When he came inside, everyone was already on the table and Justin was sitting next to Vic. They were talking animatedly and Justin was talking a mile a minute while cutting his lasagna to a bite size, just like he used to do.

"Sit down, Brian, and eat a real food for once, for god sake." Debbie's voice brought him back from his trance and he walked to the only available seat left that was on the opposite side of Justin. He was sitting between Ted and Gus.

He tried to sense Justin's mood but he couldn't detect neither hostility nor disappointment, not even a hint of anger. He kept throwing glances at him the whole meal still gauging his reactions, but Justin seemed really okay.

So, it looked like Justin didn't care about what he heard. Well, that was good, right? Except it was kind of a let down that Justin didn't even react to his ruthlessness.

This mixed feelings he always had with regards to the twat made him want to pull his hair out. It was driving him mad to be cold towards Justin in a minute then he'd be hot in next.

Before going to Babylon, Debbie let them all eat a slice of apple pie with a cup of coffee. "You all will burn the calories within 5 minutes of shaking your asses, so, eat!"

That time, he saw Justin sitting on the floor with Gus. He was showing him something on his phone and based on his kid's smile he must be showing him something cool. He saw Gus nodded his head enthusiastically, then said, "It's really cool, Jus!"

Well, what he said, right? But he was more than a little curious what Justin was showing his son on his phone that apparently was so cool. 

Gus stood up to put his empty plate on the sink and he saw Justin pulled out the small notes from the front pocket of his bag. He was writing furiously on it until Gus came back and he subtlety put it back in his bag.

One thing he was sure though, he wouldn't be asking either of them about it. Well, maybe he could make Gus tell him without looking too much interested. He guessed, he'd be visiting his kid next weekend.

The dynamic duo came with them to Babylon and Justin was dancing with Blake and Eric the whole time. In couple of hours, Jess came to whisper something on his cousin's ear. He saw them kissed their friends' cheeks, then left the club.

Not even a glance in his direction.

He counted the days when he would invite Justin to his place. It was already Thursday but he hadn't seen Justin even once. At first, he thought he was just being busy with Emmet but he found Emmet the day before having lunch with Michael on their usual booth at Liberty diner.

He tried to ask Emmet about his business, but his friend only cheerfully told him, that it was doing really great. He said, Justin had so many fresh ideas about themes and designs. He didn't supply anymore information after that and Brian stopped himself from prying anymore. He didn't want Michael to freak again.

Then he called Justin the next afternoon at around 4:30, but he never picked up, and Brian didn't call again. But then Justin called him around six. He let it ring and answered on the sixth ring with a bored voice.

"Yeah?"

"Brian?"

"Are you expecting someone? You call my phone, right?" Damn, Brian didn't know why, but Justin always made him so defensive.

"Uh, yeah, but I was actually returning your call. Sorry, I didn't get it, I was with a friend earlier-- we kinda got busy--"

A Friend? Whose friend? The question was on the tip of his tongue but Brian swallowed it, together with the lump that had formed in his throat.

"You don't have to cut your time with your 'friend' to call me back." He snapped.

"Oh, no, that's not a problem at all, I already left his house and we will meet up tomorrow again, anyway. So, about your call? Do you want me to come over tonight?" He asked hopefully.

But, Brian's mind was stuck on 'Left his house' and 'we will meet up tomorrow', repeating like a broken record. 

Justin had been tricking? 

That wasn't really new, he tricked when they were together before, occasionally.

Well, then, Justin could just go and suck his trick's cock because he was certainly not sucking Brian's cock tonight.

"No, not tonight. I already have a plan. I need to cut this short, I have work to finish before I can play all night long." He said in a cold voice.

"Oh. Uh, okay. I just thought-- anyway, enjoy your night. Bye, Brian."

At times like this, he badly missed the Justin of eight years ago. The one who would never take no for an answer. The very persistent little shit who was like his shadow following him everywhere.

God, what was happening to him. He couldn't fall on that Justin trap again, not when he was seeing someone else too. He said he'd be 'meeting up AGAIN' with the guy he had been with just now. So, it wasn't a one time thing. What the fuck?

It felt like a deja vu all over again.

But could it be just Emmett? But if it was Em, why Justin didn't just say so? 

