Part 11

King of Babylon

Saturdays were usually very nice and potentially Brian’s favorite day of the week. There was the traditional workout with the guys, followed by an afternoon with his son. Though slightly different than the usual, this Saturday might well have been his favorite Saturday of the year, hell, maybe even his favorite Saturday ever.

During his weightlifting with Ben, he was able to increase both the weight and/or the number of reps on several exercises, and the scale still read 8 ounces bellow his “ideal” weight, though none of his lunches had been replaced by a Granny Smith and coffee. He also thought he’d noticed an increase in his muscle definition in the mirror, but dismissed it as a figment of his imagination until Zen Ben mentioned how cut he was looking.

Although Brian had been gorgeous all his life, this small improvement of what many would have described (well, actually did describe…) as perfection made him very happy. He knew exactly why, and in a very non-Kinney moment of self-awareness, acknowledged that it was because he wanted Sunshine, his junior by twelve years and six months, to find him beautiful. If Justin was ever to see Brian naked that is, which, he had decided the night before, depended completely on Justin.

The next event that contributed to the beauty of the day was that when Brian got to Lindz and Mel’s to spend his weekly afternoon with Gus, he had the unexpected pleasure to find the boy in Justin’s company. One of Gus’s moms’ lezzy girlfriends was having a baby and they had recruited him to babysit while they went to the hospital. Mikey had already picked up JR. He and Ben always took her home, where she had her own pink and frilly bedroom, to spend Daddy and Daddy and daughter time. Brian usually just stayed at the Munchers and played with Gus, or took him out to the park or the zoo. There was little at the loft for the boy.

Instead of going home, Justin asked if it was OK if he stuck around. Gus was happy to have two playmates instead of one as they built a snowman in the backyard. It was anatomically correct and required two carrots instead of one, as well as a couple of small potatoes. Brian knew Mel would love it… Gus was soaked and cold when they went back inside so Brian took a warm bath with him, playing with a flotilla of plastic boats until both he and Gus resembled prunes.

Dressed in dry clothes and further warmed by a hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows Justin had prepared for him, Gus, as was his habit, fell asleep on his dad’s chest at nap time.

Brian and Justin enjoyed a quiet conversation while the boy recuperated from his active afternoon. Brian offered to give Sunshine rides to and from Babylon that night, but Justin had already accepted transportation from Emmett, who, now that he was Pittsburgh’s most sought after party planner, drove a very nice dark metallic grey Audi TT. Hmm… To say that Brian was extremely annoyed at this development would be a complete understatement.

He decided that Emmett might well bring Justin to the club, but that he would be driving Justin home tonight, no matter what plans those two had. Brian did not give a second thought to the fact that once again, it meant using both alcohol and drugs sparingly. It did not even register as any kind of sacrifice. He had planned on relative sobriety anyway, so he could keep an eye on Sunshine just like he had during their last visit to Babylon.

When Gus woke up, he requested a snack of “ants on a log”, something Brian had never heard of, and so it made him even happier that Justin had stuck around. Celery, peanut butter and raisins seemed like the kind of food a college student with the munchies would put together using the only ingredients available in the frat house fridge. Both Gus and Justin acted as if it was food for the gods.

When Justin enticed him to try it (in a moment of weakness brought about by watching Justin sucking peanut butter off of one of his fingers…), he had to admit it did have some culinary interest. The crunchy/ sticky/chewy textures, the salty/sweet/refreshing flavors… He ended up eating a whole “log”. After all, he was eight ounces under par…

When the Mommies came home, they found the three of them sitting on the floor around the coffee table drawing doggies, Gus’s latest obsession. Looking at their work, Lindsay commented on the fact that she often forgot how well Brian could draw. He had taken many art classes as part of his advertising degree and had had some natural abilities to start with.

His very realistic dog (a dachshund), however, did not compare to Justin’s, whose mutt one might have expected to come alive at any moment and jump out from the page, tail wagging and tongue lolling. He was truly an artist.

