Chapt 5 Justin was thrilled to have the studio to himself. It seemed like Jake always had a creative inspiration at the same moment as Justin, which made it sometimes difficult to really concentrate on what he was painting. Today, of all days, he needed a little time to let everything out and really tap into what he was feeling. His conversation with Brian had gone better than expected but he wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. He had spent so much of his life focusing on Brian’s abandonment that there wasn’t much room to remember the good times or the influence Brian once had on his life. The confusion didn’t end there either. This new Brian was a man and one that he was attracted to and if the kiss at Babylon was any indication then the feelings were mutual. He had attempted to forget the kiss altogether but it continually crept back into his head. He wondered if Brian was having the same problem. Justin’s hand glided across the canvas, as if on a mission. He had been working in abstracts and this one was taking off in a completely different direction than originally intended. In the back of his head, Justin knew this wasn’t exactly helping in his desire to forget the other night but he was possessed. A couple hours later Justin stood back to admire his work, wondering if anyone else would be able to see what the painting really depicted. The colors were mostly dark with flashes of bright red and in the center, if you really looked carefully, were two bodies in an intimate embrace. Justin could pretend they were just two random people but he knew who they were supposed to be. Glancing at his watch, Justin couldn’t believe the time and hurried home to shower before hitting the diner. Tonight would be a long night. Brian had spent most of the day in his hotel room researching Vanguard and other agencies on his laptop. Cynthia had uncovered the basics in a hurry, which had only peaked his interest more. He hadn’t seriously thought there would be anything there but the agency’s history and cost projections were exactly what he had been looking for. Even with all the research they had been doing in New York, nothing had come close to being what he wanted for his future agency. He wanted something with a good backbone but poorly managed enough to be up for grabs if approached by the right buyer. Vanguard had a decent reputation but was known for delivery problems and a lack of groundbreaking ideas. The price was a steal compared to anything he had found in New York. The question really became whether he would want to come back to the Pitts after all of this time. He had time to decide, especially now that he had extended his stay for another week. Cynthia hadn’t liked the change in itinerary and had threatened his balls if he didn’t show up in the office a week from Monday. He figured that would be enough time to weigh the pros and cons. By the time Justin walked into the diner with Emmett, Mikey and Ben were already sipping sodas in one of the booths. They greeted each other warmly and relaxed into polite conversation. Mikey was the first to bring up the elephant in the room. “So what happened with you and Brian last night? You took off like a bat out of hell and Brian disappeared shortly after that.” Justin shrugged his shoulders, not really looking forward to airing all of his dirty laundry within eavesdropping distance of all of Gay PA. The queens would lap up every bit of juicy detail surrounding the King Stud’s possible romantic attachments and mixed up emotions. In his short life he had never had a boyfriend or even dated someone on a consistent basis. The only guys who even knew the “real” Justin were Mikey, Emmett, Ben, and Ted. “Come on Justin, that’s bullshit. You and Brian were pretty friendly on the dance floor,” Mikey persisted. “I didn’t even know it was him,” Justin snapped back. “Yeah well Brian sure as hell did and obviously wanted to remind you when he came by this morning,” Emmett interjected. “Damn it Emmett, would you shut your fucking mouth?” Justin asked exasperated. “Sorry Princess didn’t know it was a big secret.” “It’s not, I just don’t want to talk about it. It’s between me and Brian.” “Didn’t think there was anything between you and Brian. At least that’s what you said a minute ago. I saw the way he looked at you. You know out of anybody that I would understand the most if you feel something for him. Hell, he was the first man I ever loved. Luckily, not the last,” Mikey said and looped his arm around Ben shoulders. “I’m not you and I don’t want to talk about Brian.” “And why not Sunshine?” Brian asked from behind them, pulling a chair up to the table. He smiled at everyone, his eyes twinkling with delight. “Brian, what are you doing here?” Michael