Chapter 4

Justin had everything packed up.  GC could tell something was up and stayed close to the cabin.  As Justin was bringing the last of the luggage to the car he wondered if he should have told Brian they were coming.  He had talked to his mom and she was going to meet them at the airport.  He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t given him an exact day but he needed to tell him that he was on his way back so he would expect GC.  He strapped Aiden into his carseat and texted the caretaker he was on his way out.  He would come and lock everything up since it would be empty for a while.  

He whistled and GC came running from the side of the cabin and jumped into the car beside Aiden and then Justin got into the car.  He gave GC the medicine the vet had given them so he would sleep on the plane ride home.  Once the dog had been checked in and Justin had gotten to his gate, he finally texted Brian.  ‘We will be landing at 8:00 pm.  Will you be home for GC? He will be delivered around 10:00 pm.’

Brian had just finished lunch when he received the text and immediately called him.  “Sunshine, you’re coming home now?  Why didn’t you tell me? Is something wrong?”

“This is why I didn’t tell you.  Brian, I do want to see you, soon. But it will be late and Aiden is going to need to go straight to bed and…”

“Sunshine, it’s fine.  I understand.  Are you going to your mom’s or do you want to go to the new house?”

“Mom and Molly would kill me if I didn’t stay there tonight.  If it’s alright with you, I’ll text when we land and I will call you in the morning once I know what is up.  GC will be delivered by a car service.  I will give them your address and phone number.”

Brian’s voice softened, “Justin, I’m so glad you are almost home. I’ve missed you.”  Brian heard the airport loudspeaker and then Justin was gone.  He couldn’t believe it.  Tonight they would be sleeping only miles apart.  Damn, he wanted to be with him.  Maybe tomorrow.  He ached for him now that he knew he was on his way.  

Brian rushed out of his office and pulled Cynthia out of her seat, hugging her.  “What the hell, Brian?”

“Justin will be in Pittsburgh by tonight.  TONIGHT!”

“Thank, god.  I can’t handle your moping anymore.  Is he staying with you?”

“No, I hope I will see him tomorrow.  His mom is picking him up.”

“And you’re alright with that?”

“Fuck, I want to be there but I need to follow his wishes.  Damn, I have missed him so much!”

“Is he bringing GC?”

“He has hired a service to bring GC back to the house.”

“Now, the Brian Kinney I have come to know and love would not sit back and wait.  Take your ass to the airport and pick up your dog and if you happen to run into Justin and Aiden…”

Brian kissed her and swung her around again. “Remind me you need a raise!”

“Not a problem.  I will do that.”

“Do I have anything that can’t be rearranged this afternoon?”

“No, go.  You are going to be useless the rest of the day anyway.”

“Is Ted in his office?”

“He is but he has co….”

Brian didn’t hear the rest of the sentence. He rushed toward Ted’s office and barged in to find Ted in the arms of a beautiful man. “Oh, sorry.  Hell no, I’m not.” He extended his hand to the man who was now standing next to Ted. “I’m Brian Kinney and you are?”

The handsome man took his hand and in a light French accent he said, “Nice to finally meet you. I am Victor Gerard. Theodore has told me so many lovely things about you.  You are a good friend and employer.”

“Ted is a great friend and I consider him a partner, not just an employee.”

“Um, Brian, did you need something?”

“Oh, ya!  Sunshine is on his way back!  I just wanted to let you know and I am taking off the rest of the day.”

“That’s great news.  We will have to go to dinner soon.  I would love to see Justin.”

“Ted, can I just see you for a minute in the hall?”

They stepped out and Brian shut the door.  “That man is stunning. Good for you.  You deserve that man.  Go fuck his brains out, just make sure you lock the door.”  Brian patted Ted’s shoulder and headed to the door.

Brian stopped at the corner grocery and picked up a few things and then  went to the loft.  He decided he should talk to Jenn and let her know what his plans were.  Once he put the groceries away he poured himself some juice and called his ex-mother in law.

“Brian, did you hear he’s coming home?” Jenn’s excitement was palpable.  “I can’t wait to get my hands on that beautiful grandson of mine. He said he has a courier arranged to drop the dog off.”

