Lois, thank you for the beta...you are the greatest!
Chapter 33 – Together Sunday Afternoon - Day (28) It was a typical Sunday afternoon at Debbie’s. Carl and Drew were debating a referee’s call during the basketball game shown on TV. Emmett and Debbie were exchanging gossip in the kitchen while they were preparing dinner. Everything was sort of laid back and leisurely. Michael and Ben arrived, and after quick hellos to everyone, they easily slipped into their usual routine. Ben and Michael chatted with everyone as they began to add the additional leaf to the table and gather the chairs. “Well, I guess it’s just us this week, huh Debbie?” Ben commented. “So it’s going to be one of the quieter Sunday dinners.” “I guess so. Sunshine has to go to New York, so that means Brian will keep him caged at that house until he leaves,” Debbie said mournfully. “There is really no telling when I’ll ever see my Sunshine again.” “Ma will you give it a rest. Justin will only be gone for a few days…a week at the most,” Michael added. “Brian and Justin were at Babylon last night, so I wouldn’t say that Brian is holding Justin captive.” “You sure have changed your tune since last night.” Emmett reminded him, looking up from the salad he was making. Michael went on to explain, “ This Rage storyline problem just made me crazy. Once Brian and Justin got there, I was ok. Justin said we would work on the problem once he got back to New York. That’s how we’ve been handling this problem over the last year. So everything is ok. I guess I just panicked! I started thinking that somehow Justin wouldn’t want to work on the comic anymore.” Emmett then had to stop what he was doing to ask, “Has Justin said anything to make you think that?” “No. It’s just that Justin doesn’t really need the money. With the prices his paintings command, he can afford not to bother. And Ted said that Justin has been really busy working with Brian on some project, so I thought that he may no longer have time to draw the panels.” “Michael, do everyone a favor…stop thinking so much!” Emmett teased. “Michael, will you stop making yourself crazy. I’m sure that Justin will let you know when and if he doesn’t want to do Rage anymore. Until then, will you quit worrying?” Ben suggested. “I’m half Italian and half drag queen...worrying goes with the territory.” Debbie walked over and swiped Michael on the back of the head. “See what I mean.” Everybody laughed. “Did you see Calvin with Trace last night?” Michael asked. “Yes, I noticed. Trace is such a cutie. It was rather gutsy of him though to just walk up and ask Calvin to dance like that. Sort of reminds me a little bit of Justin,” Emmett volunteered. Then he turned around towards Michael and waited for his reaction. “Poor Calvin! If Trace is anything like Justin, Calvin will be stalked and followed, and he will never get rid of him. Look what happened to Brian, and Justin was just an innocent twink.” Emmett laughed to himself as Michael’s response was just about what he expected. Some things never change. Ben looked over at Emmett, and they both shared a smile. “But it all worked out in the end, look how happy Brian is?” Ben tried to add to see if that would fly. Ben held his breath for what he guessed was going to follow. “Brian is being held captive at that house. He’s so confused he doesn’t know whether he’s happy or not.” “Honey, you’re confused. Brian is the one holding Sunshine captive at the house. You know that,” Debbie tried to set the record straight. “Poor Sunshine is the helpless one here.” “Justin helpless? That will be the day,” Michael quipped. “But you can keep believing that, if you want to, Ma. And they say I have a vivid imagination!” Everybody laughed. *** Meanwhile In A Nearby Condo (Day 28) Blake and Ted were having a leisurely Sunday at home. Blake was curled sprawled on the couch reading the Sunday paper, while Ted was flipping through his collection of CDs trying to make the selection. “Ted, what are you doing?” Blake asked. “I’m trying to find just the right music. I want to mentally escape before I have to go to back to work tomorrow.” “That’s not like you. I thought you liked the challenge of working for Brian.” “Oh I do. It’s just that the last few weeks have been rather demanding.” “Difficult client or is Brian picking on you again?” Blake asked with smile. “Brian I’m use to! No, this has to do with a potential client that proved to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. Add to that Brian and Justin working together on a project,” Ted said with a laugh, remembering everything that had happened on the Belluss Occhiali/Eyeconics account, “And you have intrigue and dynamics you wouldn’t believe.” “Oh, I did hear that Justin was working with Brian on a project for Kinnetik. That’s suppose to be why he came back from New York.” “Was it a big project?” “Oh yeah.” “Did Kinnetik get the account?” “Um Hmmm.” “So what’s the problem?” “A few things happened that I’m sure no one expected. They probably threw Justin for a loop more than anyone.” “Why?” “I can’t tell you for reasons of confidentiality. Justin will have to tell you in his own time. You’ll have to wait to hear about it from him if he feels there is anything to tell,” Ted tried to explain leaning down to give Blake a kiss. “Is that