Monday couldn't come soon enough for Brian. It had taken him over thirty years to finally know what he wanted in life and he was more than ready to let the rest of the world know too. He reflected on how he had never even been aware that something was missing for so very long. He certainly had a wonderful life before...a job he loved, respect from his peers, and even a few friends that he felt comfortable with for brief periods of time. He had no idea, all these years, that there was an empty place in him. It took a slender little blond man from out of the blue to wake him up to what was truly possible.

He had fought against the feelings that Justin evoked in him. You had to give him that. But the more he fought, the more he wanted to give in to those feelings. Brian's blood boiled when he thought of that creep, Ian, but he was grateful to the bastard in a way. If the unbalanced man hadn't been so obsessed with Justin that he openly posed a threat to him, Brian might never have gone to Justin's door that night to make sure the kid had gotten home safely. Seeing Justin coming towards him in that hallway, Brian couldn't contain his longing any more. One touch of those full, delicious lips and Brian was a goner. He never looked back.

As Brian finished relieving himself he heard the distinct sounds of Justin's morning groan coming from the bedroom. Justin was definitely not a morning person. The fact that he still had nagging headaches thanks to that son of a bitch, Ian, didn't help. Brian hurried into his bedroom and plopped down next to his lover. Justin wasn't fully awake yet, which was fine with Brian. He had made it clear to Justin that he was to take a few days off. The docs had given the lad a clean bill of health overall, but he would become groggy from pain medication that he took for his headaches. A few extra days off was just what Dr. Kinney ordered.

Justin fell over onto his back as his eyes slowly shut again. In seconds, Brian could hear the almost imperceptible snore that proved he was sound asleep again. The sheet had fallen away from all but the feet of Justin's body. Brian sat beside Justin and stared at the handsome sight before him. Justin was small, but not in a feminine way at all. He was all man, but in a soft gentle way. His skin was almost translucent from the glow of the lights reflecting off his pale form. Brian could see all the fine down of hair on Justin's stomach and limbs. They were even more pale than Justin's crowning glory on his head. Brian thrilled to the feel of Justin's silky blond locks when he would run his fingers through them, which was repeatedly, whether they were making love or not. Brian marvelled at the long pale eyelashes that rested against Justin's skin.

Justin had a nose that was infinitely kissable to Brian. And those lips were full and ripe for the taking. Brian couldn't resist. He leaned in and placed a tender kiss...first on each of Justin's eyes, then the tip of his nose, and lastly (and definitely best), on those lips. Justin stirred slightly. Brian pulled back. More than anything he longed to awaken his young lover and continue making love with him once again, but he quickly reminded himself that the lad needed his rest more. Brian took one last admiring look at Justin's body, especially loving the sight of the now flaccid manhood that still looked praiseworthy, even at rest, and then forced himself to turn away so that he could get dressed and head for work.

********************************************************

As Brian rode from his quarters to his office, he mulled over how he would handle both his underlings and superiors. There was no question that word had spread about Justin's attack and the arrest of his ex-boyfriend by now. The fact that the attack occurred in Brian's quarters when he wasn't even there was sure to cause a lot of speculation and gossip. If he knew Daphne, she was setting a lot of wagging tongues to rest by keeping the record straight. She had gotten home Sunday morning and been furious when she found out what Ian had tried to do to her friend. She had raced up to Brian's quarters KNOWING that Justin would be there and demanded to know if Justin was going to be okay. She didn't leave until the young man had all but sworn on everything holy that he had survived in decent shape and was now happily ensconced in his lover's home.

The only other person to bother the lovers on Sunday was Brian's next door neighbor, Peter Finch, who couldn't stop apologizing for harboring a madman in his quarters. Brian had never had any reason to think that Finch disliked him so he believed that the man had been duped by Ian just as he stated. Brian rushed the idiot out of his place and got back to attending to his patient. With a little friendly persuasion, he had finally convinced the stubborn lad to take some time off and fully recuperate. In truth, he didn't want Justin to face any more trauma. He intended to have everything settled at work so that he would know exactly where they both stood before Justin returned. That way, he could protect him from any fallout.

The moment Brian came in the front entrance to Lunar Industries, he could feel all eyes on him. Brian was used to being ogled, but this kind of scrutiny was new. He went on his guard instantly. He walked up to the lobby desk to key in his entry code. The uniformed man behind the desk greeted him.

"Welcome back, Mr. Kinney. I hope you had an enjoyable holiday." The man didn't smile, but Brian knew that tone of voice. It was his usual friendly voice, masked by gruffness.

"Glad to be back, Hank. So how was your holiday?"

"Oh, just fine, sir. I suspect not as interesting as yours, but fine enough."

