Brian was passively sitting at his desk in the corner of his loft, frowning intently down at a pile of papers as if they would they would disappear if he stared them down long enough.  Unfortunately, they’d yet to blink out of existence.  He leaned back in the soft leather chair and listened to the creak of the old joints.  He bobbed forward and back a few times simply to let the creak fill the silence of his loft.

He disliked nights Justin decided to spend at Daphne’s; they were few and far between – thankfully – yet the young man was still determined to claim that it was his home and he simply visited Brian, despite the fact that most of Justin’s things were here and he had to back a bag to go over to his best friend’s.  With Justin over there, it left him little to do but fret over his finances.

He leaned forward once more and let the light of the desk lamp pool over his face and it cast long shadows down his chin.  He took a long, deliberate drag of the cigarette in his hand and then raised his gaze to look at the dark loft around him.  The only light was from his desk, and the low light that spilled in from the windows from the city.  It was more than enough to illuminate the emptiness of his loft.

Besides the essentials in his kitchen and bathroom, all he had left was his desk and bed.  He even got rid of the kitchen table as it became frivolous – he and Justin could just eat on the breakfast bar.

This wasn’t how he imagined his life would be when he took down Stockwell.  Sure, he expected to have to cut back on some expenses, maybe cancel his HBO subscription and a few magazines, but he barely had any possessions to his name and the entirety of his savings was gone, sunk into his horribly unsuccessful company.

He let out a sad huff and shook his head at the thought of Kinnetik, which at this point was nothing more than a pipe dream.  All of his top clients, the ones he had slaved over, taken calls at all hours of the night to please, taken to dinner, and acquiesced to all of their demands refused to follow him.  They had all turned him down with a polite ‘That’s great, Brian.  But we’d prefer to stick with an existing company rather than take the chances of a new start-up.’  It was as if they all got handed a script to turn him down.

He took another long drag of the cigarette and let the smoke out in practiced rings that floated up into the air and dissipated into the gray light.  He watched them all float away before setting the bud down on the nearby ashtray and picking the papers back up in his hands.

If only his old clients had been the only setback Kinnetik faced.  However, no matter the money he sunk into his abysmal company, no one seemed interested in what he had to offer.  Businesses around Liberty Avenue were too small to be interested in a professional, and the large ones throughout Pennsylvania were all happy with their current agencies.  Every attempt was rewarded with the polite but emphatic – no.

Suddenly frustrated Brian grabbed the bank documents and tossed them into his desk, shoving them in and not caring how crumpled or ripped they became.  He’d been ok for a short time, once he swallowed his pride and accepted the charity check for ‘Concerned Citizens for Truth’.  It had lasted him a month.

Now he was here, no money in his account and hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. He didn’t regret what he did, but he was angry with himself for not being able to bounce back.  He had promised himself long ago that he would never live in poverty.  He spent the first eighteen years of his life buried under the weight of his parent’s debt, and he refused to live any aspect of his life like theirs.  He was ashamed of his parents and never wanted to be like them.

He suddenly stood and ran a hand through his thick, brown hair, looking down at the sleek glass desk with a scowl.  His life was spiraling downward and he didn’t know how to stop it.  Advertising was what he did – it was all he knew how to do, and he did it well.  Why didn’t people see that?!

If he couldn't make Kinnetik work he didn’t know what he’d do.  He had no backup plan.

Absently, he reached into a drawer and pulled out a manila file, inside which held all the documents for his new company.  Resting on the top was Justin’s sketch of his logo and he picked it up off the top to look at it longingly.  It had been his dream to have his own company, and he didn’t care if he had to sell everything else that he owned…he was going to make it happen.  Brian Kinney never backed down – even when he was in a corner.

Smirking, feeling triumphant that he’d thought himself out of his funk, Brian put the sketch away and slipped the file back in the drawer.  He walked into the kitchen and flipped on a light before tugging open the fridge and pulling out a water bottle.  There was a brief chill as the cool air raced from the confines of the refrigerator before he slammed it back shut.

