Almost But Not Quite

Chapter 25





Two months later the whole gang was assembled in the backyard of the Munchers for Gus’ fifth birthday. Everyone was there for the little boy who was as bright and shiny as a new penny. He was running around talking to all his guests.

“See what my Daddy gave me,” Gus bragged. He was wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates outfit complete with cap, glove, bat and ball. “Catch, Justin,” he called as he tossed the ball to Justin.

Justin caught it easily and smiled at the little boy. Since that first visit to the Munchers’, Brian and Justin had been back many times. Gus (and that was the name that everybody called him by now, even Melanie, albeit grudgingly) was thriving under the tutelage of his father and Justin. It gave his life a more balanced frame of reference. Melanie and Lindsay seemed to have accepted Brian as part of their family largely due to Justin’s good influence on the man. Brian seemed to have mellowed, and no one could deny the pleasure he derived from spending time with his son.

Justin tossed the ball back and Gus was able to catch it. That earned him a round of applause from everyone there.

“Catch, Daddy,” Gus yelled as he threw the ball at his father. Brian reached up and snagged the ball as it headed towards the window of the house off to Brian’s right. There was a collective sigh of relief, and Brian smirked annoyingly, glorying in his ability to catch the ball.

“Throw to me, Daddy,” Gus commanded and Brian obliged.

Once again Gus was able to catch the ball and he held it up proudly.

“Okay, lambskin, that’s enough for now. Time for cake,” Lindsay said to her son.

“’Kay, Mommy.” Gus ran over to his mothers.

Melanie started cutting the cake and Debbie helped her load it onto plates. Lindsay started handing it out. Justin took a big piece while Brian declined the offered cake.

“It’s your son’s birthday cake,” Lindsay scolded. “At least have a bite.”

Brian made a face but he took the plate of cake. He used the plastic fork to take a bite. He looked down as he licked the icing off his lips. Gus was standing at the bottom of the steps looking up at him.

“Do you like my cake, Daddy?” he asked.

“Yummy,” Brian deadpanned.

Gus giggled. “Chocolate is my favorite.”

“My mother would say that chocolate chocolate chip was mine,” Brian said.

“That sounds real good,” Gus replied.

Brian couldn’t help but wonder what his mother would think if she knew he had a son, and a great son to boot. Then he shook himself and realized that Joan would never find out about Gus if he had anything to do with it.

“Thanks for my sketch, Justin,” Gus said.

Justin had drawn a sketch of Gus swinging on the swings at the park with Brian pushing him. That had been his birthday gift to Gus. Lindsay had promised to hang it in Gus’ room next to the sketch of her and Gus as a baby. “I’m glad you like it,” Justin said with a smile.

“I love it,” Gus told him. “Take another bite, Daddy,” he commanded and Brian obliged.

Justin moved over to the steps and sat down to eat his cake. Brian was alternating bites of his cake with Gus. That way he only had to eat half as much. Justin smiled at the two of them.

“How are things going with Brian?” Lindsay asked as she joined Justin on the steps.

“Great,” Justin said as he munched on a big bite of cake. “Good cake.”

“Thanks. Justin, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Is this really serious between you and Brian?”

“I’m living with him,” Justin replied.

“I know, and I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Neither did he,” Justin laughed.

“You … you really love him?” she asked with a wrinkled forehead and a wary look.

“I really love him, and what’s more amazing, he loves me.”

“You’re sure?”

“Lindsay, where is this coming from?”

“I … I just worry.”

“For who?” Justin asked pointedly. In the relatively short time that he had known Brian and his weird extended family, he had learned that many of them had hidden agendas where Brian Kinney was concerned. Lindsay was the worst of them.

“I … I don’t know what you mean,” Lindsay protested. “I worry about Brian.”

“Sure,” Justin said prepared to drop the subject if she was.

“I’ve arranged for Sidney to visit your studio, day after tomorrow, if that’s all right,” she said, changing the subject.

“Yeah, that will be fine.”

“Be sure to show him the paintings I helped you pick out.”

Justin looked at Lindsay. He couldn’t believe she was helping him with his art. She said she was blown away by all the stuff he had stored from his painting binge at Dartmouth. She had helped him to find a cheap studio space not too far from Liberty Avenue. He had started painting again, and he was really enjoying it. The Sidney Bloom Gallery was having an ‘Emerging Artists” show and he was being considered … on Lindsay’s recommendation.

“He can see anything I have,” Justin said.

“But … don’t you want to impress him?”

“Lindsay, I don’t think I’m the world’s greatest artist. I love painting and sketching, and if the paintings sell that’s great. But my job is at Kinnetik. I love being a graphic artist and working with Brian.”

