A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone. I started a new job and had to adjust to the new schedule. I am not a morning person by nature, and having to wake up at 3 to get to work at 4:30 has been kicking my ass. But, I'm back and have finally found time to write. As always, any mistakes are mine and I love feedback. Let me know what you think, even if it's not so nice. Enjoy. *************************************************************************** Chapter 11 Brian’s POV The next morning found us both a little bleary-eyed at the breakfast table. Gus was blissfully unaware, simply happy to have both his daddies beside him. I glance toward Mel and Lindz and notice them whispering and giggling, almost like school girls. When they notice my stare, they quickly divert their attention toward Gus and Justin, both of whom are involved in some elaborate discussion about frogs or some shit. I shift uncomfortable in my seat and take another sip of my coffee. I wince at the twinge in my ass and glare at Justin’s muffled laugh. A quick glance at the munchers let me know they too have noted my discomfort sitting in this chair. Not wanting to suffer I smack the back of Justin’s head as I get up from the table. “Let’s go twat. We have a long drive and you have to earn your keep.” I didn’t wait for him, but went into the kitchen to fill my mug of coffee for the drive in. I hear Justin tell Gus he will play with him later when we get home. “He joins me a few minutes later. “Did you pour me some too?” He asks pointing toward my cup. “There’s another mug in the cabinet. But, you’ll have to pour it yourself. I place the pot back on the burner. “You don’t’ have to be so cranky. I got just as much sleep as you did and I’m still able to be nice.” He said this as he got his own mug and began to fill it. “That may be, but I suffered serious abuse last night.” I try to hide my smile as I remember my favorite moments from the previous evening. Evidently I’m not entirely successful because Justin cheekily replies, “Well, your ass isn’t as well trained as mine. Perhaps if we practice more frequently it will toughen you up a bit.” He walks over to where I’m standing by the door and lightly caresses my ass. “Dream on, Sunshine. My ass may be yours exclusively, but there are limits to my generosity.” I drag him by his collar out into the garage where we get into the jeep. “We’ll see about that.” *********** The drive in was spent going over the day’s agenda to maximize the time Justin will be in the office. He’s worked on a few accounts, here and there, all free-lance of course, but this is the first time he would be working in the office. I try not to let on how excited him being there makes me. I’m not sure how successful I am, however, because Justin keeps giving me this shit-eating grin. When we get to the office Justin heads down to the art dept to terrorize my staff and I head to my office to terrorize Cynthia. I don’t see him again until lunch time. I go in search of him around 12:30 and keep telling myself it’s not because I miss spending time with him. And really it’s not. Much. I find him in a heated debate with the assistant art director about font size, color, or some such shit. Wanting to escape for a while, and perhaps have a quickie at the loft, I pop off with what is guaranteed to end the discussion. “Predicting orange to be the new blue again, Sunshine?” “Mr. Kinney. I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t see you there.” Bill, Jason, Jeremy, whatever the fuck his name is stutters and stammers. “Don’t let this little blond intimidate you Bruce. He’s just a flunky we let in every once in a while to boast his confidence.” My tongue is planted firmly in my cheek as Bradley becomes apoplectic trying to figure out how to respond to that. Justin flips me off while Brent turns four shades of red and quickly backs out of the room. Realizing we are currently alone in the art department Justin reaches up to give me a kiss. I anticipate his lips on mine and begin to reach for him. When his lips are a hairs-breath from mine he states, “You are such a jackass. You traumatized poor BRENT. He’s not used to your sense of humor, and I’m not sure he’s aware of my relationship with you.” He pecks my lips then quickly moves out of my reach. “Well, if he doesn’t know about us, he will by the time today is over. As soon as he tells anyone what I said, that person will clue him in.” I walk over to one of the drafting tables and look at what he’s working on. “And people say I don’t have a sense of humor.” “I wonder if it’s the holiday, or extended exposure to Gus that has you in such a good mood.” He thinks he’s being funny, but we both know my mood is often a directly result of my proximity to him. “These are damn good. You seem to get my concepts quicker and better than any of these jack-offs here.” I gaze at the mock-up he’s created for one of my biggest clients. I know the kid, man, is talented, but to turn shoes into a sexy ‘must have’ is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. “If it wouldn’t be a total waste of your talent, I would beg you to come be my art director.” “Why is it a waste of my talent if I’m good at what I do?” Justin watches me, trying to understand by staring at me intently. “Because, you create some of the best art around. You shouldn’t limit yourself to this coloring stuff.” I walk to him and put my forehead to his. “You are so much more than that and I won’t let you waste your talent like that.” He pulls back from me, looking me directly in the eyes. “Why is it a waste? Andy why is this and the other stuff I create mutually exclusive? Don’t you think I can do both?” “Justin you are extremely talented. I don’t want to see you split your focus and take away from the art that will make you a ton of