Justin put the finishing touches on the roast he had prepared for Brian's dinner and thanked his lucky stars that his mom had always enjoyed teaching him how to cook whenever his father wasn't around. His father had always had the Neanderthal impression that cooking in the home was woman's work. He had made that very same inane comment once after catching Justin in an apron helping his mom fix dinner when he was not quite ten. Jennifer could see that her son enjoyed cooking and continued to teach him but was more circumspect when doing so. It was paying off big time now as the succulent aromas of marinating vegetables and pot roast filled the kitchen of the loft, not to mention the homemade baked apples cooling on the bar. 

Brian had dropped Justin off at the loft with instructions to stay put until he got off work. He reminded his guest about the alarm system for the apartment and to keep the door locked after he left. Justin knew that Brian was on edge over the questions that had arisen after Billy's bashing, but he didn't feel as threatened as Brian seemed to be. He discovered right away after Brian left that he still didn't keep a lot of groceries in the place and he wanted nothing more than to show his appreciation to Brian for taking him under his wing for the second time since they had met. He knew he could offer him some fabulous loving as a thank you but he wanted to do more. That's when he got the notion that a really good home cooked meal would be just the ticket. He was extremely careful to set the alarm and lock up after himself, using the spare key Brian had given him before leaving, and then headed for the grocer just two blocks away. 

Justin came home with as many groceries as he could safely carry. He reminded himself that he would need to thank his mom for the debit card she had given him for his expenses. She knew what a healthy appetite her son possessed so she wouldn't be shocked at the hefty bill when she saw it. He put everything away that would be prepared later on and got right to work on finding the right pots and pans for the meal he planned in his head. Soon the roast was in the oven and the veggies were marinating in preparation for their grilling. Once Justin had everything moving along, he took time to put away the things he brought with him. He hung his clothes and used the drawer Brian had indicated to lay out his undies and socks. He put his toothbrush and toiletries next to Brian's. 

As Justin moved around the loft he marveled at this fortunate turn of events. Just twenty-four hours earlier he would never have dreamed that he would be offered the chance to actually live with Brian. It was only a fantasy. He sobered up quickly however, when he recalled why the invitation had been given to him. He really had no connection to Billy outside of their sexual preferences and school affiliation, but he did like the kid. He had even stood up for Billy once a long time ago when they were still in middle school. A bunch of the older kids were making the timid boy the brunt of a lot of their stupid jokes and when he didn't react they began to get more physical. Justin had been walking by with Daphne at just the right moment and stepped in. Justin wasn't any more imposing than Billy, but he did have a reputation already well earned for not backing down from a fight. The bullies, like most cowards, backed down first. 

Justin hadn't really noticed that Billy thought of him as his hero ever since because he was far too shy to express his feelings. As Justin thought about their history and the text message that had lured Billy to the park, he began to see clearly why the normally cautious young man would take a chance in going out so late by himself. Justin was certain that Billy was under the impression he would be meeting up with Justin himself. It angered the blond to think that someone would use him to hurt such an innocent guy. He still didn't feel any threat to his own safety. He simply believed that someone had obviously witnessed their dance during the Prom and found him to be the perfect patsy to stage an attack on a helpless kid. There was no doubt that whoever was behind Billy's attack was a coward and worse. The only thing that Justin couldn't help feeling grateful for was that the basher had set things up in a way that gave him his dream come true. He doubted if that would please the basher, but he probably would never realize what he had done for another gay boy so it didn't matter. 

No one outside of their circle of friends really knew about his relationship with the policeman, or so Justin thought. As he waited for Brian to return home for the evening he had no idea that the basher was one of a group of fellow graduates who was being interviewed at that very moment during a friendly game of touch football being held on the school's field. Brian and Carl had tracked down a list of all the graduates who attended the Senior Prom from the clearly upset Assistant Principal of St. James Academy. She had come into the office to compile the list even though it was her day off after receiving a call from Carl concerning Billy's bashing and the possible reference to Prom Night which had lured him to his date with the attacker. She had witnessed the surprising dance between the two male graduates and couldn't fail to notice the negative reaction from half the roomful of teens and adults. It had made her nervous then but it was over so quickly and she thought no more of it until the call.

