Chapter 5

THE FIRST WEEK

Part 2 of: The Second Day

Noon to Night

Two blocks and a short bike ride later; Brian and Justin parked in front of a small diner that sported its name in big neon LIBERTY DINER.

Brian and Justin hadn't been kidding. They really were hungry. And no wonder! What with the motorcycle ride to town and then the (shudder) three-hour tour, it had been about five hours since they had last eaten.

Accordingly, they went into the diner.

It turned out to be longer than it was wide and went quite a ways in. At the window there were two booths and booths were all along the right hand wall. On the left was a long counter with stools. Both the stools and booths were covered in orange vinyl and the tables and countertop were Formica. Behind the counter and to the left was the order up window and at the back there was a swinging door that led into the back. Beyond that was, assumably, the kitchen. On the counter near the front was a cash register and at the back of the diner was a jukebox. Next to that was another set of swinging double doors that led to the kitchen.

As it was the start of the dinner rush, the booths were all full so they sat together at the counter near the back.

BAAAAMMMMMMMMM!!!

The swinging double doors exploded open and a large woman with brassy red hair zoomed past carrying two trays on each arm with each tray containing about two orders each.

As she sped down the one long aisle, she doled out the orders correctly on her way down so that when she reached the end, she was empty handed. She spun around and started back. Justin gaped as he saw she was wearing roller skates.

"Hey, how bout some service!" Brian yelled, razzing her.

"Keep your balls on, I'm comin'!" she shot back. On her way, she doled out menus, grabbed a coffeepot and freshened those cups that needed it. As she came, Brian held out a coffee cup hand Justin followed his example. On her way past, she filled them and dropped two menus in between them.

"Take a look and I'll be right back!" the red headed woman yelled.

BAAMMM!!! went the doors as she went through to the back.

BAAMMM!!! went the door as she came back through the one behind the counter.

SLAM! She whacked down two glasses of water and two sets of cutlery wrapped in napkins.

She scanned the pick-up window and found a couple of plates. BAAMMM!!! went the inner door. BAAMMM!!! went the outer door, and she was off again.

Meanwhile, Brian and Justin scanned the menu. Justin was ravenous. He couldn't read the words but the pictures were worth a thousand of them.

BAAAMMM!!! BAAAAMMMM!!!

And then she was behind the counter, pad in hand, ready for them at last. She popped and chewed her gum noisily and expectantly.

The woman behind the counter was in her 40's and slightly overweight. She had a huge afro of red hair and a bright red lipsticked mouth that was chewing gum constantly. She wore a red vest that was covered in slogans and pins. Underneath she wore a t shirt that read:

FOllOw

the clues

The two O's were a larger font than the rest of the letters, were contrived to be the lenses of two magnifying glasses and were situated directly over her enormous boobs. Following the words was a trail of white arrows that followed a meandering path all over her shirt, finally ending in a trail pointing directly downward the center and bottom of her shirt.

"Hey, Prince Brian! How you doin', hon?"

"She's the only one in the kingdom who gets to call me that," Brian said resignedly.

Without warning, she slapped the back of his head.

"That's for staying away for so long! Where have you been!?"

"She's also the only one who gets to do that!" Brian growled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well!?"

"Well hello, Deb! So nice to see you too!" Brian growled, sarcastically, "Sorry I haven't been around lately but since it's just the few of us left up at the castle, I've been busy running the kingdom. Prince, and all that...remember?"

"Oh right. I'd almost forgotten...I mean I've been run off my feet...Well, who's your friend? You know what you want, Sunshine?" she asked, switching to Justin.

Justin nodded and pointed to pictures of a cheeseburger, chocolate shake, and onion rings. Deb jotted it down.

Brian looked stunned. "How'd you know to call him that?" he asked.

"Huh?"

Brian introduced Deb to Justin and explained about his being mute and unable to communicate his name, hence the nickname. Meanwhile, he ordered some low-carb shit and Deb hung their order up.

"Well, I don't know," she said as she came back, "With that sweet, brilliant smile and that shock of yellow hair above that blue suit, I just automatically thought of Sunshine."