He was turning to go up to his bedroom when he heard the sound of keys in the door and frowned deeply.  ‘Not tonight, Mikey.’  He thought.  He had just worked himself out of a bad mood, the last thing he needed was to be put back in one by his friend’s constant drama.

He turned back and watched the door slide open and was surprised when he wasn’t greeted by dark hair, but a familiar stock of blond that he would recognize anywhere.  Justin was bent over, picking up sketches that must have dropped from his book as he unlocked the door.  Brian watched, amused, but did nothing to aid the younger man.  When Justin finally righted himself, Brian just took a drink from the bottle and watched him huff into the loft, bag and sketches held precariously in his arms.

“I thought you were at Daphne’s tonight.”  Brian informed, a bit more sharply than he had intended.

It immediately drew Justin’s attention to him and the blond set his things on the counter and the swiped his bangs out of his eyes.  “She had this study group over.  All boring breeders pouring over medical journals.”  Justin complained as he took off his jacket and threw it over the metal backing of the barstool before walking around the counter and getting his own bottle of water.

“I wasn’t planning on you being here.”  Brian commented evenly, not really knowing why he did.  He didn’t have any plans, and he preferred Justin being here to not, but he had just convinced himself he was going to have a good evening and didn’t need to hear about Justin’s endless drama any more than he needed Michael’s.

Justin was taking a long drink of water but his eyes remained glued to Brian, suspiciously.  “Why?  You having someone come over?”  He asked in that tone that Brian hated.

Brian rolled his eyes and turned back into his bedroom.

“I can go.”  Justin offered, now rummaging through the fridge for food – he was sure to come up empty handed as Brian hadn’t gone to the store for anything.  How could he, when he had no money?  “Or I can join in.”  The blond suddenly added with a playful smirk, but Brian didn’t see it as he was digging through his closet.

Justin kicked off his sneakers and frowned at the fridge before closing it and following Brian.  He grabbed his water and walked up the steps lightly, glancing at the options Brian was holding up and shaking his head at both of them.  “You’re going out?”  He asked and Brian just gave him this look that told him he shouldn’t be surprised.

Justin shrugged a bit and took a long drink.  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”  He asked apprehensively, already sensing that it would strike a chord.  Sure enough he could see the tensing of Brian’s shoulders instantaneously.  The man purposefully and deliberately put back the two black shirts and slowly turned to Justin.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”  He asked with a raised eyebrow and icy tone.

“Well…”  Justin hedged, suddenly realizing he’d over stepped his bounds.  However, it was too late for him to back out now.  “It’s been a long time since you’ve worked.  Money’s got to be tight, you now.  I mean…”  Instead of voicing it, Justin decided to use visual aids and motioned out of the glass panels in the loft, to the emptiness out there.

“What I do with my money and my time, is my business.  You’re not my wife, Justin.  You’re not my boyfriend.  You’re-.”

“The guy you fuck more than once, yeah, I know.”  Justin spoke, his voice surprisingly lacking the hurt that Brian expected it to.  “I’m just saying.”

“And I’m just saying, that I’m going out.  So get changed, you look terrible.”  Brian crinkled his nose at the stains on Justin’s shirt.  Justin’s eyes flashed in a brief moment of anger, but instead of retaliating, the blond just calmly shook his head.

“I don’t want to.  I’ve been at the diner all day and I’m tired.  I had to walk all the way from Daphne’s because the bus never came.”  He explained and then pulled off the stained shirt and tossed it towards the hamper in the bathroom, missing spectacularly.

Brian looked at it on the floor and then gave Justin a deep frown.  “Well too fucking bad.  I want to go out, so get changed and let’s go.”

Justin opened his mouth to protest once more and Brian realized that the aggressive approach wasn’t working.  And, seeing as he really did want to dance with Justin tonight, he’d have to try another tactic.  He raised up a hand to cut off whatever it was Justin was going to say and purposefully loosened his stance and gaze.

He looked at Justin for a moment before stepping closer to him and placing his hands on the pale, bare shoulders of his lover.  “Look.  Things are stressful, ok.  I just want a night where we can go out and have some fun.”  He said, leaning down to press his forehead against Justin’s, knowing full well how much the blond enjoyed the intimate action.