Mrs. Brigsby took the time to point out which of the students she believed were most disturbed by boys like Billy. No one at the school knew that the Assistant Principal had a younger brother she dearly loved who was gay and unable to deal with his Catholic family's disapprovel to the point where he left home for California nearly twenty years earlier and never came back. She had a soft spot for kids like Billy and the young blond he had danced with. When she reached the name of Chris Hobbs, she stopped and sighed deeply before pointing out that he and many of the football players from the team had been cited by the school on more than one occasion in their school careers for bullying other students...often using homophobic slurs for intimidation. Nothing had come of the admonishments outside of a slap on the wrist but she patiently explained that this was par for the course for the venerable old school.

It was strictly by chance that Chris had just gotten off work and was at the school field to talk and play a bit of football with his buddies at the same time as the two Detectives were thanking Mrs. Brigsby for her invaluable help and leaving the school. The parking area was right in front of the football field and the cops had a hunch that they should check out the older looking boys who were running all over the field while enjoying a no-holds-barred game of touch football. It turned out that their hunch was correct and many of the boys were ones they intended to interview later on. 

Three things happened during the brief interviews with the dozen or so boys. The first was that the Detectives noted the complete surprise on the faces of all the boys when Billy's bashing was mentioned, though there was no real empathy for him on their faces. Chris hadn't had the chance yet to tell his friends what he had done and most of the guys had slept the day away for the most part after staying up all night after the Prom. Secondly, Brian (who now remembered that the boy Justin wanted to get even with when they first met was named Chris Hobbs) could see in the big guy's face that he wasn't the least disturbed to hear of Billy's misfortune. If truth be told, he could even be described as satisfied to get the news. Of course a look wasn't enough to convict anyone of any wrongdoing, but it was enough to make a cop suspicious. 

The last thing of importance to occur only mattered to Chris Hobbs. The moment he saw the two cops walking towards him, he recognized the taller, younger one. He couldn't believe it, but this cop was the same guy he saw kissing all over his nemesis, Justin Taylor. Chris felt a moment of panic but forced himself to remain calm. Just because Justin was messing with a cop didn't mean the detective knew anything about what he had been up to, Chris realized. It did mean that he would have to be more careful with his plans for Justin. Chris found it hard to hide his disdain for Brian as the two officers shot out a few questions at him. He didn't like the feeling of having this pansy questioning him. He fantasized getting the cop alone in a dark alley as he carefully answered all the questions with quickly thought up lies. 

Finally Brian and Carl finished their enquiries. They left the young men to their games and walked away to their cars. It had been a long day and they needed to take a break. Carl, a long-time widower, had his lonely old house to return to and Brian had his bachelor pad waiting for him...only this time it wasn't empty like it normally was after a hard day at work. The men would get together briefly the next day to discuss what they had learned so far and then call it a day until Monday morning. They would pray that there were no more incidents between now and then. The pattern of the bashings led them to believe that there would be no more for a little while. They parted ways. Brian drove straight home, more eager to get there than he normally was, making only one quick stop for Justin's benefit.

The moment the sound of the large door sliding noisily on its runner could be heard, Justin felt his heartbeat quicken and the blood rushed to his head. Knowing that Brian had come home to him made the young man heady with excitement and anticipation. He wanted so much to please Brian and make him glad that they were together. He stepped out from behind the kitchen island where he had been checking his roast and saw the look of surprise on Brian's face. 

The moment the Detective stepped through the door his nostrils were assaulted by the most mouth-watering aromas. That was nothing like he had expected. In fact, he had a bag from Bobo's Burger House dangling from his hand. He knew he didn't have supplies at the loft to make a meal with and was certain Justin would be starving. He almost dropped the bag as Justin came flying into his arms. Brian instinctively caught the young man up into his arms and hugged him tight. They kissed one another fervently, food being temporarily forgotten, and then Justin wiggled free to stand in front of Brian with a huge shit-eating grin on his face. Brian was too confused at first to say anything, making Justin impatient for a reaction. He couldn't hold in his excitement. 

"Well Brian....can you guess what I've been up to while you've been keeping our city safe for good people everywhere?" Justin asked teasingly.

Brian took another deep sniff at the air before answering.

"Well I'd say that a lucky guess might be that you've been performing miracles by creating a full meal out of nothing, because those aroma's don't remind me of anything I've ever ordered from my take-out menus."

