relief that he was gone.

Part 14



“Dinner was fantastic, Justin,” Frank said as he set his rumpled napkin aside.  “Where on earth did you learn to cook like that?”



Justin smiled.  “My mother taught me some things, but I took a couple classes in college.  PIFA has an agreement with Pittsburgh Culinary Academy and they allow students to take electives from the other school.”



“You never told me that, Sunshine,” Brian said as he helped clear the table.



Justin gave him an impish grin, “I can’t give all my secrets away at once, now can I?”



Frank and Jack chuckled at the banter.  “I have to tell you Brian, no matter how the presentation goes tomorrow, I am glad that I met you.  You and Justin are just…so unique.”



“That’s one way to put it,” Justin said ruefully.  But then he gave Brian a fond smile.  “But we work, so I guess that’s all that matters.”



“Any plans to make it official?” Jack asked



Justin had to slap Brian on the back a few times because he had choked on the scotch he’d been swallowing when Jack voiced his completely…outrageous question.



“Knowing Brian, I doubt it,” Justin said as he glared at Brian.  “You could look a little less disgusted by the idea, though, Brian.”



“I… I’m not…” Brian glared at Jack.  “This is your fault.  Fix it.”



Jack just laughed at Brian’s predicament while Justin continued to stare down his partner.



“Fine!” Brian huffed.  He walked from the kitchen area to the bedroom.  The others all listened as Brian opened a drawer, shuffled some things around, and then slammed it closed again. He stomped back down the stairs and handed a blue velvet box to Justin.  “Here.”



Justin stared at Brian with confusion creasing his forehead.  He looked from the box to Brian to the box and back to Brian again.  “What?”



Brian’s anger seemed to have disappeared in an instant as he smirked at his lover.  “I was going to wait for the perfect moment.  But I hate all that sentimental shit.  So?  You gonna open the fucking box or am I taking it back to the jewelers?’



“I…” Justin swallowed and shook his head.  He looked down at the box in his hand once more.  Very carefully he used his other hand to lift the lid.  Inside were two identical platinum rings.  Each had a design etched into the polished center band, with brushed metal bands on either side.  And there was a large single diamond set into each ring as well.  “Are those cowry shells?”



Brian shrugged.  “I like cowry shells.  They represent prosperity, life and luck. ”



Justin nodded.  He knew that.  “Is this for real?”



“As real as it fucking gets Sunshine,” Brian said quietly.



Justin nodded again and looked at Brian with steady eyes.  “Then yes.”



Brian swept Justin into his arms and they forgot for a few brief moments that they weren’t alone.  When they did finally break apart for air, they realized that there were people clapping.  Right.



Brian turned to Jack and Frank and for the first time looked flustered.  “Um…”



“It’s fine Brian,” Jack assured him.  “But we should toast to the newly engaged couple!”



“Do we have any champagne?” Justin asked.



“There are a couple bottles at the bottom of the wine cooler,” Brian said.  “They won’t be ice cold, but at least they’re chilled.”



Minutes later, the four men each had champagne flutes and were drinking toasts to Brian and Justin.  Justin served the chocolate and strawberry torte and they finished the evening on a much brighter note than it had begun.



BJBJBJBJBJ



Justin waited impatiently for Brian in his office at Kinnetik the next evening.  They were scheduled to go out and celebrate tonight, but Brian’s meeting had run over time and Justin was getting anxious.  It was now after seven and Brian and Frank and their various people had been in the conference room since ten that morning.  Justin couldn’t be sure if that was a good or bad sign.  Had Frank liked the concepts?  Could they really make the whole plan work?  Or would they delay their celebration over the engagement because the deal fell through?  Justin had no delusions that Frank would push the deal through out of friendship, no matter how well they all seemed to get along.  He hadn’t made it to where he was today by letting his personal life interfere with business.



When the door to Brian’s office opened and Frank came in with Brian, both with wide smiles on their faces, Justin had to sigh in relief.



