I'M RISING
Nathan Maloney's reaction to the loft apartment as he entered, was something Brian was accustomed to over the 15 years he had lived there.
"Wow! Cool place"
Brian ignored him and pointed to the couch, as he switched on a low lamp, "You can sleep on that...I'll get you a blanket"
Nathan jumped onto the couch, "Don't bother, it's way too hot for covers"
The older guy turned and focused onto Nathan's face, he reached out and turned the younger guys face upward doing an inspection of the damage, "Fuck, look at you...you are gonna have a real shiner"
Nathan shook his head, "Uncle Brad packs a good punch. Big mistake"
Just then, Justin padded across the room, blinking in his eyes at the scene around him,"What's going on...?"
Brian looked up to him and smiled, "Justin...I thought you were asleep"
Justin scratched his bed hair, "I was...who's this?"
Brian took the theatrical approach to the introductions, "Justin this is Nathan...Nathan this is Justin"
Justin was not looking at the other young guy. His eye's were firmly focused on the reddish brown shit on Brian work shirt and tie, "What's that on your shirt?"
Brian looked down at it, "Blood...HIS blood before you ask...he's...well...it's a long story, that I can fill you in later, but getting straight to the point, he needs to spent the night here"
Justin looked at this Nathan...and this Nathan was looking straight back at him with a half scowl, "Looks like to me he's been in a fight"
The reason for the scowl, "Hey, both of you, I am in the room!"
Brian could see both youngsters sizing each other up with their eyes, so he wanted to defuse any potential hostilities, after all, this was for only one night, "Nathan...bathrooms over there, why don't you go and clean up..."
Nathan got off the couch and went to the bathroom and closed the door after him.
Justin watched him, then sighed, "I suppose he looks hot under all that bruising and dried blood, I give you that... his blood on your shirt?...I suppose I have to be thankful for small mercies, it could be something else smeared all over it"
Brian came forward and placed his hands over Justin's shoulders and stared at him, "Do you mind?"
Justin tilted his head to one side, "Has he anywhere else to go?"
"No"
Justin shrugged, "Then why not...but most DEFINITELY the couch, he's not coming between us"
Brian smirked at the real meaning of what Justin had just said, "I Wouldn't dream of it"
Justin twisted around and padded back towards the bedroom, "I'm going back to bed...Oh...", he turned on his heel and asked, "Are you hungry Brian?"
Brian was rubbing his belly, "I am, come to think of it"
Justin nodded, "Good...then you can scrape out your chicken from the garbage...I'm going back to bed", and with that Justin was gone.
Brian approached the pedal bin in the kitchen with a puzzled frown, and with one foot on the pedal, the lid lifted and he saw the remains of a meal, the full works by the look of it.
"Your Birthday? No, that's gone...my birthday?, no way...anniversary? I don't think so...romantic meal for two?...very probable...", he let the lid drop back down and sighed feeling bad,
"fuck, sorry Justin"
Xxxx
The sun rose, and Brian opened his eyes and instantly could smell the burning of...he tossed the covers aside leaving Justin in his slumber, and pulled on a pair of jeans and then hurried into the living area.
"Hey, what's going on?"
Nathan was behind the kitchen counter waving his hands about trying to clear the smoke, "I'm just making breakfast...but this toaster doesn't seem to be working properly"
Brian went over and fiddled about with it for him, "It does work, you just have to have the knack with it"
Justin was then coming through yawning, "Hey, what's burning?"
Nathan threw a glance his way, "My breakfast...morning Jason"
Justin had his tongue inside his cheek, "It's Justin"
Nathan shrugged and watched Brian finish off fiddling with the toaster, "Yeah, like you say...do you want toast?", he asked.
"Yeah...why not...and while you'll at it, Brian can go and put a shirt on", Justin then went and tidied up the creased cushions on the couch.
Brian snatched up a blue shirt from his closet and approached Justin as he buttoned it up, "See...he's not THAT bad, huh?"
Both of them watched Nathan at work in the kitchen, "Brian look at the state of him...who did that to him?"
"His Uncle..."
