Justin still couldn't believe how exciting and liberating it felt, being a part of the Pride March for 2001. And once again it was all due to Brian. Brian... just the sound of the man's name made Justin feel free and alive. He could still remember the abject fear that invaded every inch of his body when he came face to face with Hobbs in that hallway. Even standing there as a janitor with a broom in his hand, the man's hatred was intimidating. Justin felt small and helpless, and that brought almost more pain than he could handle. When Hobbs made a threatening gesture, Justin had shrunk back in fear and hated himself profoundly for it.

Pride... how could he feel proud of himself when he had reacted to Hobbs that way. But, of course, it was Brian who made him understand... made him see that the fact that he had survived Hobbs' hatred was something to be proud of in and of itself. And it took Brian to remind him that Hobbs would be the winner if Justin didn't stand up and be counted as one very proud queer. Then, of course, he had to go to the Parade. Nothing else would do.

Justin had felt a swelling of pride walking with his mother, and he was inordinately proud of her in return. He realized at that moment just how lucky he was. It was the support of his own mother that gave Justin such an open heart. He knew it was that very lack of support from either of his parents that kept Brian's heart locked up so tight. Justin still couldn't fathom how any parent wouldn't be proud of a man like Brian. Justin had seen the beauty of the man's soul that very first night he met him. His eyes alone had spoken volumes about the man. From that very first glimpse, Justin had felt safe and secure in his presence. Why, he wondered, couldn't his parents see the beauty they had in their son?

Thanks to Brian's words, Justin had attended and enjoyed every moment of the Pride Celebration. The color, creativity, and sheer joy that spread throughout the crowd was infectious. Justin could feel the love, and it had nothing to do with fucking. These men and women were here for the pleasure of knowing that there were plenty more folks like them... folks who loved deeply and well, but not in the conventional acceptable way. They loved the way their hearts and minds demanded... the way their bodies told them was right and good. And they did it openly, without the shame that others would try to force on them. It didn't take courage on their parts to make their open declaration. It took a self-loving and self-acceptance. That's what they could be proud of. And that's what Justin was feeling.

When the parade was over, Justin had stood at the bar in Woody's and basked in the afterglow of contentment that he felt being a part of his community. His mom had left with a group of other PFLAG parents for an after parade party, and Justin had joined Brian, feeling extremely pleased because Brian had sought him out to join him for a drink rather than the other way around. He figured the man just needed a willing listener as he groused about being stuck with the baby most of the day, but he had still stayed close to Justin even after finishing up with his complaining. Justin decided it was time to show Brian how much he appreciated all the things the man had done for him for the last year or so. He decided not to be clingy tonight. He would step back and show Brian that he wasn't concerned if the man went out and partied like there was no tomorrow.

Justin kissed Brian's shoulder and told him to go find a stud to be with. He had turned away and decided he'd walk to the loft. It was a long walk, but he was feeling so many emotions right now that he knew the walk would do him good. He would be able to tire himself enough that he'd have a better chance of getting some sleep on this momentous night. He had stepped out of the entrance to Woody's and smiled, seeing all the vibrant colors that seemed to shimmer in the very air of Liberty Avenue. The street was filled with men and women of every type, shape, color, and persuasion. They moved together in and out of groups like the waves of the ocean as it ebbed and flowed. Happiness could be seen everywhere.

Justin stepped off the steps and flowed into the crowd on the sidewalk. A tiny part of him felt a loneliness that Brian wasn't beside him, but tonight was not a night for sadness. He shook the feeling off and moved forward in the direction of Brian's street. It was then he felt the tap on his shoulder. He turned quickly and saw the face of his beloved Brian grinning almost shyly at him.

"Hey stud! Wanna dance?" he said, repeating what Justin had just told him to go and find for himself when leaving Brian at the bar. Justin felt for a second that he was being mocked. He told Brian to shut up and turned away, but the older man would have none of it. He grabbed Justin's hand, stopping the young man in his tracks and turning him around to face him.

