Justin couldn’t stop pacing back and forth. The day had finally arrived and when Drew did come back to see Emmett they talked to him. The captain agreed and Justin could have jumped from sheer happiness. “It was hell trying to find them,” Drew said. “They’re in the Caribbean,” Justin replied. “Right?” “Yeah,” Drew told him. “That’s where most yachts are at this time of year.” Justin nodded slowly. “What exactly did you tell your parents?” Emmett asked. “That I was going to see a friend in Europe for a few months,” Justin said. “And they believed you?” Emmett asked. “Yes, but they almost didn’t want to let me go,” Justin informed him. “It was crazy.” “And Daphne?” Emmett asked. “She’s still mad at me,” Justin whispered. “Mmm,” Emmett grunted. “So, are you sure about this?” Emmett asked. “Yes,” Justin hissed. “Okay,” Emmett told him. Drew looked at them. “You must love that bastard.” “Hey!” Justin yelled. Emmett sighed. “Drew, please.” “I’m just saying,” Drew replied. Justin shook his head and leaned against the rail. He must be nuts to be back at sea after he swore he would never be back. “We’ll be there in a few days,” Drew said. Justin was thankful. They had been on the boat for weeks and he was tired of it. He wanted to arrive anywhere soon as long as Brian was there. He thought of what Brian was going to say. It had been almost six months since he had left. He frowned when he thought that Brian most likely had bought someone else and that he wouldn’t be needed. “Jus, are you okay?” Emmett asked. “Are you really going to sell me to them?” Justin asked suddenly. He was scared that Brian wouldn’t want him if he had to pay again. “Yes,” Drew answered. Justin shook his head and said, “But I’m his property.” Drew shrugged. “But you’re here and if I can gain some money out of it then so be it.” Justin sighed. “This is so fucked up.” “Do you want to do this or not?” Drew asked. “Yeah,” Justin answered because there was no turning back. He needed to feel Brian’s arms wrapped around him. He closed his eyes and let himself daydream about Brian. “He looks tough,” Emmett whispered to Justin. “But he’s a big cuddly bear.” Justin smiled. “Brian is like that.” Emmett and Justin laughed. They stayed on deck watching the horizon and wondering if the adventure they started so long ago would ever end. *** “I can’t fucking believe that you’re here,” Michael said. Justin sighed but didn’t answer. He looked at James who was talking with Drew. Everyone was armed with guns from head to toe. They were watching each other for any sudden movements. Brian was nowhere to be found. “Emmett is staying with them,” Michael said when he saw James walking back alone. “He’s with Drew, kind of,” Justin finally opened his mouth and talked. “Oh,” Michael sighed. “Whatever the fuck. Brian’s upset enough as it is.” “Let’s get out of here,” James yelled to the crew. They all got ready to leave the place. Both yachts were going to head in different directions and neither crew could wait to put distance between them. “Where is Brian?” Justin asked when he felt like exploding. “He’s in his chambers,” Ethan announced. “What are you doing here?” Justin asked taken aback. “My brother gave me a second chance,” Ethan announced. “I see,” Justin whispered. “Is he...mad?” “That’s an understatement,” Sam said and smiled. He hugged Justin tightly. “It’s good to have you back. What the fuck happened?” Justin shrugged. “I’m still trying to figure that out.” “Where is Daphne?” James asked. “She’s back home,” Justin replied. James nodded slightly before he walked away. Justin sighed. He would have to talk to the man later. “I’m going to go see Brian.” “There are a few things that you should know first,” Boris said. “Yeah,” Andrew agreed. Justin didn’t know what was going on. If there was someone else in Brian’s life he was going to die. “What?” “Hey, Jus,” Henry called out to the blond. Justin waved back and then looked back at the guys. “Guys?” “When you were gone,” Michael started. “Brian lost it. I mean, he really lost it. He wasn’t drunk or high. He just took all of your stuff and threw them overboard. The rest of them he burned.” Justin frowned. “Did he think that I was dead?” Justin asked. “Or was it something else?” “I don’t know what the fuck he was thinking,” Andrew said honestly. “The captain refused to even mention your name after we returned from the island. And no one dared to defy the captain in the mood he was in.” Justin sighed, realizing