what you and Justin were talking about last night. You two had some cryptic conversation going on that didn’t make any sense.” “What? Probably.” Ted said, distracted again by his CD selection. “I just wanted Justin to know I was here for him. That’s all.” “You aren’t interested in Justin are you?” Blake sheepishly asked. “Should I be jealous?” “Excuse me?” Ted responded harshly. “Are you interested in Justin?” Blake pointedly asked. “I’m not sure where that question is coming from… but I’m interested only in you,” Ted said definitively, leaning in to gently kiss Blake and then, wrapping his arms around him. “You’ve heard Debbie say that Justin belongs to all of us. He always has, ever since he joined the group as a kid. We’re all so use to looking out for him that sometimes we forget that he can more than take care of himself. He really isn’t 17 anymore.” “I was just wondering.” “Well don’t!” “Ok,” Blake finally said, pulling Ted on top of him on the couch. “How much time do we have before we have to meet my mother for dinner?” Ted asked. Blake simply answered, “I’m sure we have enough.” *** Meanwhile at the Loft…(Day 28) “Are you in the storage area again?” Brian teased. “I thought you were done in there.” “Now I have to figure out what I need to take back with me to New York. We have things scattered here and at the house. I’m trying to be somewhat efficient about my packing. It would be so much easier if I could drive, then packing would be easier.” “And what would you do with the car, once you got it there?” “I’m trying to figure that out now.” “Well, don’t waste your time because it’s not going to happen,” Brian said emphatically. “By the way, when does your flight leave?” “I thought I would take the noon flight, so I arranged to be picked up at your office. That should get me back into New York at a decent hour. I have to meet with Catherine on Tuesday morning.” “You know, I could take you to the airport. It’s no trouble,” Brian offered. “I really don’t want to say good bye to you at the airport,” Justin said as a way of explanation, and Brian understood perfectly. “Ok, if you’re sure.” “I am.” Justin thought for a moment and then continued. “I noticed you were in my studio last night before we left, what were you doing?” “I was looking to see if there was a painting of me or my parts of me on your easel?” “Are you still on that? Give it a rest, Brian.” Justin teased. “Am I going to have to put an alarm on my studio while I’m gone, just to keep you from poking around in there this coming week?” “No. I’ll wait until you get back, and then you can give me a personal showing of what you have been working on.” “I can do that,” Justin said with a smile. “By the way, we need go online. We have to come up with the perfect present for a Nicky.” Brian and Justin began scanning the FAO Schwarz website trying to find the perfect gift for a four year old. After scanning this and several other websites, they were not coming up with any ideas. “This is going to be tough. What do you get the kid that has everything? Because the one thing we know for sure, Paul and Jason have made sure that Nicky wants for nothing,” Brian added. “What was Nicky talking about the last time you talked to him?” “Trucks!” “You’re kidding? He has two creative parents, and he’s talking about trucks. Doesn’t that seem odd to you?” “Jason also made some cryptic comment that they soundproofed their guest room. So now, they’re ready for our visit. Maybe he saw trucks when construction was going on. I don’t know,” Justin tried to explain. “Kids get fascinated by the strangest things.” “That must be it. Soundproofing, huh? Oh, if only it were true. Then I could fuck your brains out without disturbing anyone. For some reason, we don’t seem do be able to master the technique of fucking quietly. You, especially, are soooo noisy!” “Me? Well I’m sure with the proper amount of practice I could probably be a little quieter.” “Are you implying that we don’t practice enough?” Brian pondered for a moment. Justin said nothing, but instead answered with his distinctive eyebrow motions. “Now that I think about it, you’re probably right.” Brian walked a few steps to wrapped Justin in his arms. “What are you doing?” “If you have to ask, then I guess you were right, we really don’t practice enough,” Brian said just before he kissed Justin. Justin leaned into the kiss, and it deepened and turned passionate. They continue to kiss each other breaking intermittently for air. Justin noticed that he was being walked backward, and they begin removing the clothes from one other, without breaking the kisses. By the time Justin felt the back of his legs touch the bed, he and Brian were naked, and there was a trail of clothes strewn behind them. Brian gently pushed Justin on the bed and gently eased himself on top. “I think this practice thing maybe a good idea,” Justin commented. “I think I remember this part.” “That’s a start,” Brian said as he started kissing his way to Justin’s neck. Brian always managed to find the right spot, which always drove Justin crazy, and Brian could hear the quiet groans starting from his partner. Brian worked his way to Justin’s chest continuing to work a path down the body that he knew so well…while Justin’s responses grew louder, and Brian’s voice