Still, as it should be, Gus got the most compliments for his four-legged renditions, never mind that they could have been anything from a sheep to a donkey, and only his drawings got to be on the refrigerator door…

*********

Saving Lindz a trip, Brian took Sunshine back to Liberty Avenue. It was close to six, and the boys had agreed to forgo Woody’s and just meet early at Babylon to get a chance to dance before the contest.

“Go and make yourself gorgeous,” said Brian to Justin, teasing, while thinking to himself that Justin looked plenty hot right now, in a simple pair of jeans and PIFA sweatshirt.

“If I managed to accomplish that impossible task in only three hours, would you dance with me?” asked Justin. Though Sunshine had made it sound like a reply to his joke, Brian could see genuine insecurity in the beautiful blue eyes.

“If I had my way, I would steal your dance card right now, Sunshine.” Brian smiled at him. “I just want you to look extra hot so I have the ridiculous satisfaction of reading envy in every other queer’s face while I dance with you, and have the thrill of knowing I have you in my arms and they don’t…”

He too had answered as if in jest, and he wondered if Justin could read in his eyes how truthful he actually had been. He wasn’t sure because Justin blushed and giggled, and he didn’t know if it was in amusement at his jest or in pleasure at his admission.

Justin got out of the ‘Vette and gave Brian one last luminous smile. “Later!”

“Later…”

On his way to the loft, Brian reflected on how much he appreciated the fact that Justin had not hounded him about his near confession from the day before, nor overwhelmed him with a reiteration of his own declaration. Evidently, he had taken Brian’s desire to keep things simple to heart. Did he realize how much Brian wanted him to repeat the offer he had made earlier that week? Maybe not. But Brian had an ace up his sleeve… After all, Sunshine was a healthy, normal 21 year-old gay man. And that fact meant he was hornier than any creature on earth…

*********

Justin had dressed for Babylon in the clothes he had on a couple nights ago when he had gone to Brian’s. He looked good enough to eat (and for Brian this was not just a quaint expression...). Brian, in a black sleeveless button down shirt and black jeans, looking hot as hell, watched with a certain amount of discontent as the subject of his fantasies entered the club with Emmett’s arm draped possessively around his shoulders.

Brian gave Emmett a deadly glare that was answered by a shit-eating grin made somewhat more aggravating by the happy-go-lucky diastema between Emmett’s front teeth. Brian’s resentment went up yet a few more degrees when the two never actually made it to the bar, but instead started dancing right away, much closer to each other than necessary, in his estimation. And damn if Emmett hadn’t chosen this evening to look particularly fine in emerald green leather pants and a fitted silver sleeveless Tee. He did have a great body…

Their entrance at Babylon had definitely not gone unnoticed, and many eyes still strayed to the pair as they were both such fabulous, sexy dancers. For the first time, Brian’s lack of rhythm irritated him, though the two were dancing so close that joining them would have been awkward.

It was a good twenty minutes before they finally found their way to the bar. So far all he had gotten from Justin was a quick smile of acknowledgement as they walked in. Now Sunshine was giving him his special smile, and prolonged dick-stirring eye contact. However, he was doing so from the cocoon of Emmett’s embrace as the tall queen was standing behind Sunshine with his arms around the lithe body.

When his erstwhile friend bent down and kissed the boy below the ear again, Brian had had enough. He removed Emmett’s arms, grabbed the material of Justin’s T-shirt between his fingers pulling him forward until their bodies touched and said, “Let’s dance.”

Sunshine was happy to comply and followed him, just teasing, as they started moving in rhythm with their pelvises pressed to each other, “Is that what you call dancing?” But he looked very glad to have one of Brian’s hands possessively behind his neck and the other on his lower back maintaining a constant pressure.

“Sure,” answered Brian, smiling. What do you call it?”

“Let me see… Vertical warm up to horizontal exercise?” offered Justin.

