The thumpa, thumpa exploded in my ears, making me close my eyes and allow the sound to over my body and control my movements.

I was presently hovering above my 'kingdom,' taking advantage of the newly-constructed, elevated dance platform.  I was supposed to be the King of Babylon. But I knew that I wasn't the 'King.'  The true king was miles away in the Big Apple, dominating the world with his artistic talent.  

The true King of Babylon had danced here at Babylon on a similar platform years ago, but back then he had been dancing as an Angel.  An Angel who had taken charge of my life, my body, my heart, and my soul.  The Angel was presently beyond my reach, however, but right now I wanted him in my arms so badly and back in this realm here with me that I physically ached for it.

Tonight was the reopening of Babylon, several months after the fateful attack.  I had tried to sell it - had initially thought it was the best thing to do - but Michael and the others had convinced me to reopen it.  Actually, I hadn't needed a lot of convincing in a way.  There had been some good reasons for keeping it if I were to admit it to myself:  not so much to triumph over Poppers and become, once again, the hottest place with the hottest guys on Liberty Avenue, and not to provide me with an obscenely outrageous profit, but because my friends had convinced me that it would be the best way to prove to the homophobes that they did not win. That was reason enough, I finally decided.  

But there was another reason.  I had reopened it because it was where it had all begun.  It was where I had crossed the street that night to find him leaning against that lamppost and where the light had seeped into my darkness.  It was here that a certain blond had claimed his primacy over me and we had first danced together before I took him home for the second time, breaking my 'one fuck only' rule exclusively for him.  It was here where he had become the King of Babylon and had made me swallow some of my own bitter medicine when he had stolen what I thought was going to be a foregone, assured conquest from me.  

As I looked over toward the entrance, I realized it was also where he had left the Rage Party to go stay with the violinist.  I closed my eyes briefly to force that unpleasant moment out of my mind, but I realized that, overall, the good memories we had forged throughout the past several years had been more than compensation for the occasional rough patches we had experienced along the way.   And honestly?  I wouldn't have traded any of them, because they had helped us become who we were and what our relationship had become.

I continued to dance to the music; actually, sway to the music.  I had long ago realized that Justin was a much better dancer than I could ever be.  Six months...So much had happened during that time.  Only Michael had persisted in not realizing how much I had changed, still insisting on his mantra that I was "Brian Kinney, who would always be young and beautiful."  Well, Mikey was mistaken.  Of course, I thought with a not-so-self-deprecating smile, I would always be beautiful and hot.  But not until I had encountered difficulty in my life -with the bombing, not to mention my cancer - did I finally realize that I would not be young forever.

One day, all older 'lions' would have to concede their kingdom to the younger stock, and every day I saw Liberty Avenue invaded with other, younger men wanting to snatch my prey away from me.  In a not-so-distant future, I could see myself vacating my supremacy to someone else.   Even if they didn't, I knew that it would never be the same, not when my heart was already firmly stolen by someone living hundreds of miles far away.  

Six months since he had been gone now.  We hadn't seen each other during that time, and had only spoken briefly.  Kinnetik's business had flourished during the same period, so much so that between the additional business and the responsibility of rebuilding the club, I hadn't had more than a few days off, and that had been used to go see my son.  While I had understood Mel and Lindsay's reasons for wanting to leave and flee to Canada, I still thought it a little crazy that they had to go to another country to feel safe, and I missed my son terribly.   He was a void in my heart and in my life that was impossible to fill.  So every possible moment I had free, I used it to go see him and reassure him that I would always be in his life.  All this time, Justin was working furiously in New York, no doubt trying to break into the art world and have them take notice as he cranked out piece after piece of his work. 

In addition to Gus, I missed having Lindsay close by as well.  I missed the closeness and camaraderie we had shared.  I felt out of balance, my equilibrium lost, and now Debbie was about the only person I could confide in that still was close by and accessible.  Worst of all, hell, I even missed Mel and her snarkiness.

Six whole months had passed and everything had changed.  Michael and Ben had immersed themselves in their 'Stepford Fag,' hetero life completely; so much so that I knew Mikey had only come tonight with Ben as a concession just for me.  Emmett was happily ensconced with his newest flame, Calvin, even though I had heard that Drew Boyd was constantly calling him, telling him that he had finally 'turned 21,' whatever the fuck that meant.  So now it seemed that Emmy Lou had TWO hot guys pursuing him, and Ted was still with Blake, the former drugged out twinkie, and for what it was worth, they appeared happy enough.

So here I was, in the middle of a bustling, crowded dance floor.  But right now, I felt completely alone.  So I chose to close my eyes and let the music guide me, take me away, if only for a brief time, away from these feelings of desolation.  



There had been no need to use any of my advertising genius to fill the club tonight. Everyone on Liberty Avenue wanted to be here for the reopening.   Some just wanted to drink, find someone hot to have sex with, take drugs, have fun and show the homophobes that they were bigger than them.  Others frankly just had a morbid curiosity to be where there had been death and pain. But no matter the reason, all were here. All except him.  Today it was just me as I surrendered to the music and the dancing. 

Then the atmosphere in the club suddenly changed.  It was like an expectation taking over everyone.  Initially, I wasn't interested in what had caused it as I continued to dance; my eyes remaining closed as my body followed the movement of the music's tempo and I let it guide me, master me.  But then I felt it.  I could feel it clearly without seeing it.  He was here.  

 
I open my eyes to see him climbing up the platform where I am - the same type of platform where long ago he had danced with those gossamer angel wings.  My Angel.  He smiles at me with a smile that lights up my world.

"How's it going?" he asks above the din of the crowd.  "Had a busy night?"

I grin, knowing this dialogue well as I acknowledged our role reversals.  "Oh, I was out checking out the competition earlier," I tell him, deciding to change it up just a little.  "Boy Toy, Meathook..."

He reaches out to place his hands on the side of my waist as he smiles over at me.  "Meathook, huh?"  I nod as he asks, "Seriously? So you're into BDSM?"

I smirk.  "Sure. You have to ask?"  I laugh at him as he grins.  

"So where you headed?" He asks me, so much meaning in those words now.  

"Until YOU got here, I would have said no place special."  Before he can answer me back, however, I decided to add, "...But I think you can change that."

Finally, I kiss him, and the whole club seems suspended in time until I start breathing again.  My King is back.   I laugh as his smiles back at me radiantly and opens up his arms out to his sides in invitation.  

"So, do you want to know if I'm coming and going?  Or coming and then going?  Or coming and staying?" 

Playing along, I roll my tongue into my cheek.  "You tell ME," I urge him softly, holding my breath until I hear the words I had been longing to hear.  "ARE you coming and staying?" I finally ask.

He smiles again, making my heart stop a beat.  "I am!" he jubilantly shouts as I pull him into my arms and our mouths meet once more.  Now I know I'm no longer alone