Brian walked into the gym to appraising glances from several of the newer members of the establishment. He had been feeling a little less than par since Justin had rejected him on the dance floor at Babylon. He thought maybe a little work on tightening his abs and developing his pecs might make him feel better. A little extracurricular activity in the steam room wouldn't hurt either.

He headed for the weights which he always did first when he was on his own. A glance at the bench press told him it was occupied. He groaned inwardly. He hated waiting. Another glance to see if the guy might be finished soon and he realized that it was Justin who was pressing the barbell above his head.

Maybe this was the opportunity to try to make amends to the blond. Brian approached cautiously.

"Hey," he said.

Justin glanced up and his face hardened. "Fuck off," was all he said.

"Justin, I..." Brian didn't know how to continue.

"Just leave me alone. I've had enough of your games."

"I wish it were that simple," Brian muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Justin asked sitting up.

Brian realized that he had said that aloud. He also saw that it had got the blond's attention. He decided to take the bull by the horns so to speak. "I've been trying to say that ... I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

"Well, you did," Justin told him bluntly.

"Can ... can I make it up to you?" Brian asked feeling eminently stupid, and hoping nobody else was listening to their conversation.

"The best way you can make it up to me is to leave me alone and only speak to me when it is absolutely necessary." Justin got up from the bench and moved to another piece of equipment. He was actually pretty much finished with his workout, but he'd be damned if he'd let Brian Kinney drive him out of the gym.

"Justin," Brian tried again, but he was immediately cut off.

"Apparently your apology doesn't mean very much, since you've already broken the things I asked you to do."

"You have no idea what that apology cost," Brian said and shook his head. He started to move away deciding that maybe it was best if he put the blond entirely out of his mind. If only that was possible.

"Wait," he heard a voice say from behind him. "Since you haven't made me flustered or embarrassed since you started talking to me, maybe I'll take pity on you." Justin watched Brian's eyebrows shoot up at the word pity. He thought that would get Brian's attention. He had talked to Debbie several times about Brian Kinney and from what she had told him, Brian never apologized, so the fact that he had must be significant. He also knew that a man like Brian would not want anyone's pity, but he had deliberately used that word to see what Brian would do.

"So what are you going to do?" Brian asked hesitantly.

"I thought I might let you buy me coffee after I have a shower."

A slight smile played at the corner of Brian's lips. "That sounds like a plan."

Justin smiled. Brian had taken the bait. He would like to have coffee with the man and find out more about him. He could be very nice when he wasn't being an asshole. "I'm going to shower."

"I'll be waiting," Brian replied as he watched Justin walk away.

Justin smiled to himself. He knew Brian hadn't even started his workout, so that meant that having coffee with him had moved up on the Brian Kinney scale of things to do. For some reason that gave him enormous pleasure.

When Justin emerged from the change rooms a while later, he saw Brian all dressed and sitting by the front door. He casually walked over. "Ready?" he asked with a smile.

Brian got up and pushed the door open holding it for Justin. Justin smiled more broadly and walked through. He was sure people in the gym must be watching this little encounter and wondering what the fuck had gotten into Brian Kinney. Justin felt positively warm inside.

They walked along the street until they came to a Starbucks. Justin looked at Brian who nodded. Justin waited and Brian once again held the door open for him. They ordered their coffees and found a secluded corner table to sit at.

Brian took a sip of his coffee wondering what the fuck he was going to say now. He couldn't believe that he had held the doors for Justin and acted like a contrite little wuss. He was top dog on Liberty Avenue, but this blond was making him act like a whipped puppy. Funny though, being here with Justin seemed to make that all right.

"So ... why did you apologize?" Justin asked deciding to be blunt and find out what Brian wanted.

"I'm ... not sure," Brian said with a crooked little grin. "I never apologize."

"So I've heard."

"From who?"

"Debbie."

"Of course," Brian said making a face.

"She also told me that I should watch out for you and keep my distance."

"She's probably right," Brian admitted shaking his head.

"Then why are we here?"

"Fuck if I know."

Justin laughed and the sound of it pleased Brian somewhere deep inside.

"So after we have coffee do you turn back into the asshole I was mad at?" Justin asked.

Brian wasn't sure how to answer that, so he chose not to. "I'd rather turn into the guy you were dancing with the other night at Babylon."

Justin looked slightly uncomfortable. "I ... I didn't know that was you behind me."

"But you were so hot."

"So were you," Justin admitted.

"Can we do that again?"

"I ... I don't think that's such a good idea," Justin said hesitantly. He actually would like nothing better, but he knew it could never be, especially what he wanted so desperately to have happen after the dance.

"Why not?"

"It just isn't."