Brian found it incredibly endearing that after making such a bold (and promising) statement, the boy turned the loveliest shade of red, and was unable to keep eye contact. Brian leaned forward and whispered as much of an invitation as he was willing to issue. “Hmmm. Yes, please…” He loved the way Sunshine’s body seemed to melt in response, molding itself completely against his as they moved as one to the beat.

With such close (and deliciously arousing) contact, his entire body was caught in the rhythm along with the smaller man’s, and he felt the music flowing through him, his movements in complete harmony with the pulsing beat. It felt so natural he wondered how he could miss feeling it when he danced alone, yet he knew that if Justin were to back away, he would within seconds, begin to flounder awkwardly, having lost it.

He was pleased the envious gazes directed at Emmett and Justin earlier were now directed at them, knowing their pairing and their dance was at least as attractive and sexy as Emmett’s and Justin’s had been. He had no intention of letting Sunshine go until the contest began, and the warmth he saw in the young man’s eyes as they rested their foreheads together clearly said that he was right where he wanted to be, making Brian so fucking glad.

By the time the dancing had stopped so the contest could start, the place was packed. The King of Babylon was always a hoot, rivaled only by “Studs and Suds” in popularity. Mystic Marilyn, the amazing fortuneteller, directed the operation. She was dressed as a queen, any queen, starting with Cleopatra, then moving to Elizabeth the first, and finishing as Marie Antoinette. Unlike the lovely Chris Van Horn, Marilyn was obviously a transvestite, but that did not stop her from hamming it up. Brian wondered vaguely if she already knew who the winner was going to be…

She announced each new stripper with a little blurb full of half-truths and sexual innuendos. Brian watched the spectacle from the bar with the rest of the gang, flanked by Sunshine and Ted, who was always good for some witty remark on these occasions. Annoyingly, Emmett was on the other side of Justin, making him laugh with quips told softly enough to be for the boy’s ears only. They were all leaning back on the bar, resting on their elbows, and Emmett’s tight reflective leather pants showcased his dick to full advantage, much less discreetly than Brian’s light absorbing black jeans. Emmett did not have Brian’s generous 9 ¼ inches, but he wasn’t puny either. Brian was glad to notice Justin’s eyes were trained on Marilyn, and they seemed likely to stay there.

It was pathetic that Brian had already fucked at least half the contestants. Shit. He was either going to have to ease his ‘Only One Fuck Per Customer’ rule soon, or start curtailing his tricking, as there were less and less acceptable candidates around. The first solution was more likely. It didn’t hurt that he had an excellent memory of faces and dicks. He could give a second turn to the good ones, and stay away from the trolls…

The strippers were fun to watch, a few of them really hot, though not very imaginative. There was the usual Village People assortment: fireman, cop, and construction worker… Brian’s only real surprise came at the very end when Marilyn announced the last contestant, and it was a big one.

“And we finish tonight with a fresh face who wants to show his stuff! He hopes to attract the attention of an experienced stud who might teach our innocent boy what love between men is all about! Give it up for this natural blond, who knows how to shake his tail feathers, has read the gay Kama Sutra, and just wants to put his book learning into practice! A warm welcome please for… Sunshine!”

Brian could not believe it. He’d had his eye on Justin practically the whole time. When had he slipped away? Yet, there he was strutting on stage, throwing a cheeky grin his way. So Brian just leaned back, relaxed and got ready to enjoy the show. He did wonder if Sunshine really had read the gay Kama Sutra or if it was one of those Marilyn creations…

Justin’s top had been replaced by a small leather vest, and he was wearing a cowboy hat. Anyone would guess he wasn’t a day older than seventeen, especially since the music that came on was “High School Confidential”. As soon as he started dancing, the crowd went crazy.

He looked so fucking hot, and fuck, the boy could dance! He kept making eye contact with Brian and giving him his sunshine smile. After a particularly heated glance, Emmett exclaimed, “You go, Baby!” and Brian was suddenly conscious that Emmett was standing right next to him, and that halfway between him and the stage Brandon was dancing right along with Sunshine. Brian realized the hungry looks he had assumed were aimed at him could indeed have been for any of them.

