Part Three



Justin’s idea of celebrating included a couple’s massage, facials, manicures, and an hour in a bath for two filled with rose oil and lavender.



“Emmett told me about the couple’s package here,” Justin admitted as he leaned back against Brian’s chest while they relaxed together in the scented water. “It sounded really nice, so I thought it would be a good way to celebrate.”



“I’m loath to admit that I have enjoyed it,” Brian said. “I will, however, deny ever being here if you tell any of our friends or family. While I love being pampered, this is just too…romantic. I do have a reputation to uphold.”



“Whatever will you tell Marty tomorrow?” Justin laughed.



“That my wife came up with some incredibly embarrassing activity for two and nothing more,” Brian said smugly. “If he presses, I’ll threaten to share the information with his wife.”



“I’m not your wife,” Justin grumped and swatted at Brian’s arm.



“No, you are my partner,” Brian whispered just before he kissed Justin’s neck.



“Stop that,” Justin scolded and tried to scoot forward in the tub. Brian just pulled him tighter against his body, his half hard cock swelling against Justin’s round ass. “Brian, we can’t do that here.”



“Why not?” Brian asked as he nibbled on Justin’s ear and gently tweaked Justin’s nipple.



“Brian!” Justin moaned.



Just then a knock sounded at the door. “Sirs? Are you alright?”



“We’re fine,” Brian called out. He sighed and released Justin. “I’m starting to dislike this celebration.”



When Justin was safely on the other end of the tub, he said, “Well, we could skip the last half hour and go home. Hell, I bet they sell the bath oils out front. We could recreate this entire setting in our bathtub at home.”



Brian nodded thoughtfully. “Or we could skip the tub and get straight to the sex.”



Justin laughed. “You don’t have a romantic bone in your body, do you?”



“Not that I’ll ever admit,” Brian smirked as he stood in all his naked glory and held out a hand to Justin. “Shall we?”



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They signed the final papers the next day and scheduled an all staff meeting for Friday to make the announcement to the employees. As far as Justin was concerned, his part was finished the minute the ink dried on his signature, but both Brian and Marty had insisted that the staff should have the opportunity to meet the company’s co-owner at least once. Justin reluctantly gave in and resigned himself to an uncomfortable afternoon of awkward conversations with complete strangers.



Justin knew that he hadn’t always felt so awkward having conversations with unfamiliar people, but since the assault, he was self-conscious about his slow speech and difficulty processing information. He was perfectly comfortable with Brian and his mother, even Debbie and Emmett, but other people, especially those he didn’t know, made him nervous, which made the problems more pronounced and obvious. His occupational therapist had spent time teaching him relaxation techniques that were supposed to help, but never seemed to do more than make him more aware that he was different than most people.



Deciding not to dwell on the situation, Justin went back to work on his latest project. He had discovered not long after his release that, much like his art, computers seemed to be second nature to him. Using a mouse was as natural as holding a paintbrush. With that knowledge came new explorations into what he could do artistically with the technology at hand. So he had begun experimenting with graphics programs and Photoshop. Brian had bought him a very nice digital camera and Justin had begun incorporating photography into his art. Not only did he use Photoshop and other graphics programs to create digital art, he began using prints to create collages on canvas.



Justin had adapted several photos of Brian, close-ups of various body parts, to be used in a collage. He had enlarged and manipulated the photographs to enhance color and texture, and sent them off to be printed. The finished prints had arrived that week and he was now carefully piecing them into the portrait he was painting of Brian. He had already completed three collages using this method but this was the first portrait he was attempting, and Justin believed that it was the best work he had done. It was modern and Impressionistic all at once. He couldn’t wait to show the finished piece to Brian. Brian had been enthusiastic about all of Justin’s work, but Justin was sure this latest piece would really impress his lover.



Justin was considering whether he should hire a model to pose for his next project when the loft’s buzzer sounded. With a sigh, Justin put down his paintbrush and wiped his hands on a rag before covering the work-in-progress and walking to the intercom.



“Yes?”



“Justin,” Michael Novotny’s voice sounded through the small speaker. “Can I come up?”



“Sure Michael,” Justin sighed and pressed the button that would unlock the front door. Justin opened the door for Michael and then went to clean up his brushes and palette. He knew from experience that when Michael showed up, he wouldn’t get any more work done for a while. He was pouring paint thinner over his brushes at the sink when Michael came through the door.



“Where’s Brian?” Michael asked, looking around the loft.



“He’s still at work,” Justin said. Brian hadn’t shared the news of the purchase with anyone yet, so Justin chose his next words carefully. “He’s dealing with a big… negotiation right now and has… had to put in a lot of extra hours.”



“God, this place is a mess,” Michael said as he took in Justin’s work space near the back windows of the loft. Brian had moved his desk against the wall and given Justin room to set up his easel and computer near the south facing windows. It was a bit cluttered, especially since Justin had been working, but it was not a mess. “How does Brian put up with all this junk around?”



Justin held back a growl and asked, “Did you need something?”



“I was just stopping by to see if Brian wanted to come out with me tonight,” Michael shrugged. “You know, boys night out?”



“Yes, well, I’ll let him… know you stopped by,” Justin said, attempting to get the annoying jerk to leave.



“What time do you expect him?” Michael asked as he pulled a beer from the fridge and sat down at the counter.



Justin carried his brushes and palette back to his work area and began straightening up. “He didn’t say. He only said… not to hold dinner for him.”



