Cat and Mouse

Part 5

Justin entered the movie rental store looking for something entertaining that he and Daphne could watch that night. He thought maybe he'd get "Elf". It was a Christmas movie but he was feeling nostalgic and homesick. He was looking forward to going back to Cape Cod for a few days before classes officially started. Maybe a funny Christmas movie would be just what he needed.

As he rounded the aisle in the section where older movies were stocked, he pulled up short. There ahead of him was Brian Kinney looking at a movie that he had just removed from the shelf.

"Stalking me again?" Brian asked without looking up.

"It's you who's stalking me."

"I was here first."

"So you like movies as well as books?" Justin asked deciding he would never win in a battle with Brian.

"Some."

"What are you looking at?"

"Don Juan de Marco"

Justin frowned. "What's that?"

"Hmm, at long last, a topic that you're not an expert on."

"I never said I was an expert on anything," Justin protested.

Brian looked up into the blue eyes and smirked. Justin felt his color rise, and he wanted to smack that look off Brian's sarcastic face. Justin turned to go look in another aisle.

"I could tell you about Don Juan if you want to learn something," Brian offered not sure why he wanted the blond to stay close. "You might be interested."

"I might? I never heard of the movie. Why would it interest me?"

"Because it has Johnny Depp and Marlon Brando."

"I like Johnny Depp," Justin said.

"Who doesn't?"

"So what's this movie about?"

"It's kind of a quirky love story. Marlon is a little past his prime but it's still entertaining."

"That's not much of an explanation."

"Johnny Depp thinks he's Don Juan, the greatest lover in all history."

"But Don Juan was straight."

"Maybe. You can't be the world's greatest lover if you haven't experienced everything," Brian said sticking his tongue in his cheek.

"You mean…?" Justin's eyes opened very wide.

"Could be."

"You are evil," Justin said with a little laugh.

"So I've been told."

Justin stared at Brian thinking about the man's reputation as a great lover too, well, great fuck. He wondered if that had anything to do with Brian's interest in the film.

"What are you looking for?" Brian asked bringing Justin out of his thoughts.

"Um…"

"What? I told you what I was getting."

"You'll just make fun of me."

"Try me and see," Brian said looking into Justin's eyes.

Justin sucked his gut in and said. "I thought I might rent 'Elf'."

"Hm, don't know that one."

"It's a Christmas movie."

"In August?"

"I … I was feeling a little … nostalgic and thought I might like to watch something about Christmas."

Brian snorted. "I don't do Christmas."

"You don't like Christmas?"

"Don't like it, don't do it, don't do nostalgia either."

"Oh!"

Brian almost felt the need to explain himself. He wasn't sure why because he never explained himself. He said what he thought and that was the end of it. Maybe it was the uncomfortable look on Justin's face, like someone had just revealed to him that there is no Santa.

"So what's 'Elf' about?" Brian asked trying to change the subject to something more neutral.

"Um … it's about a baby that is really a human and is raised by the elves at the North Pole. He thinks he's an elf even though he's six feet tall."

"A dumb little fucker, I take it, as elves go," Brian smirked.

"Not really, he's mostly just naïf."

"And you like naïve?"

Justin took his turn to snort. "I like Will Farrell," he said by way of explanation.

"Is he the guy from Saturday Night Live?" Brian asked with a frown.

"Don't tell me that you're actually home on Saturday nights to have seen SNL?"

"On the rare occasion."

"I bet," Justin said sarcastically. He wondered why he was even standing here talking to this man that he had vowed to stay away from. The problem was that more and more he didn't want to stay away from Brian.

"Why don't you come back to my loft and we could watch each movie and compare notes." Brian felt his mouth drop open slightly. Where the fuck had that come from? Why was he suddenly asking this kid, this stranger to come to his home? And he had not even been thinking about fucking him. Well, maybe a little bit. Maybe a lot! But he also liked the idea of watching the movie with this man/child … either before or after he fucked him.

"I … I don't think that would be a good idea," Justin said hesitantly. Some part of him wanted to go, but his better sense told him not to.

"I only have good ideas," Brian said sarcastically.

"Not in this case," Justin retorted suddenly feeling defensive. "I better go find my movie." He started to walk away.

"Justin," Brian called. Justin turned and looked back. "Meet you here tomorrow; same time, same Bat channel, and we can switch the movies. Maybe then we can compare."

Justin felt the smile take over his face. "Sure," he replied and disappeared around the end of the shelf.