Justin faced Brian widening his eyes in surprise, "What? And now YOU are involved in all of this"
Brian nodded, "Look...I'm gonna be totally upfront...HE...he is the guy from the other side of town...and before you start to act all surprised at me, I know Danny called you"
This was really unexpected, and Justin was rattled that Brian had somehow found out about his spot of getting Danny to spy on him, "YOU knew that - I knew?"
Brian was amused of Justin's reaction that he had been rumbled, "Of course I did...nothing escapes passed me"
Justin changed the subject back to the interloper, "So...WHY did his uncle hit him?"
"As I told you last night, it's a long story"
Justin wasn't going to let that worry him, "I've got all day"
Brian glanced at his watch, "Well I haven't...lets just say for now, that his uncle has got some serious fag acceptance issues"
Nathan was then approaching them with a plate in both hands, "Hey guys...toast is ready"
The boy handed Brian his plate first, "Thank you, Nathan...Coffee on?"
"Huh?"
Justin saw that 'his' toast was already in Nathan's mouth, he rolled his eyes and announced, "Don't worry, I'll go make it"
Brian was crunching on his toast and said with his mouth full, "Strong and black"
Nathan crunched on his, "and while you'll at it, milky for me..."
Justin stared back at them from the kitchen...he wasn't going to rise to it and smiled back at him a little TOO sweetly, "coming right up...take a seat"
Nathan looked surprised, "Gee...thanks"
Justin put the coffee on and approached Nathan giving him the once over, "You know what, Nathan? You can't go home with that dried blood on your top. You and me are about the same size, you can borrow one of mine"
Nathan was genuinely taken aback, "Gee...thanks again"
Justin gave him a sickly sweet goofy grin, "You are so very welcome..."
Xxxx
The sun was bright as Brian pulled the jeep into the curbside at Maloney's Auto repairs.
Nathan turned in his seat as he unbuckled the seat belt, "Do I look okay?"
Brian looked at him through his shades, "No...and that's because you've got a great big black eye. You NEED to tell your father the truth"
The lad wasn't convinced, "dad won't believe me"
Brian tried to sound encouraging, "He will...just tell him the truth"
Nathan grabbed the door release and smiled, "Thanks for letting me stay over"
"You're welcome"
Nathan gave him a cheeky grin, "I can blow you to prove how grateful I am"
Brian looked away from him and chuckled, "That won't be necessary...go on...look, your father's waiting"
Nathan clocked Patrick too, "So he is...see you"
As Brian pulled the jeep away, Nathan crossed the forecourt of the garage where his father was approaching him, wiping his oily hands with a rag, "Holy Mary, mother of God! What the FUCK has happened to YOU!"
Xxxx
At the liberty Avenue diner, Debbie finished serving a customer and then focused on Justin's gloomy face sitting up at the counter, "Hey, sunshine, what's with you?"
"Nothing"
Michael who had finished reading the morning newspaper, had been listening and looked up from the booth he sat at, "I bet I know what's up..."
Justin twisted around on the stool, "What?"
Michael stood up and came over, "A little dirty blonde house guest who is not you?"
Justin screwed his face up, "You KNOW about it?"
Debbie was all ears, "Hey...what's this about?"
Justin shook his head and explained, "Brian brought home a little friend last night"
"ohhhhh, right", Debbie wasn't sure she wanted to hear the rest of this.
"Not like THAT!", Justin spat.
Michael pulled a deep sigh, "Well, rather him than me, he's playing with fire"
Justin had his full attention now, "What? I didn't know that. Is this guy trouble?"
Michael shrugged, "Not him exactly, well, I don't think so...BUT...his uncle is, trouble with a capital T, i'm guessing"
Debbie looked at him with a big frown, "Why's that honey?"
Michael looked at the pair of them, Both were eager to know what he knew, he sighed again, "Okay...look...this is what I know..."
Xxxxx
At the apartment above the garage, Nathan was stretched out on his bed. Patrick came to the door and leaned against the frame and looked at him.