His mind supplied, 'Because he wasn't telling you shit this time around, you genius.' In fact everyone seemed to know what Justin was doing before him.

He dialed Emmett, while his mind was trying to come up with something he needed to talk and not appeared he was just fishing for information.

"Well, hello, Brian. May wonder never cease. It's such a privilege to receive a call from you. Which I never did by the way." Emmet answered sarcastically.

"Are you too busy to get laid? You know, it shows you haven't had any recently. Try getting laid sometime in the near future, if not you'll turn into a bitter fag. You already have some symptoms. I'll be careful if I were you." He retorted.

He heard Emmet took a deep breath. "Sorry, Brian, just a long day you know."

"I thought you said you were doing great especially after a certain little blond angel works with you now. Is he showing tardiness?" This was his opportunity and Brian wasn't known of not grabbing what was being served to him on a silver platter.

"Justin? God, no! The kid, well, he isn't a kid anymore. He is 25, can you imagined that? Anyway, Justin is literally a godsend. He works so hard but he asked since Monday to be free on 3:30 except yesterday when we had a kid's  party that lasted until 5 pm. He said it was just important and needed to be somewhere. He deserves it and he is working his ass off, what's with few hours, right? He compensated it though by coming to my house at six and he's not home until like 8 sometimes 9. Though, he just texted me a while ago that he couldn't make it this evening, but he'll be here tomorrow. So... Anyway, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

Bingo.

"Oh, yeah, I was just wondering if, you know, you can give me your business cards and I might get you a couple of clients. I had one last week who told me he was planning on surprising his wife with an awesome birthday party and I gave him your number. I didn't have your card,so... A certain Mister Tuazon hadn't called you?" He was mentally patting his back with his quick thinking.

"No, Brian. But I'll surely do that. Justin just made a new design card for us and it is really good. I'll make sure I give it to you the next time I see you."

"Yeah, you do tha--"

"Brian, hold on a minute? I just need to answer the land line." Damn, why didn't Emmet just hang up on him. But after few moment, he heard him back on the receiver. "It was Justin, he was calling me on my phone but obviously it was busy--anyway, he's coming. He said his friend has an important things to do."

Well, Justin could just go back to his 'other friend' and do something important too. So important he needed to go running at 3:30 to 6 since Monday. The twat could go suck everyone on this burgh and see if he cared.

God, he was so furious with Justin.

That night, he fucked a twink at Babylon and brought another one to the loft. He wasn't out tricking like he used to, but, this life of fucking, sucking, drinking and drugging was the life he was made of. 

This was what he knew and been doing for so long. He'd be damn if he would give it up for someone else, not even Justin.

The next night, the whole gang was having a good Friday evening at Babylon. Brian didn't even acknowledge Justin's presence and was going in and out of the backroom like there was no tomorrow. 

It wasn't the usual sights for Brian these past few years, and Michael was almost bouncing with happiness, because his friend was back.

Brian was dancing with a gorgeous man  and dry humping him on the middle of the dance floor. 

Justin didn't seem affected by any of it, as he was laughing and dancing with Blake, that just fueled Brian's anger with the young man.

As they all sat at the diner before calling it a night, Brian was sitting on a corner sipping his coffee silently.

"You know, Brian, I kind of expected you to be on your 236th orgasms already with some chiseled brunets in your bed. But instead you're here drinking coffee with us who didn't even have a single orgasm tonight." It was Michael, of course.

He looked up and lazily shrugged. "No one was worth bringing home tonight."

"Hey, Michael, it's not only Brian who was getting some tonight." Ted smirked and glanced at his partner who winked back at him.

Brian was miming being gagged and Emmet was cheerfully clapping, saying, "Way to go, Teddy."

"How about you, Jus?" Eric asked the blond who choked on his coffee. Eric chuckled and was gently patting his back. "It wasn't a hard question, was it?"

"Uh, no. I was just--" he stuttered but then his phone rang a little louder on a silent night at the diner. He fished it out and felt kinda relieved he didn't have to answer Eric's inquisition. "Okay, I'll be right out." He said to his phone then ending the call.