"I've noticed that you turn everybody down, not just me."

"I'm an equal opportunity asshole," Justin said.

Brian smirked and Justin realized what that sounded like. Before he could get all flustered, Brian said with a little grin," It would be nice not to get turned down one of these times."

Justin blinked almost wanting to kiss the man for saying such a sweet thing. Not knowing what else to say or do, Justin said, "I'm finished with my coffee. Want to go for a walk?"

"Sure," Brian agreed standing up.

They walked along Liberty Avenue with no clear purpose in mind. Brian realized that he had instinctively headed towards home. He wondered how Justin would feel about that.

"Could I see your loft?" Justin said as if reading Brian's thoughts.

"Sure. Why?"

"I've heard so much about it," Justin said with a smirk.

"From whom?" Brian asked with a frown. For once he wasn't too happy about his reputation preceding him.

"Oh, Debbie and several of the guys who's come into the diner."

"Am I a constant topic of conversation?" Brian asked amused.

"Not constant, but fairly often."

"Are you sure you want to be taken inside the lair of the beast of Liberty Avenue?"

"I'll take my chances," Justin said with a chuckle. He did like Brian and his self-deprecating sense of humor, most of the time anyway.

They continued walking until Brian slowed and pulled out his key to the front door. "Here we are," he said with a wave of his arm and a bow as he held the door for Justin and ushered him inside.

Brian wondered what had come over him. He had never acted like this in his life. He wondered fleetingly if Justin Taylor could be some kind of pod person who was gradually taking over his life and turning him into a strange, compliant representation of his old self. Maybe he was becoming a Stepford Wife. He shivered at the thought, both of what Stepford represented and the thought of being someone's wife. He must be verging on insanity.

"Is something wrong?" Justin asked as they rode up in the elevator.

Brian wondered if he had twitched so noticeably that Justin had caught on. "No, why?"

"You seem ... distracted."

Brian let out a sigh of relief and pulled up the gate as the elevator came to a stop. He unlocked the door to the loft and slid it back. "Home sweet home," Brian said as they stepped inside.

"This is a great place," Justin said taking a few steps into the loft and looking around. "Great kitchen! Do you cook?"

"Obviously that's something about me that you haven't discussed with Debbie."

"I take that to mean that you don't cook?" Brian nodded. "Well, you should."

"Do you?"

"Sometimes, but I seem to be eating at the diner a lot lately."

"That food will kill you."

Justin looked thoughtful at Brian's statement but said nothing.

"Would you like a beer?" Brian asked.

"Um ... sure."

"Have a seat and I'll bring it over."

Justin sat down on the white sofa. He wondered what the hell he was doing there. He had enjoyed having coffee with Brian and the little chat they had had. He hardly ever got to talk to anybody anymore, except Daphne. Guys still hit on him quite regularly, but all they wanted was sex, and he couldn't give that ... or receive for that matter. He smiled ruefully to himself.

Brian was different somehow. He seemed to be willing to talk, and he was interesting and funny. Justin realized that he had been starved for some genuine human contact. He knew Brian wanted to have sex with him. He wondered if he would be kicked out when he told Brian that was never going to happen.

A beer appeared in front of his face. "Thanks," he said taking it. He took a sip.

"How old are you?" Brian asked suddenly.

"Almost nineteen. Why?"

"My friend Michael, Debbie's son, is sure you're only fourteen."

Justin snorted. "People always think I'm a kid, that I don't know shit."

"I never thought that."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Why did you bring me here tonight?" Justin asked his blue eyes gazing into Brian's.

"If I recall correctly," Brian said his tongue in cheek, "you asked to see the loft."

"Oh, that's right. I did." Justin looked rather sheepish.

"Maybe I should turn that question around and ask you why you are here?"

Justin gulped. How could he tell Brian what he had been thinking? He didn't know what to say. Finally he said softly, "I enjoy your company."

Brian chuckled. "That may be just about the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."

"It's true."

"Thank you," Brian said with what sounded like sincerity. "I enjoy your company too."

Justin's smile was blinding in its intensity. Brian wished for a split second that he could always feel the warm glow from that radiant smile.

"Um ... you haven't seen the bedroom yet," Brian said wondering what Justin's reaction would be.

"Maybe ... maybe another time," Justin said hesitantly. He looked longingly at the area behind the smoky partitions.

Brian watched Justin's reaction puzzled by the young man. "Will there be another time?" Brian asked.

"Um ... I could ... cook you dinner some time," Justin said hesitantly.

"I think I'd like that," Brian said with a smile.

"But you realize it's only dinner?" Justin said stressing the word only.

"Sure, how about tomorrow night?"

"I'm not working at the diner so that could be arranged."

