-
The heaviness of the awkwardness as Justin closed the door and they just stared at each other in silence was almost palpable. Justin hated going to the dentist, but right now he'd rather have all his teeth pulled out at once without anesthesia than to be here. But there was no going back now, so all he could do was pray that the two would respect each other and act like two grown men. Though, as he looked at the completely naked Brian (with his still semi-hard cock) standing next to him, he highly doubted that.
"Brian," Justin barked. "Would you mind putting some pants on?"
"Oh, sorry. Didn't realize I didn't have any," he gave him his sweetest smile, trying to look completely innocent.
"Uh-huh," Justin replied, knowing exactly what he was trying to do.
"Be right back," the brunet grinned and headed to the bedroom showing off his perfect ass.
And Justin took a deep breath before turning to Mark. "So... do you want something to drink?"
Mark cleared his throat. "Beer. If you have any. Otherwise water is fine."
"Yeah, I got a beer," Justin said. "Make yourself comfortable," he smiled before turning on his heel and walking into the kitchen where he had to take another deep breath first. What the fuck was Brian thinking? Well, of course he wasn't thinking. He was just doing the usual - being an asshole. Not that Justin wasn't flattered, knowing he was doing it because he was jealous and possessive of him, but... this was different. This wasn't some guy in a bar hitting on him. This was his friend who had feelings for him. And he didn't want to make it any more awkward than it already was by having Brian throwing jealous scenes... or whatever. And he certainly didn't want Brian to feel like he had reason to be jealous and that there was something he had to worry about. He just wanted them to get along. Probably wishful thinking.
"Hey handsome. Need some help?" he suddenly heard Brian behind him.
And in one swift movement he turned to look at him. "What the fuck were you thinking, Brian?"
"What do you mean, Sunshine?" Justin could hear the amusement in his voice.
"Oh, don't Sunshine me and act like you don't know what I'm talking about. I already told you that you don't have to worry about him… so why are you doing this?"
"I'm not doing anything. He's your friend and considering we're getting married, I should know all your friends. Who knows, maybe he'll be my friend too," he chuckled and shrugged.
"Brian!"
"What? I seriously don't know what you're so upset about. It wasn't that long ago that you were basically begging me to get to know him better."
"We both know that's not what this is about."
"Justin, he's not the first guy to have wet dreams about you. I can handle it. It'll be fun, you'll see. Just trust me," his voice actually sounded sincere.
And Justin could only sigh. "Just be nice, okay?"
"I promise," Brian mouthed. "I'm just gonna kill him..." Justin arched his brows. "With kindness," he grinned. And Justin immediately rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but crack a tiny smile.
Justin then grabbed three beers from the fridge and was about to leave the kitchen, but Brian stopped him and pulled him closer, squeezing his ass in his hand making Justin bite his lip. Brian was giving him his best I would just fuck you now look. And Justin wasn't far from letting him if they didn't have a guest waiting for them.
"You're really hot when you're angry," Brian whispered against his lips, his voice heavy.
Justin swallowed loudly and his heart began to beat faster. But he knew they couldn't, so he growled and quickly pulled away. "Later," he said and finally left the kitchen.
And Brian immediately sighed as he felt his cock ready for another round. But he was the one who invited Matt - sorry, Mark - and these were the consequences. So it was no surprise that he was already starting to regret it.
---
Brian slowly sipped his beer and sat quietly on the couch as he listened to the two make big plans for Jess's surprise birthday party. To say he was bored to death would be an understatement. But seeing how tense Mark was because he felt Brian's constant gaze definitely lifted his spirits. He almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
But since he had promised Justin that he would behave himself he was really doing his best not to say anything inappropriate - which was hard and the only way he could do it was to simply keep his mouth shut. But no one said he couldn't stare at him and make him feel uncomfortable.
But the more Brian looked at him, the more he had the gut feeling that there was something off about him. Or was he just trying to convince himself of it so he could continue to hate him? No, hate was a strong word. He didn't give a fuck about him and he would more than happily continue doing so. But for some reason Justin wanted to be friends with him and have him in his life. And no matter how much Brian didn't like it, he had to respect it. After all, he will be a part of his life as well. Because once he moves to New York, he'll probably be seeing his face more than he'd like and he'll have to learn to live with it.
