Trouble Chapter 1 Rated R Kisses are good...even wet ones The alarm went off at five thirty, just seconds after Brian had swallowed his high protein breakfast of Special J. He reached over Justin’s head and hit the snooze button, hoping to gain a few more minutes nestled right here in his favorite place between Justin’s thighs. After a few minutes the alarm sounded again and this time he reluctantly hit the OFF switch and stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom. The water was hot, pulsating on his back the way he liked it. Thinking about what just happened in bed made him smile, the special smile that was only reserved for Justin. He knew that Justin would be up as soon as he realized that the bed was empty. He had always had a sixth sense about Brian’s presence. In bed Justin rolled over as soon as he felt Brian leave. He had hoped for a few more minutes of sleep, the bed was so warm, the sheets so soft against his face, but, try as he might, it never happened. His body had some weird radar when it came to knowing if Brian was around or not. It had always been that way. From the very first night they had been together, through all the twists and turns of their relationship, to the present, thirteen years later. Thirteen years really meant nothing to him in numbers. Looking back , there were the five years they were together, the four years they were apart and now completing the cycle finally being home for the last four years, here at Britin. He realized that it was exactly as Brian had said it would be that awful night before he left for New York. It was only time. And fate had for once been kind to them and somehow, in spite of everyone’s dire predictions that they would break up, they had not. Their love had withstood separation, temptation and aggravation. The fact that he and Brian had ended up together, after all the time he had spent in New York trying to make his mark in the art world, was a minor miracle in and of itself. The fact that they had actually managed to sustain this relationship and keep it alive and fresh and honest was even more unbelievable. Climbing out of bed, Justin stumbled into the bathroom and made his way towards the shower stall. “Why didn’t you get me up,” he whined. “You know I hate to wake up in the morning when you’ve already gone.” I’m sorry, Sunshine,” Brian smiled, his face all wet and shiny. “I thought I already did get you up. Besides, you looked so peaceful after that amazing blowjob I gave you I didn’t want to disturb your post-orgasmic bliss.” “Yeah, well bliss this,” Justin replied in that gravely, just-woke-up kind of voice that always made Brian’s dick twitch. “I need to return the favor or you know you’re going to be a total jerk at work today and make everyone miserable.” “You got that right,” Brian said as he took Justin’s hands and placed them on his firm behind. Justin slowly sank to his knees, rubbing his hands past Brian’s beautifully rounded ass and perfectly shaped thighs until he arrived at his destination. Brian’s cock was hard and leaking slightly, waiting patiently to be taken in by the warm, wet mouth. The hot water continued to beat down on them as Justin slowly and methodically started lapping at Brian’s shaft. Alternately sucking and licking, he worked his magic until he was rewarded with the first groan that told him he was right on the mark. His left hand started to knead Brian’s balls even as his tongue continued to lap and torture the engorged head. His right hand crept toward Brian’s hole, slipping first one finger, then slowly and gently pushing a second finger into its recesses. Brian moaned as he felt Justin’s fingers invading him. His senses were on overload. He could feel himself coming closer and closer, as the heat from the water and Justin’s mouth pressed in around him like a warm blanket. Every nerve ending was screaming for release. Grabbing Justin’s head between his hands, he started fucking his mouth, rocking back and forth in direct proportion to Justin’s fingers moving in and out of his ass. Continuing with his rhythm, Justin pulled Brian forward till his cock hit the back of his throat and he started purring in that maddening way that drove Brian insane. The vibrations only intensified his already heightened state. Exploding into the dark, wet, cavern that surrounded him, Brian felt himself slipping to his knees as Justin pulled his mouth away. Leaning against each other, they continued to hold and caress each other on the floor, spent and satisfied. Brian turned toward Justin and kissed him, slowly, relishing every sweet bit of him, tasting some of his cum still in the corners of his mouth. “I love you, Brian,” Justin said as they finally parted for air. “God, I know you do, Sunshine. And if I weren’t forty three and in need of some recoup time I would show you again how much I love you.” Laughing, Justin stood up, pulling Brian along with him. Grabbing one of the big fluffy white towels off the heated rack he started drying him off. As he did, he couldn’t help but notice again what an incredible body Brian had, even if he was forty three years old. The only difference he could see from the Brian of old and the present Brian were the few flecks of grey around his temples which really only looked as if they had been strategically placed there