“That is why I’m calling.  I am going to meet you at the airport.  I’ll bring GC home but mainly… damn, I want to see your son and grandson. Jenn, I will do anything to make Justin happy.  I hope he will move into the house and eventually I hope he will let me move in with him.”

“Brian, I believe you truly do love my son.  I don’t think you ever stopped but something went wrong.  And I am not blaming you solely, Justin overreacted, too.  And now, with Aiden to protect, he will be even more careful.”

“He should.  That grandson of yours is just a perfect child.  He is so sweet and good natured.  I knew Justin was going to be an amazing father.  If only I would have….”

“Brian, my son will not be happy with anyone else.  Don’t let him get away because he is going to be very cautious now.  He has two failed relationships.  He would rather be alone forever than have another failure.  My son is a strong, successful man but right now he has a fragile heart.  I think you helped start the healing.  Please, Brian, I want my boys to stay here where they are loved.”

“Thanks, Jenn.  I promise to do my best and if you see me screwing up, please let me know.”

“I will, Brian.  I love you, too, you know.”

“I know, Jenn.  I love you, too.  I will see you at the airport later.  I promise I won’t take up much of his time.  They are yours tonight. See you soon.” Brian hung up.  He realized he needed to do a little shopping before he left for the airport.  Brian went online and ordered the biggest stuffed dog he could find.  He then started looking at a bouquet of roses.   At first he thought of hundreds but he realized that would not work well at the airport so he asked for a dozen.  The assistant on the phone asked what color he wanted and started explaining what each color stood for.  After the third explanation Brian stopped him.  “Do you have twelve different colors?”

“Oh, yes, sir.”

“I want 12 different colors.  I will be there in an hour.”

“Oh, no problem, sir.” Brian gave him his credit card information and then jumped into the shower. He did some manscaping and when he had dried off he put a touch of Justin’s favorite cologne on. It was a very warm night but he wanted to dress up just a bit so he put on a simple white button down shirt with a pair of kaukis.  He rolled the sleeves up to the elbows and then slipped on his shoes. There was a buzz at the door and the six foot dog was brought up in the lift.  He looked at the clock. He would stop at the florist and then it was time to go to the airport.

As he drove to the airport he was glad it wasn’t later or the sun would be blinding but He would do anything to let Sunshine know he was in this for all the right reasons.  Justin’s plane was about to land when Brian pulled into the short term parking lot.  He saw Jenn waiting by the arrival gate and came up behind her, kissing her on the cheek. She jumped slightly but then slipped her arm around his waist.  

“I’m glad you decided to come,”  Jenn squeezed him.  “I am so excited. I have missed him so much.”

“I’m sorry, Jenn.  That was my fault.”

“I don’t blame you, Brian.  I think this is their plane.” She held onto his arm as the first people began to come down the hall.  

People were down to a trickle when Justin came down the hall.  He had a sleeping Aiden in his arms and a large bag over his shoulder. As soon as she could, Jenn rushed over to him and kissed her grandson and then her son.  “It is so good to have you here.” Jenn said as she slipped Aiden out of Justin’s arms.  

Brian took a step closer and offered him the flowers he had in his hand. “Welcome to Pittsburgh.” Brian took him in his arms and kissed him.  “I’m just here to take GC home.  I’ll see you tomorrow.” Brian kissed him once more before starting to step away.

Justin grabbed his hand and pulled him back for one more kiss. “I’ll talk to you in the morning.” Justin said softly.  

Brian moved to Jenn and kissed Aiden’s rosy cheek before going to the area they were bringing out big containers.  Justin had paid extra so GC had not been down with the rest of the luggage.  The plane had a separate area that was monitored regularly.  Brian heard Gray Cub before he saw him.  He was coming out of the medication that Justin had given him and he wasn’t very happy.  Brian walked into the private claim area for special items.  The moment GC heard Brian’s voice at the desk, he started yipping happily instead of the soulful howl.

By the time Brian walked out with his dog, his family was no longer in sight.  He had folded up the carrier and with that in one hand he held the leash for the sleepy dog as they walked out to the car.  As soon as they were on the road, GC laid his head on Brian’s thigh and went back to sleep. The whole way home Brian tasted Justin’s lips on  his own and he wanted so much more.

