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Chapter 5 - Zoo Life.

 

Besides the fact that I never expected to have anything to do with kids, the other reason that I was so unprepared to be a parent is that I never really had much of a childhood myself.

My family never did much family stuff. On top of the tricky little problem that Jack and Joan always seemed to be short on the money that would have paid for family outings and other joint activities, we just really didn't enjoy being in each other's company all that much. Or at least I didn't enjoy being with them, and from what I could see, they didn't like being with me or with each other either. So we didn't really do anything you could consider family stuff, except, of course, for the endless and agonizing hours we were all forced to spend together in church - but that certainly doesn't count as kid related.

While other kids were going to the park or a ball game with their dads, I was hiding in my room alone, trying to avoid calling attention to myself. While other kids were going to family oriented movies with their moms, I was sneaking money from my dad's wallet so I could go to the movies by myself and I can assure you I wasn't watching Disney flicks. While other families went camping together or took vacations to fun locales or even went out to dinner together, the Kinneys all went their separate ways as often as not. I never did the children's museum or a puppet show or the local amusement park with my parents. In fact, I never did most of those things at all.

And I certainly never went to the fucking zoo for the day with Jack . . .

.:G:. .:G:. .:G:. .:G:. .:G:.

Monday morning, Brian was trying to figure out what he could do with Gus that would take up a lot of the day and hopefully tire the midget out. He honestly couldn't remember having that much energy when he was a kid. On the other hand, in the Kinney household, staying still and quiet was the easiest way to avoid getting hit or yelled at, so that is what Brian had usually done. It was also the reason he'd learned to read so early. He could sit and read a book and pretend that it was his life he was reading about - while he was reading, he could pretend to be anything, even happy. Gus, though, was a typical, energetic five year old and couldn't be expected to stay inside on a warm, sunny Memorial Day.

At Deb's Memorial Day Weekend barbecue the day before, she had gotten Brian alone and made a point of reminding him that kids need to go out and do things. He couldn't expect Gus to want to sit in the house and watch TV all day, every day. She warned him that he needed to find some kid-friendly things to do with the boy. Which was all fine and good, but he was on his second cup of coffee this morning and still hadn't come up with any brilliant ideas about what those things might be.

When Gus woke up and came out of the bedroom looking for him, Brian poured out a bowl of cereal, drenched it with milk, added some fruit and set it out on the counter in front of the stool Gus had already climbed on top of with his Leather Bear clutched tightly to his side. He also remembered to give the boy some ‘Pink' juice - Gus' name for guava juice - which the kid had seemingly become addicted to. Brian poured himself a third cup of java and looked at the boy contemplatively.

"So, Gus, is there anything you'd like to do today?" Brian asked, resuming his own stool beside the boy.

"I like the zoo. There's lots of aminals there. I goed there wif my mommy once," the kid intoned, as he sloppily dug into the cereal. "We could go there and I can learn you stuffs I knows about ‘em all."

"Okay. I think I can handle the zoo," Brian decided, although the idea of spending the whole day up to his armpits in breeder families and kids wouldn't have been his first choice for how he wanted to spend one of the very rare days off he took over the course of the year. "Let me check what time they open and we can go do that today."

"YAY! The zoo, the zoo, the zoo! Thank you, B'ine. We're going to the ZOO!" The kid began to chant in a sing-song voice at the top of his lungs while hammering on the counter with his gloopy spoon and making Brian instantly regret that he'd volunteered for this torture.

Leaving the boisterous kid to his cheering and his cereal, Brian retreated to his desk. He quickly checked the zoo's website and noted they had about an hour to kill before they needed to leave. Sitting Gus down to watch cartoons once he was finished eating and washed off, Brian returned to his computer, checking out the numerous things to do while at the zoo. He was hoping that he could get Gus so tired out, he'd crash early, which would give Brian time to think about what to do with him. He knew he needed to call child services as soon as the offices opened the next day. He certainly wasn't planning on keeping the kid forever. And he was still trying to wrack his brain to see if he could figure out who Gus' mother was.

He'd apparently been sitting there thinking for a long while, because Gus came over and touched his leg. "B'ine, is it time to go yet?"

Looking at the time on the computer, he noted it was already nine-thirty. Brian had obviously lost track of time. Looking at the eager child, he smiled. "We should probably get you into something other than pajamas, kiddo. Some people may think that going out in public dressed like that is fine, but not me. One thing you always need to remember; people judge you by your appearance - how you're dressed and how you speak- so you should always be well dressed when you leave the house and speak as well as you are able. As they say, ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression', right? Now, let's find something suitable for a fashionable five year old to wear to the zoo."