"I promise you won't forget this one," he declared to the hesitant blond. But there was no mistaking the look on Brian's face. It was sincere. There was no game playing here, only Brian's determination to be with the one he wanted. Justin's face slowly broke into a smile. Brian pulled him out into the street to join the other revelers. Abba's song, Chiquitita, could be heard playing through nearby loudspeakers. Brian wrapped his arms around Justin's shoulders, drawing the young man close to his body. Justin threw his arms around Brian's waist, raising them up and relishing the feel of Brian's back muscles as they rippled under his fingertips.

The lovers began to sway to the music, staring deeply into each others eyes. They spoke not a word, but their eyes told volumes of what they were feeling. Brian's mouth came down on Justin's and their mouths and tongues danced in perfect harmony with the music. Friends joined them in the street, but for that moment in time, they saw no one else. Their kisses deepened, their bodies continued to sway. They made love with their eyes until the song ended. Brian was right. Justin would never forget this dance.

Another song began to play, Free by Ultra Nate. This was a lively one. Brian briefly looked around and saw Michael standing to the side alone. Brian looked back at Justin. Justin saw what Brian saw and again read his lover's thoughts. He nodded his head. Brian went over to Michael, smiled, and pulled the man out into the street to join with him and Justin. The three men smiled an unspoken promise of understanding their places in each other's lives, and began to dance as a trio. Bodies jumped up and down and side to side all around them. For this moment in time, the gay men and women of Pittsburgh could forget the hatred and fear that was directed at them so many times in their lives. They were free to be who they were for the whole world to see.

For another hour, everyone on Liberty Avenue celebrated their open existence. Eventually the crowd slowly began to thin out as those who had taken it to the streets started to wander off, many to take it to the sheets, as Ted so eloquently put it earlier that day. The last song was a slow romantic one and Brian and Justin were once again alone, totally absorbed in each other. As the song ended, they finally noticed that Michael, Ted, and Emmett were nowhere in sight.

"Are you ready to take this dance to somewhere more private?" Brian asked Justin.

"Do you promise I'll never forget the next dance either?" Justin responded with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Brian leaned in for another kiss filled with unspoken words. "I promise," he answered against Justin's lips.

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

The short ride home to the loft seemed to take forever. Every molecule in Justin's body quivered with anticipation. This was nothing like that first ride he'd taken with Brian to his loft. He had been scared shitless that time, even though eager to find out what he was getting into. This time he knew what was coming, and he longed for it with everything that was in him. They had barely gotten the massive sliding door to the loft shut behind them, when the two men began to eagerly tear off each other's clothing. The offending material was blocking them from their greatest desires.

Once the last article of clothing lay in a heap next to them, Justin sank to his knees quickly and faced an already growing cock that begged to be kissed by his soft lips. He wrapped his hand around the base of the shaft and almost reverently kissed the tip, tasting the tiny drop of liquid that shimmered there. Justin's tongue snaked out to absorb the salty sweet flavor on his lips. It inflamed him. He opened his mouth and let the entire head of Brian's cock slide past his lips. He suckled at the tip, hearing Brian's deep sigh at the electric spark Justin's lips brought him. That sound encouraged the young man even more.

Justin slowly took in more and more of Brian's length, a half inch at a time. He continued to suck with his lips while his tongue danced along the underside, feeling the member growing harder with each passing second. Justin's other hand held onto Brian's sac and playfully manipulated the balls, causing tiny groans to begin forming from Brian's mouth. While Justin's mind concentrated on providing pleasure to Brian's cock, his hand had a mind of its own as it slipped past the ball sac and his fingers ran along the crack until they found the hole tucked in back. Brian's legs spread further apart, giving Justin better access. He began to poke a finger, then two into Brian's hole, causing the poor man to almost lose his balance.