the situation was worse than he could have possible imagined. Michael looked at Justin, exhaled quietly and said, “You should go talk to him. I think there are some things you guys need to talk about.” Justin knew that there was something Michael knew which he refused to tell him, “Right.” “Good luck,” Andrew said before he walked away. Justin sighed and started walking towards his old room. On his way there he saw Ryan and Francis. He stopped and talked with them for a while. Then he talked with Kenneth too. Finally he went to see Ted as well but only then realized that he was buying time. He was terrified of seeing Brian. Things weren’t going the way he thought they would. He didn’t know what he would say to the captain. Worse Justin was afraid that Brian would not understand and would not want him anymore. “Okay, now or never,” Justin said to himself and walked to where Brian was. The blond took a deep breath and knocked on the door when he got there. Nothing happened and he thought of going back and staying on deck until Brian came out looking for him. He knocked again and nothing happened. He sighed and opened the door, he had wished it was locked but he had no such luck since it opened. Brian was inside sitting on the bed holding a shirt in his hands. Justin knew right away that it was one of his shirts. He thought Brian had destroyed everything but clearly he was wrong. He closed the door and took a few steps closer to the brunet. “I saw you,” Brian muttered as soon as Justin came closer. “What?” Justin asked amazed that Brian was talking to him. He had hoped his return to Brian would go better. He had dreamt of Brian running to him and hugging him for dear life. Justin realized how delusional he must have been to even think it. Instead, he just felt the cold reality of the room slapping him in the face. Maybe Brian didn’t want him anymore. “I ran faster than Michael,” Brian told him in a monotone voice. “Somehow I knew you weren’t going to listen to me and you would get hurt when the explosion occurred. I needed to find you before you killed yourself. I don’t even know where I was running to. I only needed to find you and keep you safe.” Justin’s face scrunched up. “I don’t know why I stopped, maybe it was instinct. You know, to look around and assess the situation to know what I was supposed to do. I wish I hadn’t stopped but that’s when I saw you,” Brian related. “At first I didn’t react because I was happy to just see you there and know that you were alive. Then when you didn’t run away from that guy I wanted to see what you would do. I guess I wanted to see you fight him off. Tell him to fuck off or something. I wanted you to fight for me...for us.” Justin heart was breaking to pieces hearing Brian’s rendition of the events. He had hurt Brian, he knew that much. “Brian.” But Brian continued in a dead and cold voice, as if he hadn’t even heard Justin. “I would have stopped him then. I would have been so happy to stop him. But it wasn’t like that, you ran away with him. You never even turned back to see what you were leaving behind. You showed me exactly how easy it was for you to leave everything behind,” Brian said and looked up at Justin for the first time. Justin looked away not able to say anything. It was all true. He had left Brian. But worse he had hurt Brian at his very core and the damage might be irreparable. Brian was up in seconds, the shirt forgotten on the floor. He grabbed Justin by the arms and pushed him to the wall hard. He was hurting Justin but he couldn’t process anything at the moment. “You’re hurting me,” Justin whimpered. “You left!” Brian yelled. “Like nothing mattered! Like I never mattered!” “I’m sorry,” Justin told him simultaneously pleading and begging Brian. “You’re sorry?” Brian asked yelling. “You’re fucking sorry?!” “Brian, please,” Justin said crying. “You’re hurting me. Let me go,” Justin begged. “Why, Justin? Why so many lies? You never wanted to be here, I realize that now! But I thought at least you were happy with me.” Brian hissed. “But it was all lies, you never loved me! All your terms of endearment were lies told to placate me so I would drop my guard and trust you. Well, you did a brilliant job. Bravo, I have to give you credit you’re a master manipulator! Because you tore my love for you apart, you tore what we had apart and all you can say is your sorry. Sorry is bullshit!” He yelled as his hands tightened around the smaller man’s arms. “Ahhh,” Justin