And it wasn't that he was afraid that Justin would fuck him or worse, fall in love with him. He trusted Justin and knew their relationship was the strongest it had ever been, so Justin had absolutely no reason to look elsewhere for anything he wasn't getting from Brian. And if Mark wanted to drool over him, so be it.
Okay, who was he kidding? Of course, he wasn't the least bit happy about Justin spending time with someone who clearly wanted a lot more than wearing friendship bracelets. And even though he really trusted Justin, he didn't trust him at all. And he definitely didn't like the way he was looking at Justin, even though he knew Brian was in the room with them. But jealousy aside. There was another and more important reason why he disliked Mark.
Because what he was actually afraid of was that Justin was putting his trust in a person who might not deserve it and who might end up hurting him. Justin had already been hurt and disappointed by so many people, Brian included, that he was simply afraid of what it might do to him if the next person to hurt him would be someone he considered his friend.
Of course, Brian was aware that he could be wrong about him, he wasn't denying that option. After all, the fact that Justin believed he was a good person and someone worth keeping in his life should probably be reason enough for Brian to stop having the urge to kick his ass. But he just couldn't help but trust his instincts that were telling him Mark didn't have good intentions. But he really hoped he was wrong.
"Brian?" Justin's voice suddenly brought him back to reality.
"Yeah?"
"Could you get me another beer, please?" he smiled widely at him.
"Sure," Brian immediately got up and headed to the kitchen, but stopped at the last moment and closed his eyes before turning back to them. "Mark," he actually had to pause before continuing because he really didn't like saying his name. "Do you want another beer too?"
Although Mark was obviously surprised, he nodded. "Yeah sure."
"Coming right up," he grinned but lost that smile the moment he turned his back to them and rolled his eyes instead. Why the hell did he invite him? What a stupid idea!
After grabbing three beers from the fridge, Brian leaned against the kitchen island and pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what would be the best way to get rid of their guest so he and Justin could return to the fun part of the evening. He could say he feels sick. Or he could pretend to be really tired and start yawning non-stop. Or he could just tell him to fuck off. That would do it.
No no no. This was his idea, so he will just have to suffer through it. But if he wants, no he doesn't want... if he has to accept his existence and the fact that he is part of their lives, he first needs to know who he is actually dealing with and who this person is. But right now he just needs something stronger than beer. Perhaps Sunshine has something good. Oh yes, whiskey, thank fucking God.
"Brian, is everything okay in there?" he heard Justin.
He immediately pressed his lips together, took a deep breath, and then finally returned to them. "Sorry, I was just pouring myself a glass," he explained, handing them their beers.
"I see you found my stash," Justin chuckled.
"Do you mean our stash? Since it's our apartment," Brian pointed out, sitting back on the couch.
"Wait what?" Mark immediately asked, obviously confused, and looking from Justin to Brian and back. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, Sunshine didn't tell you?"
"Not yet," Justin whispered through gritted teeth, obviously not happy at all that Brian had brought it up.
"Didn't tell me what?"
"I decided to move here," Brian grinned and drank from his glass.
"What? When?" Mark's voice sounded almost angry.
"When did I decide or when will I move here?" Brian raised his eyebrow.
"Both."
"Well, I have been playing with the idea for some time, but when Justin told me he wanted me to move here, it was decided. And as for when I move here... hopefully as soon as possible."
"I thought you said there were reasons why you couldn't move here."
"Yeah, well, things change. We just don't like being apart, do we Sunshine?" he looked at him, beaming.
But all he got in return was Justin's murderous look that said I know what you're doing. Shit, did he just get caught doing something he shouldn't have? Nah. He was just informing their friend about their plans for the future. It wasn't his fault that said friend was having a mental breakdown over it.
"I was going to tell you," Justin turned his attention to Mark.
Expecting him to lose his temper and show his true colors, Brian immediately got excited because he knew that would definitely save him some trouble. But to his surprise, Mark's reaction was the exact opposite.
"It's okay. I get it... you just wanted to keep it to yourself for a while, right?"
"Um, yeah," Justin nodded. "But still - sorry."
"Don't be. I'm really happy for you, guys."
"You are?" Brian said before he could think, his voice doubtful.
"Of course. You both deserve to be happy."