asked. “Eating, of course. Oh, and Sunshine invited me.” “Did he?” Emmett chirped excitedly. “It’s not a big deal guys. We were talking earlier and I asked Brian if he wanted to meet us here for dinner. That OK with everyone?” Justin asked annoyed. There was a chorus of yes’s, as Debbie stopped by the table to take everyone’s orders. The rest of the dinner consisted of casual conversation and Emmett taking the time to grill Brian on everything he had been doing for the last eleven years. Justin remained mostly silent, trying not to act like he was paying close attention to everything Brian said. Justin couldn’t help but be proud of Brian’s accomplishments and ability to move beyond his fucked up childhood. He was the top adman at a highly successful agency, was on his way to starting his own, owned a large apartment on the upper eastside, and had a sophistication that drew people to him. While Justin had been able to move beyond his past as well, he had never fully escaped Pittsburgh or the Kinney’s. Joan and Claire still relied on him to take care of their messes and with so many ties to the community, there was no way he was ever leaving town. He would have to settle for being the big fish in the small pond and leave the New York dream to Brian. The diner had slowed down enough for Deb to take a break, so she headed over to visit a little with her boys. She leaned down to kiss Michael’s cheek and ruffled Justin’s hair before narrowing her eyes in Brian’s direction. “So, you plan on sticking around or taking off again in the middle of the night and worrying us all sick? I thought poor Michael was going to have a break down when you just took off like that,” Deb explained. “Ma!” Michael whined. “What? I just don’t want you boys to get all comfy again and then have Brian disappear on you.” “Deb, I’m not going anywhere for at least another week or more so no need to get your panties in a bunch.” “You’re not?” Justin asked surprised. “No Sunshine I’m not. There’s no one running me out of town this time so I think I’d like to stick around for a bit and take in the sights,” Brian said in a deep voice, his eyes staring directly into Justin’s. Justin nodded his head and looked over at Mikey for his reaction. Michael was doing the same exact thing to Justin. They both erupted in laughter, always surprised that they could read each other so well. Ben and Emmett shook their heads in amusement. “What? I don’t get it,” Brian asked, confused by the joke he was apparently missing. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. They’ve been like this forever. Sometimes I think they share the same brain, they’re always so in tune with each other. I’ve never seen two best friends closer. Add Daphne to the mix and they’re downright scary.” Michael reached across the table and playfully pushed Justin, who returned the favor. All four men were laughing and Brian had never felt so alone. For the first time in his life, he thought that maybe it would be nice to have a few people in his life. It was obviously working for Justin. He wondered if that was why Justin had invited him out tonight, not only as a sign of forgiveness but also an invitation into his family. As he watched them make jokes and throw out lude comments, he couldn’t help but smile. “So what do you think Bri?” Mikey asked. Brian had no clue what they were talking about at that point but he felt encouraged by the gentleness in Mikey’s eyes. This was the olive branch he had been hoping for from his former best friend. “Sure Mikey, he’s doable if you don’t mind a small cock. As I recall, you were always partial to a larger specimen.” “Bri, you know me so well,” Michael chuckled, caressing Ben’s thigh under the table. The small talk went on for a little while longer before heading out to Woody’s to meet Ted. The guys went to hunt down a pool table, leaving Justin and Brian to get the drinks. Justin approached the bar, raising his hand slightly to signal the bartender. He immediately headed over to Justin, already grabbing for a bottle of Jim Beam. “Hey Justin, how’s it going? You here alone?” “Nope, the guys are over getting a table and this here is Brian. Can I get a couple of beers to go with my shot?” “Make that two,” Brian interjected. He glanced around the bar, noticing the attention they were both receiving. He knew they must look striking together, a mix of light and dark. Justin’s reputation and his newness to the scene only added to the intrigue. Once they had delivered the first round to the table, Brian and Justin headed over to a private table without another sound. They relaxed back in their seats, each waiting for the other to speak. Brian was the first to give in. “So Justin, why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to