Part 3



Justin was packing his suitcase and Brian flashed back to the day that Justin helped him pack for his interview with Kennedy and Collins.  He suddenly had an inkling of what Justin had felt that day.  He didn’t want Justin to go back.  They had spent almost two weeks together, spending as much time in each other's company as their careers would allow.  In fact, Brian went to the gallery with Justin on more than one evening and Justin went with Brian to meet Michael Richards for lunch and they told him their story—cleaned up for polite company—jointly.  Of course that had resulted in Brian getting the account.  And according to Carol, Richards had already bought two of Justin’s paintings at the opening.



But now the show was over and Justin was heading back to Pittsburgh.



“I’ll be back in November for another show,” Justin was saying, though Brian already knew this.  “And Carol’s in talks with the curator at MOMA for something in the spring.  They want the series of you, did I tell you?”



“Yeah,” Brian said quietly.  “You did.”



Justin looked at Brian.  “What’s wrong?”



“Can’t you stay for another week…or two?”



Justin sighed.  “I can’t, Brian.  I have responsibilities back home.  I have people counting on me.  I can’t just drop everything because we met up again six years later.”



Brian could hardly believe that this was the same person who had practically begged him not to leave.  Then again, maybe he wasn’t the same person at all.  After all, Brian wasn’t the same person he had been back then.  The fact that he was letting this get to him at all was proof enough of that.



“Yeah, alright,” Brian finally said.  “I’ll be in town for Gus’ birthday and for a few days around Christmas.”



“See, we’ll see each other again,” Justin said cheerfully, though Brian could tell most of it was faked and that made him feel infinitely better.



BJBJBJBJBJ



Brian was in Pittsburgh as promised for Gus’ birthday.  Of course, Brian could only get a long weekend away from the office before he needed to head back to New York.  Justin picked Brian up at the airport and they drove straight from there to Mel and Lindsay’s house for the party—after they made a quick stop at one of the airport hotels.



“Justin, it’s so good to see you again!” Lindsay said when she saw the blond on the step with Brian.  “Where have you been all this time?”



“Same place I’ve always been” Justin said with a bit of ill-concealed resentment.  Brian squeezed his shoulder and Justin relented a bit.  “It’s good to see you again too.”



“I… Thank you,” Lindsay said, taken a bit aback at Justin’s first response.  The Justin she remembered was sweet and polite to a fault.  Instead of dwelling on that, though, she turned to Brian for a hug.  “Brian.  Gus has been telling all his friends about his father who lives in New York.  I think they believe you’re some sort of super hero or something.”



“I am,” Brian smirked.  “Just ask any of my previous conquests.”



“I can vouch for him if it helps,” Justin said playfully.  “He’s got a cock even kryptonite couldn’t stop.”



Lindsay almost swallowed her tongue.  It always took a few days for her to get used to Brian’s crudeness when he returned these days.  Without Brian and his band of friends to liven things up, their lives had become much more mundane.  Now that Justin was egging him on, she was sure Brian would be worse than ever.  “Well, Superman, why don’t you go see your son.  He’s out back.”



Brian looked at Justin and the blond smiled and nodded.  Soon Brian was off hunting down his boy and Justin was left alone with Lindsay.  “Justin, I really am sorry that we let things go for so long.  You were such a great kid…”



“But I was just a kid,” Justin finished for her with a hint of bitterness.  “You know, losing Brian was really bad.  But I lost Gus too.  And the rest of you.  I thought we were all friends, but suddenly no one returned my calls.  Debbie told me about Gus’ first birthday party—one I wasn’t invited to—and I knew then that I wasn’t really a part of your group.  I never would be.  I found my own friends and I made a life for myself.”



“I’ve heard a little about your successes from some friends still in the art world.  And now you’re back with Brian?” Lindsay asked as she led Justin into the kitchen where she was getting the refreshments together.  It was an attempt to make herself feel better about what they had done to Justin.  If he was happy now, then they had done the right thing, right?  “How did that happen?”



“I had a solo show in New York at the Kenmare Gallery,” Justin said and watched as realization dawned on Lindsay’s face.  His career was going a lot better than she knew, apparently.  “Brian was trying to impress a potential client and came to the opening.  He didn’t even know who the artist was.  You can imagine his surprise when he realized.”



“I certainly can,” Lindsay said a little breathlessly.  She was still reeling from the news that Justin had an exclusive show at one of the nation’s most respected galleries.  If he was showing there, his paintings had to be bringing in a fortune.  “So you were at Kenmare, where else have you shown?”



“Well, I’m sure you’ve kept up with the local shows,” Justin said facetiously.  “I’ve had a couple small shows at smaller galleries in New York since Carol Bryce took me on as a client, but Kenmare’s the largest so far.  I do have another solo show coming up in November at Ryan Fine Arts, and then MOMA is doing an exhibition on Classical Realism in March and April and I’ll have four paintings in that show.  Carol’s trying to negotiate a permanent spot for one of my paintings, but the conservator is holding out until after the exhibition.”