He abruptly stood up and gave Eric a smile that was a little wickedly and said to all of them, "Well, Jess was outside. She said she is so tired, if not she will come inside and have some coffee. So need to go now! Bye, you all!" Then he was out the door.

Eric and Blake were laughing like they shared something the rest of them didn't know. Or Brian was just a little drunk or paranoid.

"He was totally having some." Emmett mysteriously said with a hint of a little envy. That perked Brian's interest.

"Really? Does he have a boyfriend?" Michael asked suspiciously.

"I don't know. Nah, don't think so. But last week, he asked me to have an early lunch and when he came back he looked so fucked out. He was bouncing all afternoon."

"He is using work time to go get fucked? That was unprofessional." Michael was digging his own grave here.

"I said, he asked for an early lunch break. And Brian is being unprofessional?" Emmet asked dunking a piece of toast to his coffee. Brian glanced up at him.

"Justin, Em, I was talking about Justin not Brian. We all know Brian is professional in his work."

"But he was using work time, your words not mine, to go get fucked. How was that different from Justin?"

"Because Brian owns his own company and he can do whatever he wants. Justin is just few weeks working with you and already using the time he should be working getting his ass fucked."

"So it is okay if it was Brian, but to anyone it isn't? You forgot Brian didn't start working on his own company though, he was working at Ryder longer than he has Kinnetik and he was fucking left and right while in work but you seemed to be okay with that. Didn't hear you complaining before." Emmett was in his full bitchy mode.

Brian had enough, though, and so he stood up and threw a ten dollar bill on the table. "Thank you for talking about me as if I wasn't here at all. I really appreciate that." 

Then he pushed Michael and Emmett who were sitting with him on the same side of the booth. He went out of the diner without glancing back. This just made him a lot angrier and he'd be sure sleep would be scarce tonight.

He went to the diner the next morning just out of habit, and there was actually a little tension on each and everyone of them. Well, except for Justin and Jess, who had no idea there was a tension or what had caused it. The muncherville family was thankfully absent.

Brian planned on visiting Gus that morning and the kid was actually excited to meet him as he called him the day before. He told his dad he was going to meet him at the park two blocks away from his house at 10 am.

Brian protested at first but Gus promised him he would be okay going two blocks and he went farther than just two blocks before. It was kind of a horrific revelation to Brian, and when he asked Lindsay, she just chuckled a bit saying, "Brian, Gus is eight and he is a boy. Of course he wanted to go out. He promised not to go farther than 3 blocks though, so don't worry."

Well, that was encouraging. He left but not before noticing Justin left with Blake and Ted.

He arrived at the park with few minutes to spare and Brian sat on the bench waiting for his son. Not a moment after, he saw him riding a bike, making a beeline to him with the biggest smile he had ever seen on Gus.

"Dad!" He yelled.

"Be careful, Gus." He nervously uttered standing up. Gus stopped in front of him still smiling so widely it maybe hurting his face.

"Dad, isn't it cool?" He said showing him the bike and Brian had to admit it was really cool. He didn't think he had seen a very unique design on a bike before.

"Yeah, it looks great. I never knew they sell bike with design this good though."

"They aren't. Mine is customized. Justin did it!" He was beaming proudly huffing his chest out a little bit. "He's really awesome. My friends are so jealous."

What?

"What? What do you mean customized by Justin?" This was a surprised and Brian hated surprises.

"Dad, Justin did the design, then showed to me last Sunday and I approved. So he came by the house this week, after my school, so that I can watched him do my bike. He just finished last Thursday." He enthusiastically said to his father.

Brian thought the wind just got knocked out of him. What the fuck? Justin's friend was Gus?

So, he wasn't out fucking some schmuck, but instead, he was doing some fantastic thing for his son. This was all fucked up. 

He was suddenly filled with much guilt as he remembered how he treated Justin since the redhead at Babylon.

He spent the day with Gus, eating lunch at a hotdog stand, and had snacks in an ice cream parlor. Brian would just burn the extra calories the next day at the gym or he could have it tonight between the sheets with... Damn!

He followed Gus in his car, while he was riding his bike. When he came back to the loft, it was already four in the afternoon. He texted Justin to come over at 8pm, took a shower and he napped in front of the TV.