cried and tried to pull away. Brian was so angry with the blond. He couldn’t believe that he had thought Justin loved him. It was all lies. Brian finally thought he had met someone who honestly loved him and wanted to be with him. Now he realized how wrong he was. Love was a fucking lie that was only for straight people. Justin never loved him, he just used him. Now Brian had to live with that knowledge for the rest of his life. “Stop it!” Justin hissed. “Stop it!” “Why?” Brian asked angry. “Why should I?” “It hurts!” Justin yelled with all his might. “Brian,” Ethan said as he entered the room. He had been close by and heard them screaming. Brian let go of Justin and pulled back. “You’re not worth anything to me. You’re just another pretty blond boy ass. You whored yourself to me hoping that you could get away with it, hoping I would spare your life and free your friends. But a better offer came along and you left like the whore you always were. Well, I don’t need you anymore so you can leave the same way you came.” Ethan’s mouth hung open. He had never heard his brother spit so much hate at someone, especially Justin. Yes, his brother could get mad but this was over and above anything Brian had done or said in anger. Justin started crying and punched Brian in the face. Brian slapped Justin hard enough to make the blond fall back on his butt. “I came back!” Justin yelled as he held his hand to his face. The spot felt scorching hot. “I came back because I love you, you fucking monster! I came back to you!!” Brian was paralyzed as he watched the blond crying on the floor. It was as if he suddenly snapped out of his blind rage and he was able to see the big picture. Justin was back on his own free will. The blond had come back to him and he had hurt him. James and Michael had told him that Justin was young and didn’t know what he was doing. Why didn’t he listen to them he asked himself. “Justin,” Brian said in a normal voice. Justin recoiled away. “Leave him alone,” Ethan said to Brian. “Get the fuck out of here!” Brian hissed back. Ethan sighed. “Justin, are you okay?” Justin didn’t answer. He started to get up slowly. “Get out!” Brian hissed again at Ethan. Ethan took a few steps back a bit scared. He nodded and left. Brian turned around to look at Justin and ran his hand over his mouth. He didn’t know what to do next. “Justin,” Brian said once again. Justin walked by Brian and got in the bed. He grabbed the sheets and threw them over himself. Brian could hear Justin’s faint sobs. He stood there unable to move or say anything. He wanted to say he was sorry but somehow didn’t think it would be enough. He had just told Justin that sorry was bullshit. He had fucked things up again. “Justin,” Brian finally said in a weary voice. “Fuck off Brian!” Justin hissed. “I don’t want to see you right now.” Brian slowly nodded even though Justin wasn’t looking at him. Then he turned around and left the blond alone. *** Justin felt someone behind him and turned around to look. He smiled at James and then went back to staring at the beach. They were on dry land, getting some provision for the ship. “Can I sit with you?” James asked. “Sure,” Justin assured him. James sat down and saw that Justin was smoking. “That’s not good for you.” Justin shrugged. “What are you doing here?” James asked. “What do you mean?” Justin asked frowning. “Having a cigarette isn’t illegal and I really don’t care what anyone thinks.” “I mean, why did you come back?” James asked him. “Because I missed Brian,” Justin answered in a low voice. “I thought it would be different once we saw each other again. I thought that he had missed me too and would be happy to see me.” “He missed you, Justin,” James said. “He was going insane and driving everyone mental as well.” Justin frowned. “That wasn’t my intention. When I left...I thought he would understand. I missed my family so much.” James nodded. “I do understand Justin,” he replied. “I miss Daphne.” Justin smiled. “She misses you like crazy. She wants to find you.” “Why didn’t you bring her with you?” James asked a bit angry. “I was thinking that if you loved her like she says you do, maybe you would go to her,” Justin whispered. James frowned and thought about it. “Brian needs me.” “Brian has everybody else,” Justin pointed out. “You need to start your own life and right now you don’t have any life without Daphne.” James knew that blond was right. It was just so hard. “How did you leave