He could feel Justin’s surrender as the blond let his shoulders slump a bit and let out a soft sigh.  Justin reached up and patted one of Brian’s hands before nodding.  “Ok. Fine. You’re right.  We could use a fun night out.”  He said and then smiled as Brian kissed the tip of his nose before immediately turning back to the closet.

Brian smirked a bit when Justin couldn’t see, the kid was like putty in his hands sometimes and it gave him an odd thrill to see how easy it was to get Justin to do what he wanted.  He watched Justin’s pale arm shoot out and grabbed a short sleeved black top that he held out to him.  “This one.”  Justin said softly.  “Wear it with those 501s, you know, with the scuffs on the bottom?  They make your ass look great.”  Justin teased but Brian took the shirt and stripped out of the one he was wearing, easily taking Justin’s suggestion.

‘Maybe Justin isn’t the only one who is putty…’  He thought to himself briefly before brushing the thought aside and getting changed.

Whenever they changed together they always had to account time for heavy petting, wet kisses, and a blow job or two.  This time was no different.  As soon as Justin had bent over to remove his jeans, Brian had reached out to grab a firm handful of his ass, and the rest, as they say, was history.

Getting to Babylon was easy enough, it was only ten so he was able to park his corvette – the one luxury he let himself keep – close to the club.  They only had to walk a block to get to the front door.  There was a line, of course, held off by a cheap, velvet rope and guarded by a large, bald bouncer.  However, one look at the two of them and the rope was pulled aside and they were waved in without a problem.  “Kinney, Taylor.”  The bouncer spoke in greeting.

“Peter.  How’re the kids?”  Justin asked, surprising Brian with his knowledge of the man’s life.  Brian didn’t even know his first name.  He didn’t have to – everyone knew him and that was all that mattered.  He paused to let Justin and the bouncer have a brief conversation, before getting sick of it and grabbing his wrist to tug him inside.  Justin just laughed a bit, but waved to Peter as he was tugged away.

“That was rude.”  Justin reprimanded after they paid the entrance fee and were weaving into the main part of the club.

“You know me.”  Brian smirked a bit and watched, pleased, as Justin simple smiled and rolled his eyes indulgently.  Brian then used his thumb and forefinger to grab a bit of Justin’s thin shirt and pulled him even deeper into the club, side-stepping the dance floor long enough to get them both drinks at the bar.  He handed over his money consciously aware that the few bills in his wallet were the last ones that he owned, but he didn’t care enough to hold onto them.  Currently, the Chivas Regal the bartender was sliding over to him was far more valuable than the money.

He and Justin shared a quick clink before downing the shots in one go.  He practically slammed the tumbler back down before turning and leaning back against the bar, surveying the dance floor.  He leaned one elbow back and turned slightly so his body was angled towards Justin, then he jutted out his chin and motioned to a tanned brunet dancing in time to the loud music.  “What do you think of him?”  He asked, curiously.

He watched Justin eye the man as an artist would, his bright blue eyes lingering on the man’s crotch and revealed chest.  “I’ve seen better.”  Justin decided with a shrug and nonchalantly turned away to look up at the catwalk.  “Hey look!  It’s Emmett and Michael!”  He said loudly over the music, and waved to the two.  Michael spotted them first and pointed them out to Emmett.

Justin moved from the bar to go join them, but Brian lingered back and stopped him but a firm hand on his shoulder.  “Are you sure you want to go up there?  Think about it.  All you’re going to hear is Emmett’s poor ‘woe-is-me’ shtick about Ted, and Michael’s ‘aren’t-I-a-role-model-for-fags-everywhere’ speech.  C’mon.  Let’s go get that guy and he can suck you off while I fuck his brains out.”  Brian offered instead.