Brian decided that no matter who the midget belonged to, he could at least impart some wisdom into the child as long as he was in his care. Pass it forward, so to speak. So, while he looked through the new clothes they had purchased the day before, he started telling Gus about how to be fashionable.

"Now, Gus, I understand you are only five, but it is never too early to learn about clothes. How to wear them and how to take care of them."

"Okay B'ine, I'll pay ‘tention and learn stuffs from you. You's old so's you gots to know lots of stuff," Gus answered, causing Brian to groan at the ‘old' comment, but then listening attentively as his new mentor explained what he should wear.

"I'm not old, Midget, I'm ‘experienced'," Brian shot back, but he said it with a smile and his voice lacked any rancor. "So, first you need to dress for whatever you'll be doing. We're going to the zoo, so jeans and a nice shirt will be appropriate. If we were going out to eat at a nice restaurant then you would wear dress pants and a dress shirt. If you were just sitting around the house or cleaning, then sweatpants and a tee shirt would be fine. Do you understand this so far?" Brian asked the child who seemed mesmerized by what he was telling him.

"I think so. Kind of like when you said no pajamas to go outside, right? Cause then you would look silly, like the man in the diner who forgot his shirt and the back of his pants." Gus answered, looking at bear's attire as an example.

Brian nodded, "Just like that Gus." He hadn't realized that Gus had noticed that. That must be where he got the idea for his bear's outfit. He would try to avoid having Gus see that if they went to the Diner again.

Brian decided to put Gus in jeans and a light blue pullover shirt. The clothes were designer, of course, but washable, just in case they got dirty. When they were both properly dressed they headed to the Jeep for their trip to the zoo. Gus insisted that Leather Bear come along for the day, explaining to Brian that his bear would be lonely if he was left in the loft by himself for that long. Brian rolled his eyes but then went along with the ruse and obediently belted Leather Bear into the empty passenger seat next to Gus.

On the way to the zoo, Gus was chattering away like any five year old, often including Leather Bear in the conversation, when he brought up Beauty and the Beast, asking if they could watch it again after they got back. Brian listened with only half an ear while the kid raved about the story and laughed over the characters' antics. Then Gus told Brian that he was kind of like the Beast, because he could growl when he was upset and then act really nice when he was okay, just like the beast in the movie.

"B'ine, since you is kind of the Beast, maybe we should look for a Beauty for you."

Deciding to humor the midget Brian asked, "What kind of Beauty do you think I should have?"

Gus thought about it for a minute before responding. "Well, he should be real pretty, not big and growly like you. Maybe he can have yellow hair like my mommy. And happy eyes and smile a lot and be nice all the time, like Belle."

"And how do you know it should be a ‘he' Gus?" Brian asked, wondering how Gus had come to that conclusion since they'd never really discussed him being gay. It's not something one would normally discuss with a five year old that you'd just met.

"Well, when you look at girls, you just look. But when you look at boys, you get big eyes. So it means you like boys." Gus answered with a matter-of-fact shrug, like it just made sense to him. "My mommy ‘splained stuffs like that to me sometimes. She said that she likes both boys and girls and that it's okay to like both."

Brian smiled to himself at that very realistic and open stance, liking the delinquent ‘Mommy' a little better after hearing that. She couldn't be all bad with that attitude, even if he still didn't approve of the way she'd just abandoned her son or the way she had allowed her ‘friend' to treat the boy. He didn't comment on the midget's ideas about finding him a ‘Beauty' though. Kids really did think up the silliest things.

Once they got to the zoo and parked the car, Brian reminded Gus to keep his hands on the car and away from the door until Brian shut and locked it up. He also reviewed the rules about holding Brian's hand at all times while they were at the zoo, and never going off anywhere alone. He didn't want a repeat of their trip Saturday to the clothing store, when Brian had put Gus on the sidewalk after taking him out of the Jeep and the kid had just walked off alone. That time he'd been lucky and a woman had stopped Gus before he walked into the street alone. The woman had noticed Brian looking around frantically and yelling Gus's name a moment later, returning him to Brian with a warning that he needed to watch out for his child much more attentively in the future. Brian had told Gus right then that there were rules about what he could and couldn't do alone. No need to have another lost-and-found-child episode, right? No matter how things went with the kid, Brian intended to take good care of Gus as long as he had him.