Brian felt that disturbing clench in his chest. That kid had the most fucking amazing smile he had ever seen. Brian shook his head and took his movie to the counter. What the fuck was he doing? He wished he knew, but apparently he had made a date for tomorrow evening. He chuckled in spite of himself as he paid for the movie and walked out of the store without seeing Justin again.

Justin didn't tell Daphne about his encounter with Brian. He still wasn't too sure about meeting Brian the following day, but he knew he wanted to. Something about the man attracted him, as much as his fear kept him away. He didn't want to be hurt, to be discarded. He couldn't stand that. He had to be careful.

When Justin entered the movie store the next day he wondered if Brian would actually be there. It would be just like the man to have been playing with him. He could imagine standing in the store for hours on end, looking like a complete fool, while he waited for someone who had no intention of coming.

Justin scanned the store and didn't see Brian anywhere. His heart fell. His fears were going to be realized. The man was making a fool of him. He decided he'd do one tour of the store and then leave. No way was he going to wait for the bastard.

As he approached the main desk at the end of his round, Justin saw the door to the store open and Brian Kinney walked in. He felt himself grin like an idiot. He didn't understand why the fact that the man had simply kept their appointment filled him with such pleasure.

Brian looked up to see Justin standing near the checkout desk. The smile on his face lit up the store and went straight to Brian's groin. Brian had intended to make Justin wait, like he made everybody else wait for him, but when he had observed Justin enter the store, he had had to follow. He felt himself smiling in return.

"Let's get out of here," Brian said as he approached the blond.

Justin frowned but answered, "Okay."

They exited the store with Justin trailing slightly behind.

"Where are we going?" Justin asked.

"Back to my place."

Justin stopped. "No," he said.

"Pardon me?"

"I said no."

"I heard you, but why?"

"I … I don't want to," Justin said. That was the truth, sort of.

"I thought we were going to talk about the movies. We could watch them together."

"I said yesterday that I would watch them by myself."

"I see," Brian said sarcasm dripping from his tongue. "You're still afraid of me."

"Shouldn't I be?"

"No, not really." Some part of him really meant that. He didn't want to hurt this boy, but he did want him.

"I'm not ready to trust you," Justin stated.

"Then run along home, little boy. I don't have time for this nonsense." Brian turned and started to walk away.

"Brian," Justin said hesitantly. He wasn't sure he had said it loud enough for Brian to hear him.

"What?" Brian snapped stopping but not turning back to face Justin.

"Couldn't we talk over there in the park?"

"What the fuck for? Three words out of my mouth and you'll fucking take off again."

"I … I won't. I promise."

Brian let out a long sigh. He didn't know why the fuck he was even considering going to the park with this kid. He turned to face Justin and then he knew. He wanted this boy in a deep and demanding way. But more than that he wanted to know Justin, and not just in the Biblical sense. He wanted to know everything about him. Justin seemed so bright and untouched by a lot of the crap that was forever bombarding the inhabitants of Brian's world.

"Okay," Brian said and they began to walk towards the nearest bench in the park. "Was 'Elf' any fucking good?"

Justin chuckled. "It was kind of dumb, but Will Farrell is so likeable. I found myself rooting for him to be the elf he thought he was."

"Sometimes one performance can save a movie," Brian observed.

"Is that true in 'Don Juan de Marco'? Did Brando save the movie?"

"No, as I said before, he's s bit past his prime, but he sure knows how to control a scene. It's really an interesting movie."

"Is Johnny Depp really Don Juan?"

They sat down on the bench not too close together but within easy reach.

"I'm not going to tell you that. I want to hear what you think."

"Is this a test?"

"Maybe," Brian replied with a little smirk.

Justin always found that smirk very disconcerting. The need to run became much stronger when he saw it. However, he had promised not to do that.

"What do I win if I get it right?"

Before Brian could stop himself he said, "I'll buy you dinner."

Justin's eyes opened wide. "You will?"

Brian wanted to take it back, but he knew he couldn't. "That's what I said."

"Then give me the movie. I have work to do," Justin said standing up.

Brian grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the bench. "It's only a fucking dinner, and you said you wouldn't run away."

"I wasn't running," Justin said with a smile. He stared into Brian's golden eyes wondering why he found them so fascinating. "I was just going to go home and watch the movie so I could earn my prize." Justin's smile was electric.

Brian felt the breath catch in his chest. Jesus, what was the matter with him? Justin wasn't even his type. And yet, there was something about him. "Come back to my place and watch it with me," Brian gasped his voice ruling his better judgment.