For the second time that night Justin rolled his eyes at him, but this one was decidedly less affectionate, and then pulled away to walk up the catwalk.  Brian watched him go for a minute, shrugged off his departure and walked towards the dance floor and the stud he had eyed earlier.  “More for me…”  He murmured with a predatory smirk that instantly got the attention of the man.  The stud turned to him, made a few provocative shakes of his hips, and then welcomed Brian’s arms around his shoulders.

From up above Justin spared them a passing glance before focusing his attention on Michael and Emmett.  Greetings were exchanged all around before the three of them assumed the position by leaning against the railing and looking down at the dancing bodies below.  “How’s the store?”  Justin asked, turning to Michael with a smile.

“It’s doing great!”  Michael answered enthusiastically.  “Sales are way up since we released that new issue.  I didn’t account for people buying other comics when they came in for Rage, it’s been a great help.”  Michael informed and Justin gave him a warm smile.

“I’m glad.”  Was his simple answer, but it was genuine.

Although he and Michael may have started off on a rough foot, over the past few years he felt they’ve really come to understand each other.  Justin was certain the biggest help was Michael meeting Ben, and finally moving on from Brian, but he’d accept it either way.  He was just glad he and Michael were friends now, because Michael truly was a person he could rely on.  It may have taken some time, but he knew he could count on him.

“What about you?  How’s school?”  Michael asked, and Emmett gave a curious nod as well.

“Yeah, have they let you back in yet?”  He asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“No, I’m still suspended.  Well, I mean…”  Justin paused for a moment and then shifted awkwardly.  “I’m sure I could go back and ask to take classes again.  It’s been a quarter already, but…”  He glanced down to Brian, still dancing with his trick and thought about his finances.  He knew Brian couldn’t afford to send him to school right now, possible never again.  “But I don’t think I want to go back.  You know?  They’re such assholes there.”  He scowled to emphasize his point.

“What kind of art school stifles artists for doing art?”  Michael asked, somewhat ineloquently, but Justin just smiled and nodded in agreement, glad that they accepted what he said at face value.  The last thing he wanted was for everyone to know about his and Brian’s state of affairs.

“Exactly.  I was just expressing myself, and if they can’t see that, or accept that, then I want nothing to do with them.”  Justin stated definitely and turned back to the dance floor once more.  Surreptitiously he looked across Michael’s profile and let his gaze settle on Emmett.

Brian had a point earlier about Emmett being down lately.  Though Ted had made it through rehab, it had done nothing to lessen all the pain and humiliation Emmett had gone through.  And while Brian hated listening to people bemoan their misfortunes, Justin didn’t mind lending an ear to a hurt friend.

“How’re you, Emmett?”  He asked, his voice soft and tender, so neither of them could mistake why he was asking.

“Oh, you know me.”  Emmett spoke with a falsely cheery tone.  “Can’t let nothing keep me down.  Not even, my best friend, making a – a whole new life for himself.”  Emmett punctuated his words by stabbing the olive in his martini with the plastic spear.  He then shot the two of them a tight smile and Justin, wisely, left it at that.

When he looked back down to the dance floor Brian was gone, surely haven taken his trick into the backroom.  He pondered that for a moment, surprised that he didn’t feel anything.  He used to feel a pang in his heart every time he even saw Brian making eyes at someone else, but ever since his failed romance with Ethan, none of Brian’s tricks phased him.  ‘But what does that mean?’  He wondered briefly, a slight frown beginning to mar his features.

‘Do I finally realize that his feelings for me have nothing to do with them, or do I just…not care?’  He pondered for a moment, unsure of the answer.  That, more than anything else, had him worried.  He let his gaze settle on the door leading to the backroom and let himself imagine what Brian was doing to his trick.

He still felt nothing.

It didn’t take long to convince James, or maybe it was Jason, to follow him into the backroom.  All it took was one song of Brian rubbing his large, hard cock against Jimmy’s before the man begged Brian to take him back and fuck him.  Brian weaved through the throng, which was easy for him as men parted for him like the Red Sea.

The backroom was significantly darker than the dance floor, with all of its strobe lights and lasers, and it always took a moment for his eyes to adjust.  However, having been visiting said room for over a decade, he didn’t need to see to know where he was going.  He strode confidently to one of his favorite spots, up against the wall near the middle (which let him watch many of the other men in there as well), and leaned back with practiced ease.