Each time Justin could tell that Brian was about to lose it, he would back off the finger fucking and still his mouth until he felt Brian relax again. Then the action would start anew. This went on for some time until Brian decided it was time to take control again. He pulled Justin up and clamped his mouth onto the younger man's lips. They could feel each other's arousals against their skin as they stood there naked in a firm embrace. Suddenly, Brian released Justin and hurried over to the bar where a bowl waited for him, filled with condoms. Brian grabbed one and hurried back to Justin, who stood bereft of Brian's warmth. Brian handed the condom to Justin.

"Put it on me," he ordered, his voice thick with lust.

Justin bent down again and rolled the latex on as quick as his shaky fingers could move. Brian lifted him up again. He backed Justin up until his body was resting against the nearby wall. Brian reached to the end table where a tube of lube was standing. He popped the tube open with one hand and squirted a portion onto his fully erect and sheathed cock. He dropped the tube to the floor and brought both hands under Justin's ample bubble butt. Brian used his strength to lift the much lighter blond from the floor. Justin instinctively wrapped his legs around Brian's waist. Justin could feel Brian's engorged cock against his crack. His own weeping penis was planted firmly along Brian's stomach, the tip covering the older man's navel.

Brian held on firmly to Justin's slender body, grateful for all the weight training he had done over the years at the gym. He used the wall to brace Justin's upper body. He moved back just enough to give him access to Justin's hole, which was already spasming in anticipation of the invasion. Once Brian could feel his cockhead in place he began pulling Justin down onto the shaft, slowly and deliberately. Justin cried out his pleasure at the momentary pain that was followed quickly by the feeling of sheer joy at being filled up. Brian paused, giving Justin time to adjust to what was happening. Once Justin had taken several deep breaths and given Brian a kiss of gratitude, the brunet was ready.

Brian began to work himself in and out of Justin's hole. He started slowly, letting the rhythm build itself. Justin held onto Brian's neck for dear life, his legs tightly clamped together behind the man's back. Brian began grunting with the exertion that this position was forcing on him, but nothing could stop him now. He had only one goal. He would fill his lover up with his seed despite the fact that it would be entrapped by the condom. Several more thrusts in and out followed. Justin could feel his own orgasm fast approaching. Brian was hitting deep with each stroke in and touching off little explosions with each movement. Suddenly Brian knew it was coming. He arched his back even more and pulled Justin down hard onto his cock again. That was the one. Brian exploded into the sheath. As he did so, Justin could feel the twitching and his own cock released its treasure between their sweating bodies.

With the last spurt, Brian released Justin's buttocks and felt the blond's legs descend to the ground. Justin's legs gave out and he slid to the floor, followed by a shaky Brian. Justin sat with his back against the wall. Brian laid his head on Justin's chest, nestled between the young man's open legs. Brian wrapped his arms around Justin's middle and held him tight. He could feel Justin's heart beating as if it would explode. He knew his own was doing the same. Slowly, ever so slowly, their hearts returned to normal. Once they knew they could stand without faltering, they rose together and walked arm and arm to the bathroom. A thorough shower later, they lay together in Brian's large bed.

It had been an exhausting day, filled with both fear and pride for the young blond. He didn't know if he would ever be able to see Hobbs without that fear, but the pathetic man didn't matter... not at this moment in time. He faded away into nothingness as Justin looked over at the man he knew was the love of his life. How could he ever regret being a gay man. If he hadn't been one, he would never have known this magnificent creature beside him, much less been the recipient of such joyful expressions of his love. Brian Kinney was well worth whatever Justin had to go through to be with him. Hobbs may have done him injury and taken away his memory of what he knew was the best dance of his life, but the bastard could never take this moment from him. Brian had kept his promise, as he always did and probably always would. He had given Justin a dance he would never forget. Brian's eyes were closed as Justin leaned over and planted a thank you kiss on his lips. The older man didn't open his eyes, but his lips turned up in a smile. Justin gave him one more kiss, whispered, "Thank you", and laid his head on Brian's chest. As he drifted off to sleep he barely caught the sound of Brian's voice as he answered.

"No... thank you," came the low whisper back.

The End