"Me too," Brian said, fondly. He ruffled his hair and brought Justin's lips to his in a quick kiss.

"OH HO! So that's how it is! How's the royal shithead taking it?"

"Not too well. But it can't be helped. Besides, it's not as serious as all that. Sunshine and I aren't a couple. We just share a strange...bond. Maybe because we're fellow castaways."

"Uh HUH.... Michael's my son," she explained to Justin. "I love..."'

"Hey Deb, how bout some coffee?" a booth dweller yelled.

"Are your legs broke?" she yelled.

"No," came the whiny reply.

"Well they WILL BE if you don't get OFF your ASS and pour it yourself!"

"Where was I? Oh yeah, I love him, but he's become a social climbing, snotty, pain in the ass, snob. Maybe a little competition would serve him right! Oh, I'll be right back!"

BAAMMM! BAAMMM! She was off.

Somehow Justin mimed, "She's his mother?"

"Yeah. HE never visits either. It hasn't exactly put her in his corner."

Justin laughed silently.

DING! DING! It had to be the sweetest ring on Earth. Their order was up.

BJMBJMBJMBJ

Justin's burger was so good, he wanted to make it last forever. But he felt as if he had a hole inside of him and in no time he had devoured the whole thing.

"How can you eat that stuff?" Brian asked, taking nit-picking bites of his low-carb shit.

Justin shrugged, grabbed a menu, and tapped his finger on the cheeseburger.

"Now what?"

He tapped the burger again and made imploring, puppy-dog eyes.

"You want another one??"

Justin nodded and smiled the smile that named him.

"Hey Deb!" Brian yelled.

"Whadd-ya want, asshole!? Deb yelled, from the other end of the diner.

"Sunshine wants another cheeseburger! God only knows why!" he muttered.

"Ohhh, you! I heard that, Prince...Brian Kinney!" The title was laced with sarcasm.

With whirlwind speed, she freshened coffee, slammed down a couple of orders, lifted up a flap in the counter, and rang up a bill in the register. She zoomed her way down the length of the counter.

"Not everyone can stomach that low-carb shit you insist on limiting yourself to. We serve good food here at the Liberty Diner. Phil!! Another cheeseburger!" she screamed.

There was a weary DING! in acknowledgement.

"Anything you want, angel! Just ask!" she addressed Justin fondly. She ruffled his hair. She had immediately adopted the "I am going to adopt and adore this waif and take him under my wing" attitude without even thinking about it.
"I have to watch what I eat! I'll get fat! Not everyone can stuff themselves with grease and sugar," Brian defended himself.

"Oh, horsefeathers! You're perfectly healthy. You could eat anything you want if..."

And they were at it again. Justin just shrugged and smiled in amusement as he bit into his second cheeseburger when it came.

Brian and Deb were still bickering good-naturedly when a delivery man came into the diner from the back.

"Hello!? I knocked and knocked on the back door and nobody answered so I let myself in. Look, I need a signature here. I just delivered a big shipment of beef patties that just came in!"

The effect on Justin was electric. He grabbed Brian's arm and shook hard. He grunted and pointed at the delivery man. He grunted again, primally.

The delivery man was scared out of his wits. He figured the grunting man was some sort of half-wit about to have a seizure. And it was all his fault!

He ripped off the invoice and threw it at Deb. "Just sign it and mail it in! I'm outta here!"

But before he got three steps, he heard the dreaded words:

"Halt, in the name of the Prince!" Brian yelled out, authoritatively.

The delivery man froze in his tracks. Disobeying that order would mean serious dungeon time. Slowly, he turned to face the music. But wait! He didn't do anything wrong!"

Quaking, he returned to the diner where the blond fellow had calmed down a bit but was still highly agitated and pointed at him in a frenetic kind of way.

"What is it, Sunshine? Have you seen this guy before? Did he hurt you?" Brian got up, his face contorted in anger, fists clenched. The thought of anyone touching Justin, who couldn't yell for help, filled him with murderous rage.