everything and come here?” “I don’t know,” Justin said and laughed bitterly. “A lot of good it did me.” “He has never apologized for anything in his life,” James said. “It’s hard for him to come up with the right words. There comes a time when you need to stop listening for the right words and start seeing all of Brian’s actions.” Justin scrunched up his face. “When we’re back on the ship you and I are going to have a long talk about Daphne,” James said. “I want to know more about what I’m getting into.” “You’re leaving?” Justin asked surprise. “Yeah,” James said. “I was going to leave a long time ago but I stayed for Daphne and because of my loyalty to Brian. I even stayed for me; it’s hard letting go of the things you know. It’s even harder facing the unknown.” “I guess,” Justin replied. “Ready to go,” Ryan yelled as he and some of the guys came into view. Justin got up slowly. Brian, who was the last one to reach Justin and James, couldn’t keep his eyes away from Justin. “I bought you some things,” Sam said to Justin. “Art supplies for you to paint.” Justin licked his lips. “Thanks.” “Let’s move it,” Brian ordered. Everyone moved except Brian, Justin and James. “What are you waiting for?” Brian asked using a harsh tone. He grabbed Justin by the wrist and started pulling him. Justin was angry until he saw James who was walking as fast as them to keep up. The blond could see James smirking and he wondered why. That’s when James words came back to him. He stopped listening to Brian. He forgot the hard tone that Brian had used and concentrated on the fact that Brian was holding him by the wrist. He wasn’t gripping him too hard, just making him walk fast. The need for Brian to touch Justin was clear as day. And with that information Justin was ahead of the battle. He knew he still had a chance to fix things. *** Justin stared at Brian’s face for a few moments and then moved to stare at Brian’s chest. The night before Brian and the guys had stayed up all night drinking. Justin hadn’t drunk anything hoping to be sober in case Brian would try something. Then he was mad because the brunet had come to the room and went straight to sleep. Now Justin was awake and hoping Brian would stay sleeping like that so he could watch him a little longer. “God,” Brian groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Justin bit his lower lip. “What the fuck?” Brian asked and quickly sat up on the bed. Justin sat up as well. “How are you feeling?” Justin asked. “You’re talking to me now?” Brian asked and groaned feeling his head about to explode. “I never quite stopped,” Justin said. “Do you need anything?” “Leave me alone,” Brian grunted and got off the bed. “I don’t want to do this, Brian,” Justin told him. “I don’t want to keep on arguing with you.” Brian looked at Justin briefly and then went to take a shower. Justin got up infuriated. “Fuck it,” he said and was headed out but he stopped. He wasn’t going to let Brian win. “I came here to get you and I’ll have you,” he said to himself. It had been about two months since Justin had come back to the yacht and he wasn’t making much progress. Walking slowly to the bathroom Justin decided that the best approach would be a fast and direct one. He stripped off his shorts and got in the shower with the brunet. “What are you doing?” Brian asked arching a brow. “Taking a shower,” Justin commented. He was feeling so scared not sure if Brian would kick him out. He moved forward putting them only centimeters apart. He could feel the heat coming off Brian’s body. Brian moved his hands to Justin’s hips. He pushed Justin a step back. “You should wait until I’m done.” “Why?” Justin asked as he felt himself harden even more. He knew that Brian was in the same predicament. He pushed forward and their bodies melted together. He lifted his head hoping Brian would kiss him already. “Fuck,” Brian hissed knowing he couldn’t let go of Justin now. Justin was giving himself freely and he wasn’t going to deny him. “Brian,” Justin gasped out. Justin wasn’t able to say anything else because suddenly as if by mutual agreement they were kissing each other. Brian’s hands gripped Justin’s hips as they kissed. He wanted to be inside the blond at that moment. He pushed Justin against the wall and his mouth moved to Justin’s neck. “Oh god,” Justin groaned. His legs wrapped around Brian’s waist. Brian pulled back and stared at Justin. “I’m sorry for everything,” Justin whispered. “I love you. I love