Lindsay sighed. If she had Justin’s talent, she would be going after big time art exhibitions. She found it hard to believe that Justin was satisfied with his job at Kinnetik. “Whatever you say, Justin. It’s your life.” She walked away.

“That’s right, it is,” Justin muttered as he stuffed the last bite of cake into his mouth. And he liked his life just fine.

“How are you doing, Sunshine?” Debbie asked as she came over to Justin.

“Fine, Deb. Pull up a step.”

Debbie sat down beside him, taking Lindsay’s spot. She took a bite of her cake. “There’s more cake if you want it,” she advised him.

“Maybe later.”

“Everything okay between you and Brian?”

Justin sighed. They all thought his relationship with Brian was going to fail. In fact they all seemed to be waiting for it to happen any minute. “Well, to quote Emmett, ‘Fuck ‘em all!’” Justin turned to look into Debbie’s eyes. “We’re fine. Everything is just fine.”

“I can’t believe that Brian Asshole Kinney has been in a relationship for two months.”

“Actually it’s closer to three,” Justin said.

“Usually a couple of hours constituted the length of one of his relationships, if you could even call them that, and he certainly never wanted them called that.”

“Deb, don’t! I don’t want to hear Brian bad mouthed.”

“Just take care of yourself, Sunshine.”

“I am, and Brian takes care of me too. Oh, and Deb, I take care of him as well.”

Debbie snorted and walked away.



*****



“Hey, Brian,” Michael said as he walked over to his friend.

“Mikey.”

“How’s things?”

“You mean how are Justin and I doing?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re just peachy.”

“Seriously?”

“I’m serious. Justin and I are fine. The business is great. Things are just fucking wonderful.”

“I heard you nabbed Brown Athletics and Remsen Pharmaceuticals,” Michael said.

“Theodore has a big mouth.”

“Congratulations. You’re a big fat, fucking success just like you always knew you’d be.”

“I was always a success, Mikey, whether people knew it or not.”

“Yeah, right! Ted told me that Ryder got bought out.”

Brian snorted. “Yeah, some asshole named Gardner Vance was stupid enough to buy that piss poor agency. Good luck to him.”

“Sounds like everything is going your way,” Michael observed.

“Couldn’t be better.”

“I’m happy for you, Brian.”

“Thanks, Mikey.” Brian pulled his old friend into a hug and kissed his lips lightly. “You and Ben okay?”

“We’re great.”

“That’s good,” Brian said before walking away to join Justin.

“You been getting the third degree?” Justin asked as Brian sat down on the step beside him.

“Yeah. You?”

“Same.”

“I think it’s time to say our goodbyes and go back to the loft.”

“My sentiments exactly,” Justin agreed with a smile. “I can only take this group in small doses.”

“We have a command performance at Debbie’s for dinner next week.”

“Okay.”

“You’re agreeable.”

“What’s the use of fighting it?” Justin chuckled.

“There is no use. They’re like the Borg.”

“Let’s wish Gus a happy birthday and then we can go.”

Justin and Brian walked over to where Gus was eating his cake.

“We’re going to head out,” Brian said to Lindsay who was sitting beside her son.

“Can I go to your place next Saturday?” Gus asked.

Brian looked at Lindsay who nodded. “Sounds like a plan, Sonny Boy.”

“And if you would like to keep your son overnight, I think that could be arranged,” Lindsay informed Brian.

“Could I, Daddy?” Gus asked with a big smile and the batting of eyelashes.

Brian looked at Melanie who gave a curt nod to signal her agreement. Brian had to wonder how Lindsay had talked her into that one. He then looked at Justin whose wide grin indicated that having Gus stay overnight was fine with him.

“Pack your jammies,” Brian said to Gus who dropped his plate and threw himself at his father. Brian grabbed him and hoisted him into his arms, kissing Gus’ cheek as the boy held onto him tightly around the neck.

“Thank you, Daddy,” he whispered into Brian’s ears.

“It will be fun to have you stay with us, Sonny Boy,” Brian whispered back.

Gus kissed all over Brian’s face making them both laugh. Finally Brian set Gus down and he and Justin headed for the loft. Brian knew that the family tongues would be wagging about the Brian and Justin show. They always had plenty to talk about where Brian was concerned and now Justin was a big part of that gossip.



*****



“Thank you for wanting Gus to stay with us next weekend,” Brian said as they entered the loft. He slid the door closed and locked it.

“You don’t have to thank me. I love Gus.”

“He loves you too, and … I really like being his father.”