The delivery guy held up his hands. "Whoa! I never saw this guy in my life!"

At the same time, Justin grabbed Brian's arm and yanked hard. When Brian turned to look, Justin shook his head violently. He made Brian sit down and got up and held out his hand to the delivery man. The delivery man warily took it and shook it.

Justin smiled and pulled him to a seat and patted his shoulder kindly. The delivery man's heart rate began to slow. He remained on high alert though, and the young man's silence was unnerving.

"What is it? What's wrong? What do you want of me?" he cried.

The blond smiled kindly but said nothing. He pointed at him, mimed opening his mouth and spreading his fingers in front of it, indicating speech, and patted himself on the chest.

The delivery man looked helplessly at Brian. "I don't understand! I didn't DO anything! What's WRONG with him anyway?"

"He's mute. But I understand. He thinks you spoke something important."

"But I didn't! I didn't do nothin'!"

"You obviously did and you'll co-operate as well as you can or it'll go worse for you!" Brian threatened, scaring the delivery man even more.

Justin shook his head and gave Brian a reproachful look that said, "Stop that! You're scaring him!" He stroked the man's arm comfortingly.

"Look, I don't know what kinda Good Guard, Bad Guard thing you got going on here but I'm telling you, I didn't do nothin'!"

Justin thought for a moment. Everyone remaining in the diner was watching the drama unfold. The silence was total.

Then he removed a pad and pencil from his jacket pocket. Quickly, he made a crude drawing of a man walking through a door. Then a face with lines emitting from his mouth, indicating speech. He pointed at one, then the other, then the delivery man.

"I'm not following, Sunshine," Brian said.

Frustrated, Justin made an arrow, indicating movement through the door. He pointed at the delivery man and indicated speech again.

He HAD to make them understand! He could NOT let this opportunity pass.

"He came through the door..." Brian said, slowly, "He said something..."

Justin nodded. He indicated the speech lines again.

"What did you say when you first came in here?" Brian asked

"I - I don't know!" Seeing Brian's expression, he tried to remember. "Just normal stuff. I knocked on the door and nobody answered."

Justin rolled his hand. Keep going!

"I had a shipment of patties to deliver...which are melting, by the way!"

"I'll take care of it," Deb said, and skated away.

Justin rolled his hand.

"That's it...Just that I needed a signature cuz a shipment of patties had just come in."

Justin indicated on his pad, three sections. He indicated the last section. He drew three lines and pointed at them.

The delivery man was starting to get it.

"Just came in?" he said, hopefully.

Justin smiled brilliantly and hugged him. Then he patted Brian and made a "give me money" gesture.

Willingly, Brian gave him two gold coins and Justin gave it to the delivery man. He patted his back and indicated, "You can go."

The delivery man whooped and hugged Justin back, grabbed his invoice (which Deb had signed) and got out of there with joy. This gold would pay off two of his creditors and earn him a night of marathon sex with his girlfriend. And wait till she heard, all he had to do was say three little words!

Everyone laughed a little as the delivery man ran out of there like he'd been let out of the dungeon.

By this time, Deb had returned. She hunched over the counter, mystified as everyone else.

DING! DING! DING! Orders were up.

Frantically, she grabbed the plates and slammed them onto the counter. The owners wisely served themselves.

"Touch that bell again in the next five minutes and you'll lose a finger!" she screamed. "Go on, angel," she said to Justin, patting his cheek.

Justin pointed to the three "words".

"Just...came...in," everyone repeated obediently.

Justin scribbled out the middle word and pointed to the remaining ones.

"Just...In," Brian and Deb repeated.

Justin smiled, breathed a huge sigh of relief and nodded. He slapped his chest. He pointed to Just...in again and patted his chest.

"Your name. Your name is Just in?" Brian asked doubtfully.

Justin made a chopping gesture. "Faster!"

"Just - In." he pronounced it faster but still as two words.

Justin held his head and nodded in resignation. It was close enough and eventually he'd get it.

