Cat and Mouse

Part 11

Brian sat in the little hidden area on the beach. His head was reeling and all he could hear were the words Justin had spoken. "I love you." The words reverberated over and over through his mind. How could Justin say that? How could anyone love him? He was an asshole. Everybody told him that everyday. But Justin had said it. And the funny thing was that somewhere deep inside him, in places he usually never let himself go, he was happy to have heard it … even if the boy had run away and been sorry that he had blurted it out. It still felt good to have heard those words.

It was a struggle to get his wet bathing suit back on, but Brian did it as quickly as he could. He knew he needed to go after Justin. It was impossible to imagine what the frightened boy might do. Brian tugged at the wet material which rolled in on itself and refused to budge. He struggled harder and finally got it moving up his legs to his thighs. As Brian finally got the scrap of material up over his ass, he breathed out a sigh of annoyance and strain before he cursed fluently and shook the sand out of his towel.

Brian began the climb up the hill to the B and B. He was pretty sure that Justin would go there because that was home and safety. But where in the rambling old house would he go? Brian occupied his bedroom, so he would hardly go there, even if that was where he would have likely gone in the past. He was staying in his mother's room, but he wouldn't want her to see him upset. Brian could imagine how reluctant Justin would be to explain what had happened on the beach. He wondered if there was another part of the B and B that Justin might hide in. Maybe Jennifer would know, but how could he ask her without having to explain. He didn't want to do that anymore than Justin would.

Justin climbed the ladder to the attic and pulled the steps up behind him. He wanted to take a shower but more than anything he didn't want anybody to find him. The attic was hot, all the heat getting trapped up there. He pulled off his towel and tried to wipe away the sand that coated different parts of his body. The sand was in the most awkward places. Finally he dropped the towel and brushed his hand over his ass feeling the sand drop away from his skin. He used his fingers to clean around his cock and his hole. As he did so he felt himself grow hard. That was where Brian's fingers had been only moments ago.

Justin felt his shoulders slump and he sat down heavily on an old trunk. He leaned his elbows on his knees and hung his head. Cleaning up was forgotten. The tears started to drop one after the other. He saw them fall onto the towel on the floor beneath his feet. They were silent and sad just like he was. He had never experienced anything like the feel of Brian's mouth on his dick. He had wanted it to last forever. But it hadn't. And he had run away again, run from the most important moment in his life. He had said something that had scared Brian as much as it had scared him. Obviously the man didn't love him or wasn't ready to try to love him, not if his reaction had been any kind of clue to his feelings.

When Brian reached the top of the hill he stared up at the B and B. It was quite a large building and he really had no idea where to find Justin. He wasn't even sure that Justin was inside. He stood still trying to figure out what to do. After a minute he shook his head and decided he better go in, shower, get some clothes on and then go looking for Justin. He sucked in a breath and headed for the front door praying he wouldn't meet Jennifer.

Justin picked up the towel at his feet and wiped it across his face. Sometimes he was such a baby. He looked around the attic wondering what he was going to do. His clothes were down in his mother's room and he really needed a shower. He hadn't heard anyone moving around in the house. Maybe his mother was out. Maybe he could sneak down to her room, have a quick shower and grab some clothes. He headed for the stairs that would take him back to the main part of the house.

Brian opened the door of the B and B. He held it open listening. There didn't seem to be any sounds that he could discern. He stepped inside and quietly closed the door behind him. He started towards the stairs when he thought he heard a noise from somewhere up above. He stood still and listened.

Justin released the folding steps and they landed with a soft thud on the hallway carpet below. He listened not hearing any noise or movement from anywhere in the house. He started down the steps.

The steps from the attic came out into the hallway that led to his mother's room and also his old bedroom. Once he got to the bottom he would make a dash for his mother's bedroom. He clutched the towel in his hands as he climbed down the ladder from the attic.

Brian went up the stairs quickly, thinking it would be better to reach the relative safety of his room than worry about being quiet with each step. He reached the landing and turned to go up the last rise of steps. As he reached the last step and turned to start down the hall, he stopped in his tracks.

There in front of him, naked ass in all its glory, was Justin climbing down the ladder from the attic. Brian stood mesmerized as he watched the naked boy descend. His thoughts wandered to mythological images of gods rising from the sea or descending from the mountain tops. They had nothing on a naked Justin.

As Justin reached the last step, Brian cleared his throat. Justin froze as if caught in the sight of a rifle. He turned to look at Brian pulling his towel around his hips as he stepped onto the carpet. He shoved the folding steps back up into the attic and turned away to go to his mother's room.

"Justin," Brian said softly.

"What?"

"We need to talk."

"I'm all talked out. Go away."

"No, no, I can't. I think you misunderstood my reaction to what you said."

"I think I understood perfectly," Justin replied moving towards safety at the end of the hall. He could feel Brian following him.

"You startled me."

"No shit!"

"I wasn't prepared for what you said."

"Neither was I."

"Oh?"

"Just go back to Pittsburgh and leave me alone," Justin said as he reached the door to Jennifer's bedroom.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"What … what do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm staying here. We have to sort this out."