the last eleven years?” “I thought I already did.” “I don’t mean a page from the Kinney family scrapbook. I want to know about you. You might not have taken the first bus out of town but your life is as separate from the Kinney’s as mine.” “Not quite, but I try to keep family contact to a minimum. I’ve got my own family now. I go to school at PIFA on a full scholarship and work part-time at the Liberty Diner. Almost every Sunday it’s dinner at Debbie’s and I’ve got the clubs to keep me busy at night. There’s not much else to say. How about you? Tell me about the Big Apple,” Justin requested. “New York is New York. Big city, lots of fuckable guys, and a job nobody can do better than me. Have you ever thought about moving out of the Pitts?” Justin shook his head. “Not anymore, too many commitments. I have a life here that I can’t just walk away from. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound that way.” “Don’t worry about. No apologies, no regrets. I know you’ve got friends here but you can’t let that stop you from going out on your own.” “It’s more than that.” “What do you mean?” Before Justin had a chance to respond, his eyes came in contact with a tall beefy blonde. He figured a nice piece of ass was the perfect way to avoid any further discussion. Gesturing to the trick with his head, Justin headed toward the bathroom. “Excuse me Bri, duty calls. I’ll catch up with you in a bit.” Brian watched Justin’s perfect ass walk away and decided it was time he satisfied his own needs. Grabbing the first good-looking guy he could find, Brian followed the same path as Justin. The bathroom wasn’t too spacious but plenty of room for a number of sexual conquests. As Brian entered the room, he could see the Justin in the open stall at the end. The door had been left open and the large blonde was on his knees worshipping Justin’s cock. Justin’s head was tilted back, his breath coming in quick gasps as he pumped in and out of the trick’s mouth. Brian had always been an exhibitionist and didn’t hesitate to push the trick up against the sinks. He kissed him fiercely, exploring all the crevices of his mouth before whipping him around to face the mirror. Brian yanked his pants down in a hurry, his eyes watching Justin in the mirror. Justin, oblivious to everything but the pleasure coursing through his body, arched up against the mouth surrounding him. Brian thrust harder into the willing ass in front of him, his orgasm building fast and furious while his eyes skimmed across Justin’s taut abs. Justin’s eyes suddenly popped open as he let loose, moaning softly. Justin’s lust filled gaze made contact with Brian’s in the mirror, triggering his orgasm as well. As their breathing slowed down, their eyes remained locked on one another. Once both of their tricks had moved away, Brian turned to face him, taking note of the beautiful flush of his cheeks. Justin had never seen a man look more desirable than Brian did when he climaxed. He was still coming down off his high when he noticed they were both alone and hadn’t moved a muscle. He took a step forward, unsure what to do next. Brian followed suit and they were only inches apart when an anxious Michael flung the door to the bathroom open. “Jus, I’ve been looking everywhere for your fucking ass. Don’t you ever leave your cell on?” Justin pulled his cell from his pocket, examining the dark screen. “Guess not, why what’s up?” “Mel just called me looking for you. They’re at the hospital. Lindz is in labor!” “Holy shit!” Justin exclaimed, running his hand through his messy hair. “Yeah, I know. Now get your ass in gear and I’ll drive.” “So your friend’s having a baby. That’s great!” Brian commented. Michael finally noticed Brian’s presence and turned to question Justin. “What? Mikey, just get the car. I’ll wash up and meet you outside.” “OK, later Brian,” Michael said softly and hurried out the door. Justin turned back to look at Brian. He quickly washed and dried his hands, before heading for the door. “I gotta go. I’ll see you later.” “It’s wonderful how much you care about your friends and their child.” Justin looked a little nervous, as he shifted back and forth on the balls of his feet. “You see that’s the thing, it’s actually my son she giving birth to.” “What?” “Sorry Bri but it’s a long story and I really gotta run. Mikey’s waiting and the girls will never forgive me if I’m not there. Plus, how many chances do I get to see snatch?” Justin smiled and once again rushed to the door. “Justin, wait! I’m coming with you!” Brian called out. “Really? Are you sure?” “Yeah, I’m now a part of this family too, as long as you approve,” Brian asked hesitantly. Justin smiled brightly. “Then come on. Move your ass!” And both men were out the door.