To the queers of Pittsburgh, Emmett was pretty much to the bottoms what Brian was to the tops. He had the reputation of being an amazing and tireless lover with a cock that grew impressively when he was hard. Why, oh why, had Brian told the guys he thought Sunshine was a top?

Obviously Emmett would consider himself the best candidate to initiate Sunshine to the joys of sex… Plus, he fell in and out of love as often as he did laundry, so he could genuinely and easily tell Sunshine he loved him… Fuck. Why had he turned Sunshine down on Tuesday? It might cost him a chance with the only man he had ever considered having a relationship with.

Brian was disgusted with his insecurity. Life was so much easier when you didn’t give a shit… He reminded himself of the soft voice telling him on the phone, “I’ve given some thought to what you said the other night and… I don’t think I have a crush on you.” He told himself to get a fucking grip and have a little faith in Justin… and in himself. He took a deep breath, and the next time Justin looked his way, he smiled at him and rolled his eyes. The fact that Justin chuckled as he kept dancing reassured him completely that indeed, he was the one Justin was looking at, smiling at, and that he, and not Emmett was the experienced stud Sunshine wanted attention from.

When Justin dropped his pants, his ugly white underwear did nothing to hide his quite impressive package, which, considering his rather small stature was a happy surprise indeed. Justin was going to be a popular boy tonight. When his song was over he left the stage to cheers and applause, but not before casting one more heated look in Brian’s direction. Brian just wanted to walk over there, throw the sexy man over his shoulder and take him back to the loft. He had told himself he would wait for Sunshine’s move though. Then again, couldn’t this dance be construed as a first move?

It didn’t surprise anyone when Justin won the contest. He even managed to look great with that silly crown on his head. When he rejoined the gang at the bar, he got hugs and congratulatory kisses from everyone, including Brian, who whispered in his ear, “Hey, wild thing… Save the last dance for me…” Sunshine smiled warmly at him, his eyes dancing.

Brian was about to ask Justin to dance again when Emmett beat him to the punch. He watched, trying not to care, as the two of them started an intensely sexy dance with each other, and decided it would be better for his sanity if he didn’t watch any more.

He noticed the fireman from the contest in the middle of the dance floor. He’d had him last year, and remembered the man had a mouth like a wet hot vacuum, and a nice muscular ass. Time to inaugurate his “Second chance at a Kinney fuck” policy. He joined the guy on the dance floor, chasing away the competition just by showing up. After a couple of songs’ worth of grinding against the hunk, he dragged him to the back room.

As he and the fireman continued their grinding warm up in the far end of the back room, the fireman mentioned, “You had me last year, you know…”

“Yes, I remember the fabulous blow job you gave me and how nice and tight your ass was. Why? Are you objecting to a repeat performance?”

“Hell, no. It was an amazing fuck, but I thought your policy was…”

“It still is, but the really good ones get a second turn…”

“Wow. Cool. Thanks!”

“Why don’t you get on your knees and thank me properly?”

That mouth was just as good as he remembered and he was really enjoying his blow job. Brian closed his eyes and concentrated on the wonderful hot suction around his cock, until he reached a very nice climax. Fuck, that guy was good.

As a reward, he worked a little longer than usual at opening him up and didn’t rush him to completion, letting him enjoy the fuck a lot longer than he normally did. When the fireman finally came, the spasm of his rectum precipitated Brian’s orgasm. Brian knew he had given the guy the best fuck of his life. He actually pulled out slowly, handed the trick a couple paper towels from the nearby dispenser and tucked him back in his pants. He wasn’t sure why he was being so considerate. He just felt like it. The fireman turned around and looked at him like he was seeing the face of God.

“Fuck, Kinney. That was really… Fuck… Is there a chance…?”