money.” I’m beginning to think this conversation would be better had away from the office. Or not had at all. “Brian listen to me, are you listening?” I simply nod at the words usually flowing from my mouth. “My so called ‘real’ art is the way I express myself. It’s a way to let my emotions leave me without exploding or needing a therapist. I love creating what speaks to me, not what sells. If it sells, great, but it’s not why I do it.” I must be looking at him like he’s crazy because he laughs as he continues. “What I do here, with you, and for the companies in New York has its own merits. It’s a challenge to take your concepts and my vision and make them mesh. It works with varying degrees of success with the ad men and women in New York. It’s a major fucking high when you and I work together. It totally reinforces how in sync we really are. When the bullshit and well meaning family don’t get in our way.” The look of shock on his face is priceless. I can tell from his sudden discomfort he hadn’t intended to reveal so much. In sync my ass. I am so fucked. *************** Justin’s POV Shit. Shit. Shit. I did not mean to let all that flow from my mouth. Last night’s purge on Lindz and Mel seems to be extending to others as well. I try to distract him by grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the door. “Let’s go to lunch. I’m starving.” My stomach growls confirming my statement. He stops my movement, smiling ruefully at my growling stomach. “Let’s get out of here, Sunshine, but don’t think for a moment this is over. You will be explaining yourself.” After saying this, he lightly kisses my lips and we continue walking through the office. Once we reach the car, Brian smirks as he holds my door open for me. I smile slightly, but am more focused on the conversation we just had, and what continuing it will mean. We both remain silent as Brian drive down Liberty toward the diner. Once we get there he surprises me by asking me to stay in the car while he runs in to grab our lunches. After securing the to go containers in the back we head to the loft. Though we remain silent in the elevator, I feel Brian’s intense gaze focus on me. I know he hasn’t forgotten the conversation started back at Kinnetic and is just waiting to attack my arguments and force me to his way of thinking. We enter the loft and he places the bags on the table. “Let’s eat, and while we do that you can tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.” He sits down and places my food opposite his, forcing me to take the seat across from him. I can’t believe how stubborn he’s being about what I said. Normally he would be frog-stepping me to a horizontal surface to fuck me senseless. Taking it as a sign he’s maturing and, god forbid, comfortable in our relationship and wanting to encourage any openness he’s willing to have, I begin to explain my statements and reasons for my feelings. Essentially I repeat what I told the girls last night, without the animosity of course. When I’m finished he stares at me for what seems like an eternity, his dry turkey sandwich completely forgotten. “Why is this the first I’m hearing about all this shit?” he continues to stare at me, anger and hurt? evident in his glare. “No one really listens to me when I tell them what I want and how I feel. Everyone still sees me as that 17 year old twink who doesn’t know what’s good for him.” I push my half eaten sandwich away, suddenly no longer hungry. Brian’s eyes flash with rage and resentment briefly before his blank mask falls over his face. “I’ve never treated you like that. You’ve always been the most mature person I know, with the exception of Ben.” “I know that and I’m more grateful than you know. But you have this noble streak that causes you to put others before yourself, for their own good, no matter what it does to your heart. That goes triple for me because you love me so much.” I give him a cheeky grin before continuing. “You have more ambition and drive than ten people. You want the same for me, and I have it, maybe not as intensely as you, but it’s there. Just not directed toward my art.” “So why go to New York?” “Would you have listened to me if I told you this six months ago?” I stare at him, not saying anything until he nods, almost imperceptibly. “Once I left I realized you were partially right. I do need a degree and I need to know, we need to know, that I could stand on my own.” “We needed to know that our relationship was strong enough to survive without bombs and other things forcing us back together.” “Now what? You can’t just drop everything in New York to come home.” His hand unconsciously reaches for mine across the table, entwining our fingers together. “No I can’t. I had planned on coming back when I graduated, but the Philburg program put a slight kink in that plan.” I begin stroking his wrist, sliding over his pulse point. “So, I go to Europe for a year, come back, complete my master’s, then come back and take over Kinnetic’s art department.” He chuckles over my last comment. “Sure of yourself aren’t you, Sunshine?” he purrs my nickname, picking up his own caress of my wrist. “Well, the way I figure it, if you don’t hire me, some other firm will.” I wink at him, fully aware there is no way in hell he will let me work for the competition. “Whatever, brat.” He suddenly pushes his chair back and pulls me from mine, leading me, predictably, toward the bedroom. “Let’s table this for the time being, and get on with the ‘afternoon delight’.” He gives me a lecherous grin as he pushes me onto the bed, following me down. He presses full length against my body and begins kissing every inch of my body as he removes my clothes. ****** We don’t make it back to Kinnetic until after 3. Cynthia just smirked as we walked in, and Ted smiled in a knowing way while fixing my collar.