"Nathan...if you were attacked then you need to go speak to the cops"
Nathan looked up from the magazine he was leafing through, "no...I said...I just got into a fight"
Patrick nodded at the state of his son's face, "A fight you clearly lost"
Nathan threw the magazine to the bedside unit and puffed up his pillow, "I just want to forget about it"
Patrick could see his son didn't want to pursue it for whatever reason, he had to respect that, "look, you are an adult, it's your life, son...oh...you can't stay up here all day, you are needed in the garage this afternoon "
Nathan pulled a frown, "why?"
Patrick turned around to go, "Brad called in sick...I think it's a hangover if you ask me, I know my brother"
Nathan shook his head in disgust, "No you don't..."
"What...?"
Nathan jumped off the bed and reached for his overalls, "Nothing, I better get ready for work then..."
Xxxxx
At the loft, Brian entered and slid the door shut announcing his arrival, "Honey, I'm home"
Justin was washing his hands in the sink nearby, "Hey...You're in a good mood, what's put that cheer in your stride"
Brian dumped his works files on the couch and removed his jacket with a big grin, "I just landed myself a big client that's gonna bring in some good advertising...and that's for MY company for a change"
Justin dried his hands and raised his eyebrows at him, "Great...with my art career going down the toilet, we need all the money we can get"
Brian loosened his tie and frowned, "Who's fault's that?"
The blonde nodded and moved towards what he had been working on, "I know...but, I've learned from that"
"I hope you have..."
Justin nodded again, "I have"
Brian approached the easel and looked at the work, "So, what's this?"
Justin tried to sound proud at what he had been working on, "Just my new piece"
Sticking his hands into the pockets of his pants, Brian was intrigued. Just lately, and it also irritated him a little, Justin seemed to not bother much about his art. This new burst of spirit was long over due, "Oh? You managed to conjure up some inspiration from some place?"
"Something like that"
"Good, because all what is said and done, you shouldn't continually waste your excellent talents"
Justin looked at his half finished work of the golden gate bridge and smiled to himself, he was pleased Brian was pleased, it made a nice change, and it was only fair to ask, "Oh...did Nathan get off okay? I saw Michael earlier and we were talking about him"
Brian was looking inside the refrigerator, "you were? What else did he have to say, if I didn't have to ask?"
Justin tidied away his brushes, "He told me that this Uncle Brad guy. That you and him were at High School together"
Brian closed up the refrigerator and uncapped a bottle of beer, "Michael has a big mouth, and he should know, I went to school with him, because HE was there too"
"Yeah, but you should have told me...he sounds like a right piece of work...I even feel sorry for Nathan"
Brian nearly choked on his beer, "You do?"
Justin shook his head from the couch, "Yeah, of course I do...obviously not to the degree of him having him stay over every night, but yeah, nobody should have to put up with that shit"
Brian pulled a face, "I'm sure as hell he'll be thrilled to hear that", he glanced over to the coffee table and went and picked up a pink envelope, "What's this..?"
Justin was covering up his painting and looked up, "What's what? Oh that! It's a wedding invitation"
"Oh yeah? From who?"
"Daphne and Neil"
"For when exactly?"
"Next Summer"
"Then that's GREAT news"
Justin laughed out loud, "What? That's she's getting married or that it's not until next Summer?"
"Both"
"You're all heart, I hope you are not gonna feel like that about our wedding"
Brian went over to him and put his arms around him, "Course not...so...you wanna go to one of Dave and Carl's party's tonight?"
Justin shook his head, "actually...no"
Brian was taken aback, "no? That's a first"
"I was thinking that WE could have a night in? Together...you...me...a whole bunch of sex toys..."
Brian broke into a smile as he stared into Justin's eyes, knowing what his lover had in store, "I'm sure that I can be persuaded ...go get them"
Justin pulled out the embrace, "Not now! We eat first"
Brian snatched his hand and pulled him back to him, "Why eat food when I can eat your tight little ass"
Justin moved away again, "Just go and grab a shower, Mr Kinney, because you absolutely STINK!"
"Thanks..."
There was then a knock at the door...
Xxxxx
Author's Chapter Notes:
I'm sorry for the delay. Busy work schedule this week.