Justin hesitated. Part of him wanted to go to the loft with this beautiful man, and that part was definitely attached to his cock which throbbed incessantly in his shorts. But his head told him that that would be a mistake and he usually listened to his head. What could he say? "Could we just talk here?" Justin asked.

Brian decided he better not push it or Justin would be gone in a flash. "What shall we talk about - what to wear to the cotillion or why the Republicans are the assholes of the world?"

"Um … neither," Justin chuckled.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"I was wondering why you gave me the time of day," Justin said slowly looking at the ground.

Brian was startled by that admission. "You … you're quite attractive in a juvenile, skittish, undefined kind of way."

Justin frowned. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"Damned if I know! I just made it up."

"You're … you're such an enigma."

"Why that's positively the sweetest thing anybody's ever called me," Brian said actually meaning it.

"What do they usually call you?"

"Asshole, arrogant bastard, heartless dickhead."

"Wow!"

"Wow?"

"Who calls you that?"

"My friends."

"What do your enemies call you?"

"Same thing. There's little difference."

"I … I don't get it. You seem nice enough when you let yourself be."

"Like now?" Brian asked.

"Yeah."

"It's just a ploy to get you back to my place."

"What?" Justin asked looking once again into Brian's eyes.

"I'm only being truthful."

"That's what scares me," Justin admitted. "Why do you say things like that?"

"I want you to know where you stand. I never force anyone to do anything they don't choose to do."

"You don't?" Brian nodded. "So if I asked you to stop at some point, you would?"

Brian thought for a minute. "Yes."

Justin leaned towards Brian and his hand went behind Brian's head drawing the man's face to meet his. Their mouths met with that impact they had felt at Babylon. Both were totally swept up in the deluge of feelings that coursed through them. Their lips burned as they pressed together. Justin felt Brian's tongue probing for entrance and he relaxed and let him in. Brian's tongue swirled around his own tongue and explored the inside of his moist, warm mouth. Justin gasped wanting to come in his underwear. He shoved Brian away gasping for breath and fighting for control.

"Stop," he gasped.

"Wasn't that good for you?" Brian asked with a smirk which he used to cover his own lack of control and scrambled emotions. Justin's lips on his had hit him like a ton of bricks. He could only imagine what he would feel when his dick was up the blond's ass.

"Awesome," Justin gasped.

"Then don't stop," Brian said pulling the boy against his chest and finding those amazing lips with his own.

This time the kiss was slower, but the intensity built to the boiling point. Finally they had to back away or go up in flames. Justin wasn't the one to stop them this time.

"Fuck," Brian breathed as he sucked in some air.

"You can say that again," Justin agreed.

"Come home with me," Brian asked once again.

"I … I can't."

"Yes, you can. Just do it."

Justin shook his head. He could feel the tears well up. He really did want to go with Brian. Why did he have to be so rational about everything? Why couldn't he just do what he wanted to? Why did he always have to dwell on the bad side of things? Why did he have to be so afraid?

Brian stood and took Justin's hand pulling him to his feet. "You're coming with me," Brian stated.

Justin followed Brian for several steps before he stopped and pulled his hand away from Brian's. "Brian, no, not yet. I've liked talking to you. I like you, but I'm not ready for this."

"Oh, you're ready all right."

"I mean that I don't want to be your next easy fuck. I can't so that."

"And just what do you think you want to be?" Brian asked with a frown.

"I … I don't know … something more."

"I don't think I can do that."

Justin shrugged. He didn't know how to answer that.

"So we've reached an impasse," Brian stated.

"Looks that way."

"So this time you didn't run, just like you promised," Brian said allowing the sarcasm in his tone to say much more. "But the end effect is exactly the same as if you had."

"No, no it's not. I'm not running away. I'm stating where I stand."

"And that's supposed to fucking make me feel better?" Brian demanded. "You taking a stand won't take care of the hard on we each have in our pants. This is fucked!"

"Yeah, I guess it is," Justin said in a defeated voice. "Very fucked!"

"Here's the damn movie," Brian said shoving 'Don Juan de Marco' at Justin. "Don't forget to return it before Friday." He turned to walk away.

"Don't you want 'Elf' in return?" Justin asked in a shaky voice.

"Fuck 'Elf', and fuck you!"

Brian marched off without a backward glance.

Justin stuffed the DVD in his messenger bag and headed back towards his apartment.