Jeremy immediately knelt down in front of him and had undone his jeans in a matter of seconds.  Soon, his engorged cock was freed from its confines and Brian could feel the moist, hot breath of the trick just before it was enveloped in the wet mouth.  He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, letting calmness fill him.  His hips were pressed forward a bit to give Jeff a better angle, and soon he was fully sheathed within the talented mouth.

Now, Brian would never say this aloud (because he wasn’t an idiot), but there were several men out there who were just as good at giving blow jobs as Justin.  John was definitely one of them.  He needed no guiding on how to pull the most pleasure from Brian, and soon his hands were buried deep in the trick’s thick, dark hair as he pressed his head closer and closer, wanting more.

Joseph took the full length of his cock without gagging, and Brian discovered the man had a tongue ring which added for extra pleasure along the length of his shaft.  Jacob pulled back and licked the tip of Brian’s cock, sending a shiver down his spine and a bit of pre-cum to spill out, which his trick was quick to suck up as he swallowed Brian’s head. 

In a few minutes, Brian shot down Joshua’s throat and watched the trick swallow and then smirk up at him as his dick started getting hard again almost immediately.  Brian’s grin was feral as he pulled the man up and spun him so his stomach was pressed up against the wall.  In a few jerks, the trick’s jeans were pulled down just enough for Brian to get his cock inside his ass, so he quickly rolled on a condom and pressed inside.

He let out a low groan of pleasure as the tightness of Julian’s ass reminded him of virgin territory.  He gripped the man’s hips and thrust back and forth, letting his head fall back loosely as his mind went blank with pleasure.  ‘This is exactly what I needed.’  Was all he allowed himself to think as he single-mindedly fucked the trick.

He had come first, but never one to let his partner go unsatisfied, he kept thrusting and reached around to jerk Joel off.  The trick came soon afterwards and his hand was covered in cum, but not for long as Jared pulled it up to his mouth and licked off his own cum.  It was enough to make Brian hard again, but he just pulled himself back into his pants and smiled.  “Thanks.”  He murmured and turned to leave.

“Wait.  Here’s my number.  I’d love to do that again.”  Jared offered, holding out a card, but Brian waved it away.

“Sorry.  No do overs.”  He murmured and then turned and left the backroom, once more heading for the bar.  He got another drink and glanced up at the catwalk, surprised to see Justin still standing up there chatting.  He wanted to dance with him, but was more than happy enough to find another trick to bide his time until Justin came back down.  Finishing yet another drink, he scanned the dance floor for his next target.

Before moving in for the kill, however, he leaned over to the stranger next to him.  “Hey, you got any E?”  He asked and was swiftly handed a tablet, which he popped into his mouth without hesitation.  He closed his eyes as he felt it dissolve on his tongue and then snapped them back open and moved through the dance floor once more.

It was nearing midnight when Justin saw Brian again, exiting the backroom with a dazed, yet pleased, look on his face.  Justin was dancing with a trick of his own when Brian made a beeline for him and wrapped a heavy arm around his shoulder to pull him back.  “Hey.”  Brian murmured as he leaned down and bit the shell of his ear.

“You’re high.”  Justin noticed instantly as he looked up into Brian’s clouded eyes.  “And drunk.”  He added, as he smelt Brian’s alcohol laden breath.  He glanced back to the trick, who had hovered nearby, and shot him an apologetic smile.  “Maybe next time.”  He said before turning his back on him and giving Brian his attention.

“Dance, Sunshine.” Brian ordered, and Justin realized that he wasn’t moving on the dance floor, but that was because most of his strength was going to keeping Brian upright.  “We haven’t danced all night.”

“Ok, but you have to be able to stand on your own.”  Justin bartered and Brian scoffed as if it were the easiest thing in the world, and yet, when Justin lifted Brian’s arm from his shoulders, the older man stumbled a bit.  “Yeah, that’s what I thought….”  Justin murmured and sighed, wishing they could have stayed a bit longer.  “How much did you have?”  He asked, not really worried about Brian’s consumption, more how much he spent on all of it.