Justin snorted. "Like there's anything to sort out. I'm an idiot and you're an asshole."

Brian winced. "I'm trying not to be."

"Well, you're not succeeding, and I've had enough, more than enough."

"Justin, please…" Brian tried, hating the sound of pleading in his voice. But even that did no good. The door to Jennifer's apartment closed behind the disappearing blond. "Fuck!" Brian whispered to the empty hallway. He turned back and went into his room to shower.

Justin closed the door and leaned back against it. His head swam. He wondered what he could do now that Brian had found him. He would take his shower, but then what? He was trapped in his mother's room. If he went out, he knew Brian would be waiting. He sighed and headed for the shower.

Brian sat on the bed waiting to hear if Justin came out of his mother's room. When he heard no movement he took off his wet bathing suit. He thought he heard the shower go on, probably Justin. He groaned wishing he was in the shower with the blond. He decided he better have his own shower and then he could wait for Justin to come out of the hole in which he was currently hiding. His little mouse would not get away again.

Justin let the warm water pour over him. He needed to decide what he was going to do. He wanted to get away from Brian. That was priority number one. He could go back to Pittsburgh and hole up in his apartment with Daphne. Brian would go back there too, but Justin could make Daphne keep Brian away from him. That would be the least she could do, having been responsible for Brian coming after him in the first place. Sometimes that girl just didn't know when to leave well enough alone.

Brian leaned his head back allowing the water to hit him in the face. Maybe it would knock some sense into his addled brain. He had no idea anymore what he was doing in Cape Cod. Everything that had seemed to be going so right had suddenly gone all wrong. He should just go back to Pittsburgh and forget about Justin Taylor. He would call that Daphne girl and tell her to stay the fuck out of his business. If only he could get thoughts of Justin out of his head. His hand reached involuntarily for his dick as he pictured Justin naked in the shower a few doors away.

Justin's hand slid down his dick and he started stroking himself. He would be so much better off if he could get the thought of Brian Kinney out of his head. He kept reliving what they had done on the beach. The feel of Brian's body against his own, their kisses, the blowjobs! Those images would not be driven away no matter what he did, so here he was jerking off as he envisioned Brian in his shower probably jacking off too. He came with a mighty groan.

Brian's hand worked faster and faster as the memory of Justin's lips on his cock swept through his brain. He remembered them kissing and sucking on the beach. He felt the rush that Justin's lips had caused. He pulled his dick hard a couple of times and shot his load imagining it disappearing down the throat of a slim blond who was so near and yet so far away.

Justin dried himself off and got some clothes from the small space his mother had allocated for him in her closet. When he was dressed he sat down on the chair in front of his mother's desk. He stared at the phone that sat there wondering if he should call Daphne. Maybe she could advise him what to do.

Brian sat down on the edge of the bed, Justin's bed. He ran his hand across the spread wondering what it would be like to have the boy in that bed, to have his way with him, to teach Justin all the things he knew the boy wanted to learn.

"Fuck!" he grumbled feeling himself grow hard once again. This seemed to be the day of the perpetual hard-on. He wondered if there was some saint he could pray to for relief from his affliction. What would relieve it was down the hall, if only he knew how to get to him. He picked up his cell phone and dialed.

Justin waited as the phone rang. Finally he heard a voice say, "Hello."

"Is that you, Daph? You sound sleepy."

"Well, that would be because I was taking a nap," Daphne snapped.

"Sorry, sorry," Justin stammered. "I'll let you go back to it."

"Too late! I'm wide awake, so what's going on?"

"Um…"

"Justin, you called and woke me up for a reason, at least there better fucking be a reason! Now tell me. What happened?"

"Brian's here and we were getting along really great, and … and then I did something stupid."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "What did you do this time?"

"I said 'I love you'."

"To Brian?" she shrieked. "No fucking way!"

"Yes, fucking way. I told you it was stupid."

"What did he do?"

"He kind of froze … right in the middle of … something."

"Something? You mean like in the middle of fucking you?"

"We hadn't got quite that far."

"Holy shit! What did you do?"

Justin felt the heat rise in his cheeks. "Guess."

"You ran away!"

"Yeah."

"Fuck, Justin, you just said it and then took off?"

"Basically."

"So what are you doing now?"

"Hiding in my mother's room. Brian's down the hall in my old room."

"You should go down there and talk to him."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can!"

"I can't, Daph. He didn't want to hear the 'love' thing. I shouldn't have said it. I can't face him."

"Yes, you can, and you must have felt it if you said it. So, face the truth and go talk to him."

"But he doesn't feel the same."

"How do you know that?"

"I … I just know."

"Have you seen him since?"

"Just for a minute."

"Did he say anything?"

"He said we needed to talk."

"Well, duh! Isn't that the same thing I'm telling you? So, do it … talk!"

"I don't think I can."

"Justin, I think Brian could love you. I know he doesn't want to hurt you. Go talk to him."

"How do you know those things?"

"Because I wasn't too afraid to talk to him."

"And he told you all that?"

"No, but I could tell."