Well, it's nice to meet you at last, Just In. Although, I must say, I rather like calling you Sunshine as well." And Justin let himself be enfolded into a crushing bear hug, feeling the strength of the Prince, the kingdom behind him, and the hook of love that had captured them both, but which Brian continued to deny.

BJMBJMBJMBJ

Justin had finished his second cheeseburger, onion rings and had started his chocolate shake. Somewhere along the way, he had offered Brian a second straw and for once Brian had forgone the carbs and agreed to share the shake with him. They sat there sucking at the straws, looking deep into each other's eyes like a couple of lovestruck teenagers. Oh, and let's not forget that Brian was still sitting there in black jeans, boots past his knees, and that sexy as sin leather jacket. Justin didn't, and he drank in the sight even deeper than he did his milkshake.

They were nearly done and Justin was starting to think about the ride back when a few clues from past conversations fit themselves into his mind and formed a question.

He reached for his pad and quickly drew a crude turreted castle. He drew three stick figures. He pointed at one, pointed at Brian, pointed at the second, pointed at himself, pointed at the third, pointed at the castle drawing. He circled the figures and made a questioning gesture.

"What's that, Sunshine?" Brian asked. The milkshake was making him logy.

Justin thought. He indicated the castle. He made a biiiig circling gesture. He pointed to the figures. He made a tiny circling gesture. He shrugged, asking, why?

"Hmmmm. Big castle. (Justin nodded, yes) Small people. (No. Justin indicated the figures represented them) Oh. Those are us. Just us. (Yes) Just us in a big castle."

Justin nodded and asked, "Why?" again.

"I don't want to talk about it, "Brian said gruffly, "Finish your milkshake. It's time to go."

Justin shrugged and turned back to the creamy concoction. He not so subtly positioned the pad within eyeshot and waited.

After a few minutes, Brian gave a ragged sigh. He raked a hand over his face.

"The castle used to be full of people. My parents died a good number of years ago so I was raised by my Uncle Vic. But there was a stipulation in my parents' will that said I could not ascend to the throne until I married. Uncle Vic tried his best but as you can guess, I didn't want a woman to marry. So, a little over two weeks ago, my uncle took me and a lot of the soldiers who lived in the palace with us, onto a cruise as a kind of...birthday party. But there was a storm and the ship was destroyed and...and...and I never saw any of them again," he finished in a low voice. "I suppose they drowned. As it is, it's a miracle I'm alive. I still don't understand it."

"I understand it," thought Justin.

"Anyway, that's when Michael found me, and we hooked up. I guess it was about then, I figured I'd better pull my dick outta my ass and shape up, so pretty soon after that I asked Michael to marry me. It turned out the will didn't actually say I had to marry a woman. Brian's cocky smirk was back. Then it faded. "Anyway, that's why we're rattling around there like three peas in a can. And it's all my fault. I don't like to talk about it much," he finished, his face hardening. His shoulders stiffened.

But Justin was not so unmoved. He was not the most compassionate, kindest, Prince in the sea for nothing. He felt Brian's loss as if it was his own and a few tears trickled down his cheeks. He knew what Brian needed, even if it wasn't what Brian wanted.

Slowly he stood, reached out and put a hand on Brian's stiff shoulder. Brian's shoulder stayed stiffened but he didn't pull away either.

Slowly, Justin spun him around until Brian was facing him and his back was to the counter.

"What are you doing?" Brian whispered. He was grieved and curious and turned on all at the same time. Justin's eyes were so blue they seemed to glow. Another tear fell.

Slowly, Justin climbed onto Brian's lap straddling him. His arms went around him, much the same way they did when they first met. He hugged him chest to chest. He reached up and stroked the back of his head and kissed his neck and then just buried his face in the hollow of his neck and waited. He had never more wished for his power of sunshine.

Slowly, he felt Brian's arms encircle him in return. They hugged him painfully tight. His head came down even more slowly, buried itself in the hollow of Justin's neck.

Justin just waited.

Silently, Brian's shoulders began to shake. Justin rubbed his back slowly up and down. They remained like that for a long time and although Brian still made no sound, Justin's shoulder got very, very damp.

