Anomalistic

Justin coughed and coughed and coughed, his chest rattling and his eyes tearing up from lack of oxygen. He felt like he couldn't get a deep enough breath but it only made him cough harder the more breath he took in.

"Would you go the fuck to sleep already?" Brian bitched from the sofa.

"I feel better if I'm sitting up, and I have to have this done by tomorrow," Justin spoke in a nasally tone, making the words nearly indecipherable.

"You're not going to school tomorrow. You need to go back to the fucking doctor because whatever he gave you isn't working."

"You haven't seen me for the last three days," Justin replied, sucking down the urge to cough. "Believe me; the antibiotics have made me much better. I can't afford to take anymore days off school and I have to catch up on what I missed this week."

It took Brian a moment to piece together what Justin had actually said and by the time he did he was even more annoyed with him. "You better not get me sick."

"I told you, after twenty-four hours on antibiotics I can't give anyone what I have," Justin groaned before losing the battle and coughing again.

“So you’ve told me a hundred times, but how do we know you’re on the right antibiotics?" Brian was sure that earlier Justin had sounded much better on the phone when he told him he was going to come over. If he knew that he’d have to put up with a wheezy, infectious PSA announcer, then he might not have agreed to pick Justin up from PIFA.

Justin took a drink of his hot tea and glared over at Brian through his puffy, red eyes. “Do you want me to leave?” He really liked using the newest software Brian had on his desktop, but he’d go home and use the older version if he really had to.

Justin refused to trade his computer for the upgraded one Brian had bought ‘for himself', spouting some crap about independence. Brian was sure that the real reason Justin denied taking the computer home was so that he could use it as an excuse to come over and annoy him. Tonight, Justin's whiney voice, red nose and the stench of aloe and Vick’s Vaporrub permeating around Justin made it very hard for Brian to answer, ‘no’. He chose the safer route and replied, “It’s up to you.”

Justin groaned at the predictable response, wondering why he bothered to ask. “Then I’ll stay. I was sort of hoping you could give me an opinion on this when I’m finished.” He eyed the computer screen critically before looking back over at Brian. “Or now?"

Brian shut off the television and walked over to the desk and stood behind Justin out of coughing range. The screen showed a man's face, features twisted in agony, his mouth wide open as if he were screaming. Justin had used every hue of blue imaginable, except for the color coming out of the man's mouth. There he'd used hues of red, yellow and orange, but Brian couldn't figure out what the blobs coming out of the man's mouth were supposed to be. Some of it was obviously flames, beautiful flames that turned into vines but they became a mess of color splashes he couldn't decipher. "What's that stuff coming out of his mouth?"

"They're supposed to be tulips," Justin groaned. "I suck at drawing flowers, even before..."

"So why are you drawing them?"

"The whole idea of this project is that each week we're going to add something based on whatever Professor Hinton chooses. We started with a simple portrait and now we have to add a flower."

Brian looked at the pictures of tulips Justin had printed off that sat beside the keyboard. "Maybe, you should wait until you're feeling better before attempting them."

Justin turned the chair and placed his hand on Brian's thigh. "Maybe, I just need to release some tension. I haven't even felt like jerking off the last three days."

“That’s really pathetic,” Brian said without empathy, stepping away from Justin. “How do you think we’re going to fuck if you can’t go without coughing for two minutes?”

"If you're not going to help me, then just go out, Brian. I've got to finish this shit anyway." Justin turned back to the computer, trying and failing to stifle a cough the emotions brought out in him.

"Well, I'm so glad to have your permission to leave my own fucking house!" Brian couldn't stand when Justin acted like he was a saint for letting him off the hook for something. He was only concerned for his health. Justin's health. He didn't want him passing out from lack of oxygen while he fucked him or kissed him. Sure, he didn't want to get sick himself, but that had nothing to do with why he didn't want to fuck him.

"You're the one who invited me over and ever since I've gotten here all you've done is bitch at me for being sick and still having to actually live."

"Right. That's exactly what I've been doing," Brian growled, grabbing his keys and cell phone from the island and walking toward the door. Now he needed a cigarette and even though he didn't want to leave because that meant he would be doing what Justin told him, he also didn't want to aggravate Justin's lungs by smoking in the loft and he'd smoked his last one on the drive to pick up Justin.

"You're usually good offering up inspiration when I'm blocked but the only thing you've done is nag me. I told you I'd leave if you wanted me to."

"Fuck that! You're staying here. Do me a favor and find some inspiration to not act like such an ungrateful asshole while I'm gone!"

"I'll find inspiration by jerking off while you're gone, will that do? That way you won't have to hear me wheeze your name when I come."