Justin laughed. "No Doofus, you'll never get a meal like this from some joint. This was cooked with tender loving care by my own skilled hands," Justin bragged. "If you don't like it, I'll eat your shoes."

Brian laughed back. "Watch what you promise, kiddo. I wear really large shoes, you know. But if the food tastes half as good as it smells, I don't think you'll have to worry about choking on leather." 

Something suddenly dawned on Brian and the smile left his face.

"Wait a minute Justin. Just how did you manage to find enough in this place to fix a meal? I haven't been shopping in a week. Don't tell me you left here. I thought you would stay in till I got off work and then we could go shopping together. I really don't like the idea of you stepping out until we get a better handle on what happened in the park last night and how you might be involved."

"Whoa Brian," Justin interrupted. "I'm not being held prisoner here...right? I'm a big boy now and I know I need to be watchful right now. Besides I only walked a couple of blocks from here in broad daylight. These bashers are cowardly monsters that only come out at night and lurk in deserted corners and parks. You told me that. No one is going after me in the middle of the day with dozens of people all around me."

Brian relaxed a bit. Justin was right. He was being paranoid...too much time as a cop and seeing some of the worst in mankind. What Justin said was totally true. Whoever the bashers were they certainly weren't coming after Justin during the day in full view of the public. Brian forced himself to lighten up. He plastered a smile back on his face.

"Of course you're not a prisoner, Sunshine. I just don't want you to take any unnecessary chances...but taking a run to the grocers is certainly reasonable. I would have liked to go with you, though. I hope you didn't use up all your allowance," he teased.

"Nooo, I didn't use up my allowance. I used Mom's debit card. You don't have to support me Brian, and I'm going to get a Summer job too so I can contribute to expenses. Besides I wanted to do this for you since you've been so good to me."

Brian rapidly closed the short distance between the two of them and pulled Justin close to his body. He lifted Justin's chin and kissed him deeply.

"Justin," he said when they parted lips, "being good to you comes easy. You're a special guy. I sensed that when we first met but you've become a special friend to me faster than I would have ever thought possible. I care about you...a lot! I just want you safe and out of harm's way, and I'll do whatever it takes to see to it that you stay that way. I want you around me for a long time to come."

Justin felt his heart melting again, as it did every time Brian showed affection for him. He knew he had fallen in love with Brian but he had never heard those words from the older man. He longed for it but was satisfied to know that Brian did think of him as someone important and not just another occasional fuck. Someday, if he was truly lucky, maybe he would even hear Brian admit that he had fallen in love too. His thoughts were interrupted when Brian lifted his arm and took a sniff at his shirt.

"Phew", he declared, "is there any chance dinner could wait for about twenty minutes or so. It has been a hot day and we've been all over town doing interviews and stuff. I could sure use a hot shower first so I can do full justice to the masterpiece you've created."

"Sure", Justin answered. "All I need to do is grill the veggies and that won't take long at all. The meat just gets better staying nice and warm in its juices. You go take your shower and I'll have everything waiting when you get out."

Brian gave Justin another soulful kiss and hurried off to the bedroom so he could disrobe and jump in the shower. Justin could hear him humming to himself. Justin heard the water start in the shower as he pulled the veggies out of the fridge where they had been marinating. He was about to put them on the grill when the image of Brian in the shower popped delightfully into his head. Hmmm, he thought, soapy Brian or perfectly grilled veggies...well no contest, Justin decided. Thirty seconds later, Brian heard the shower door click behind him. 

Brian turned his wet body around to find a vision of creamy, alabaster skin and dazzling, white teeth grinning up at him. Justin held out his hand for the bottle of scented soap that Brian held in his hand. He took a sponge off the nearby stand and poured the soap onto it. He lathered it up and began to gently scrub Brian's chest. The sponge traveled from Brian's shoulder blades down along his pecs and across each nipple, giving them careful attention until they stood up firmly against the surface of the sponge. Brian lifted his arms to the side and Justin ran the sponge in the soft hair of Brian's underarms, first one then the other. He trailed the sponge along each arm, watching as the sudsy water dripped to the floor. He retraced his steps to the stomach and made slow circular motions around Brian's abdomen, stopping to poke into his navel. By the time he got to Brian's pubic hairline there was no question as to whether he was having an affect on the brunet. 