“No. You’re very good, which is why you got seconds, but that’s it, man. Try Marvin, or Brandon. You can tell them I recommend you. I hear they’re really good… ”

The rest of the evening was a wash. As he was exiting the back room, Brian involuntarily met Justin’s eyes as the boy was dancing again with Emmett. For the first time in Brian’s experience, the blue gaze was completely unreadable, as was Sunshine’s facial expression. The King of Babylon danced non-stop with eager guys, and only came back to the bar to drink some water before being dragged out again by Blake or Ben, or Emmett. Even Brandon came to have a turn.

Around one in the morning, a slow dance came on. Justin immediately came to get Brian.

“Emmett is ready to go, but I was waiting for a slow dance to be my last,” said Justin. “Dance it with me?”

Brian was more than happy to comply. He had been hoping Justin would save the last dance for him. That Justin had waited for one of the few and far between slow dances was very… It made Brian feel really, really good. He decided to forget for a moment that Emmett was taking Justin home, with all that it could imply, and savor the dance with the man who now seemed to be constantly in his thoughts.

Holding the small body close to him felt so fucking good… Even after hours of dancing, Sunshine smelled wonderful. Brian buried his face in the silky blond strands and breathed him in. Unconsciously, he caressed the back of Justin’s neck as his other hand on Sunshine’s lower back kept their bodies pressed against each other.

His hard erection was rubbing on Justin’s hip, as his thigh provided a nice surface for Justin’s to press against. Justin looked up at him, his lustful eyes searching Brian’s for something. Brian smiled at him, and slowly lowered his face to Justin’s brushing their lips lightly together.

One of Justin’s hands went to the back of Brian’s neck and pulled him down, as he was whispering, “please” against his lips.

Their kiss was hot and sweet and deep and lasted for the rest of the song, and it was fucking amazing. Brian felt he held everything he'd ever wanted, everything he'd ever need in his arms, and the soft wet warmth of Justin's mouth, his gentle tongue, were making him dizzy with a feeling of utter rightness and perfection.

At the end of the dance, they stood for a moment, foreheads pressed together.

Breaking the spell, Justin said, “I have to go. I told Emmett just one more dance. He has a baby shower brunch tomorrow…”

Brian stepped back and took a deep breath, hoping Justin would ask him to take him home so that he could let Emmett go, but it didn’t happen. He watched them collect their coats and leave, then he followed suit. He could think of no reason to stay.

Back at the loft he immediately stripped and went in the shower. After soaping up and rinsing, he stayed standing in the hot spray, trying to make sense of his feelings. There was a strange hollow sensation in his chest that was both unpleasant but lovely, and he was unable to stop poking at it again and again. It was made of excitement, uncertainty, pleasurable memories, anticipation, admiration, lust, doubt and who knew what else, all under the label “Sunshine.”

There was no sense to be made of it. It was just a marvelously weird, happy, scary, heavy, lightness he would have to live with for a while, apparently… whatever “IT” was… He stepped out of the shower, brushed and flossed while dripping water on the floor. He grabbed a towel and dried himself off before walking nude to the fridge to get a bottle of water. He was drinking when the door buzzer went off. It was two in the morning, which made it a bit worrisome to say the least. He pressed the intercom.

“Yes?”

“It’s Justin. Can I come up?”

Brian’s heart started beating this crazy tattoo in his chest, and he was so fucking happy he was grinning like a fool when he pressed the release. He thought of grabbing his towel to wrap around himself, but then, chuckling, decided not to. His dick was full mast hard already. There was a timid knock on the door. Brian slid it wide open, and he watched the emotions play on Justin’s face. First surprise, then embarrassment; both of which were quickly replaced by lust, lust, lust…

“I warned you that you only got to escape unscathed once, Sunshine.” God, was that even his voice? Even to his own ears he'd sounded like some dark hungry predator. Brian moved aside to let Justin freely enter. “Step in, and you are mine…” he purred.

Justin looked Brian in the eyes, licked his lips, and took one step over the threshold. One slow blink. “Make love to me, Brian…”