After Brian left, slamming the door behind him, Justin gave into the tickle in the back of his throat and coughed, loosening the mucus in his lungs. He ran for the bathroom and spat into the sink, chills of disgust breaking out on his skin. As he looked at himself in the mirror he had to laugh at his appearance. He couldn't believe he actually thought it was a good idea to come to the loft. His lips were chapped, his nose was pink and peeling and his eyes were red-rimmed and glassy. No wonder why Brian hadn't wanted to risk catching his sickness.

Justin blew his nose, washed his face and stripped down to his underwear. He'd been denying how bad he still felt and the truth was he was exhausted; a little sleep might be exactly what he needed.

~~~~~~~~~~

Brian had realized that he'd taken Justin's keys when he tried to get in his Vette and there was no clicker attached to the key ring. The last thing he was going to do was go back into the loft and confuse Justin into thinking he'd thought twice and come back, so instead he decided to walk the couple of blocks to the store.

"I want a snickers!" a little girl screeched, practically running over Brian as she ran toward the candy aisle.

"You can't have candy," a woman, apparently the child's mother, ran after the girl. "I already bought you popsicles; they'll help with your sore throat."

"Okay," the girl whined before coughing. "My chest hurts," she whimpered, tears in her eyes.

The mother drew the child into her arms and patted her back. "It's all right, once we get back home I'll make you a hot bath and all the steam will make your chest feel better."

"Then I can have a popsicle?" the girl asked.

"Yup. Come on; let's go find the chicken soup so we can get you back home, kiddo."

Brian side-stepped the woman and child and found himself standing in front of the freezers. He laughed to himself as he opened one of the doors and grabbed a box of chocolate popsicles. It was bad enough that he was going to buy such a childish dessert, he'd be damned if he'd be seen carrying around a box of Bomb Pops.

As he stood in line to pay, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. His hands full, he didn't bother looking at the ID and barely managed to open the phone and get it to his ear. "Kinney."

"Brian?"

"Mother Taylor."

"Could you put Justin on? I don't care if he's sick, I want to talk to him."

"I'm not with him, you'll have to call his phone."

"I did call his phone. You answered it," Jennifer laughed.

Brian took the phone away from his ear and looked at it, the color was dark gray, not black. If their phones were side-by-side he could easily tell the difference, but he realized he'd left his phone in the suit jacket pocket he'd changed out of. "We must've traded phones," he said. "He's at the loft working on some flower project for school, you can call him there."

"He still hasn't finished the tulip project?" Jennifer asked. "He was already a day late with that before he got sick. He told me he finished it."

Brian had no idea that Justin was so behind in the assignment and wondered why he gave his mother the impression he'd finished. "He was still working on it when I left."

"I told him that he needed to choose another flower, tulips are out of season and a picture can only inspire him so much."

"I'm in line and about to pay for my stuff, is there something you wanted?"

"Just take care of him," Jennifer said, sighing. "He won't let me do it."

"And you think he'll let me?" Brian scoffed.

"He always has, you just have to figure out how to."

"Thanks for your ominous advice," he sarcastically replied.

"Tell him I called," Jennifer said. "I'm on my way to a party so I'll try him tomorrow."

"All right, bye." Brian clicked the phone closed and stepped up to the counter. "Pack of Marlboro Lights, and this stuff," he said, indicating the items in the basket.

"Anything else?" the clerk asked, handing Brian the pack of cigarettes.

~~~~~~~~~~

Brian resisted yanking his pillow out from under Justin's head and instead settled on changing the sheets later. The longest line of drool he'd ever seen was falling in a constant river from the side of Justin's mouth and the pillow case showed a wet spot the size of a grapefruit. As he sat down on the ledge around the bed, he got a closer look at Justin. His nose was stopped up, he was breathing completely out of his mouth, which is why the drooling was worse than normal, and Justin's snoring had become a deep growling pant.

"Wake up," Brian coaxed, brushing his fingers along Justin's jaw.

Justin opened his eyes and saw Brian at the same time as he felt the sticky wetness on his mouth. "Oh god," he groaned, covering his mouth and wiping away the spit.

Brian snorted a laugh. "You feel any better?"

Justin slowly sat up and took a deep breath; he smiled when he realized that he didn't cough. "What time is it?"

"Almost eleven."

Justin felt a little disoriented. "I slept for three hours?"

"Guess you needed it," Brian said, kissing Justin's nose. "Come on."

Justin took Brian's outstretched hand and allowed Brian to pull him out of the bed and lead him toward the bathroom. The steam coming from the running shower immediately helped loosen the gunk in his nose. He grabbed the tissues and blew his nose, not caring that the loud noise echoed around the bathroom and made him sound like an elephant.

"Take a shower."

Justin realized that Brian had changed clothes and was now wearing a pair of gray sweats that hung low on his hips and a white v-neck t-shirt that clung to him like a second skin. His mouth watered and his cock ached with longing to touch Brian. "Are you going to join me?"