Brian noticed a slight rising of the edges of Hank's mouth that threatened to be called a smile. Somehow that was comforting to Brian. He laid his palm on the entry pad and turned to leave when the green light flashed. He heard Hank wishing him a pleasant day as he strode to the lift that would take him to his office. He grimaced to himself, thinking that he certainly hoped it would be so.

A moment later Brian exited the lift on his floor. As he walked the long corridor to his office at the end, he passed the offices of the other department heads, including his neighbor, Peter. All eyes were definitely on Kinney as he passed by, looking as tall and proud as ever. Every single person knew that Brian Kinney was a gay man but not a one knew that he had ever had an interest in anybody within the company...and an underling to boot. Their curiosity at how he would handle it was driving them crazy, but they knew that all would be revealed very soon. The word had already spread that the top men and women of the company had ordered a meeting with Kinney that very day.

Brian walked into his office with a little more nervousness than he expected to feel. He really did love his job passionately, and he sure as hell didn't want to start all over again, but he loved Justin more. If they forced him to choose, Justin would win hands down. He called for Cynthia and waited.

Cynthia walked into Brian's office, not really knowing what to expect. She was surprised to find the familiar cool and calm man that she had been working for, for a decade now. She would never have known that the man had gone through a trauma over the holiday and that his job was now in jeopardy. Somehow, Brian's attitude was very reassuring. Now that she thought about it, she knew she shouldn't have expected anything less. She had been thrilled to hear, from Daphne, that Brian had fallen for the adorable Justin. Cynthia had liked the kid from the minute she met him. She had certainly not suspected he was gay for the same reason that most others thought he was straight...his relationship with Daphne. After Daphne had told her the true story early this morning, Cynthia could now recognize some of the signs that she had ignored before. She was a little ticked that she hadn't noticed them before but the end result was fine with her.

"Hey boss," she greeted Brian.

"Cynthia," Brian acknowledged. "So, do you have anything you need to tell me?" Brian waited while his assistant shuffled from one foot to the other with her head down for a second. Then she looked up at him and gave a half smile.

"Okay, I'm just going to come right out and say it. I'm so sorry about the trouble that happened at your place over the weekend. I am also happy to know that you have finally found somebody to care about and I hope you'll be very happy. And if you get yourself fired, I'll never forgive you. There I've said it....oh, and one more thing, you are expected in the conference room at 1100 hours," she looked down at her watch for a moment, "and that's in less than two hours, so you'd better be prepared."

"Alright," Brian responded. "One, thanks for caring. Two, thanks for the well wishes. And three, I have no intention of getting fired....I hope! Now get out of here and let me get to work on an ad campaign to promote myself," he finished with a grin.

Brian spent the next couple of hours thinking of all the reasons that he should stay right where he was, in his position as head of his department. He was also concerned about Justin and his future. Brian hadn't asked, but he knew the blond well enough to know that he would never be content living off of Brian's work. The young man had pride and his talent was far too impressive to lay dormant. Brian needed to protect Justin's job too. Finally, it was time to meet with the head honchos. Brian took a deep breath and marched resolutely down the hall to the other end of the corridor where the conference room was located.

When Brian entered the large room, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. A large circular dais stood in front of him with at least two dozen chairs pulled up to the table on it. There was an opening for Brian to step through so that he could be at the center of the circle. Each place at the table had a tiny microphone device meant to amplify the speakers voice. Brian moved forward and took his place in the center. It crossed his mind that this must be how an inmate feels when they go on trial and it was disconcerting. But at the same time, he reminded himself that this was about his life and future...and Justin's too, so it was too important to let anything rattle him.

Within seconds, a door opened at the back of the room and a group of men and women, all looking stern, stepped out and began taking their places at the table. When everyone was seated, the man at the center spot, that Brian recognized as the top executive, spoke up.

"Mr. Kinney, it has come to our attention that you have become involved in an unpleasant legal issue during the holiday week just passed and it will need to be addressed. Are you aware of our dilemma, sir?"

"Considering, ladies and gentlemen, that I was there when the issue occurred, it is safe to say that I am fully aware of the situation."

"Well, Mr. K......"

"Excuse me, sir, but I was not finished."

The leader coughed, then pointed at Brian. "Continue."

"As I was about to say...I have had an ongoing relationship with a co-worker that I chose to keep private. I did so to avoid unnecessary strains on the job and any unwarranted and petty jealousies....not because I believed that I was doing anything improper or against any rules and regulations. I've checked the code of conduct thoroughly and it does not state anywhere that one cannot have an outside relationship with any co-worker no matter what their status. I understand that there is an unwritten code that wishes to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest among employees, but unwritten is not a part of the contract I signed when I took this job."