"I have next to no food here so you better tell me what you want me to get," Brian said dreading having to go shopping.

"Why don't you meet me at the market on Liberty and we can pick out what we want for dinner. Then we'll bring it back here and I'll cook it for you."

"Are you sure? What if I picked lamb's brains as the entrée?"

"Like eating raw food alone, do you?" Justin asked wrinkling his perky nose.

Brian laughed. "I guess we could pick something more mundane like chicken."

"Chicken it is, or we might find something more interesting at the market. We can check out the specials."

Brian had never checked out the specials in his life. He didn't care enough about eating or about saving money to bother. Doing this with Justin might be interesting, virgin territory. He smiled in spite of himself.

Justin stood and moved to the loft door. "I'll be at the market at six. Does that work for you?"

"I'll make it work," Brian said pulling back the door.

Justin smiled as he stepped out turning to thank Brian for the coffee. Brian leaned in and kissed Justin softly on the lips. For a second he thought Justin was going to kiss him back, could almost feel the longing coming from the other man. Then the wall went back up and Justin turned away. He called goodbye over his shoulder as he took the stairs down. Brian stared after him wondering what he had got himself into.

-----~~~~~~~-----~~~~~~~-----~~~~~~~-----~~~~~~~-----~~~~~~~-----

At six o'clock Brian pulled into the lot at the supermarket. He saw Justin standing by the front doors of the store. He smiled for no reason at all. The kid was punctual.

"Hey," he said as he approached.

"Hey," Justin smiled.

They went inside Justin grabbing a cart.

"Are we filling that?" Brian asked with a horrified look on his face.

"We could," Justin said teasingly, "and I could move in for a month and help you eat it." Justin realized what he had said and his face reddened in embarrassment.

"Can you tell how often I shop for food?" Brian asked to cover Justin's embarrassment. "I don't think I've ever used one of these things." Brian settled behind the cart and began pushing. He could see some of the tension leave Justin's body at his words.

"I'll have to train you how to shop properly," Justin said. "You're just a neophyte who needs to learn the basics."

"Such as?"

"Always get a cart even if you only need a few things."

"Why?" Brian asked frowning.

"You really are new at this, aren't you?" Justin said chuckling and shaking his head. "The cart allows you to keep your hands free so that you can pick things up and examine them. You only want to buy fresh items." He was checking through the produce and adding items to the cart. "A cart also means you don't get tired lugging a basket which always gets too full and too heavy."

"I see," Brian smirked. He was enjoying the shopping lesson and the mini lecture.

By the time they got to the check-out they were laughing and joking with each other like comfortable old friends. Brian couldn't remember when he had had a better time.

Justin took over the kitchen when they got back to the loft. He gave Brian the job of washing and chopping vegetables for the salad. He got the chicken ready and put it in the oven. It was covered with delicious smelling fresh herbs that Justin had insisted on buying at the market. They put the completed salad in the fridge and took a couple of beers to the sofa while they waited for the chicken to cook.

"I brought you something," Justin said after they had sat in silence for a couple of minutes.

"You did? I should be the one getting you something. You're doing all the work."

"It's not exactly a gift. Oh, why don't I just show you?" Justin stood up and went to retrieve his messenger bag which he had dropped by the loft door. He fished around inside it and came back carrying a sketchbook. "I hope you like it," Justin said flipping through the pages and finally stopping at one. He handed the opened book to Brian.

Brian took the sketchbook and studied what Justin had drawn. He felt the young man sit down beside him. He could barely believe his eyes. It was a sketch of him, his face. But he looked so young and so open and so happy ... and so innocent. He could feel tears behind his eyes. He had always wanted to look and feel like that, but he didn't think he ever had, even when he was Justin's age.

"You don't like it, do you?" Justin asked taking his silence for dislike.

"It's beautiful," Brian whispered. "Do you really see this when you look at me?"

"I do," Justin whispered back, feeling warm all over that Brian did like the sketch. "Would you like to keep it?" Justin asked. Brian nodded and Justin took the sketchbook carefully pulling the page out and handing it back to Brian. Brian remained silent staring at the drawing. Justin sipped his beer not knowing what to say.

"I should check on the chicken," Justin said getting up and heading to the kitchen.

Brian took a deep breath. He didn't really know why the picture had affected him so much. All he knew was that Justin Taylor did things to his mind and his heart and his soul that no one had ever done. He knew he was getting into something that he had no experience with, something that seemed to be turning his life upside down. He wondered what the fuck he was going to do about it.

"It's ready," Justin called.

Brian tried to shake himself out of the lethargy that seemed to have overtaken his limbs. He got up and went to eat the dinner that this amazing young man had so carefully prepared.