BJMBJMBJMBJ

Later, outside as they got ready to go, Brian sloooowly snapped up his jacket, pulled on his gauntlets, put on his goggles in a slow, reverse strip show that he could tell was driving Justin crazy.

He mounted the bike.

Justin put on his own goggles and helmet and went to climb on the bike. But as he did, Brian scooted backward until there was no room to get on. Justin moved to the side, shrugged his shoulders. "What's up?"

Brian said nothing.

Justin tried to get on again. Brian scooted back. Justin asked again, "What's up?"

Brian said nothing. He just sat there, his face a masked enigma.

Justin was starting to get it. Brian was playing the mute, waiting for him to get it.

Justin went to get on the back again. Brian scooted back.

Hmmm. God, he hoped Brian wasn't going to leave him there. No, if he were going to do that, he would have left by now. He wasn't leaving, just sitting there like a statue of a leather god.

Justin tried again. Nope, he couldn't get on the back. He moved toward the front. Brian didn't move but he didn't impede him either.

A wild hope bloomed in his chest. First a test. Justin moved to the back and was blocked. He moved to the front. Nothing.

Slowly, Justin swung his leg over the bike. He slid down until he was straddling Brian's lap facing him, just as he had been in the diner. He gasped as Brian shifted him and he slid down further as close as two people could be. Crotch to crotch, stomach to stomach, chest to chest.

"I thought you'd never get it," Brian whispered into his ear and licked the lobe with the tiniest brush of the tip of his tongue.

Justin jumped as if he'd been shocked.

Brian started the bike. Justin wrapped his arms around him and rested his helmeted head against Brian's chest. Brian framed his body with his own, gloved arms and held onto the handlebars. They drove off like that, into the sunset, wrapped around each other as if they were one entity.

On the open road, Brian had to be more careful but he found a few opportunities to pop wheelies. Justin loved it. It just pressed them closer together until Justin felt as if they WERE one entity. Eventually though, the dwindling light, vibrating bike, and steady rhythm of Brian's heartbeat made a lethal combination and Justin eventually fell deep asleep on Brian's lap.

And that was how they returned home.

Someone saw them.

Because that someone was waiting for them and watching.

Brian got off the bike, lifting Justin with him. He tried to get Justin awake but the younger man wouldn't fully rouse past a state of semi-consciousness. Finally, he gave up. He took off both of their helmets and goggles and put them on the seat. He'd have someone put the bike away later.

He cradled Justin in his arms and carried him into the castle.

In the Hall, he considered a bit but looked down at how sleepy Justin was. He could wait until tomorrow to show him his big surprise.

He carried him up to bed.

In Justin's bedroom, he laid him on the bed and pulled off his gauntlets and jacket. Thus unencumbered, he began to undress Justin, getting him ready for bed. Each piece of clothing was like unwrapping a precious gift. Somewhere through the process, Justin awoke and tried to help but he was so tired and clumsy, he only ended up getting in the way. So, finally, he just lay there and let Brian do it.

Brian stripped Justin down to his underwear. He tucked him in, and then just sat there. He was incredibly tempted. He wanted to just crawl in beside him and take the underwear off as well, and show Justin pleasures he never thought possible. And afterward just crawl in beside him and wrap his arms around him until...

Whoa!!! Brian shook his head, tried to get his thoughts...and libido under control. Plus, he had to think of Michael. What was happening to him?

Justin's eyes were starting to droop. He held up his arms and Brian went into them willingly.

"Thanks for a wonderful day, Just In," Brian said, trying out the new name. He didn't like it.

Neither did Justin. He winced.

Then he shook his head sleepily. He patted his chest and then Brian's. Slowly, he drew off his crown and gave it to Brian. His gave a huge sigh of contentment and closed his eyes. Brian watched as his breathing grew deep and even. He was asleep.

Brian kissed him on the forehead. "Good night, Sunshine," he whispered.

He put Justin's crown on the bedside table. He gathered up his clothes, turned out the light, and left the room.

But through the eyes in the portrait above the fireplace, someone was watching.

TO BE CONTINUED