“You mean you love being his father, you adore being his father, you can’t get enough of being his father.” Justin pulled Brian against him and whispered all this, as he kissed along Brian’s jawline and down his neck. He ended with a passionate kiss to Brian’s lips.

“You could be right,” Brian smirked.

“You know I’m right.”

“I … Justin … I can’t believe how much you’ve changed my life,” Brian whispered finding it hard to say what he wanted to tell the young man.

“I hope it was changed for the better,” Justin chuckled trying to keep the tone light. He had learned early on that emotion was a tricky thing for Brian to deal with. He linked his hands together behind Brian’s neck and held on, looking into Brian’s beautiful eyes.

“Of course it was, twat,” Brian scolded, but there was no anger in his voice, only love.

“Just checking.”

“You ready for a little sack time?”

“It’s four in the afternoon,” Justin giggled, knowing the giggle would go straight to the desired part of Brian’s body.

“That’s never stopped you before.”

“Or you,” Justin said with another giggle.

“Get out of those clothes, mister,” Brian ordered feeling his jeans suddenly get rather tight around the crotch.

“I’d much rather have you peel them off me,” Justin whispered.

“Or rip them off.”

Justin shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’m just your bottom boy.”

“You’re much more than that,” Brian whispered before capturing Justin’s lips in a heated kiss. He shoved up the T-shirt Justin was wearing, his hands roaming over Justin’s bare back as he did so. He loved the feel of Justin’s skin beneath his fingers. He broke the kiss long enough to pull the shirt over Justin’s head.

“Ah, peeling. I like that.”

“Better than ripping?”

“Ripping has its good qualities too, but it tends to be expensive,” Justin giggled.

“You can afford it now that you’re no longer working in that fucking diner.”

“You do pay your employees passably,” Justin mused.

“And there are some side benefits,” Brian reminded him taking a sharp tug on one of Justin’s nipples.

“Ah,” Justin gasped. “Yeah, actually some excellent ones.”

Brian started walking Justin backwards towards the steps up to the bedroom.

“Mm,” Justin moaned as Brian continued to kiss and nip and peel away clothes. “I love you, Brian.”

“I know.”

“Could you say it just one more time?”

“I love you too,” Brian whispered as he shoved Justin back onto the bed. He got rid of his remaining clothes and climbed atop the young man. He held Justin’s face in his hands for a moment. “So beautiful,” he whispered.

“Not as beautiful as you,” Justin replied as he felt Brian rut against him. The sensation of their naked bodies touching everywhere always filled Justin’s senses to a degree he could hardly stand. He felt his eyes cloud with tears.

“What is it?” Brian asked.

“I … I have everything I could ever ask for. It just overwhelms me sometimes.”

“Same for me,” Brian replied. “Are we going to screw this up?” he asked after a second.

“I won’t if you won’t.”

“I don’t know if that’s possible to promise,” Brian sighed.

“We’ll help each other and tell each other when something’s wrong,” Justin instructed.

“I’ll try, but this communication thing is new to me.”

“I know,” Justin giggled.

Brian arched a brow. “I’m trying.”

“And succeeding,” Justin told him, wanting to make Brian feel better about how things were progressing between them. “Now, fuck me, before I explode.”

“Now that’s communication!” Brian laughed as he proceeded to do just that.



*****



After they both came with earth shattering orgasms, and the world settled back into its normal rotation and the sun, moon and stars found their rightful place in the universe, Brian turned to look at his beautiful lover.

“Can we keep doing this?” he asked.

“I don’t see why not,” Justin replied seriously.

That earned him a smile from Brian. “You are something else, Justin Taylor.”

“Don’t you mean I’m hot and intelligent and artistic and … hot?”

“That’s exactly what I meant,” Brian chuckled.

Justin smiled and Brian felt his heart melt. Then Justin looked over at his sketch of Brian’s eyes. “What do you think would have happened if I had gone with you that night on Liberty?” Justin asked thoughtfully.

Brian considered his answer for a moment. “I’d have fucked your ass off and sent you packing like any other trick,” he answered honestly.

Justin giggled and that giggle went straight to Brian’s cock as it always did. “No,” Justin said in mock horror. “I don’t believe that for a second. I’m way too special.”

“Not back then. I was the classic selfish asshole and you were a just a twink. What the fuck would I have done with an inexperienced little twink?”

“Love him,” Justin suggested with a bat of his eyelashes.

“Naw, I’d much rather love you.”

Justin giggled uncontrollably until Brian couldn’t stand it any longer and fucked him into the next county. They both knew that their second meeting had come at just the right time. Nothing could be better than what they had now.