"See, you don't know anything. He can't love me. I'm not even sure he would want to try."

"Don't be such a pessimist. For once in your life be brave and give it a shot. I think he's worth it."

"I think he is too. But I don't think I can."

"Go for it. Do you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Then go down that hall and knock on his door and take destiny into your own hands. You can do it, Justin. And if you don't, it's something you will regret for the rest of your life."

The line went dead as Daphne cut the connection. Justin held the phone looking at it like something that might leap up and bite him. He knew Daphne was right. Brian was what he wanted, if only he could put his fears behind him and take a chance. But no matter what Daphne said he didn't think he could walk down that hall and face Brian. He let the phone slide gently back into its cradle.

Meanwhile back in Justin's room, Brian was flipping his cell phone open and closed. After he had dialed the number he had snapped the phone shut cutting the connection. He wasn't sure who he wanted to talk to or if he wanted to talk to anyone at all.

Once again he opened the phone and hit number one in the memory. This time he let it ring.

"Hey! Where are you?"

"Hi Mikey. I'm on vacation," Brian smirked.

"Vacation? When the fuck did you start taking vacations? Usually you only travel as far as the backroom at Babylon."

Brian felt a touch of anger at Michael's comment. "I guess things change," he said trying to keep his voice even.

"But not you," Michael said confidently.

"Not me?"

"We can always rely on you to be fucking and sucking every night," Michael laughed.

"Is that so?" Brian asked through gritted teeth. It was one thing for him to state that he never changed and would never let anyone force him to adjust his lifestyle. It was entirely something else for Michael to tell him he would never change. Michael didn't run his fucking life.

"Are you still there?" Michael asked as the long pause continued.

"I'm here."

"So where's here. Where are you?"

"Cape Cod."

"Cape fucking Cod? What the fuck are you doing there with all the tourists who must have swamped the place this weekend?"

"Soaking up a little sun," Brian said non-committally.

"And eating a little ass, fucking a few holes?" Michael chuckled.

"Michael!" Brian warned.

"I hope you take lots of pictures. How many hot guys in their little Speedos have you fucked so far?"

"Michael!" Brian repeated.

"Next time you decide to have a vacation, let me know. I might like to come with you."

"Instead of going with your mother to the Poconos? How could you pass that up?" Brian asked sarcastically.

"Is something wrong, Brian?" Michael asked finally picking up on the tone of Brian's voice.

"Why ever would you ask that?" Brian sniped.

"Brian, what's going on?"

"Absolutely nothing … that involves you."

Brian flipped his phone shut and rubbed his hand across his eyes. For his supposed best friend Michael was awfully dense sometimes.

Justin sat at the desk staring off into space. How could Daphne expect him to go confront Brian? That might be how Daphne would handle the situation, but she knew that Justin would never do that. And yet he could see what she was getting at. Brian had wanted to talk and he had made it clear that he wasn't going to leave. Brian didn't run away like some other little mouse that Justin knew only too well.

Brian lay back on his bed. He needed to think. He could go charging down the hall and pound on the door behind which Justin had disappeared. He could pound until Justin opened the door. "Yeah, Kinney, that is some bright idea," he mumbled to himself. He knew how skittish and scared Justin was. Him pounding on the fucking door would only make matters worse. He could go down there and call softly to Justin through the door. Maybe gentle words could get the boy to open the door and let him in. Maybe the best thing he could do was to pack his bags and get the fuck out of Dodge. Justin was afraid of him and he obviously didn't know how to handle the young man or this whole fucking situation. Those were his three choices. Now all he had to do was pick the one that made the most sense, and would not mean a lifetime of regret because he didn't do regret, as everyone knew. "Shit!" he called out to the empty room.

Justin stood up and walked across the room to the door. He placed his hand on the knob and then hesitated. If he opened this door and went down the hall to face Brian what could he possibly say to make things right?

Brian slid off the bed and walked to the door of the room. His hand encircled the knob and he started to turn it. He sucked in a breath and stopped. What was he going to say when he got to the room at the end of the hall? He didn't have a clue. Justin had said he loved him. It must have been a spur of the moment kind of reaction to their … fucking. Lovemaking had first come to his mind, but it couldn't be that, could it? He didn't do love. He didn't even know what the fuck love was supposed to be. And he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He had watched supposed love screw up so many lives already. It always ended in bitterness and acrimony. People who supposedly loved each other learned to hate each other instead. What was it that he felt for Justin Taylor? What was it that had brought him all the way to Cape Cod to seek out the boy? Why was he hesitating here at the door? All he was going to do was go down the hall and try to talk to the young man. Why did it seem like the most difficult and important task of his life?

Justin turned the knob of the door still hesitant to open it. He knew something crucial to his life was about to happen. It could be the difference between a life of fear and a life of … love. He was sure now that he did love Brian Kinney. What he wasn't sure of was what Brian Kinney felt for him, that is, if he felt anything at all. But what Brian felt was Brian's problem and concern. What Justin felt was what he had decided to act on. It was now or never. He turned the doorknob.

Down the hall Brian twisted the knob on his door.