He woke up at seven and feel so refreshed. He went to pee and brushed his teeth, ordered Thai food that mostly Justin's favorite.

Justin. He didn't check if he replied his message before he napped.

He crossed the living room and took his phone on the sofa where he left it and found Justin had replied with one word, 'sure'.

When Justin arrived, just few minutes later than the delivery guy, he found the loft door slightly ajar. He slid it a little just enough for him to pass. When he was inside, he looked around in alarm. 

But then, he saw Brian in the kitchen taking the food out from its container, putting it on two plates. "Hey, I hope you're hungry. I ordered too much. It's Thai." He said sparing Justin a glance.

Justin nodded and closed the door shut. He went to where Brian was and asked if he could help him with anything. He gestured to the fridge and said, "Yeah, water." Then Brian brought both plates to the sofa and switched on the TV.

He channel surfed for a while and Justin sat beside him putting the bottles of water on the coffee table. Brian settled on Will Smith's Independence Day. They ate in silence with minimal talking but Brian glanced at him every now and then.

He wanted to tell Justin he knew about Gus' bike and that he appreciated him for doing something for his kid. But as usual, words wouldn't come out. Justin took his empty plate to the sink rinsing and putting it inside the dishwasher. 

It looked so domestic and at home, it was almost as if he didn't leave the loft six years ago. Brian felt his chest tightened a little bit.

He couldn't help but follow him to the kitchen. It was so long since he fucked Justin, it was almost a week actually.

When he was behind him, he held Justin's waist and turned him around. He was a bit startled but Brian was already started kissing him passionately. 

His hands went inside Justin's shirt and he could feel the heat radiating from the young man's body. He lifted his shirt up and took it off kissing his neck trailing his tongue to his nipples down to his navel then back up again to Justin's puffy lips.

He slowly unbuttoned Justin's jeans and unzipped it while Justin frantically taking Brian's shirt off. He was touching Brian's chest, his abdomen, then his back, while dry humping him like animal in heat. Well, it looked like, Justin had missed his cock, too.

Brian turned him around again, leaning his body forward on to the kitchen table by pushing Justin's shoulder a little. It wasn't sanitary to fuck where you prepare your food, but Brian was already far in his head to think about sanitation.

He opened his fly, unzipped his pants, putting the condom on his dick, squirting small amount of lube expertly while kissing Justin's neck without a hitch. Then he yanked Justin's pants down and inserted two lube fingers as he loudly grunted with the intrusion.

Brian bit on Justin's neck who was starting to lose his control. He was moaning so loudly, and writhing underneath him. "Fuck me, Brian. Come on."

Brian did. He removed his fingers and nudged his hard dick on Justin's entrance pushing it with one thrust. He paused only for a few deep breaths, then pulled out to almost the tip and plunged in again, then again and again.

Justin was already incoherent and Brian was holding his hips tightly fucking him so fast. Justin was biting his arm to stop himself from shouting. Brian wanted it hard and he remembered Justin liked it that way either.

When Justin thought he was so close to orgasm, Brian suddenly pulled out. He groaned his frustration but he was turned around to face Brian and he plunged it in again without warning. 

Justin gasped at the sensation and was lifting his upper body reaching to kiss him on the mouth. His eyes were dazed as they moaned on each other's mouth and both their hands were jacking Justin's dick off together. 

It was so wet and dirty and so good that Brian kept on bruising Justin's lips as he finally rode his orgasm. Brian released his lips as he was spurting his cum out and bit Justin on his neck groaning savagely. 

He was aware that he would be leave a marking for few days, but finding it so hot. With few more hard thrust, Justin was coming and whispered Brian's name again and again.

They were breathing so hard, slumped on the table with cereal and sugar containers rolling precariously. "Brian..." Justin breathlessly whispered. "... I think my legs just died."

Brian chuckled a little and lifted his body giving Justin a small peck on his hickey, then on his bruised lips. He pulled his dick out holding it on the base as they both grunted at the loss of contact. 

Brian threw the condom on the trash can near the fridge and Justin tried to stand on his wobbly legs still looking so fuck out.

"Let me catch my breath then I'm ready for round two." Brian said giving Justin a wicked smile softly patting his butt.

The young man shook his head returning Brian's smile, saying, "You're insatiable."

