Justin lay holding Brian, his arm tightly wrapped around his waist as he reviewed the last few weeks in his mind. Now that Justin had remembered his art, they had begun spending more time with Gus. He loved the child as if he were his own and in a way he was. He'd been around since the day he was born and he felt certain that Brian's relationship with Gus was enhanced by his encouragement of Brian's role as a father. He'd never really thought about having children per se, it was always one of those thoughts in his mind, but one he was unable to fully form. Now that he was back in Pittsburgh, things might change in that direction.
The stalker situation was addressed and thanks to Brian and Carol he'd regained his confidence in his painting and his art. Since returning from New York a few weeks ago, he'd produced 7 pieces and was actively working on several more. Returning to Pittsburgh and being with Brian was definitely the right move. He thought about the new apartment they had purchased in New York and his heart filled with delight.
He'd been with Brian off and on for most of the last decade, but for the first time in their relationship, they were actively living together on a permanent basis. No longer were their conversations peppered with when is your flight coming in and how long are you staying. Instead, they spoke about going to New York for a few days and dealing with necessities rather than coming to Pittsburgh to deal with necessities. Their trip tomorrow was to deal with their new home and to set up their wedding, something both of them were involved and committed to. No longer would they have to hide the fact that Justin was in town from their friends and family so they could enjoy a few days of just each other's company.
His accident and the weeks following it were now just a distant memory of events that seemed so far removed from his current life that he sometimes even forgot about the accident. Tonight Brian had even opened up about his feelings at the time of the accident. His anger and fear were palpable when he talked about those weeks and Justin found Brian's conversation a good start to their new life.
And they were getting married. Married. Third time is the charm or so the saying goes and he felt that for them, it was so true. Brian had asked him three times to marry him and the first two did not end in a ceremony. Their commitment to each other hadn't changed but this time it seemed they were doing it at the right time and for the right reasons. They were going to New York tomorrow and picking the place of the wedding and small reception as well as signing the paperwork for their new home. It was all a little dreamlike for Justin and he couldn't always wrap his mind around the reality of his current situation.
Finally, Justin willed his mind to stop flitting about and he drifted to sleep only to be woken by the sound of the annoying alarm. Burying his head under his pillow, he reached out to push Brian to shut the offending noise off.
Brian laughed at the familiar site, Justin, head buried under a pillow willing the offending alarm to go away, but today he didn't have time to coax his partner up; they had places to go and people to see. He dove under the covers, kissing Justin's spine as his hands caressed the soft skin. When he got the white globes of Justin's ass, he parted them, inhaled deeply and then stuck his tongue to taste. Licking from the top of his crack down to the base of his balls, Brian enjoyed the familiar and intoxicating taste and smell that was his partner. Justin's moans of appreciation heightened his enjoyment and he pushed his tongue inside the deep hole. Justin was humping the mattress and Brian didn't want to wait. He grabbed the lube, quickly preparing him, donned a condom and plunged into the sweet hole. Justin raised his body on all fours, allowing for deeper penetration and soon they were both cuming.
Brian grabbed the ends of the condom and rolled off Justin as Justin slumped back to the bed. Tying the condom in a knot and then disposing of it in the trash, he slapped Justin's ass. "I guess you're awake now."
"Mmmm." Justin replied as he enjoyed the post-coital endorphins running through his body.
Brian pulled off the blankets and pushed Justin to the end of the bed. Justin acquiesced and followed him to the bathroom where they got in the shower.
"What time is our flight?"
"11:00. And the signing is at 4:00. We have a few hours to take care of things. I thought we'd go see Carol today and give her an update on your paintings and then tomorrow we can plan the wedding."
"Ok. We're really doing this? Getting a place and getting married?"
"Unless you've changed your mind," Brian said as he poured the shampoo into his hand. He reached up to Justin's head and began massaging in the shampoo.
"No. I haven't changed my mind, just still getting used to the idea."
"What's to get used to? We always said it was only time and the time is now. End of discussion." Brian turned Justin toward the water to rinse the shampoo and grabbed the loofah to soap his body. Brian didn't question Justin's commitment, but sometimes he thought Justin over thought.
"A wedding is supposed to be...."
"Supposed to be what. Huge? Fancy? Casual? Planned? Unplanned? Spontaneous? In my mind, a wedding is a ceremony where two people pledge their allegiance to each other."
"So you don't want a wedding? You've already told me you love me. If it's not that important....?"
Brian bent down and kissed Justin on the neck, a light kiss but filled with playfulness and caring.
"Let's not analyze this. It's a wedding. We're getting married and that is that."
Justin closed his mouth before he said anything more. He understood Brian's Kinney speak for this is a conversation that doesn't need to be had. They were getting married and he didn't really need to analyze the whys and wherefores of the situation. He was supposed to accept it.
"So have you thought about where this wedding should take place?" Justin asked, accepting of the end of that particular conversation but still needing information on other pertinent topics.
"Nope. You choose. Just not something that shrieks of Debbie or Emmett. It must be tasteful and something that makes you happy."