"I already took one," Brian said, backing out of the bathroom and closing the door behind him. "Don't jerk off in there," he called.

~~~~~~~~~~

Justin stood on the stairs, frozen in shock. "What the fuck happened to you while I was sleeping?"

Brian shrugged. "Nothing. What the fuck happened to you?"

Justin slowly walked over to the island, feeling as if he were dreaming. "What is this?"

Brian ignored the question and grabbed the tea kettle off the stove. "It's white tea."

"Huh?" Justin slid onto one of the barstools.

"White tea, it's good for colds, it has antibodies and..."

"I know what the fuck white tea is." Justin waved his hands around. "Are you feeling all right? Did you catch my cold? Is that why you're acting like this?"

"I didn't catch your cold." Brian leaned over the counter and kissed Justin. "You said you're not contagious."

Justin blinked quickly and tried to formulate words. "I...I...I'm not but you've... you've never made me dinner before. And..."

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Brian had to admit that even in an unconventional relationship like theirs, it was pretty shitty of him to never have done such a simple thing. "So you think those will inspire you?"

Justin reached out to touch the petals of one of the tulips. "Where did you find these?" The arrangement was comprised of different colored tulips but three of them had the look of fire, just as he'd wanted to capture in his project.

Brian had gone to three different florists to find them. "Saw them on a street corner," he lied.

Justin laughed. "Yeah, right."

"You sound better," Brian observed. "Eat up."

Justin looked at the chicken soup. "Is this Campbell’s?"

"It's your favorite when you're sick, right?" Brian gave Justin a nervous smile.

Justin felt like he might melt into a pile of goo. He didn't understand what had gotten into Brian but he wasn't complaining. "Yeah, it is. I'm just surprised you remembered me telling you that."

Brian sat down beside Justin and took a mouthful of the soup. "It's not as bad as I remembered."

Justin nudged Brian with his shoulder, smiling brighter than he had in days. "Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~

Splayed on top of Justin, Brian made a shallow thrust into his ass while at the same time plunging his tongue into his mouth. "Mmm.... chocolate," he murmured.

"I can't believe... oh god, yes...." Justin groaned and licked a line up along Brian's jaw. "Fuck, that feels good."

Brian swiveled his hips so his cock pressed against Justin's prostate. "You like that?"

"Mmmhmm. What was I saying?" he asked, gripping Brian's ass cheeks in his hands.

"You couldn't believe..." Brian reminded him, picking up the pace of his thrusting.

"You made dinner...." Justin wedged one of his hands between their bodies to stroke himself. "And bought me flowers."

Brian pushed Justin's legs up toward his chest and positioned himself so that he could piston in and out of Justin's tight hole. "For your project," he gritted, clenching his teeth as his balls tightened.

"And chocolate," Justin moaned, fisting his dick faster and shifting his ass up to meet Brian's cock. "All on the same day!"

"Is that going to make you come?" Brian asked worriedly and stopped his thrusts.

Justin grumbled, "Why'd you stop?"

"You're getting off on me making you dinner and buying you flowers and chocolate, not on my nine-inch dick pounding your ass for the last hour?"

Justin threw his head back and laughed. "Jesus Christ, Brian! Of course, it's your dick."

"You're sure about that?"

Justin slapped Brian's ass. "What? Do you want me to talk dirty to you?"

Brian grinned, circling his hips to grind his dick inside of Justin. "It wouldn't hurt."

"You are so full of yourself."

"On the contrary," Brian said, pulling out of the warm hole until the rim of Justin's ass captured the flared head of his prick. He thrust balls deep once again, causing Justin to cry out and his eyes to roll back, fingernails digging into Brian's ass. "It's you who is full of me."

~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, Brian woke up, his dick hard and ready to fuck again. He rolled over, reached for Justin but came up empty. He opened his eyes, slowly sat up and saw a light on in the living room.

"Didn't mean to wake you," Justin said over his shoulder as Brian walked down the bedroom stairs.

Brian gripped his hard-on and absently stroked it as he walked over to Justin. "I woke up inspired," he joked.

Justin laughed softly, running his hand up and down Brian's thigh muscles, making them twitch. "So did I. Thanks to you."

Brian looked at the computer screen and all the apprehension he had about buying the tulips for Justin evaporated. "It looks a lot better."

"That's high praise coming from you." Justin dropped his hand from Brian's thigh and placed it on the computer mouse. "Just let me save this and I'll show you my appreciation once again."

Brian squatted next to Justin’s chair, pushed his face into his crotch, inhaled deeply and coughed. And then coughed again. "Fuck!" he exclaimed, rising to his feet.

"Maybe it was just a tickle in your throat," Justin suggested hopefully.

"That's all it was," Brian said firmly. He was not going to get sick. He turned Justin's chair, aligning Justin's face with his dick. "Now how about tickling your throat with my cock."

"Mmmm, I'd rather you tickle my ass with your dick instead."

Brian grabbed Justin hand and pulled him from the chair. "I think that can be arranged."

The End