Justin knew that Lindsay had once had aspirations to be an artist and his success was probably eating at her, but he felt the need to rub his success in just a little.  It had hurt more than he would ever admit to her to lose her support when Brian left.  He had thought that she and Mel had liked him for himself, not as an extension of Brian.  He’d been proven wrong, and call him shallow, but he wanted just a little payback.



“That’s…” Lindsay was speechless, but was saved from having to come up with something polite to say by three kids running into the kitchen looking for the juice.



Justin let Lindsay get back to her duties and wandered out to the garden with the rest of the guests.  It was a bright and warm afternoon for late September, and there were plenty of kids and parents mingling.  Justin spotted Brian right away.  He was sitting on a chaise in a corner of the garden whispering back and forth with a boy Justin knew had to be Gus because he looked just like his dad.  Justin wondered what they were plotting, because the mischief was obvious in both pairs of hazel eyes.



He didn’t have to wonder for long.  Gus came running over just seconds later and tugged at Justin’s hand.  “Prince Justin?  You have to come with me.  Me and Daddy are pirates and we’re kidnapping you!”



Justin grinned at the little boy and said, “Okay, most fearsome pirate.  I am quaking with terror.  Please do not kill me with your trusty sword and I will come quietly!”



Gus frowned as he dragged Justin back over to Brian and said, “Dad, I need a rusty sword!”



“I think your mom would have both our heads if I gave you a sword, rusty or otherwise,” Brian said.  “I think we better stick to pretending.”



“Okay,” Gus agreed reluctantly.  He looked at Justin again and then back to his dad and asked, “Okay, so we got the fair prince, now what do we do with him?”



“Well, we could make him walk the plank,” Brian said thoughtfully.  “Or we could let him go for a ransom.”



“What kind of ransom?” Gus asked.



“Well, this fair prince has very special kisses,” Brian said.  “They’re magical kisses.  One kiss on the cheek from Prince Justin will bring you good luck forever.”



“That sounds like a pretty good ransom,” Gus agreed.  “But who’s he gonna kiss?”



“Well, we could make him give us each a magical kiss,” Brian said.



Gus smiled and pulled on Justin’s hand until the blond was leaning down to look him in the eyes.  “Give us a kiss each or walk the plank.”



Justin fought to keep a grin off his face.  “Yes sir.”  Justin leaned in a little and planted a quick kiss to Gus’ cheek.



“Now me,” Brian demanded and Grabbed Justin’s other hand and pulled the blond into his lap.  “I want my kiss too.”



Justin smiled, “Yes sir.”  He leaned forward and tried to bestow his captor with a simple kiss on the cheek, but Brian wasn’t going to go for that.  He maneuvered them both so that Justin’s kiss landed square on his lips.  As soon as their lips touched, Brian used his own magical ability to deepen the kiss until Justin was breathless.  Aware of their audience, Brian released Justin after only a few seconds.



“You didn’t kiss Daddy’s cheek,” Gus said accusingly.  “Does that mean you’re Daddy’s boyfriend?”



“What do you know about boyfriends, Sonny Boy?” Brian asked as he gathered Gus up and planted him on his other knee so that both of his favorite people were as close as possible.



Gus shrugged.  “Timmy says that when a girl kisses a boy that means they are boyfriend and girlfriend.  And Mommy says that boys can kiss boys and girls can kiss girls.  So if two boys kiss then they are boyfriends, right?”  He looked back and forth between the two men.



“So is Prince Justin your boyfriend?” Gus asked relentlessly.



“Something like that,” Brian said and looked at Justin, whose face showed his surprise.  “But usually you have to ask first before you can really become boyfriends.”



“So what are you waiting for? Ask!” Gus said with all the exasperation a seven year old can muster.  “You can’t get much better than a prince, can you?”



“No you certainly can’t,” Brian agreed, but his eyes were still locked with Justin’s.  “So, how about it, Prince Justin?  Wanna be boyfriends with a lowly pirate?”



Justin barely got a sound past the lump in his throat.  “Yeah.  I think I’d like that.”



“So that’s settled,” Gus said.  “Now you aren’t allowed to kiss anyone else.  Ever.”



Justin nearly choked on his own tongue when he heard that.  “Uh Gus…”



“That’s right Sonny Boy,” Brian agreed cheerfully.  “Prince Justin’s not allowed to kiss anyone but me. Ever.”



Now Justin raised a challenging brow. “And Pirate Brian isn’t allowed to kiss anyone else for ever either?”



“That’s right,” Brian said with a gravity that was lost on Gus.



“Brian…”



“Come on Daddy, Justin,” Gus said with excitement.  “Mommy’s got the cake.  That means presents are next!  What did you bring me?”



“You can wait,” Brian said as he followed his son to the table where the others were all gathered.  Justin shook his head with fondness.  The Kinney men were dangerous to his heart.