“Justin, you have yourself a very smart man,” Frank said.  “That was one of the best, most creative and innovative concepts I have ever seen.  He’s going far in this world.”



“I know a good thing when I see it,” Justin said.  “Then again, I’d probably take him even if he was a pauper.”



Brian snorted but remained silent as he grabbed clean clothes from his closet and headed to his private bathroom to change.



“Brian said you were going out tonight to celebrate your engagement,” Frank said.  “Now you’ll have two things to celebrate.”



“I’m so glad,” Justin said sincerely.  “Not just because of the business.  I was really hoping that you and Jack would have an excuse to come see us again, and now you do.”



“Well, we have my goddaughter’s party tomorrow afternoon and we fly out in the evening,” Frank said.  “So we won’t see you again this trip, but I can promise you that Jack will insist on coming to visit again.  And I know you are in New York often for your shows.  You’ll have to let us know when you’re in town and we’ll return the favor. Jack isn’t as good a cook as you, but he does have a few tricks up his sleeve.”



“We’d love that,” Brian said from the bathroom doorway.  He was now out of his Armani suit and into tight fitting black jeans and a black tank.



“I take it when you said you are celebrating, you didn’t mean dinner at a fancy restaurant,” Frank asked with some humor.



“We’re going to Babylon,” Justin said with a bright smile.  “We met right outside of the club the first time.  And we really do love to dance.”



“Among other things,” Brian said suggestively and he stood behind Justin, closer than was probably appropriate given their location and company.



“Well, you have fun,” Frank said.  “And maybe Jack and I will have to check out this club for ourselves next time we’re in town.”



They said their goodbyes and parted ways.



“We have one stop to make before we hit the club,” Brian told Justin.



Justin wasn’t too surprised when they headed in the direction of Debbie’s place.  Justin had told his mother over lunch earlier in the day.  Now it was time to tell Brian’s de facto mother.



“Sunshine!  Brian!  What are you doing here?”  Debbie asked when she found them on her doorstep.  Then she frowned.  “Is something wrong?  Somebody die?”



“Let us in the fucking house and we’ll tell you,” Brian groused.  “It’s cold out here.”  Debbie slapped his arm but stepped back.



“So?”  Debbie asked.  “You two never come over here unannounced.  What gives?”



Brian looked at Justin and the blond shrugged.  This was his to tell.  Brian scowled, but then turned a sunny smile back to Debbie.  “We’re getting married.”



“What?!”  Debbie’s voice raised several octaves.  “You’re shittin’ me!”



“Nope,” Brian denied and pulled the chain out of his shirt so she could see the band there, waiting to be placed on Justin’s finger whenever they got the ceremony arranged.  “He’s got one too.  Show her Sunshine.”



Justin rolled his eyes.  He knew that Brian was trying to deflect the death hugs that were certain to come onto Justin.  But he pulled his matching chain from his t-shirt and let Debbie inspect it.



“Fuck these are gorgeous,” Debbie whispered.  She looked up at Justin and asked, “You’re really getting’ married?”



“We are,” Justin confirmed.



And there it was.  Justin could hardly breathe as Debbie tried to crush him with her love and affection.  Just when he thought he might pass out, however, she let go and went after Brian.  He bore his turn stoically and then patted Debbie’s back as she began to cry.



“My boys are all growing up,” Debbie said.  “And you!  I never thought I’d see the day you settled down Brian Kinney!  And now you’re getting married to Sunshine.  I knew he was going to turn your world upside down the minute I saw him.”



“Me too, Deb,” Brian said as he looked Justin in the eyes.  “Me too.”



BJBJBJBJBJ



Babylon was alive with people, even on a Thursday night.  Brian had called their friends and told them all that they had to go out tonight, so the whole gang had come out, including Mel and Lindsey.  They were gathered at the bar under the catwalk when Brian and Justin finally walked in, twenty minutes late.  It was obvious they had stopped some place to fuck.  But that wasn’t anything new.



“Why are we all here?” Lindsey asked after everyone had exchanged hellos.



