Justin and Brian sat at the table in the kitchen. Justin pretended to look at the kitchen walls, the contrast of the white trim with the bright green drawing his eyes to them as if he's seen them for the first time. Brian, in turn, watched Justin and he worried for his partner. 

It was November and the leaves were changing colors providing a beautiful backdrop of reds, yellows, and oranges outside their window.  Brian remembered last week when Justin commented that he wanted to paint a picture of Gus in the yard.

"Justin," Brian said softly, not wanting to startle him.

Looking at Brian, Justin turned his head toward him and gave a weak smile.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Justin scrunched his face in surprise.  "Since when does Brian Kinney talk about anything?" he said. 

"I can see you are thinking and I know you when you start to think too much, you drift away in your thoughts.  I don't relish the idea of finding you again staring at the four walls, whether it is in your studio or in the kitchen.  Better to share your thoughts."

"I'm sorry."

"You know sorry is still bull shit, so why are you sorry?"

"I should have listened to you and asked for help.  If I had just asked for money, we wouldn't be here today."  Justin couldn't bear to look at Brian as he talked and stared down at the table where the morning paper was still laid out.

"Hindsight is always 20/20, Justin.  I understand why you didn't ask and I respect you for your tenacity." Brian gathered the sections of the paper and piled them on top of each other.  Getting up to freshen his coffee, he poured one for Justin as well and brought them to the table. 

"Respect.  Respect me for ruining your life.  That is an oxymoron if I ever heard one," Justin said, the bitterness in his words easily heard. Justin twirled the cup but didn't drink any of the hot liquid.  Looking inside the cup, he was mesmerized by the steam coming off the top.

"You didn't ruin my life or anyone else's.  We'll deal with this situation." Brian added several teaspoons of sugar, stirring it with a spoon.  Lifting it up, he blew on it and took a tentative sip, smiling at the familiar taste.

Justin slammed his hand on the table and winced at the slight pain that ran up his arm.  "Brian... There is a crazy guy out there who thinks we are a couple.  He has pictures of me doing a very provocative lap dance.  He is sending both of us letters telling us that he and I should be together." Brian winced as he watched Justin slam the table and knew that he would regret the motion later when he painted.  Taking another sip of his coffee, he waited for Justin to continue.

Justin stood up and paced the kitchen as his voice continued to rise. "He has pictures, Brian!!!  He could give them to any newspaper or tabloid out there.  He could post them on the Internet.  What about your business?  He knows we are partners.  He can dig a little deeper and find Kinnetik.  What happens when your accounts find out your partner is a stripper?  You'll be the laughing stock of the Pittsburgh business community. How can you sit there and say that I'm not ruining your life?"  Justin stopped his tirade and silently pleaded for answers.

Brian listened to Justin and nodded at each statement. Justin was in full Queen out mode, even though he knew that some of Justin's fears could be justified, he had already decided that his accounts knew about him and Justin and wouldn't leave his company over some pictures.  After all, if anyone cared to look into him, the clubbing and tricking life he lived before Kinnetik was much more damning than his partner being a stripper for parties and making his own way in New York.

When he was certain that Justin had finished, he walked over to him and gathered him in his arms.  Leading him to the couch in the breakfast area, he sat them down and held him for a few moments.  Gathering his words carefully he spoke in very soft tones.

"Yes, he has pictures but after talking to Daphne, I think he will keep them to himself.  He thinks you two are a couple and he doesn't want to share you.  He wouldn't share the pictures with the whole world; he'd keep them to himself to savor.  Lucky for us he is not trying to blackmail you.  If that were the case, he might sell them to the highest bidder." Brian kissed Justin on the temple and continued talking in low soothing tones.

"While this guy wants you, there may be other pictures out there and the next guy may want to sell them.  We should think about telling the public about your past.  You have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.  Even working at McDonald's can be an embarrassment to some celebrities and I bet you there are a few famous people out there who slapped burgers in their youth."

"I can't do that," Justin responded automatically. Justin leaned into Brian's chest taking comfort in the familiar embrace.  "Why did I have to be so adamant that I needed to support myself?  If only I had..."

Brian squeezed Justin and kissed his head while he ran his hand up and down his back. He'd stop mentioning going public about Justin's stripping for now, but he knew that in the long run, that would be the best solution.

"I'll be there every step of the way.  Justin, you're my partner.  That isn't going to change just because some guy has a few pictures of you doing a lap dance." Brian said in low soft tones.  He could feel Justin relaxing into his arms and was pleased that he could calm him down so fast.

"You're not mad? I thought you would be so angry."

"No, I'm not mad, with the lifestyle I had most of my adult life, do you honestly think you're stripping job will be the thing to ruin my career? I don't think so, but I am worried.  This guy knows where we live.  Maybe you should think about going to your mom's for a bit, just until we catch him."  Brian had thought a lot about Justin's safety since he and Daphne talked last night.  While he was reassuring Justin that he was safe and would be there for him, he was also aware that the guy was apparently delusional.  Delusional people did not always make rational decisions and he was worried about Justin's safety.

"I don't want to go my mom's. What if he follows me there?  It would be super creepy." Justin shook his head.

"I don't like that you're here by yourself.  He could come in here at any time."  Brian looked out the window mentally thinking about their property. "We don't even have a security system. Maybe you should go stay with Carl and Debbie."

"And listen to them having hetero sex.  I lived there once and the walls are paper thin. I'd be scarred for life."  Justin cringed, thinking about the noises he would hear if he lived there.

"I think right now we need to put the stalker to the side and find something more interesting to keep our minds occupied."