joined him in his ecstasy as they climaxed within moments of each other. When Brian and Justin had reminded each other a few more times how they failed to master the delicate art of quiet lovemaking, they simply snuggled together in defeat. “Well, the practice was good, but I don’t think we were one bit more quieter than usual,” Justin suggested. “You noticed that, did you?” Brian smirked, tightening his arms around Justin. Justin decided that was rhetorical question and merely snuggled closer to Brian’s chest. “We need to go to the office before we head out to the house,” Justin mumbled hesitantly a little later. Brian allowed his fingers to leisurely play in Justin’s hair, finally asked, “Why is that?” “I want to be sure that the art department is ready to work on the ads while I’m in New York. So we need to go over what you think you need to keep Collezione Fiero on schedule.” “I don’t want you to worry about that, I just want you to deal with what you need to in New York. Everything here will be ok. I’ve got you so far off your schedule where your painting is concerned that I’m really beginning to worry.” “Ah! That’s sweet. But I’m fine. Will you stop worrying? You’ve been listening to Lindsay again, haven’t you? You know, Brian, I’m not one of those artists that you can lock away in their studio and shut out the outside world, and they will produce painting after painting on some prescribed schedule. That’s not who I am and it’s not who I want to be as an artist. I would rather have a few paintings that I’m happy with than a large number of paintings that I hate. Besides, when Gus was here I made lots of sketches of some new ideas. I may have to talk to Lindsay about borrowing him again,” Justin teased. “You and Gus locked away in your studio. What am I supposed to do in the mean time…just wander around this huge house all alone?” “You’ll be just fine.” “I know. Just as soon as you capture my body parts on canvas.” “Are we back to that again? You know, Brian, once again your perseverance is exceeded only by your narcissism.” “Like I said, now you know the secret of my success,” Brian said with a laugh. At that moment there was a rumble, which Brian felt as well as heard. “It can’t possibly be time to feed you again.” “Afraid so…I guess that means we have to get up. I thought we would stop by Debbie’s.” “Why on earth would I want to do that?” Brian teased, trying to prevent Justin from getting up. “I’m just thinking of you. If I go back to New York without saying good bye you know she is going to give you grief the whole time I’m gone. If we stop by she’ll be easier on you.” “Maybe,” Brian grumbled, knowing Justin was right. “Ok, but we won’t stay too long.” “Deal!” *** “Sunshine!” Deb shouted as Brian and Justin walked through her door. Then she quickly encased Justin in a pair of loving arms. Feeling Brian’s glare, she quickly released Justin. “What are you two doing here?” “I just wanted to say good bye, you know I’m leaving for New York tomorrow. My agent arranged some meetings so I’ll be gone for a few days, a week at the most. I take it you will keep an eye on Brian for me while I’m gone?” “You know you don’t have to ask,” Debbie assured him, pinching his cheek. “No one has to keep an eye on me. I’ll be fine,” Brian protested. Debbie grabbed them both by the fronts of their shirts and pulled them into the kitchen. “Now I want you both to grab a plate and sit down,” she insisted. “No Deb, that’s ok. We didn’t plan to stay,” Justin tried to protest to no avail. Two additional chairs suddenly materialized, and Brian and Justin joined everyone at the table. “I thought you two weren’t coming,” Michael commented when their plates with food was handed to them. “My little bottomless pit over there, demanded to be fed.” Brian quipped. “So I had to let him out of his cage.” “See I told you Brian was the one holding Justin prisoner,” Debbie jumped in immediately. “I don’t know where you get you ideas, Michael.” Michael rolled his eyes, while everyone else chuckled. “Michael, I’ll call you, and we can work on that story line that had you so worried,” Justin said in between forkfuls. Michael smiled and once again apologized for his behavior last night. Brian and Justin ate quickly and spent a few moments chatting with everyone. Then as promised, Brian and Justin left early and headed back to Bri-tin. *** “You know we need another practice session on quiet lovemaking before you leave for New York, especially since there isn’t much time before our trip to Cincinnati,” Brian tried to point out as they entered Bri-tin. “Ever the romantic!” Justin quipped as he leaned in to give Brian a gentle kiss. Brian was a man on a mission, so he pulled Justin upstairs for another practice session. This one turned out to be even noisier than the previous one at the loft. “It’s hard to believe that we’re so good at so many things, but we can seem to get the hang of this quiet fucking thing. It’s not like us to fail at something,” Brian teased. “I know. What will we do?” Justin innocently asked, moving up to Brian’s chest and snuggling close. “We’re going to have to schedule extra practice sessions, once you get back from New York. I think we can get the hang of this if we really try.” “You do. Well, I’m game! They say practice makes perfect.”