“Oh I lost count about six drinks in.”  Brian informed and then seemed to right himself.  He then grabbed Justin’s hips and made him start to sway, though they weren’t anywhere near in sync with the hard thumps of music.

“Brian…”  Justin started to reprimand, but knew it would do no could.  Besides, it wasn’t really his place to begin with.  He and Brian didn’t even live together, and it was Brian’s money – what was left of it.  He just knew that there wasn’t much left.  He wished Brian would fill him in more on the situation, whenever he asked he was always told that everything was fine.  However, it wasn’t hard to miss the lack of furniture in Brian’s loft.

“Come on.  Why don’t we go back to your place and go to sleep?”  He suggested as he watched Brian struggle to keep his eyes open.

“Not tir’d.”  Brian protested, and held his ground even as Justin tried to drag him away.  “Want to dance.  Forget it.”  Brian insisted and confused Justin.

“Forget what?”  He asked, and then shook his head.  ‘He’s drunk.  Don’t pay attention to anything.’  He reminded himself.

“Dance.”  Brian repeated, once more moving Justin’s hips.  Justin sighed and wrapped his arms around Brian’s neck, quickly losing himself in the music.  Soon, Brian’s lips were on his and Brian’s tongue was thrust into his mouth, exploring every crevice and plane.  Justin’s heart began racing from the thrill of Brian’s interest and soon they were making out like teenagers.

Brian’s hands ran down his back until they firmly held his backside and squeezed tightly.  “Want you…”  Brian whispered in his ear, and Justin briefly wondered how it was possible for Brian’s whispers to be heard over the music.

“Let’s go home and fuck.”  Justin offered and this time Brian nodded excitedly.

Justin reached into his pocket and found his keys, then led them out of the club and to the nearby corvette.  He had to help Brian walk as the man was far too plastered to do it on his own.  He had one arm over his shoulder and was supporting most of his weight on his back, but managed to get them there quickly, and in one piece.  He opened up the passenger side door and unceremoniously dropped Brian into the seat.

Once he was certain the man was buckled and not going anywhere, he moved around to the other side and quickly drove them back to the loft.  Taking the stairs was absolutely out of the question, so they had to wait for the elevator to slowly rumble down.  Once they were ensconced inside, Brian began yet another attack on Justin’s body.

His hands seemed to be everywhere all at once, riding up his shirt, feeling down his pants, tugging at his hair.  All the while Brian’s mouth sucked at his neck and ears greedily.  They stumbled their way into the loft and Justin got Brian to the bed, where he laid down, and then quickly passed out.

Hard, but understanding, Justin just gave him a sympathetic frown and locked up the loft for the night.  He stripped Brian out of his clothes and didn’t even come close to waking the man up.  Afterwards, he took a quick shower and then slipped into the sheets, still damp.  He turned on his side, facing Brian and watched him for a moment as his mind wandered.

No, he didn’t feel anything when Brian was off with other men.  But he did feel something when Brian’s hands were all over him as if he was the only person in the world.  He wanted Brian; that he knew.  But had the love that burned in him as a teenager fizzled out?  He didn’t feel that hopeless devotion, that mindless adoration that he had when he first met Brian.  So what did that leave him with?  Lust?

He frowned and rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling.  He was so confused.  He didn’t want to leave again.  In fact, just the thought made his heart hurt.  But he didn’t understand the kind of limbo he was in.  He thought that once Brian took him back everything would go back to the way it was before – but nothing is the same.

Not only does Brian treat him differently, but he feels differently.  ‘If only I knew what it was I was feeling.’  He thought forlornly.  He took in a deep, calming breath and turned to look over at the older man again.  The desire, the pull, was still there – maybe it was even stronger than before - but his heart was all jumbled.

He tentatively reached out with his left hand and let it run along the soft skin of Brian’s side.  He felt the taut muscles, the bumps of his ribs, and smiled.