Justin smiled at the obvious change in topic but doesn't argue. 

"Sounds like a plan.  I'll race you to the bedroom."

Justin leaped from the couch and ran toward the bedroom; Brian in slow pursuit, enjoying the view of Justin's backside. While they were dealing with yet another crisis, he knew they would weather it and the most important thing was that they were together. 

When Brian climbed the stairs, Justin had ducked into their bedroom and was already unbuttoning his pants.  Brian stood at the doorway to their bedroom and watched as Justin shucked his pants and underwear and pulled off his shirt.  Justin got into bed and lay on his stomach.

"You coming?" He said as he knew Brian was watching him but had yet to come into the room and undress. 

"Soon. But before I come, I'm going to make you so hard that you'll be begging me for release."

"Mmmm," said Justin and he reached into the nightstand for the lube and condoms they kept there. 

Justin had closed his eyes wanting to enjoy the experience.  Sometimes he found the intensity of sex overpowering and enjoyed the slip into another realm when they got together.  He felt Brian's weight on the bed and sensed him hovering above him as he felt the heat emanating from his body. 

Brian started at the base of Justin's neck, massaging away the tension from the morning.  He felt the knots in Justin's back and shoulders and pushed gently but firmly on them as he sought to relax his partner.  Brian knew he was doing it right as he heard the sighs of contentment coming from Justin.  Leaning over he kissed Justin's neck and lapped his tongue several times at the base of his head.  Justin giggled a little as it tickled.

Brian moved his hands down Justin's back, hitting his shoulder blades and the edges of his spine.  Each place he gently massaged the knots that had formed and felt Justin relax under his ministrations.  When he had massaged down to the base of his spine, he ran his hands up Justin's spine and started again, wanting to ensure that Justin was relaxed and mindless before he began his true assault.  He heard his even breathing and sighs of pleasure as he felt the soft flesh under his hands and knew that he had been successful.  He worked his hands down Justin's back until they landed on the edges of his buttocks.  Increasing his massage, he pushed into the sensitive flesh and then started kneading his buttocks.  He could feel Justin alternately grind into the bed and push into his hands. 

Removing his hands, he straddled Justin, placing his legs on either side of Justin's calves and leaned down to place his tongue on Justin's spine.  Starting at the base of his neck, he licked and kissed his back all the way down and then before he reached the little indention at the base of his spine, he reversed his course and licked and kissed all the way up the spine again, only to repeat his actions a second time. Justin was pushing into the bed more at this point, trying to get more friction to his engorged cock. 

Brian licked down to the base of the spine a third time, but this time, he pushed Justin's ass cheeks apart and blew on them with a soft breath.  Inhaling the unique scent, he felt drops of cum drip down his cock, but ignored it, focusing on his lover.  Sticking his tongue out, he started at the top of Justin's crack and slowly licked down until he reached his balls, reversing his course as he had done with Justin's spine.  His tongue wet, he continued the licking, stopping at the tight rosebud to suck it in his mouth a little at each swipe.  When Justin was very wet and moaning, he pulled the ass cheeks a little more, exposing Justin's center and pushed his tongue in the hole, popping it in for just a moment before he swiped the long crack with his tongue, enjoying the taste of Justin.  Justin pushed his ass into Brian's face, urging him on.  Brian reached under Justin, grabbing his hard cock and pulling on it as he continued the slow, lovely torture.

Justin moved his hand on top of Brian's, trying for the friction he needed for release, but Brian removed his hand and kept his hand around Justin's cock.  Recognizing how close Justin was, he moved away from Justin, grabbing the lube and a condom.  After putting on the condom, he prepared Justin quickly, pushing slowly into the tight channel. Justin grunted at the intrusion but quickly pushed back signaling his readiness for Brian to move.

Instead of the desired movement, Brian leaned down and kissed Justin's neck and ran his hands up and down his back. 

"Briannnnnnn," Justin said, the desperation evident in his voice.

Brian pulled out slowly and then slammed into Justin.

"Yes," Justin said as he felt the fullness.

Again Brian pulled out slowly, but this time he pushed in slowly as well.  He repeated his slow push and pull game for several more thrusts, but then felt the familiar tingle in his own body announcing the impending release.  Speeding up, he pushed into Justin and pulled out rocking their hips, their bodies in perfect unison.

Each man oblivious to their surroundings and their only thoughts on their impending orgasms and their entwined bodies.  Justin pushed up to meet Brian's thrusts and Brian pulled Justin's hips to meet his body even more closely. Brian was holding Justin by the hips, using the leverage to thrust.  He felt the tightness around his cock as Justin's hole clenched as he released.  The spasms were sufficient to push Brian over the edge. 

Brian lay on top of Justin, allowing his breath to return to normal and Justin enjoyed the feeling of safety that Brian's enveloping body gave him.  As Brian felt himself soften, he reluctantly pulled out and tied off the condom.  He heard the familiar sigh from Justin at the lost contact.  Rolling over to lie next to Justin, he pulled the man close as he turned on his side. 

"Mmm," Justin sighed in contentment.

"Love you," Brian said as he grabbed the sheet to pull over them.

Both men drifted into a post-coital nap but were woken up by the ring of the phone.

Reaching for the phone, Brian grabbed it, hoping Justin would remain sleeping.  He knew Justin was tired and had not slept well the night before and he suspected that sleep would be a rare commodity in the upcoming days.

"What?" Brian said as he gently got out of their bed and walked into the hall as he closed the door.

"Brian, It's Carol.  We need to talk."

TBC