"You complaining?" Arching his eyebrow.

"No, not at all. Do I have a time to piss before the second round then?"

Brian gestured his arm to the direction of the bathroom. After his bathroom break, he found Brian on the bed with a bottle of water on his hand. He handed it to Justin and the young man gratefully took it, drinking until it was half.

Brian took the bottle again and settled it down on his side table then turned to leer at Justin. "Roll over." He growled.

Justin did. He felt Brian kissing him from his neck, down to his back. He parted his cheeks, then Brian's tongue was rimming his ass. 

He always loved rimming Justin. He wanted the sound emanated from him when he stuck his tongue inside his ass. It was insanely erotic.

His hands were caressing Justin's thigh up, scratching it with his nails. Then he lowered it to his balls and fingering his perineum.

Justin was in heaven and he was fucking his ass on Brian's tongue. Then in just a matter of seconds, he was suddenly being breached by Brian's hard cock. It was so fast he didn't even realize Brian had already sheathed himself and was now plowing his tight ass.

Brian dragged their fucking for so long Justin thought he was going to lose his mind. He was thrusting deep in his ass, so fast, and so hard. Then, he'd stop to slow it down torturously. 

They ended up fucking face to face again. Justin hadn't even aware he was turned around like a rag doll. But to his utter relief, Brian let them come after what felt like a hundred years.

Brian exhaustedly slid down to his side of the bed wrapping an arm to Justin's chest, still feeling the high from a great orgasm. They were panting so hard like they just ran a marathon.

When their breaths steadied down a bit, Justin looked over to his night table. He sat up after a while running his fingers through his hair. Brian was puzzled when Justin stood up looking around the floor. 

He followed him with his eyes when he walked to the kitchen, and couldn't believe when he saw Justin was dressing up in there.

"I should be getting home." He said after coming back to the bedroom, all dressed up. He glanced over the night stand again checking the time on the clock.

Brian wanted to ask why he was hurrying up to go when it was still so early. He glanced at the clock and found that, yes it was still early. It was just 10:42 pm.

But he kept his silence for awhile and just shrugged his shoulders thinking Justin must be going to Babylon. 

"You going to Babylon?" Brian asked him while he was fixing his shoes on.

Justin shook his head no. "Are you?" He countered, then he suddenly looked at Brian as if realizing he just asked the wrong question.

"Maybe later." 

Justin nodded and smiled at him tentatively, glancing on his clock again. Brian followed his eyes and saw it was 10:54. Justin was acting like he couldn't wait to flee his place.

He was so baffled by this action and if he was being honest, he was kind of a little hurt.

Justin jogged to the door, lifting his bag that was laying on the floor. He turned around looking a bit upset, which surprised Brian, saying, "Enjoy your night, Brian."

He gave him a wave, then he was gone.

Brian didn't get to go to Babylon. He was looking up the ceiling for most of the night, thinking why Justin was looking like he didn't want to go but he was acting like he couldn't wait to flee. And that look in his eyes were saying something that Brian was trying to understand.

In the end, he did understand. It was because of their first night and his eleven o'clock trick. Justin was in a hurry not to be there when his trick would show up.

Brian arrived on time again the next evening for Debbie's weekly dinner. He was a little puzzled when Justin arrived with Blake and Ted in their new Audi without Jess.

Everyone seemed to know why she wasn't coming though, because no one asked Justin about it. Debbie mentioned while they were eating that she kept a portion for Jess to be taken home with Justin. That's when he realized, he seemed to be the only one who didn't know where Justin and Jess were living.

Justin came with them to Babylon, and when Brian told him he wanted to meet at around 11, Justin fumbled with a shaky, "At the alley?"

That went straight to Brian's chest. The looked on Justin's face was so similar to when he was seventeen after Brian did something terrible to him.

He shook his head, softly saying, "At the loft."

Justin smiled a bit but he could feel that he was delighted with the invitation. After a while, he found him whispering to Blake and Ted, gesturing his hand to the main exit.

He left Babylon within minutes after Justin's departure. He was home though, before the young man arrived. He guessed, Justin walked from the club to his loft and thought he should have at least given him a ride. 

They fucked twice that night, and by his second orgasm, Brian drifted off to slumber.