The next morning Justin woke around six, just as the sun was coming up.  He rubbed his eyes and rolled over, trying to get back to sleep, but the stream of light cutting through the panels was landing directly on him and no matter which way he twisted or turned it didn’t seem to help.  He huffed in frustration and exhaustion, then sat up and flipped the blankets off of him.

He heard Brian groan from his side and felt momentarily guilty and hoped he hadn’t woken the man.  He glanced over, watched the brunet roll onto his side, and then relaxed when he realized Brian was still sound asleep.  He stood up from the bed and stretched, clad only in a pair of underwear.  He strode to the bathroom and quickly relieved himself before putting on a pot of coffee.  He knew he’d need it as he wasn’t able to fall back asleep once he was up for the day.

While it was dripping into the pitcher, Justin went back up to the bedroom and began tidying up a bit.  When he’d stripped Brian the night before he was too tired and frustrated to care much about what happened to the clothes.  So, he scooped them up from the floor and nonchalantly put them in the hamper.  He found his discarded and stained shirt from his shift the night before and tossed it in as well.

Before putting in Brian’s jeans, however, he reached into one of the pockets and pulled out his wallet so they didn’t accidentally wash it.  He then searched the other pockets for condoms, not wanting any to go to waste, but didn’t find any.  “Much have used them all…”  He mumbled, tiredly; still, he felt nothing.

He finally put the jeans down and then set the wallet on the nightstand.  He was going to step away and get his coffee, but a thought suddenly popped into his head and made him curious.  He turned back to it and then at Brian.  His bright blue eyes flickered between the two for a moment and then he stepped back to the nightstand and opened the wallet back up, looking inside.  There were no bills, which was unusual enough for Brian as the man always had spare cash on him in case of emergencies.  However, what was more striking was the lack of cards.  All of Brian’s credit cards and bank cards were gone, leaving many of the folds of the wallet blank.  In fact, all that was in it was one stray condom, Brian’s ID, and a crinkled old business card bearing his name.

Justin sighed sympathetically and shook his head, letting his gaze fall upon his passed out lover.  He knelt by the side of the bed and gently traced his fingers down the edge of Brian’s well defined chin, lightly, as not to wake him.  He then bent forward and kissed him softly before standing once more and walking confidently to the kitchen island.  He grabbed the things he had discarded the night before and reached into his shoulder bag.  He pulled out a large wad of cash, his entire earnings from his previous night at the diner.  Without hesitation, he put the entirety of it in Brian’s wallet, and then replaced it on the nightstand.

He knew it was risky, Brian would consider it charity and he’d probably get snapped at and have the money thrown back in his face, but…he couldn’t not do it.

The coffee maker beeped and drew him into the kitchen once more.  He poured himself a cup and made it up just the way he liked, then, he pulled out his sketch book and began doodling.  Normally he would watch some cartoons or something on the TV, but that had been one of the first things to go when Brian began selling his possessions.  Granted, the extra practice had been great for his technique.

Several hours later Brian woke with a groan and a hand on his pounding forehead.  “Shit…”  He murmured and blearily opened his eyes – then quickly shut them as the bright light made sharp pains shoot through his head.  “Fuck!”  He called, drawing Justin’s attention from the kitchen.

“Hey.”  Justin greeted, bringing in a fresh cup of coffee, made with plenty of sugar.  “Here.”  He offered and the mug was snatched out of his hand, almost aggressively enough to jar the liquid from it, but after a few splashes it remained safely inside.  Justin watched silently as Brian downed the entire thing.  Justin smiled at him weakly as Brian finally managed to open his eyes.  The brunet just scowled and held the mug back out. 

“More.”  He demanded as he slowly began shifting out of the bed.

Justin hesitated, as he would have liked a bit more appreciation, but turned and still did as Brian demanded.  He listened to the man clank and stomp through the bedroom, clearly attempting to get dressed through his hangover.  Justin hid a smile, feeling that Brian deserved it a bit, but still made his coffee and walked back in dutifully.