Jenn sat in the back with Aiden as Justin drove them home. “Mom,” Justin spoke softly, “did you know Bri was coming?”

“He called this afternoon and said he wanted to pick up GC. No, well yes, he wanted to get GC but he wanted to see you. I think he deserves a chance, Justin.  I won’t say anything else.  It is your decision.  And you know you are welcome to stay with Molly and me but he is offering you an amazing house that will be perfect for the two or three of you.”

“Mom, you just said…”

“I’m sorry.  But the house is amazing.”

“He didn’t go insane did he? It’s not some extravagant mansion is it?”

“No, honey.  It is a very nice house but he didn’t go insane.”

“Where is Molly? I thought she would be here.”

“Well, since you didn’t give us a lot of notice that you were coming home, she had to work tonight but she will be home about the same time we are.”

Aiden started waking up and he started crying, not seeing his daddy.  “Dadada.”

“I’m right here, Aiden. Mom, he might like a snack or a drink.  There is water in a bottle.

“Bababa.”

“Does he want the bottle?”

“Actually, it could be his bottle or it could be Brian.  Mom, I just don’t know what to do about Brian.  I just can’t let him get too close and then ….  That wouldn’t be fair to Aid.  He has lost one father already even though he doesn’t remember him at all.”

“Justin as long as you keep Aiden in the forefront, I know you will figure out what is right for all of you.”

Once they arrived at Jenn’s, Justin calmed Aiden down and after he had eaten something he warmed up to his grandma and aunt.  Justin went to the guest room and organized some of their items and made sure the portable crib was set up for Aiden. Soon Aiden was ready for bed.  He was going to go read him a story but Molly asked if she could.  Soon he was sound asleep on his aunt’s lap.  Justin took him to their room and put him in his bed and then Justin came back out.  

Jenn handed him a glass of wine as they settled on the sofa together.  They talked a bit about the business Justin wanted to start and Jenn got him caught up on what was going on in the family but then Jenn started yawning. 

“Mom, you don’t have to stay up with me.  I’m in a different time zone and I guess I am just a little unsettled.”

“Justin, you could go see him. You said Aiden usually sleeps through the night and if he wakes up I am sure I can settle him back down.” Jenn walked over and kissed his cheek. Go to him if you want to. If Aiden really has a bad spell, I’ll call you and you can be back here in under fifteen minutes.”

Justin started to protest but then just said, “I don’t know if I’ll go to the loft but I do need to get some diapers so maybe I’ll just go for a drive. Thanks, Mom. Call if you need me. I love you.”

“I’m so glad you are back home, Justin.” She handed him her keys and kissed his cheek, “Good night.” She disappeared down the hall and Justin wandered out the door.  

Justin drove to the Big Q and picked up some diapers and some snacks that Aiden really liked.  He then got back and drove aimlessly for a while.  He thought about stopping at the Liberty Diner but kept going.  He went past something new, ‘A Safe Place to Lay’.  He could see a couple young men on the front porch.  Justin would find out more about that place.  Maybe he could volunteer or something.  He knew it was a place that was needed. And then he realized he was outside the loft.  He parked and got out the key he never gave back.  He hoped Brian hadn’t changed the locks.

It was nearly midnight when Brian heard GC growl and then bark, moving toward the door.  “What is it boy?” He heard the lift.  “They aren’t very stealth are they?”  Brian had had stupid crooks stop by before but using the elevator was dumb for anyone. 

“GC, alert!” It was a command GC had been taught when danger could be around. He stood growling deep in his throat but then all of the sudden he relaxed and made an excited little yip. “Boy, what is it?”  GC rushed toward the door as it slid open slowly.  “I have a vicious dog in here.”

“Hey, boy.” Justin patted the dog’s head and walked in.  “Hey, Brian.” He held up the keyring.  “I hope you don’t mind.  I still had my keys.”  He was moving before he got the words out and Brian and Justin met halfway before Justin flung himself into Brian’s arms. “God, I missed you!”

Brian wrapped his arms around Justin and held onto him tightly. Justin crushed Brian’s lips with his own and they plundered his mouth with his tongue.  As their lips began to wander to other parts of their faces and necks, Justin began to unbutton Brian’s shirt.  When he finished with the closure he pushed the material off his shoulders and Justin dropped feather kisses down Brian’s clavicle.  Brian thought about slowing him down but his own need was too deep.  