Brian smirked, “To drink, to dance, to have a good time?”



“I think she wanted to know why you asked us to come,” Ted said dryly.



“Oh, that,” Brian shrugged.  “To celebrate with us.”



“Did you get that big account?” Lindsey wondered.



“Yes, but that isn’t the news,” Brian huffed and turned to Justin.  “They don’t listen to me. You tell them.”



“They’re your friends,” Justin said wryly.



“We’re both your friends, Honey,” Emmett said.  “Now tell us what the big news is!  I can’t stand the suspense!”



Justin smiled and said, “Brian and I are getting married.”



There was absolute silence from the group.  As the silence lingered, Brian’s smirk slowly transformed into a scowl.  “Let’s go Justin.”



“Wait!” Emmett cried out.  “Don’t leave.  We were all just surprised.  It’s wonderful news!  Congratulations!”



He hugged Justin and then Brian and soon the others were all taking their turns congratulating the couple.



“Christ Justin,” Mel said.  “I don’t know how you did it.”



“Did what?” Justin asked.



“Tamed the beast,” Mel said.  “Turned Brian into a semi-decent man.”



Justin chuckled.  “I haven’t done a thing.  Brian’s still the same guy he always was.”



Mel looked to Lindsey who was listening to their conversation and the blond shook her head.  “No, Mel’s right.  Brian’s… softer now.  He’s spends more time with Gus.  He’s more considerate.”



“He still drinks too much by most people’s standards,” Justin pointed out.  “He still tricks.  He’s still ruthless in business.  He’s still the same man I fell in love with.”



“Well, yeah,” Mel said.  “But he’s got this softer side too.”



“He’s always had that,” Justin said and looked at the women as though they should know that.  And perhaps they should.  “The first night we met, it was my first time.  Brian was so… gentle and affectionate.  Do you really think I fell in love with him after one night because he looks good and can fuck like a god?  I loved him because he made love to me and showed me a side that apparently even his closest friends don’t get to see.”



“I knew he could be tender,” Lindsey said.  “But I just…”



“Never thought he could be that way with anyone else?” Justin asked.



Lindsey shrugged and Mel looked like they were both crazy.  Brian came over then to steal Justin away.



“Dance with me,” Brian said.



“Only if you promise to fuck me like an animal when we get home,” Justin said loud enough for their friends to hear.



“Always, Sunshine,” Brian promised.



They hit the floor and danced in a way that had every head turning toward them.  They were free and in love and they exuded happiness and sexuality in a way that could not be ignored.



Back at the bar, however, one particular person was still in denial.  “He had to have tricked him into it.”



“Michael,” Ben said in warning.  “You know that isn’t true.  Brian is perfectly capable of making a rational decision.  And if he hears you talking like this, he’s going to call off the truce you’ve come to.  Let it go.  For your sake.  For our marriage’s sake.  Let him go.”



Michael looked at Ben as though seeing him for the first time.  “Our marriage?  But…”



And then it finally hit him what he had done to Ben.  He may never understand the pain he put Justin through, but he could see what he was doing to Ben and he was ashamed.  “Oh, god.  I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry.”



Ben hugged his husband and let him work through his emotions in his own time.  Maybe this would be the way for Michael to finally get over this or maybe he’d be back to his old ways next week.  Ben didn’t know how it would all turn out, but he was willing to see it through to the end, whenever that might be.



BJBJBJBJBJ



Brian had Justin in his arms as they swayed to the soft music drifting through the doorway.  They had closed Babylon down but continued their celebration back at the loft.  They were dancing on the deck and watching the sun rise over the city while the dogs danced at their feet, enjoying the easy mood and the music.



“I love you,” Brian told Justin.  He didn’t say it often, but he always meant it when he said it.



“I know,” Justin said with a small smirk.  “I love you too.”



“I know,” Brian said, returning Justin’s smirk with a grin before capturing his lover’s lips.  “So, what do you think of a Christmas wedding?”



The End