He woke up after couple of hours and found Justin had left again. He glanced to his clock and saw it was already 4:12 am. What time did he leave? And why?

Well, Justin might just want to spare them from an awkward morning, and so, Brian didn't really dwell on it that much.

He invited Justin almost every night after that, and for some reason or another, he always left after they fucked. Brian didn't try to ask him about it, or even asked him for a sleep over, though he kind of wanted to. 

But on the other hand, he didn't want what he and Justin had now to be anymore complicated than it already was. He also continued not to directly interact with him in public and Justin was doing the same.

Brian seemed to be contented with this arrangement. Justin seemed to be okay with it too, and so far, he hadn't had any complaints or demands. 

If he was being honest, he felt Justin didn't want to have what they had back before he left Brian for the fiddler.

Brian always thought this new arrangement was his ideal relationship before. This was what he wanted to have with Justin, the great fucking without the extra emotional baggage. The one that Brian wasn't really comfortable talking or showing. 

Well, Justin was just seventeen when they met, and it had been six years since they last saw each other. Maybe, with that span of time, Justin had realized Brian was right about relationships.

It could also be, he'd just gotten mature to know when to push or not. It was possible, too, that he wasn't just liked what he used to be or not feel what he used to feel for Brian.

Before, he never failed to tell him how much he loved him and he showed it to the point it was almost an obsession. Now, Justin seemed to be the total opposite of himself from years back. 

Except for the times when they were fucking, it was as if Brian didn't exist in Justin's world outside the four corners of his loft.

Well, at least he was still so eager to come over whenever he asked him to. It looked like some things never changed, and thank fuck for that.

Except, on one hot August evening, he invited Justin to come over as soon as he arrived from his three days business trip to New York. They hadn't been together since he left Friday evening, and he was kind of expected them to fuck their brains out that night. 

Justin texted him back that he couldn't make it on eight, but he could come at around eleven.

What the fuck? 

He texted Justin not to bother anymore because he had a planned by then. The simple reply of 'Okay' got him more furious.

For the three months that they had been fucking, he never corrected Justin's assumption of his eleven o'clock tricks. He never told him that he never invited anyone when he was planning on meeting Justin.

Except that one time their first night together.

If he was hurrying up to get out of the loft minutes before eleven, though he kind of wanted to tell him to stay, he never straightened it up with Justin.

Now, he needed to log on to the site where he hooked up with tricks.

The gorgeous man arrived after half an hour and Brian fucked him twice then kicked him out.

He was at his office the next early morning, sipping his latte, when Ted came in with some papers to sign. Brian was telling him about his trip and handed him the new contract he acquired on weekend.

"So, how was your weekend, Theodore? Boring as usual, I supposed. My employees must be having a great day yesterday with me not being here."

"They were all fine, Brian. And if you must know my weekend wasn't that boring as you would have thought."

"Really. Do tell. Did you tie Blake this time instead of playing poker?"

Ted chuckled lightheartedly. "Neither. Justin was with us last night. He cooked for us his granny's recipe and it was so great I even forgot my own name at one point."

Really? 

"Oh, really?" So, that's where Justin was, enjoying a delicious dinner which he made by himself. Why he didn't just say so? Yeah, like he gave Justin a chance to tell him that.

Fuck

"Yeah. He is such a great and brilliant young man."

Eric entered the room at that time and greeted Brian for a good and fruitful trip to New York. They all decided to meet up for lunch in few hours.

"Hey, you busy tonight?" He texted Justin later that afternoon.

"No"

"Wanna come over?"

"Okay. 8?"

"7. Thai or Chinese?"

"Chinese"

"Okay. Later."

"Later."

They met up every night that week and had dinner together at the loft. The nights were deliriously glorious and satisfying. Justin always left minutes before eleven though and Brian didn't have the guts to stop him from doing so.

Friday night, when Justin left at quarter to eleven Brian decided to grace Babylon with his presence. He got dressed, locked up and descended the stairs. When he was on the last flight down, he was surprised seeing Justin sitting on the last three steps with his head down writing on his notes again.

"Justin? What are you doing down here."

"Brian!" He was startled saying his name a little louder, and stood up abruptly. "I just, uh, I was just waiting for Jess. She just got stuck in traffic."