The only thought that went through Brian's mind was - What the actual fuck?
"Thanks, Mark. That means a lot," Justin gave him a grateful smile.
And Brian cleared his throat, trying to find words. "Yeah, we really appreciate it," was all he got out and downed his glass, already heading to refill it.
---
"Okay, I think she's going to love it," a satisfied smile spread across Justin's face before he leaned back in his chair and finished his beer.
"Yeah, I do too," Mark agreed. "So I'll call the restaurant tomorrow to make a reservation and you'll take care of the cake?"
"Sounds good."
Thank fucking God, Brian thought, assuming they were done with the planning, which could only mean one thing - Mark could finally leave and he and Justin could pick up where they left off.
"Are you hungry? We have some leftover food we ordered earlier," Justin offered.
And Brian immediately shot him a look. Did he really had to feed him? What comes next? Honestly, he wouldn't even be even surprised if Justin offered him to stay the night and invited him to sleep in the bed with them. Which was something that not too long ago would have definitely turned into a wild night of fucking if they hadn't decided to be monogamous (something Brian was surprisingly totally okay with), and especially if it hadn't been Mark. Not that Brian didn't find him attractive, that was the bad part, he did and a lot actually. He was slightly taller than Justin, dark hair, green eyes, big lips and broad shoulders. He used to love fucking guys like that. Of course, that was before a certain blond twink wrapped him around his finger and got him addicted to having sex with him. But under different circumstances he would have fucked Mark. Under these circumstances? He just wanted him to leave and have a nice night with his fiance.
"No, I should probably go. I've been here long enough."
Damn right! Brian screamed in his head.
"Come on, I can hear your stomach," Justin laughed. "And the food is delicious."
"Okay, okay, you've convinced me," Mark smiled.
Brian grunted quietly and immediately went to pour himself another glass. A few seconds later Justin joined him in the kitchen to reheat the food in the microwave.
"Are you going to feed him too?" Brian couldn't hide the sarcasm and annoyance in his voice.
Justin immediately turned to look at him, pushing his tongue in his cheek and obviously trying very hard not to burst out laughing. Then he walked over to him and pressed against his body. "Admit it, he's not that bad," Brian shrugged, not wanting to answer, so Justin continued, "I may be hot when I'm angry, but you are hot as fuck when you're jealous..."
"Jealous is for lesbians."
"Mhmmm. Whatever you say," Justin smiled, pressing his lips to Brian's. Then the microwave beeped loudly and Justin reached to open it and pulled out the plate. "Pour me a glass too, please," he said before leaving the kitchen.
Brian pressed his lips tightly together and pulled another glass out of the cabinet, filling it with whiskey.
"Here you go," he gave the glass to Justin.
"Thanks."
"Sure," he went to sit back on the couch, immediately focusing his eyes on Mark and watching him closely. Oh, fuck it, if I have to sit here with him, I can at least try to get to know him. "So Mark," he began. "What do you do in life?"
Mark froze for a moment, trying to quickly chew and swallow the delicious food that Brian had paid for. "Um, I... I'm a photographer."
"Oh, really? What kind of photos do you take?"
"Well, I like to capture nature... but my main focus is portrait photography."
"And he's really good at it," Justin smiled. "Once he took a photo of me and it was fucking impressive."
"Thanks, Justin."
Brian wanted to ask where the photo was now but swallowed it. "Insteresting," he said, taking a sip of his whiskey.
"And he's also agreat at playing guitar," Justin added. "I was blown away when I first heard him."
Of course, Brian thought and wanted to roll his eyes. "Huh. So you're a photographer and a musician," he rubbed his chin.
"I'm trying to be."
"Don't underestimate yourself. You're really good," Justin put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it gently.
And Brian immediately pursed his lips and gritted his teeth while his cheeks began to twitch like they always did when he didn't like something.
"Thank you, Justin. I appreciate it," he smiled at him, leaving his eyes on him for much longer than Brian liked, so Brian cleared his throat and reminded him of his existence. Which, of course, worked like magic because Mark immediately looked away and Brian had to bite his lip so he wouldn't laugh.
"Enough about me. I should probably finally congratulate you on your engagement," he looked straight at Brian. "You're a lucky guy."
"I know," he smiled, glancing at Justin. But Mark was way too nice and Brian wasn't buying it.