Unlike Saturday morning, when Brian, having looked over what Gus had available in his suitcase had noted that he couldn't be seen with a kid dressed in what he considered subpar clothing, today he was rather proud to be seen with the well-appointed little man. Brian didn't even really mind that the midget was toting along the silly bear in the crook of one arm. He was actually surprised at himself and how much HE was looking forward to a trip to the zoo. It was ridiculously out of character for him, but still, he couldn't help feeling a bit excited. Then, as Gus grabbed hold of his hand, Brian felt his heart doing a strange little floppy thing that he refused to label or even acknowledge. He did squeeze the tiny hand in his own and give his pet Midget a smile though.

Waiting in line at the entrance to the zoo, Gus was so excited it felt to Brian like the midget was vibrating. And the kid's exuberance and humongous smile were something Brian thought every child should be able to experience. Brian looked on, thoroughly amused, while Gus gaped at everything around them with wide-eyed fascination. He himself couldn't ever remember being that excited or happy when he was little. Gus' innocent happiness made Brian feel warm inside in a way he wasn't used to, but which he found quite pleasant. In his mind, he gave himself a passing grade for the day, based solely on the kid's smile alone. He could do this parental stuff, right? No sweat.

"Hey, B'ine! Look! That man has hair that's shiny, like the sun." Gus announced, pointing across to another ticket booth with a separate line of people waiting to get inside. Then Gus quietly added, "maybe he could be your Beauty."

Brian looked where Gus was pointing and saw a blond-haired man of average height and build. But what really caught his eye wasn't the hair so much as the guy's delicious looking bubble butt. The gentleman in question turned when he heard Gus's comment and caught Brian staring at his ass. He looked the brunet in the eyes and raised his eyebrows at him with a teasing smile. Brian smirked in response.

.:G:. .:G:. .:G:. .:G:. .:G:.

Justin wasn't particularly shy and normally he would have called out the guy ogling him right away. The brunet was absolutely gorgeous and he was with a little boy, but without a female in sight, so Justin would be cautiously hopeful. Who knew? Either way, a little subtle flirting never hurt anyone, right? And, since Molly had dragged him here to the zoo, AGAIN, he figured he deserved to have a little fun while he was being towed around the place for the hundredth time. Maybe he could even use her a little bit to see what he could find out about his apparent admirer.

Moving his ass around and letting it swish a little more than was strictly necessary, Justin glanced back over his shoulder to see if the hot stud was still paying attention. When he saw that the man was still obviously interested, Justin asked his sister in a slightly raised voice, "Okay, Molly, where to first?"

"The monkeys, of course! You know they're my favorites," she answered, shaking her head at her older brother. "We always go to see the monkeys first, Jester!"

Brian crouched down to Gus's level. "Hey, kid, do you like monkeys?" Brian asked quietly, hoping for a positive answer.

"I love monkeys, B'ine. They are like furry little people who don't have to wear clothes," Gus answered with eager enthusiasm.

Justin, who was facing away from Brian, tried hard not to laugh out loud at the small boy's description. He was pleased that Brian seemed to want to go in the same direction. Maybe this trip to the zoo would be something he would owe Molly big for. At least he certainly hoped so.

"Well, Gus, I never thought of it like that, but okay. Monkeys first. We just need to find a sign or a map because I haven't been here in a very long time and I don't know where to go."

Molly, who was barely ten but was a very social young thing, overheard Brian telling Gus that he didn't know where to go and she immediately turned around with the intention of helping out the newbies. "Hey, Mister! My brother and I come here a lot and I know everything about the zoo. Just EVERYTHING! You can come with us, if you like. We know which way to go." Then, looking at Gus she asked him his name.

"I'm Gus," the youngster responded, a tad bit shyly.

"Well, Gus, I'm Molly and you can walk with me if it's okay with your father."

Turning to Brian Gus asked, "B'ine, can I?"

"Okay, Gus. Just don't get too far ahead. Stay where I can see you," Brian answered, patting the boy on the shoulder before sending him off towards the little strawberry-blond girl.

Smiling, Gus nodded and took Molly's hand, telling her, "This is Leather Bear, he's my onlyest friend. And that's B'ine. He says he's not my father, but my mommy said he is. He told me we'll fig'er it out later."

Molly didn't respond other than to nod understandingly. Grownups were generally incomprehensible, so it didn't make sense to worry about what they said too much of the time anyway. Especially not when there were monkeys to go look at. Molly simply took Gus' free hand and then turned so that they could start off down the path.

Turning to Brian, Justin put out his hand, "I'm Justin Taylor."