This time he offered it silently and Brian had a bit more care when he took it.  Justin was about to turn to leave once more, but he saw Brian eying his wallet.  He tensed, and his breath came out purposefully slowly as he prepared for Brian’s attack.  The brunet, for his part, only gave Justin a strange look as he reached out and grabbed it.  “Hey, what’s wrong?”  Brian asked, surprising Justin.

The blond was shocked by the question and let his mouth open and shut a few times.  Brian just popped open the wallet and smiled a bit.  “Look, I know things are kind of…weird, with me not working but everything is fine.  I keep telling you that.  See?  Still have plenty.”  Brian reported, opening the wallet and revealing the multiple bills inside.

Justin was even more surprised – Brian didn’t realize he had put that in there?  How drunk had he been last night that he didn’t even remember spending all of his money?  Justin thought about telling him for a moment, but then realized this was what he wanted, and just forced a bright smile.  “Great!”  He said, and then bit his bottom lip as Brian folded up the wallet and slipped it into his pocket.

“There any food?  I’m starved.”  Brian informed, brushing past Justin with a light touch to his shoulders and a playful smile.  Justin shivered a bit and then followed.

“No.  We should go get some at the store.”  He suggested, but Brian just shook his head.

“Naw.  Let’s just go to the diner.”

Justin closed his eyes and told himself to be calm.  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”  He asked, watching Brian take a few sips of the coffee he’d made.

“Yeah, my treat.”  Brian smirked, patting his pocket.

‘Not exactly.’  Justin thought, but followed him nonetheless.

Justin would have to work soon after they were finished with breakfast, so he grabbed his things before they left.  Sitting at the booth was awkward and tense for the both of them.  Brian continually tried to assure him that one meal wasn’t going to break him, but Justin was convinced he was mostly trying to convince himself.

Justin only ordered a bowl of oatmeal, even though he was hungry.  He knew he could get free food while he worked so he didn’t worry about it; he wanted to save Brian money.  He received a heavy frown for his effort, but knew better than to accept gratitude from his lover.  “What’re you going to do today?”  He asked casually as he added brown sugar and a bit of syrup to the oatmeal.

“What do you think I’m going to do?  Sit on my ass?”  Brian asked bitterly as he shot a glare across the table.

Justin sighed and shook his head.  “I was just asking.”  He murmured softly.  “Excuse me for trying to make conversation.”

Brian was silent for a while, until they both finished eating.  “You need me to pick you up after your shift?”  He suddenly asked just as Justin spooned the last bit of oatmeal into his mouth.

After he swallowed he nodded a bit.  “Yeah.  That’d be good.”

“K. Call me when you’re done.”  Brian said, suddenly wiping his mouth and reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet.  He threw enough on the table to cover the check and give a small tip, but it was nothing compared to what he used to tip.  He then stood and turned to leave, but then Justin watched as something made him stop and turn back around.

Brian swiftly and thoroughly kissed him, sticking his tongue deep into Justin’s mouth and exploring it to his whim.  Brian’s hands were in his hair and holding him tightly.  When Brian pulled away they were both breathless and Justin’s eyes were slightly dazed.  “Later…”  He murmured, before striding out of the diner as if he owned the place.

Justin watched him go and softly reached up to touch his slightly swollen lips.

He’d definitely felt something.

‘Silly little twat.  Thinks I didn’t notice he put money in my wallet.’  Brian thought to himself as he walked out of the diner and back to the ‘vette.  He shook his head, amused.  When he first saw the money his initial reaction was to be furious and throw it all back in Justin’s face.  But then he saw the look in his young lover’s eyes.

He hated accepting it, but there was little he could offer Justin at this point save his compliance.  And he had to continue to offer him something because…well…because.

He drove back to the loft and took a quick shower before changing into a suit and preparing to try and beg for some clients.  He promised himself he’d use Justin’s donation to buy them some groceries, because the blond was right – they couldn’t continue to eat out.

He was about to leave when he glanced around the empty loft and sighed.  He suddenly decided to quickly make the bed – he didn’t have a cleaning lady to do it for him anymore and he better get used to it.  Then, he left to try and make his company a success.