"Your parents must be excited."
Brian couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I bet my daddy is thrilled and celebrating in hell."
Mark looked confused so Justin explained it to him. "Brian's dad died a long time ago."
"Oh shit, sorry."
"Don't be," Brian finished his glass. "And as for my mother… well, I haven't spoken to her in God knows how long and I'm sure we're both happier that way. Not to mention that if she knew I was getting married, she'd probably call a priest to pray for my soul. Which she probably does anyway."
"I'm guessing she's not happy you're gay?"
Brian shrugged. "Who cares. I don't need her blessings."
"Yeah, but still... it must be hard."
Brian furrowed his brows. "What, your parents were jumping up and down with joy when you told them?" he chuckled.
"No. I didn't get the chance to tell them… they died when I was fourteen."
Brian's lips immediately parted in shock as he really hadn't expected that and he actually felt like an idiot. "Sorry I... I didn't know."
"It's okay. It happened a long time ago, so..." he shrugged. "Anyway, I was raised by my grandmother and she's totally fine with me being gay."
"That's good," not knowing what else to say, Brian got up and went to pour himself another glass, knowing that he would probably regret it in the morning.
---
Convinced that tonight couldn't get any worse, Brian was seriously surprised when the opposite turned out to be true as it got very very worse when Justin's face unexpectedly began to lose color until it was completely pale and before they knew it, he literally sprinted to the bathroom.
"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" Brian asked at the bathroom door hearing Justin throwing up in there.
"Yeah! I need you to stay where you are... you really don't have to see this," Justin barely finished the sentence and began to vomit again. "Shit. I'll never mix beer and whiskey again," he sighed in frustration.
Brian chuckled but felt really bad for him considering he drank twice as much as Justin and felt fine while the blond was hugging the toilet. But what was actually great about this situation was the fact that he could finally get rid of their guest. "Okay, I'll stay here, but yell if you need anything." Justin grunted in response and Brian made his way back to the living room.
"Is he okay?" Mark immediately asked, his voice sounded genuinely concerned.
"Yeah. I mean, he will be once he sleeps this off. Look, I don't mean to be rude, but… I think it's better if you go."
"Oh, yeah, yeah... sure. You're right."
Waiting for Mark to put his shoes and jacket on felt like an eternity to Brian and as soon as he was done, he more than happily opened the door for him.
"Tell Justin to call me when he feels better."
"Sure. I'll tell him." That was a lie. He would definitely not tell him. "Bye," Brian basically pushed him out the door and was already closing it.
"Hey Brian?"
Brian closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening the door again. "Yeah, what's up Mark?"
"This may not be the right time, but... I just want to apologize to you..."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, for my behavior when we met… I acted like an asshole. So I'm sorry. And I want you to know that you really don't have to worry about me… Justin and I talked and he knows that I totally respect your relationship and I certainly don't want my feelings to ruin our friendship."
Brian's heart rate immediately increased. "Feelings?" he was making sure he heard correctly.
It wasn't that he was surprised to hear that, although Mark obviously had some really big balls to be able to say that to his face (or he was just dumb), but... it's one thing to think something, but another to know it for sure. And now Brian knew for sure that Mark was a problem. But what honestly bothered him more was the fact that Justin hadn't told him about their little chat and he didn't know what to make of it.
"Yeah, but like I said, what I feel doesn't matter… Justin loves you and I respect that."
God, shut the fuck up already.
"Thanks," he replied, feeling absolutely confused and mostly stupid for saying that. Like what was he actually thanking for?
"Great. I'm glad we talked and it won't be weird between us."
Says who?
"Uhm," was all Brian got out, and he couldn't help but feel that Mark was enjoying being able to throw it in his face.
"Alright then. I should go. Take care of him," Mark smiled and finally left. But instead of feeling satisfied, Brian was completely stunned.
"What the fuck just happened?" he muttered under his breath.
He then went to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed trying to process it while he waited for Justin. He just didn't understand why Justin didn't tell him because he felt like it was something he definitely should know. And as soon as he heard Justin open the bathroom door, he straightened up and was ready to get some answers. But when the blond appeared in the bedroom looking like he'd just puked his guts out, he knew he wasn't going to get them tonight.