"Brian Kinney," The brunet responded, taking the proffered hand.

.:G:. .:G:. .:G:. .:G:. .:G:.

The shock each felt when their hands met could be seen on both of their faces. Brian smirked at the blond, who just smiled back. Both men knew what would inevitably happen between them, if given half a chance, and looked forward to the real sparks that would happen then. By that point, though, the kids were already at least a dozen meters away and the adults realized they'd need to put their flirtation on hold for the moment or risk losing the children in the mass of milling zoo goers. Brian gave the blond's hand a sultry squeeze and held onto it for three heartbeats longer than was absolutely necessary before finally letting go. Then the two men turned as one and followed along behind Molly and Gus, who were happily chatting while headed to the monkey house.

"Your son calls you Brian?" Justin asked, unable to hold his curiosity back any longer.

"Well . . . that's kind of a loaded subject, and probably not something I should get into in public. Not that I won't answer you, I'd just rather not do it here," Brian responded circumspectly, which only added to the blond's curiosity.

"Hmm. That sounds like it could be promising." Justin said, smiling at the older man. "I love a man with a bit of mystery about him."

Brian smiled but pointedly ignored the remark, choosing to focus instead on the kids so that he wasn't tempted to pull this newcomer into the bushes and immediately expose him to all of the mysterious bits Brian had.

"Your sister makes it sound like you take her out a lot. I can't remember my older sister ever voluntarily taking me anywhere. You must be a great big brother. Your parents must be thrilled to have a son that's so helpful," Brian commented - he had heard Gus and Molly discussing all the things Justin did with her, and wondered how the hot blond ever got any time for himself.

"It seems like both of us have subjects that would be better discussed in a more private setting," Justin replied, with a tilt of his head towards the kids they were now coming up to.

Never one to waste time or an opportunity, Brian took the minute he still had before they were inundated with kid related duties to ask, "If you don't have any plans later you could come over and we could have a cookout at my place. Maybe we can get the kids to nap or find something for them to do and we can talk or . . . whatever."

"‘Whatever' sounds good to me, Brian," Justin answered with a quiet, knowing chuckle, happy for the opportunity to be able to spend more time with this intriguing man, regardless of what they would have to do to make it work. "Although, Molly is a little old for a nap. But games or movies usually work."

Brian gave his new acquaintance a little sideways smirk to indicate his approval of this suggestion but didn't say anything more as they had finally come up even with two sets of curious little ears.

The two men continued to follow Molly and Gus through the zoo for the rest of the morning. Molly seemed to be having a great time showing Gus all the animals and telling him all she knew about them. Gus appeared to be hanging on his new friend's every word as if it was gospel. Every so often he would spout his newfound knowledge back to Brian, as if lecturing him on something nobody besides him and Molly could ever possibly know. Brian managed not to laugh out loud, but could tell that Justin was almost as amused by the experience as he was.

By twelve-thirty both kids were starting to flag and Justin declared that it was time for lunch. Molly insisted that they go halfway across the zoo to eat in the cafeteria that was built into the African Birds Aviary. She said they ALWAYS had lunch there. Gus immediately agreed that they had to go there and begged Brian to let him eat with the birds. Brian, who didn't think eating with a bunch of mangy birds flying all around you was at all appetizing, was on the verge of backing out when Justin looped his arm through the older man's elbow and started to tow him away after the already retreating kids.

"The restaurant is separate from the birds, Big Guy. You just look at them through the windows of the seating area. You'll be fine. Trust me," Justin reassured the worried Brian.

Brian, for his part, wasn't sure if he should object to this virtual stranger manhandling him and making assumptions like that, or not. But, since his dick seemed more than happy to have the smaller blond now tucked up against his side where the man's cologne could permeate his senses with every breath, he decided not to object. Yet. He'd wait and see what the conditions of this bird's nest place really were before he made a final determination.

When they arrived at the large, tidy, and elaborately decorated cafeteria, Brian was mildly surprised by how nice it was. They ordered their food at the counter and then got their drinks on the way to the seating area adorned with African themed furnishings on the walls and tables. The tables were arranged on several tiers, all of which faced the huge floor to ceiling windows that looked into the tops of the tropical trees growing inside the massive aviary next door. Because of the way everything was set up, you ended up having a great view no matter where you sat. The kids, however, demanded that they take a table right up against the window wall, where it felt like you were almost in the trees yourselves. Brian, who was almost as fascinated as the kids by the brightly colored birds flitting around just beyond the window, happily acquiesced.