"What about you? "
The water cascaded down their bodies and Brian admired Justin's body for the millionth time, trusting that he was truly the luckiest man alive. He turned Justin toward him and kissed him on the lips this time. A deep, passionate kiss that let him know he was loved and cherished.
"Justin. I want to be married to you. You want to be married to me. Some 10-minute ceremony and the dinner afterward isn't going to be the celebration. The celebration is ours, it's our opportunity to live the lives we have together. The wedding and the celebration afterward is really for our friends and family. I have you in my life every day and that is the best way to celebrate."
Justin looked at Brian, water in his eyes and sluicing down his body. He was beautiful and he was his. He finally understood. Brian didn't care about the wedding, but rather about the meaning behind it. He'd seen Brian slowly change in the years before his accident and the months after, and he finally got it, he finally was seeing the Brian he always knew was there, and they were finally in a position to be able to have each other and be with each other, always.
Justin was quiet for a few moments contemplating his many choices. He'd lived in New York for several years but couldn't afford many nice places except when he was with Brian. Brian insisted that they enjoy the fine food and amenities that New York had to offer and frequently treated Justin to lavish meals and treats when he came to visit. He thought of the beautiful spaces like the Angel Orensanz Center or the Prince George Ballroom but quickly dismissed them as too lavish. The Public library was also a choice but he would never hear the end of that from Brian. There were many beautiful hotels and halls they could rent. In his time in New York, he had seen many a wedding party in locations throughout the city. Even though the wedding was not to be lavish, he wanted it to be memorable and it hit him.
"Central Park. Very informal, maybe in front of the castle or by the pond; it's secluded. Dinner at Picholine's; we would want everyone to remember the day with a fantastic meal. And then afterward, to our apartment, our new home."
Brian smiled; he finally knew that Justin understood. Turning off the water, he reached for the towels on the warmer and gave one to Justin. They got dressed and made their way to the airport.
The arrived in New York at 11:00 Thursday morning and took a cab to the Royalton hotel. While they were only going to be there for a few days, Brian still insisted on superior lodging. They were allowed to check in early and Brian led Justin to the bedroom and pushed him on the bed. Justin sat on the bed, too excited about the day's events to relax. While Brian never missed an opportunity to have sex with Justin, he knew their time was limited and they could enjoy each other later. He leaned over and took Justin's face between his hands, bringing it to his face and kissing his lips softly. Justin returned the kiss, gentle and filled with love. He was enjoying this lighter side of Brian, and he knew that this was just a facet of his partner that only he got to enjoy.
"We better get to Carol's. The apartment's close to the bank but we want to do a walk through before we sign the papers."
"Walk through. I thought we had all the measurements we needed. Why do we need to do a walk through?"
"Ah yes. Your mom may be a realtor, but you obviously have not paid attention to most things she has said about her work." Brian took a heavy sigh and proceeded to explain as he unzipped his garment bag and hung up his suit and pants. "When someone buys property they want to take one last look at the place before they sign on the dotted line. Sometimes things happen between initial look and the closure. There could be whole in the walls that were blocked by a door or furniture or there could be damage to other areas that were not seen the first time. Therefore a final look through is always done before you take on the loan." He finished unpacking his suitcase and stored it in the closet. He hated living out of a suitcase even for a few days and always unpacked so he knew where his clothes and toiletries were. This also allowed him time to send his clothing to the laundry in the hotel if he needed it pressed for a meeting or dinner with a client.
"Ok. That makes sense. So what time do we have to do this ‘walk through'?"
"3:00 should give us plenty of time to go to the apartment and then be at the bank by 4:00."
"It will be almost noon when we get to Carol's. I guess we better leave. You owe me a blow job," Justin smiled and got off the bed. He followed Brian out of the bedroom and watched as he pulled the door closed.
When they arrived at Carol's, they were ushered into her office after just a few minutes wait.
"Justin," she kissed his cheek in a friendly greeting. "I wasn't expecting you until next week. I hope you're here with good news."
They moved to the small glass table in her office and Justin took out the flash-drive in his pocket. Brian frowned when he saw the flash drive's location, feeling it should have been in a more secure place, but didn't say anything. This was Justin's work and he should allow him to perform it as he saw fit.
"Everything is fine. We were in town to sign the paperwork for our new apartment and to scout a place for our wedding, so we thought we'd come here too." He grinned at the casual tone he managed to pull off even though he was very proud to be saying those words to someone outside their little family.
"Congratulations. I know you must be very excited. When is the wedding? I can't imagine planning a wedding and finishing your work for the show at the same time. Things have changed for the better in just the short time since I saw you last. I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks. We're getting married the same weekend as the show. All of our family will be at the show so we thought it would be a great time. I brought some pictures of my current work."
Carol brought over her tablet to the table and Justin plugged in his flash-drive so she could view the slides.
"These are wonderful. I know this show will be a success. I'm glad you were able to return to painting. I expect you here a few days before the show, say Wednesday. The show is on Friday evening and that should be sufficient time for interviews and any last minute details."