you, Brian. That’s why I came back. I came back...” Brian didn’t have to hear anymore. He kissed Justin again. He didn’t even bother to turn off the shower as he exited it with Justin. In one swift movement he got them into the bed. Justin had his eyes closed as Brian’s hands roamed his body. He was back where he wanted to be so he smiled. “Happy,” Brian whispered with a smile himself. “Yes,” Justin answered as he opened his eyes. His hand came to the back of Brian’s neck, pulling him into a kiss. “Fuck me.” Brian’s hand came in between Justin’s ass cheeks, his hands still wet from the water in the shower. He pushed a finger inside making the blond moan. Then another and another until Justin was ready for him. “Brian,” Justin gasped when Brian pushed his hard cock inside of him. Brian growled. He was home. He was finally where he was supposed to be. His lips met Justin’s. He kissed him slowly enjoying every second of the kiss. They were connected once again. Justin was so happy to be where he was. He knew he had made the right decision. He knew Brian had been rough with him in the beginning but he couldn’t blame the captain. He really had left not caring how Brian would feel. He had made a mistake. “Forgive me?” “Jus,” Brian muttered. “Always.” Brian and Justin moved faster and faster. As they touched and kissed the old feelings came back; their hands getting to know each other yet again. Brian realized now how badly he had missed Justin now that he was back. “Ah,” Justin gasped as he felt Brian’s hand on his cock and he exploded. His walls squeezed Brian’s member inside of him. Brian groaned and spilled his cum deep inside of Justin. His body dropped down on top of the blond. He gasped for air and smiled all at the same time. Justin was there and he was his once again. “Brian,” Justin said. “Brian, look at me.” Brian lifted his head and looked at the blond. “What?” “It wasn’t...I didn’t realize I would hurt you so much. I thought that you would understand why I left. I thought you would be okay,” Justin said. Brian frowned. He didn’t want to talk about it. He felt like his world had ended but Justin was there again and he felt alive again. “If it helps let me tell you that I was miserable,” Justin informed him. “At first I was so happy to see my parents and my sister and my friends...but...you weren’t there. I would go to sleep and feel so alone. And as hard as I try I couldn’t stop the tears.” “Now we’re here together,” Brian whispered and smiled. He couldn’t stop smiling. He kissed Justin once again before he pulled back. “You said you saw your friends.” “Yeah,” Justin whispered. “Did you see him?” Brian asked and slowly pulled out of the blond. “You mean Chance,” Justin said smirking. “I did. We talked and nothing happened. He’s with someone else.” Brian didn’t comment further on the issue “Brian, I did tell my parents that I was going back,” Justin started. Brian arched a brow. “Is this your way of telling me that you’re leaving?” “No, Brian,” Justin said quickly. “Yes.” Brian was so confused. He thought Justin was here to stay. Then he frowned and remembered that Justin belonged to him. He couldn’t leave because he wanted too. He wouldn’t let the blond escape him once again. “I thought that you would take me to see them from time to time,” Justin suggested. “Oh,” Brian muttered. “I mean you said that you and I were together and that we were equals,” Justin said. “I mean if we’re going to be in a relationship we have to be.” “Right,” Brian said. “Maybe you can meet them,” Justin said. “If you want to.” Brian sighed. “I guess it won’t kill me to let you go for a few days.” Justin smiled and jumped into Brian’s arms. “But not now,” Brian whispered as he caressed Justin’s back. “Not now,” Justin agreed. Brian licked his lips as he watched Justin. He couldn’t believe the blond was truly there. It felt like a dream and if it was, he never wanted to wake up. “I’ll be yours wherever we are,” Justin told him. “I’ll always try to find my way back to you.” “I’ll do the same for you, waiting until you can make it back to me,” Brian promised. “And if you can’t I’ll find you.” Justin smiled from ear to ear. “You love me.” Brian only nodded. “We’re never going to be apart ever again,” the captain said as he kissed Justin’s temple. “Do you hear me?” Justin nodded. “I missed you so much, Brian. You have no idea.” Brian held on and smiled knowing that no matter what they would find their way to each others arms.