Michael smirked. “Are you sure he’s working?”



Justin glared at Michael. “Get out.”



“What?” Michael asked innocently.



“I said get out,” Justin repeated. “I don’t… want you here. You aren’t pleasant and… I don’t like you. Get out and leave… me the fuck alone.”



“God, you are such a waste of space,” Michael laughed. “Listen to you. ‘I don’t like you!’ Give me a break. You know Brian only lets you live here out of pity, right?”



“Get out,” Justin repeated and walked to pick up the phone. “Get out now… or I’ll call the cops and have… them throw you out.”



“And what will Brian have to say about it when he finds out his defective twink threw out his best friend?” Michael sneered as he slammed down the beer bottle and stalked towards Justin. There was something distinctly menacing in the way he was moving and looking at Justin.



“I don’t care,” Justin said holding the phone in his shaking hands, though he knew Michael could easily snatch it from him. The other man was only inches from him now and his eyes gleamed with hatred. “I don’t have… to let you… stay. Now get out!”



“Hey, what’s going on?” Brian’s voice asked from the doorway.



Justin dropped the phone and practically ran to Brian, who automatically wrapped his arms around Justin. The younger man was trembling and Brian wasn’t sure if it was from fear or rage. “What did you do to him, Mikey?”



Michael put on his best hangdog face and said, “I didn’t touch him. We were just talking and he exploded. There’s something wrong with him.”



“What did you say to him, Michael?” Brian asked again in a dangerous tone as Justin moved to stand behind Brian.



Michael decided to change tactics. “Fuck you, Brian. Why do you have to assume it was me who started things?”



“Because it’s always you,” Brian retorted. “Ever since we were kids, you started shit and I had to clean up your messes. Now don’t try to bullshit me! What did you say to him?”



“I told him he was just a pity fuck,” Michael finally blurted out, his mask of innocence falling as quickly as he had donned it. “How the fuck can you stand to be around him? He’s damaged! He talks like a two year old!”



“And yet, he’s still smarter than you,” Brian scoffed. “I think Justin had the right idea. Get out. You aren’t welcome here.”



“What the fuck?!” Michael raged. “You’d choose the retard over me?”



“He’s not retarded!” Brian shouted, moving threateningly towards Michael in an imitation of Michael’s earlier movements. “He a fucking genius! He’s as brilliant as he ever was, he just can’t express himself in the same way as before. And you are just as stupid as ever if you can’t see that! Get the fuck out Michael! And don’t bother coming back until you have a sincere apology for Justin.”



“That will be a cold day in hell,” Michael muttered as he grabbed his jacket and stomped out the door.



Brian walked to the door and slammed it closed before wrapping Justin in his arms again. Justin was still shaking and Brian held him tight and whispered soothing words in his ears until he felt his lover begin to calm down. “You okay now?”



Justin nodded and took several deep breaths, though his nerves were still pretty shaken. “He made me mad… so I told him to leave… but he wouldn’t. He scared me. I knew I couldn’t defend myself. Too slow. Said I’m messy. Said you weren’t working. A pity fuck. Defective twink.”



Brian had learned to understand much of Justin’s disjointed speech patterns over the months and actually followed what Justin was telling him. “He’s the defective one, Justin. You have had to face many obstacles, but you have faced each one with courage.”



“I don’t feel… very brave,” Justin muttered into Brian’s shoulder. “I feel like everything is just… so damn hard.” Justin paused and Brian knew that he was gearing up to ask a question. “Why do you… stay with me?”



Brian touched Justin’s chin and the younger man looked up at him. “I stay because I want to be here. I want to be with you. We talked about this.”



“But that was before,” Justin whispered. “Before you knew how… damaged I am.”



“Justin, we are all damaged in some way,” Brian said carefully. “Michael is damaged. I’m damaged. And we all have to learn to live with the consequences of the pain that others inflict on us. Yours just happens to be more noticeable than some. It doesn’t make you any less of a man. In fact, the way you stood up to Michael, even though you were afraid, even though you felt threatened, that makes you strong.



“I stay with you, keep you here with me, because I admire and respect you,” Brian continued. “I keep you around because I like who I am when I’m with you. I keep you around because I’m not sure what I would do without you in my life.”



There were tears in Justin’s eyes, but they didn’t fall as he nodded his understanding. “I’m sorry I caused a rift between you and Michael.” Brian was glad to hear Justin’s speech pattern returning to its customary measured cadence.



“You didn’t,” Brian denied. “Michael did. He’s the one with a problem. And he’s the one who has to accept the fact that you are part of my life now. If he can’t, then he’s the one who loses out. I don’t want him in my life if he can’t accept you. We’re a package, you and me. He can’t have one without the other.”



Justin nodded again and pressed his cheek to Brian’s neck. “Did you eat?”



“I had a late lunch, but nothing since then,” Brian admitted. “Did you eat? Or did you work right up until Michael interrupted you?”



Justin grinned sheepishly. “I worked. But I got a lot done today.”



“Does that mean I can look at the portrait?” Brian asked.



“Not yet,” Justin said. “Maybe this weekend.”



“Okay, well, why don’t we order in dinner and then go to bed?” Brian suggested. “With the staff meeting tomorrow, I think we could both use the rest. I won’t be going in until after lunch, so we can just laze in bed all morning together.”



Justin smiled. “Sounds like a good plan. I’ll order from that new Thai place while you shower.”