They separated long enough for Brian to remove Justin’s shirt and just the feel of Justin’s warm skin. Brian’s hands worked at Justin’s fly and soon his hands were cupping his bare ass, pulling him close.  His own cock was straining for release.  His finger began to prod gently and when it slipped into the puckered hole, Justin shivered,

“Brian, please, I need you.”  

Brian led Justin to the bedroom and though he could barely see anything but Brian in his vision, he had to laugh when he saw the stuffed dog. “Oh, Aiden is going to love that!”

“Who said it was for Aiden?” Brian smiled as Justin worked as fast as he could to undo Brian’s pants.  He stepped out of them but stepped away from Justin and just stared at him. 

“Damn, Brian, don’t make me wait!”

Brian moved back into arms reach and as Justin shoved Brian onto the bed and dropped onto him gently, letting his mouth roam.  Brian rolled so they were facing each other and Justin wrapped his top leg around Brian’s waist as Brian, after slipping on a condom, moved into him. Brian locked eyes with Jusitn and they moved in unison. Brian did his best to not rush. He forgot how much he loved to watch Justin’s expressions.  Brian knew the moment Justin was going to cum and thrust harder so they came together. “God, I love you, Sunshine!”  Brian pulled him tightly against him and shut his eyes.  They both lay quietly in their own thoughts still linked.

Eventually they moved and spooned together.  Brian holding onto Justin quite tightly.  “You surprised me,” he said softly. I didn’t…”

“Neither did I.  I was too keyed up to sleep so Mom sent me out to get diapers. It was her idea for me to come here but I didn’t think I would but as I drove around I just found myself here.  I really need to go home now.  Aiden is in good hands but he doesn’t know that.”

“Sunshine, I promise I won’t continue to talk about this but I want you to know I love you and I will do whatever you ask to keep you in my life. In the morning may I pick the two of you up and bring you to the house?”

“Yes, can I let you know the time later? It will depend on Aiden and his schedule.”

“I’ll be waiting.  I can’t wait to spend time with Aiden.  I have missed him so much.”

“He has missed you, too.  I never know if he is asking for his bottle or you. He calls for Baba for both.

“He asks for me?”

“He loves you as much as you love him.”

Brian swallowed hard. “I wasn’t involved with Gus at that age, not like I should have been. I promise I would never hurt him.”

“Oh Bri, I know that but if we don’t make it, and I move on, he can’t be caught in the fall out.”

“Well then, my love, we better not fall out.” Brian’s kiss was filled with so much passion, so much promise that Justin quivered deep inside. Should he really get involved with Brian again? He wasn’t sure he had a choice.  His heart always won.  That’s why he was a single father right now.  His heart had been so bruised he fell for Daklin’s arms.  He would not make another commitment this time until he was sure it was the right thing to do, not only for him but his son.  

Justin walked into the bathroom and Brian heard the water start in the shower but before he could get out of bed, the water stopped.  Justin strode back in with a towel wrapped around.  As he dressed, Brian watched him.

“You’re making me paranoid. What are you staring at?”

“I’m sorry.  I was just trying to figure out how I lost you?  And I am trying to figure out how I have lived the last three years without you.”

“Brian, I need to go.  I shouldn’t have come.  I just….”

Brian got out of bed and walked over to him, “I will wait to hear from you.  Hopefully you like the house and, you are going to need something to drive….”

“Brian, I don’t need you to buy me anything.”  Justin sounded harsher than he had planned.

“Who said anything about me buying you anything.  I just thought you would like a friend to help find something.”

Justin took a deep breath, “I’m sorry.  All of the sudden I am exhausted.  My brain just isn’t working straight right now.  You have been nothing but wonderful.“ He kissed him lightly.  I’ll call you when we are up for the day.

Brian put an arm around Justin’s waist and kissed him once more.  “Drive carefully.  I love you.” 

Justin didn’t respond, but walked to the door and left without another word.