He began walking away and Brian held his arm turning him around. "Hey, it's okay if you waited in my place, you know."

Justin smiled and nodded. "Okay." Then they heard a honk. "That's her."

Brian nodded and released his arm.

Brian got to think for the first time, since that first night, why Justin had asked him 'not to fall in love again'. 

He was stunned and so furious when Justin had asked him that time and he just refused to think about it too hard after.

Also, Justin was already 25, with good income. How come he still hadn't gotten his own car by now? It seemed a little odd being carted around by his cousin.

Oh, well. He knew he wouldn't ask Justin anything about it so thinking wouldn't do him any good.

On Sunday, Jess came late, alone, and a little distressed. Debbie asked her about Justin and she said he was at their apartment nursing a little headache. Brian doubted it was just a little because he could still vividly remember how Justin was when he had one of his headaches.

Jess made sure to them that he was okay and he just needed an extra sleep. Debbie packed a number of bags to reheat for Justin.

He was a little preoccupied the next morning. He was itching to know if Justin was okay. He couldn't stop himself after an hour of flipping his phone and texted the young man.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yes. It was just a headache."

"You at home?"

"No. With Emmett. Another kiddie party."

"You are at the right place then."

"Fuck you. I'm 25. Not 5."

"You are? I didn't know that. I thought you are Gus' age?"

"You are crazy, Brian."

"I was called worse."

"Got to go. Kids are hysterical."

"Meet you tonight?"

"Okay. 7."

"I want to try Moroccan tonight. Good?"

"No problem. See you."

"See you."

The next Saturday, while they were all eating breakfast at the diner, Emmett decided they all should hang out at Michael and Eric's apartment that afternoon. He said they could watch movies or play cards and eat junks. Then they would go to Woody's and Babylon later.

Jess said she couldn't make it to the apartment in the afternoon because she already made plans with some of her co-workers. But she was definitely coming to Woody's and Babylon. Justin didn't have anything to do, so, he said he would come.

Brian arrived half hour late. He was surprised to see Justin still hadn't arrived yet. Emmett was arranging some chips, sodas and bowls of popcorn on the coffee table. Everyone was there lounging on the sofa and some on the floor with pillows.

"Where is Justin?" Eric asked from his seat beside Blake on the couch. Brian sat sideways on the chair resting his long legs on the arm rest.

"I called for like five times and it all goes to voicemail." Emmett said sitting on the floor.

"Well, we can't wait for him until he decided to show up." Michael whined while hijacking a bowl of popcorn.

"I'll call." Ted said dialing his phone. He groaned after a few seconds, "Phone still off."

"He might have gotten busy." Blake chimed in.

"He should have at least called or answer his phone." Michael again while munching on the popcorn.

"Well, I guess we should just start. There must be a reason Justin can't come or why he isn't answering the phone." Ted said and Emmett pressed the remote to play the movie.

Brian was silent the whole time and he continued to keep his silence. Justin said he was coming. What was so important that he stood them up?

They had a light dinner at the diner before going to Woody's and Justin didn't show up the whole time they were at Michael and Eric's. There were no returned calls too. Brian began to get worried though, because it just wasn't like Justin to be this negligent.

He was about to text the young man when all of a sudden Justin was coming inside the door beaming at them. His face slowly fell as he saw the expressions on their friends' faces.

Emmett and Michael were talking to Justin at the same. Emmett was trying to ask if he was all right while Michael was telling him he should have called and not let people waiting on him for hours without giving any considerations.

Jess was just behind Justin but obviously they didn't come together. Jess was looking a little worried as she was listening. Justin on the other hand, was looking like he was shocked and didn't have any idea what they were talking about. He looked around until he met Jess' eyes and she nodded.

He saw Justin closed his eyes tightly and scratched his head, shaking it and whispered, "I'm really sorry, guys."

"It's okay, honey. Don't you fret about it." Emmett was gently stroking his back.

"Did something happen this afternoon, Jus?" It was Eric who asked what Brian wanted to ask Justin.

He shook his head and said, "I guess I just forgot." Justin looked so apologetic and Brian knew he wasn't lying. "I'm really sorry."