"I chose to have a relationship with a young man who had an unfortunate prior relationship with an unbalanced person who did not wish to let go of his ex-partner without a fight. Thus, there was a battle and he thankfully lost the battle. He broke the laws of this Federation and will go on trial for his behavior and punished accordingly. But you and I know that this is not your main concern. You want to know what I intend to do about my relationship with the young man."

"It is quite simple. I intend to do nothing...nothing but continue with my relationship for as long as he is willing to be with me. And I intend to continue with my job...a job which speaks for itself. I have given you a decade of faithful and accomplished service. I know this company inside and out and you will NEVER find anyone better at my job or more dedicated. I will continue to treat all my employees equally based on their abilities and show no favortism as I've been doing all along. You would be fools to throw away my talents due to a moot point as I suspect that you would find that most if not all of my employees have no quarrel with my treatment of them since the day that Mr. Taylor, the man in question, entered this company."

Brian stepped out of the circle and began to move to the exit. "Oh, and one more thing, Justin Taylor is just as talented at his job as I am and you would be making a huge mistake in letting him go or moving him somewhere that would not fit his abilities....AND if he leaves I'll be leaving with him. Now, I'll wait for your response in my office. I have a ton of work to get moving on. Thank you."

Brian exited the room and stood in the corridor for a moment to catch his breath. He could barely breathe. He had been a lot more nervous than he would ever let on but he was glad it was over. Now all he needed to do was relax and get back to work. He headed for his office to await the judgement that would determine his future and Justin's. The only thing he was certain of at this moment in time was that his future would include Justin no matter what verdict they rendered.

*******************************************************

Justin had slept on and on for hours and finally woke up just before noon. He had thrown his arm over Brian's side of the bed without even opening his eyes. He felt a moment of panic when he realized Brian was not there, but quickly calmed when he opened his eyes and saw how late it was. Brian was at his office, of course, the young man thought to himself. With that thought came a renewed sense of anxiety. Today was the day that Brian would have to face all the questions and speculations of his employees and employers.

Justin had wanted to go with Brian and be there to support him, but the stubborn man had insisted Justin needed more healing time. He had tried to argue with the bossy guy but Justin finally gave in knowing that having him there might stress Brian out even more. He spent the rest of the day taking a long leisurely massage shower and then working with his artist's supplies, that Brian had brought up from downstairs, to create a new portrait of his man. Several hours later, Justin had an outline sketched that was unmistakably a naked Brian Kinney with his arms outstretched as if beckoning to an approaching lover. By then, his head had begun to ache again so Justin took some pain medication and stretched out on the bed again.

********************************************************

Brian slipped into his bedroom silently and was amused to find Justin in exactly the same position he had been in when Brian had left him nearly ten hours earlier. The only difference was that the lad was now wearing the maroon robe from Brian's shower room. Brian went to the side of the bed and looked down on the beautiful sight that he had enjoyed so much earlier.

"I was right," he whispered to the sleeping form, "you are worth fighting for." The fact that he knew that the inside of this man was even more beautiful than the outside brought a tightness to Brian's chest. His heart sped up a few beats to match his arousal as he looked down on Justin's peaceful countenance.

"Justin," he whispered slightly louder.

The blond began to stir. A moment later his eyelids fluttered and finally opened. He was gazing into hazel eyes only inches away from his face.

"Brian?" Justin questioned.

"You were expecting someone else?"

"No! I've been waiting for you...all my life!"

Justin reached for Brian's neck and drew him down to him. Brian sat down beside Justin and wrapped his arms around the blond's body, drawing him up so that he could place tender kisses on his ready lips. Both men were already feeling that now familiar longing for closer contact when Justin pulled back. He looked curiously at Brian.

"So, are you going to tell me what they said?"

"Oh that," Brian teased. "Well, they agreed with me that I would be too great a loss to the company so my job is perfectly safe."

"And....?" Justin added with a hint of trepidation.

"And? Oh, you want to know about your position. Well, they agreed with me on that too."

"That....?"

Brian leaned in for a nice sloppy wet kiss.

"That you would be too great a loss to the company also so your position is safe too...working under me!"

Brian grinned like a Cheshire cat. Justin put on his most seductive smile.

"It will be a pleasure working 'under' you, sir."

With that, Justin proceeded to prove what a pleasure it truly would be. That night, as the lovers lay spent on the badly dishevelled bedclothes, they talked about their future dreams. They might not know what the future held in store for them, but one thing was certain...the future would be with each other, tonight and every night. And with that thought, they drifted off to sleep locked in a tight embrace.

The End