Brian had slept much better than he thought he would and he was up at 7:00 to go to Safe Place.  He tried to help with breakfast at least twice a month but actually ended up making breakfast most Saturdays or Sundays.  He liked to talk to the young men, well boys really, and try to find out if there is anything else he can do to improve their lives.  He had failed with some and they ended up involved in drugs and prostitution and that’s when he realized how important he went more often.  When they knew someone really cared, the boys seemed to try harder. 

Brian was flipping pancakes when his phone rang.  He handed his spatula to one of the boys and answered the call.  “Hey Sunshine, I hope you slept well.”

“I did.  If you were serious about helping me find a car, I’d like that.  And then we can look at the house.”  Justin could hear several male voices with Brian.  “Are you at the gym?”

“I would say it's more like the zoo.” He laughed as he looked at the young men around the table.

Justin’s voice turned cold.  “Sorry, I interrupted something. What time would be better for me to…”

“No, Justin, you’ve got it all wrong.  I’ll explain when I pick you up.  I promise, it is not what you think.”

“Ok,” Justin’s voice was wary, “What time works for you?”

“I will be free anytime after 10:00.”

“Thanks, Brian.  Same time next week?” a  voice said near the phone.

“See you then, Korry. Keep up the good work.”  Justin heard Brian say to the person named Korry.

“If you are sure, how about 10:30?”  Justin wondered what Brian was up to if he wasn’t at the gym.

“I’ll pick you up at your mom’s.”  Brian hung up.

Justin looked at Jenn and Molly.  “He’s up to something. I wish I knew where he was right now.  He said he wasn’t at the gym but there were definitely men around him.”

“Maybe he was at A Safe Place to Lay,” Molly said as she gave Aiden some dry cereal on the tray of his chair.

“I drove past that place last night.  What is it?” Justin asked.

Jenn poured Justin another cup of coffee.  “It is a non-profit Brian helped create.  Young men can live there and the program helps them finish their school whether that is high school or college and then get them into jobs.  They have to stay clean and stay out of prostitution.” 

“Wow, and Brian stays involved? He didn’t lose interest already?”

“Honey, I tried to tell you he has changed.  I have heard he has put a lot of his own money into the project and has taken some real interest in the young men.  Many of them that have moved on are still in contact with him.”

Molly looked at her brother, “I know when you left the two of you had issues but, bro, you better take him back because he is really a good guy. A couple of the guys were in one of my classes and they say he really cares about them. Now when are you leaving so we can spoil Aiden?”

At 10:30 Brian pulled up and Justin walked out the door.  At the last minute he tried to take Aiden with him but Jenn reasoned with him.  Aiden would have a lot more fun staying with them and it would make it a lot easier for him to look for a vehicle. And as he thought about it, maybe keeping Aiden away from Brian until he was a little  more sure what to do wasn’t a bad idea.  Brian had walked around the vehicle and opened the door for Justin, giving him a quick kiss as Justin got in.  Brian pulled out and then started to explain the call this morning.

“Sunshine, this morning I was….”

“Were you at the ‘Safe Place to Lay’?”

“I was. How did you know?”

“Molly and Mom told me a little bit about it.  Why didn’t you tell me about the place?”

“Justin, you have been home less than a day.”

“You didn’t mention it when we were in Montana.”

“I guess it just didn’t come up.  It is just part of my life now. After you left I needed something to distract me and Debbie called and told me that the hostel a lot of the boys on their own had lost its funding.  I started looking into it and well, things fell into place.  Kinnetik started the funding and soon we had three more companies helping fund it.  From there we started talking to medical agencies and schools that were willing to help and then it just kept spreading.  I just started going to help with breakfast on the weekends.  That way I can listen to them interact and get an idea of what else they might need.”

Justin sat quietly for the next couple minutes.  “Brian, if Mom and Molly hadn’t told me about this I might have trouble believing this.  I mean I always knew you had a good heart but you seemed to doubt it most of the time.”

“I needed something to fill up my time.  When I realized I had let you slip away and you wouldn’t respond to any of my attempts to talk to you, I had to do something.  Spending most of my nights at the club just didn’t cut it anymore. Knowing what love really was changed everything.”

Brian pulled into a car dealership.  “I never asked if you cared what kind of car you wanted but the owner here is one of the supporters of Safe Place so we work together a lot.  I do his advertising.  He gets my company cars for me.  He told me he had a couple good options for a father with a carseat.”