"Hey, that's okay. Let's have some fun now." Brian said to let them all know that the discussion was over.

Justin and Jess stayed just until midnight and Brian didn't try to approach him. Justin was a little subdued and Jess was around him all the time. They have been in a deeply conversation most of the night.

He texted him the next day and they met that night. Justin was still a little off but he said he was just hungry. They ate pad Thai and was eating each other even before their food was finished.

He told Justin as he was dressing up that he could wait for Jess in his loft, but Justin said a cab was already waiting down stairs. He nodded, then Justin left.

The next day, he texted Justin spontaneously asking him for lunch. He didn't know what came over him to do it.

"Lunch at Iggy's?"

"Sure. 1pm?"

"Yeah."

"I'll pay for my lunch though."

-What the fuck?-

"Of course." 

"Okay."

So he invited Justin for lunch from time to time. It was maybe just once weekly, because their schedule was so hectic. But Justin always pay for his share whenever they went out for lunch.

Then after a while, Brian starting to get irritated when Justin suddenly proposed he should be paying his share on their dinners too. Brian didn't agree, saying it was his place and Justin was his guest.

"You don't let your guests pay for the food you served them at your own house." He shouted when Justin got too persistent. 

In the end, he relented by saying, "I just don't want to abuse your generosity, Brian."

They ended that night with a hot steamy sex that left them both weak on their knees.

One September evening, Brian asked Justin to come a little later because he had a late meeting with Mr. Remson. He arrived at eleven and Brian had just came out from his shower.

Brian fucked him from behind on the sofa, then later, Justin rode him so hard in his bed. It was so great he was sure his brain had just melted by how intense their orgasms were. 

He left Justin in the bed to relieve his bladder. When he came out of the bathroom, he was surprised to see Justin was already sleeping in his bed.

So much emotions running through his body, so much memories and familiarities. He actually admitted that night to himself, that he really missed being with Justin. 

Not just the great sex, but also the lazing around the loft on weekends, the snarkiness and jealousy, the petty fights and made up sex. Justin's stuff cluttered around the loft, his teenage angst and even his demands. 

He missed Justin's warm body next to him all night and his hair tickling his nose in the morning. The coffee, the attention, the annoyingly overly sweet messages and random visits to his office when he was still at Ryder.

And most of all, he missed the old Justin that was so in love with him.

He couldn't believe he was thinking about this. He was feeling nostalgic, maybe, but looking at Justin sleeping peacefully in his bed where he had done almost every night for two years, he felt something warmth wrapped around his chest.

He slowly crawled to his side and lifted the duvet to cover them. Justin seemed to be remembering the familiarity too, even in deep sleep, as he automatically put his head on his shoulder and snaked his arm on his waist. 

He closed his eyes as he was flooded with both emotions and regrets. He kissed Justin's head and wrapped his arm around him too.

Regret. Yeah, he didn't do regret, but apparently he did, because he regretted for ever letting Justin go.

God, it was so good to be in Justin's arms. This was one of those things that he never thought he would miss, but honestly, he did. 

He had this before, though. Which Justin gave him wholeheartedly but something that he had taken for granted.

He inhaled Justin's scent and let it lulled him to sleep.

He wasn't sure what woke him up just after few hours of sleep. Maybe it was a dream, a siren from the street, or the sudden drop of temperature in his loft.

But now that he was, he suddenly knew that something was wrong. Something was missing.

Justin.

He wasn't in bed and Brian knew he wasn't anywhere in the loft either. Then he heard a clapped of thunder and lightning illuminated his dark loft. He sat abruptly and went to the windows. Fuck, it was raining.

He walked to his bed again and checked the clock. 4:02am. He wanted to call Justin and yell at him. Why did he have to go on this weather and risked his life without even waking him up. He could have at least drive him home. By the look of it, it was already raining for some time now.

Stupid little twat.

This what he wasn't used to, and even it was already four months since Justin's return, he still wasn't sure he liked this version of Justin.

In the end, his anger steamed down to worrying. He decided, for his peace of mind, he texted Justin just to make sure he was all right.

"You home?"

"Yeah."

He let out a sigh of relief. Before sleep claimed him again, his mind was wondering if Justin still wanted them to be together like before.