Their food arrived shortly thereafter. The kids eagerly dove into their hot dogs and animal-shaped french fries with soda's on the side. Justin had opted for a huge, greasy cheeseburger and attacked it with almost as much relish as the kids went at their own lunches. Brian contented himself with a chef's salad and was happy to find that it was quite good. The meal went by quickly with the two children babbling on about the cool birds that would fly past their window or alight on the trees near them or, when all else failed, playing annoying games with the french fry animals before they gleefully bit the heads off their characters.

Brian found himself enjoying the experience - the chatter of the kids, their excitement over the birds, the silliness of their make believe games and even the quiet yet attentive company of the hot little blond sitting next to him. Whenever the kids weren't monopolizing the conversation, though, he devoted himself to winning over the blond who he had such big plans for later in the day. He amused himself by flirting shamelessly throughout the meal, winking at Justin when the kids weren't looking, playing footsie under the table, and even going so far as to reach out and grab hold of the other man's hand before the meal was over. Justin wasn't exactly playing hard to get though. He seemed to be having just as much fun as Brian, maybe even egging the big stud on with his own flirty looks and poses while licking his lips provocatively to remove the ketchup or meat juice that somehow kept getting on them.

In fact, Brian was having so much fun that he almost forgot he was acting like a pathetic love-struck school boy. For once in his life Brian Kinney was letting himself revel in silly, simple fun and just goofing around. Being around the midget must have brought out his playful side or something. But it was okay, since nobody he knew would see him at the fucking zoo. While he was there he didn't have to worry about maintaining his reputation or acting like the legendary stud he was supposed to be. And besides, he probably would never see Justin again after tonight, so why not let himself act out a little? Everything he'd done this whole weekend since Gus had landed in his lap had been completely out of character, so why not just go all out, right?

By the time they ambled out of the restaurant after the kids had finished their meal, Brian wasn't even fazed by the fact that he had his arm slung possessively across the younger man's shoulders as they walked along side by side like a real couple. He found he rather liked the way the slightly shorter man seemed to fit so perfectly at his side. He liked the feel of the warm little body next to him and how Justin's fingers slipped into the waistband of his pants as the blond held his waist. He enjoyed the low tenor hum of the man's soft voice as they laughed together or commented on the two kids' antics. He liked the way they seemed to be so in synch as they walked. And he didn't let himself get freaked out by how comfortable he felt with this virtual stranger, or the fact that he was acting like some hetero-wanna-be. It was just what it was and he wasn't going to overthink it. Not then, at least.

As strange as it might sound, for that afternoon, Brian Kinney was just living in the moment.

With her acolyte, Gus, in tow, and the men following behind, Molly spent the next two hours leading her merry band though the rest if the zoo exhibits. Then, near the end of the trek, Molly led her young companion to the sign directing them to ‘The Petting Zoo'. Justin was nearly hysterical at the horrified look on Brian's face when Gus wanted ‘B'ine' to go with him into the enclosure. Justin figured he could earn some great brownie points by saving the brunet from having to tramp through what he considered to be a litter box and stepped up to intervene.

"Gus, Brian isn't really dressed to go into the petting zoo, how about you go in with Molly and me, and Brian can just watch this time. Then you can tell him how much fun it was and make sure he wears ‘petting zoo clothes' next time you visit, okay."

Gus looked over at Brian, who was hoping that the small person would be amenable to Justin's suggestion. "Okay, but he's gunna miss all the fun," Gus capitulated, handing off Leather Bear to a surprised Brian, taking each of the Taylors' hands and heading through the gate.

Justin looked back to see a much relieved Brian blowing him a kiss and waving bye with Leather Bear's tiny paw. Justin laughingly returned the kiss, hoping for a much more tangible one later. He was impressed by how nonchalantly the big stud dealt with the fact that he was left standing around holding a stuffed bear for his kid. Brian, meanwhile, stood and watched, snapping pictures with his phone as Gus and Molly fed and petted the baby goats, sheep, and even a small alpaca, while being carefully watched by Justin. Brian was counting on being able to thank Justin properly later for saving his Armani jeans and Prada shoes from the much too friendly animals inside the petting zoo enclosure.

When they were finally walking toward the parking lot, after spending a mint at the souvenir shop, Brian asked where Justin was parked.

"We took the bus, Brian. It's just as easy from where we live and gives me a chance to relax instead of driving."

"Well that makes it easier, since my Jeep is right over here," Brian announced and immediately ushered the whole group over to his car.

 

Chapter End Notes:

7/9/17

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