Justin's eyes turned smoky blue as he saw the beautiful cock that proudly rose to greet his hand as he began to rub soap into Brian's bush of soft, curly hairs. He tenderly massaged the tumescent shaft next, feeling it twitch in his hand through the sponge. The look in Justin's smoldering eyes became slightly lascivious as he pictured all the things that magnificent instrument could do to his body. He forced himself to let the swelling member go as he finished his rubdown of the front of Brian's body by gently cleaning the heavy sac of balls below his cock and then on down both of Brian's muscular runner's legs. He stood back up and turned Brian around in order to give the back as clean a wash as he had the front. He only lingered briefly between Brian's outstetched legs as he gave Brian's ass cheeks and crack a little extra care.

Once Brian was clean from head to toe he turned around and accepted the sponge and soap from his shower mate. As Brian stood under the spray of the shower head he began giving Justin the same loving care, making sure that he didn't miss any of the spots that the blond had so thoughtfully tended to. By the time Justin was as clean as Brian, both men were as horny as hell. The water could have turned ice cold and they would not have noticed. Their bodies were steaming with repressed sexual energy. They could hold back no longer. Brian turned Justin around and began nibbling on the blond's exposed neck. He tasted the clean skin and made his way up to Justin's ear. He flicked his tongue inside the ear and felt Justin suck in a deep breath. Justin twisted his head so that they could connect and they kissed awkwardly but with deep passion. 

Brian stopped long enough to grab a condom from the small built-in tray in the shower. He quickly sheathed his now rock-solid cock and rubbed it with a small bottle of water resistant lube he kept just for this purpose. He began to rub his cock along Justin's crack. Justin's legs spread and he sighed at the delicious feel of Brian as the cock stimulated his senses from the back of his balls to his asshole. Brian used his cock to tease at the door to Justin's hole several times until he felt the young man relaxing his muscles. Once he felt that his lover was ready he began his invasion, pushing slowly but surely inside Justin. Justin felt the pressure and the resistance his body gave in answer. He willed his muscles to relax and felt the pleasure as Brian passed through the barrier to full entry. Once he was seated firmly in place, Brian began to massage Justin internally, changing rhythm on occasion for maximum effect. 

Justin didn't stand by idly as Brian did all the work. He might not have a world of sexual experience yet but he had an instinctual feel for what was satisfying. He used that innate skill to ride the heavy cock behind him, dancing on it in the beautiful way he did on the dance floor with his feet. Brian reached around his lover and grabbed a handful of Justin's ready cock. He played it like a skilled craftsman until he could hear Justin gasping short breaths of moist air that announced his growing hunger. Release was just around the corner for both men as their bodies joined in a dance of joy and ecstasy. Minutes later they could take no more and Brian spilled his hot seed into the waiting condom as Justin spurted his own onto the glass wall in front of him.

Brian held tight to Justin for several more minutes before turning him around and embracing the young man close to his body so that he could feel the still-racing heart against his skin. They kissed again, but with less desperation this time. Their tongues stroked each other as their lips met. The warmth inside them dispelled the cooling water and air surrounding them. They had generated enough heat for both of them. After standing under the running water a few more minutes while they shared several more hot kisses, they finally realized that it was getting too cool even for them. They laughed as they parted and hurried out of the shower. A quick rubdown with fluffy white towels helped to warm them again. They went back to the bedroom and wrapped themselves in their robes. Before going back to the kitchen, Brian hugged Justin once more and smiled at his new house mate.

"Well, young man, now that we've had dessert are you still up for dinner? I would certainly like to test out your culinary skills in the kitchen. If they are anything like your skills in the bathroom, I'm in for quite a treat."

"After you, Officer Kinney," Justin replied, waving his arm towards the kitchen area. 

As Brian gave him a friendly pat on his behind when he passed the young man in order to lead the way, Justin felt his heart swelling even more than his penis had earlier. He had never been so happy. If heaven was anything like this, Justin would be very happy indeed when his time came. Of course he was in no hurry. He looked forward to countless more times like this with Brian Kinney, the man of his dreams. It was a good thing that he didn't know of the one person who had vowed to change all that for him and send him heavenward a lot sooner than Justin would have liked.

To be continued..................................