“You know I am not stuck on a certain car as long as it has a good safety rating for Aiden.”  A distinguished man came out and met them.  Brian introduced them and they followed him around the corner where they found four vehicles set aside.  He explained these were all company cars.  They had a few miles on them but were basically new and he could give him a great deal on any of them.

Within an hour Justin had driven three of them and was working on paperwork to purchase an SUV. Once everything was signed he followed Brian as they drove to the house.  As they each drove a car, each had a lot to think about.

Brian was nervous.  What if Justin didn’t like the house? What would he do if Justin decided he wasn’t interested in a relationship.  He had come over last night.  That was a good sign.  He just couldn’t get his hopes too high.  He had created a life without him but there was always an empty spot that no one could fill except Justin and now Aiden.

Justin followed Brian in his new vehicle.  He had gotten an excellent deal, thanks to Brian but not so good a deal that he thought Brian had rigged it with the owner. What was he going to do? He loved Brian. He was sure of that but his son had to come first and he couldn’t risk Aiden getting hurt by his choice of lovers. He had screwed up twice already. Brian sounded like he had changed and his mom and Molly seemed to back that up but he wasn’t the same man he was three years ago either.  Did he know for sure what he wanted in life? Did he have a choice about what he wanted? He didn’t think he could live without Brian.  He just wasn’t sure that he should live with him.

Brian pulled into the circular drive of the mission style home and Justin parked behind him.   “Bri, this place….I love the style. It’s bigger than I expected. Why did you get such a good deal on it?”

“It needed major updates in the bathroom and kitchen.  A lot of people can’t see past that and I heard a lot of people said it felt like it belonged in California. I love it.” He stopped talking,
“I hear GC.  I am sure he is ready to socialize.”

“I can tell that Aiden was looking for him today.  He loves that dog.”

“That’s why he is going to live here.  He deserves a backyard and a boy.”  Brian opened the door and handed the key to Justin.  “You can see I have a few basic pieces of furniture in here but it still needs a lot.” GC came flying in through the doggy door and both Justin and Brian gave him some attention before moving into the kitchen.

“Oh, Brian, this kitchen is perfect. I love it.  Can I see the bedrooms?”

“There is one off the kitchen in case you want a nanny or some other help in the house or you could make it an office. The master, nursery, and a guest room are up there. I figured Molly might stay over from time to time.”

Brian led the way upstairs and into the master. Justin looked at the balcony and the bathroom with the closets off of it. And when he opened the last door, expected storage of some kind and found the nursery, he nearly cried.  “Oh, Brian, you really did make this perfect for us.” He walked over and kissed him.  “Thank you. I couldn’t have chosen better myself.”

“When Aiden gets older, if you are still here, he will move into the room down the hall and this can be an office.” Brian put his arms around Justin and kissed him again.  “I am so glad you like it.  GC will love the yard. I hope you give me visitation.”

“Brian,” Brian kissed down Justin’s neck, “that’s not fair.” Justin turned so Brian’s lips moved to his and soon they were stretched out on the king size bed.  Brian unzipped Justin’s pants and moved down his body until he could take Justin’s cock in his mouth.  Within minutes Justin was arching and then he came deep in Brian’s throat.

“God Brian, what am I going to do with you?” Justin said as Brian moved back up his body. 

“I am hoping you will tell me you love me and want me to move in here with you and be a family.  I would be satisfied with you sharing the house with me.  We could share the bedroom or I could sleep downstairs or….”

“Brian, I …”

“I’m sorry.  That wasn’t fair.  I hope sometime you invite me to stay but I don’t want to put undo pressure on you.  I love you.  That will not change and I will be waiting until you ask me to stay. Now, if you think this house will work for you and Aiden give them a call.”

“It is perfect for us but I think before we call them…” Justin’s hand slipped inside Brian’s pants and he soon had Brian erect.  “Do we need to wait until dark to christen the bed?”

Brian rolled on top of him, “Absolutely not! I love to see your face when I sink into you.”

“Fuck me, Brian.”

“I can’t do that, Sunshine.”

“You can’t fuck me?”

“No, I love you.  Believe me, I have no problem making love to you.”

“Brian, I….please love me.”