Justin felt a slight chill run through his body at the mention of interviews and Brian reached under the table and grabbed his hand, giving it a little squeeze of support. Justin turned toward him and dipped his head and smiled a tentative smile. He was so thankful that Brain intuitively read his unease and sought to provide the support he needed. Brian was his soul mate and he was so thrilled that their time was now.
"I'll be there." Justin looked at Brian and they shared a moment of triumph, overcoming many hurdles to get to this point and the look between them was priceless. "We just stopped by for a moment. We have to be going. I'll see you in a week or so."
Carol stood up and walked them to the door of her office. She knew that Justin's show would be wonderful and the beginning of a great career. In the short time she'd known the young man, she'd seen such potential and strength and was happy to be representing such a talented man. He had a supportive partner who appeared to understand his needs and she doubted there would be issues with his soon to be fame.
They walked the few blocks to a corner deli and ordered sandwiches; corned beef for Justin and a turkey for Brian. Finding a corner table near the back of the deli, they sat as they waited for their number to be called. Justin watched the people in the deli, racing to order and find a seat while their sandwiches were being prepared. Everyone in New York always seemed to be in a hurry. He was thankful he did not have to deal with that anymore. His mind returned to Carol's comment about interviews and he felt his heart race a little at that thought of having to talk to Tim Callen again.
"He won't bother you," Brian said as he watched Justin.
"Number 57," a man yelled from behind the counter. Brian looked at his ticket and realized it was their order.
"I'll get it. You stay here and keep the table."
Justin nodded his head in acknowledgment but only half heard Brian's command.
Brian handed Justin his sandwich and a cup of soda. Justin unwrapped his sandwich and then opened the top piece of bread to look inside. Placing the bread back on the sandwich he took a bite and smiled as the familiar flavors of corned beef and mustard hit his tongue.
"He won't bother you. Trust me," Brian repeated his earlier statement.
"How can you be sure? He has nothing to lose."
Brian bit into his sandwich, not really tasting it as he was more concerned with the conversation at hand. "I know people. It isn't in his best interest to remind you of your dancing. He knows you in a professional capacity and that is where he needs to protect his reputation. He's a well-known art critic and his job is to interview up and coming artists as well as established ones. It would be counterproductive to bring up your past. No one cares about how you supported yourself before your big break."
Justin took another bite of his sandwich and swallowed. He looked at the crowd and mulled over Brian's words. "People will be interested in my paintings not how I used to make my money to pay the bills."
"Exactly. I used to have a paper route when I was in college and I also worked in a Big Q on weekends. Do you think any of my accounts would be interested in that information?"
"You worked at the Big Q?" Justin asked incredulously. "Does Michael know?"
"I needed money and it was easy. I could work around my soccer schedule. Michael just knows I had a stocking job."
"Wow. So why do you give him such shit about the Big Q?"
"Because I worked there in college to pay my bills. He was working there in his late 20's as a potential career. There is a big difference. Now that he owns the comic book store, I don't give him as much grief."
"Sure you do. You tell him all the time that running a comic book store is way easier than running Kinnetik."
"He knows I'm proud of him and Red Cape. It's all in fun."
"Well, he's your friend." Justin wasn't going to argue the point. He knew that Michael and Brian's friendship was an area that he would never truly understand and lately, he would rather not be a part of it, even as a third party as he thought Michael did not want the same things for Brian as he did.
"Has the beast been placated? Can we go to the apartment and look around? We only have a little time. Our meeting with Carol ran longer than I thought it would."
Justin took the last bite of his sandwich and swallowed the last of his soda. Gathering his trash, he took it to the trash can and nodded toward the door. Brian followed suit and they were soon in another cab on their way to the apartment.
They had called the super to let them in and he met them at the door. The walk through didn't take very long as everything was as it should be. Justin closed his eyes as he envisioned their new purchases in the rooms.
"I think the couch should go here," he said as he pointed to an area in the living room. "This time we don't have to mimic having sex over the back; we can actually do it," Justin smiled mischievously as he remembered their shopping trip.
"Oh, I don't know. I was thinking it should go by the island. That way we can keep the lube and condoms in the drawer."
"That's an idea, too. When will the stuff be delivered? Do we need to be here?"
"We'll get the keys tonight after the closing. We can have them deliver the furniture on Saturday. That way it will be here when you have to come back for the show."
Justin pinched his arm and Brian frowned at him.
"Yes, it is real. We are going to soon be the proud owners of New York real estate," Brian assured Justin. Brian's phone beeped, notifying him of an upcoming appointment. He looked at the phone and saw the reminder for the closing. "Time to go, Sunshine."
They closed the door and rode the elevator down, catching another cab to the bank. They reviewed the papers with the representative and signed 20 different forms and were given the keys to their new home.
"We own an apartment in New York," Justin said as they left the small room.
"We do. I think it calls for a celebration. Let's go back to the hotel and celebrate in style. Tomorrow we'll take care of the wedding."
They returned to the hotel and spent the next several hours celebrating their triumphs and accomplishments.