by some high-priced hair dresser. Later, as they sat around the kitchen island, sipping their first morning coffees, Brian asked Justin if he was going jogging this morning; it seemed to be a pattern that had developed over the last few days. “Of course,” Justin answered, “I’ve gotta do something to maintain my youthful appearance since I’m married to Dorian Grey.” “Huh?” “Huh, yourself! Don’t you remember that ancient movie we saw the other night? About that guy that sold his soul to the devil so he wouldn’t age? Well that’s you...I’m sure there’s probably a portrait of you stashed somewhere in this palace aging hideously even as we speak.” “Oh, that Dorian Grey. Nah, the reason I look so fabulous for my age is because of my daily diet of blond boy stem cells.” “Shut up, you dork.” Justin replied. “Stem cells do not exist in sperm!” .”Whatever the fuck.” Grabbing Justin by the hand, Brian pulled him into an embrace. “What’s up with the sudden obsession with age? I realize your birthday is around the corner but surely you can’t be freaking out over turning thirty like I was, are you?” “I didn’t think I was, except, the other morning, after I got out of the shower, I noticed something on my ass.” “What, a butt plug?” ‘No, Brian,” Justin replied in that prissy disapproving tone of his that always made Brian horny. “Not a fucking butt plug, a dimple! I saw a goddamn dimple on my fucking ass!” Rolling his lips into his mouth, Brian couldn’t help but grin like a hyena. “A dimple?” “Yes, a freaking dimple; the first sign of cellulite and a harbinger of old age.” “Harbinger? Wow, he likes big words.” “Oh shut up! After seeing that I did start stressing over turning thirty. In two weeks I’ll be another year older and I’m already starting to look like a saggy, baggy elephant!” Laughing at him Brian quickly turned him around. “Hardly Sunshine, but show me this fucking dimple; I want to see it for myself.” Pulling himself away Justin said, “No, let me go. Anyway, I spent a lot of time on the American Medical Association’s website, reading a bunch of papers on longevity and aging. According to them, the best way to preserve elasticity and muscle tone is exercise, particularly jogging. So, this is why I’ve gotten into the whole running thing.” Shaking his head, Brian nuzzled Justin’s neck and whispered into his ear, “Sunshine, listen to me, okay? Are you listening?” “Yeah, I’m listening.” “Your ass and everything else about you is perfect. As beautiful today as it was when you threw yourself at me thirteen years ago. Are you hearing this?” Smiling his mega watt smile, Justin pressed his forehead to Brian’s and said quietly, “Yes, I hear every word.” “Good. Then stop queening over turning thirty, who gives a shit! You are world renowned; people come from all over the country to buy your paintings. You’re hot, rich, incredibly gifted, and smart. You have a life partner who can’t seem to get enough of your sorry ass, dimple or not, who STILL gets an instant woody thinking about it, and you’re worrying about, what again?” Laughing hysterically, Justin pulled himself away. “I’m not, okay, not worried at all.” Shoving Brian towards the door, he said, “Now get the hell out of my face, go to work, be brilliant as usual and make lots of money so you can pay for my ass-lift, if and when I chose to have it.” Reaching up to kiss him good-bye, Justin whispered, “Later.” Brian looked down at him, rubbed his thumb over Justin’s lips, bent towards his ear and said, “Later.” Trouble Chapter 2 Rating PG 13 Run, romp and play every day Jogging had started out as a means to an end. It turned out to be something that Justin really enjoyed and looked forward to every day. Most of his days were spent indoors; at his studio, at the Sydney Bloom Gallery, helping Brian at Kinnetik or volunteering at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center. The opportunity to get outdoors, even for a few hours each day, enjoy the fresh air and derive constant inspiration from nature and the magnificent grounds surrounding Britin was a perk he had not counted on. Usually, he would get out as soon as Brian left in the morning, after he had put their bedroom and kitchen back to some semblance of order. Even though they had a cleaning staff that came every other day, he always felt as though he had to “pre-clean.” Having strangers peer into his and Brian’s private world went against his conservative nature and so he picked up all signs of debauchery as a matter of course-remnants of his mother’s country club upbringing. Today was a beautiful fall day. The kind they show in picture books advertising the East Coast and “The Colors of Autumn” tours. There was a slight chill in the air and a crunching sound as Justin’s shoes broke the frost that lay lightly on the grass. He wished that he had worn sweat pants today instead of the running shorts he had on because he was freezing. About ten minutes into the run he finally started warming up and soon he could feel his body kick into the natural rhythm and timing that he had developed over the last few days. Justin never brought a cell phone with him because he didn’t feel like being interrupted every two minutes and so the only thing he had with him was a bottle of water and a house key. Brian had nagged him constantly about bringing a can of Mace or something equally as damaging, in case there was a need, but he just couldn’t be bothered. He figured that if he had survived a bashing, a bombing and four years in New York, then he would probably survive whatever else fate had in store for him. Glancing at his watch he realized that he was about at the half way point and due to stop for a sip of water and a stretch. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a black blur darting through the trees, almost in a parallel line with his running path. What the fuck is that? Jesus, it’d better not be a wolf or a coyote! There had been sightings reported in the news lately and Justin was already imagining the worst possible scenario. Glancing around him, he thought, Oh for God’s sake, stop being such a drama queen and get a grip! It’s probably a deer or a raccoon. Looking left and right he saw nothing. Stopping at the top of the hill, he took a sip of his water and looked around nervously. Nothing unusual, just miles of gorgeous trees. A slight movement caught his eye. Moving out from behind a bush was a shiny, black dog. They stared at each other, both surprised to see another living thing in an otherwise deserted space. Justin laughed nervously. Whoa, at least it’s not a wolf. Wonder if he’s friendly? “Hey buddy, you want something to drink?” Putting his hand out with the bottle of water in it seemed like the appropriate thing to do. You would offer a fellow traveler a drink, wouldn’t you? Slowly, the dog made his way over to Justin. As he approached, Justin noticed that he was relatively clean but had no collar. He had an extremely large head and enormous paws. Granted, he didn’t know much about dogs since he had never owned one, however, he knew big when he saw it and this guy was huge! He poured some water into his cupped hand and watched in fascination as the dog lapped it up with his big pink tongue. Soon he had gone through the entire bottle. I wish I had some more water puppy, but l ‘m all out. “Time to get going, okay? Go on,” he said, as he pushed the dog in the opposite direction. Reluctantly, Justin started moving away from the dog. As he picked up his stride he looked back over his shoulder to see what the dog was doing. Nothing...He continued to sit and watch Justin leave. Shit, I hope he finds his way home. I wonder how he got through the security fence to begin with? The fence people assured us that no animals over twenty pounds would be able to get through. Unlike the fences of old, that only kept animals within the confines of the fence, present day invisible fences also kept animals and unwanted people out. There must be a break in the underground cable somewhere that we don’t know about. I better tell Brian tonight so that he can have it checked out. Brian was completely neurotic about security, his and particularly Justin’s. Something like a break in their invisible fence would keep him up all night until it was repaired. Running back down the hill toward the house Justin saw that the sun had come up over the mountains and was warming everything in its path. The hills were covered with blue Aster, leftovers from summer, but still in bloom. The maples were turning orange and gold and swayed in the slight breeze. All the colors were rushing at him from different angles and were making him want to run to his studio and throw paint all over an empty canvas. Just ahead lay Britin, the palace that Brian had bought him many years ago as a token of his love and an enticement to marriage. The marriage never happened at that time, however, the house remained theirs and eventually it did become what Brian had intended, a safe haven for their partnership, a home and refuge for their love. It was old but classic in its simplicity and lines. Brian had spent thousands of dollars to contemporize it to suit his and Justin’s taste and today it was exactly the way they wanted it. Justin remembered all the years he had spent running around Pittsburgh with all his possessions in a duffle bag. It was ironic that now he had all this property because in reality money had never been a motivating factor in his life. The benefits of having it certainly out weighed the lack there of, however, family, his art and especially his relationship with Brian was the only thing that had ever mattered. Trouble Chapter 3 Rated R When loved ones come home, always run to greet them... The drive home seemed longer tonight, only because the whole day had been for shit. After such a great send off this morning, Brian thought that his day would have gone great. However, he forgot one very important thing-Cynthia was gone on her two week annual holiday which started today. As soon as he walked through the doors of Kinnetik and the girl from the temp agency handed him his coffee with cream and sugar (which he promptly spit out) he knew it would be downhill from then on. Every year he endured the two weeks that Cynthia took off, only because he couldn’t think of a legitimate reason to say no to her. If he were straight he would have married her years ago to avoid this problem, however, seeing as how this was not an option, he let her leave. Every year, for two weeks. Because he owed her the time and because she put up with his shit all year long. Kinnetik became a battle ground and most employees who had any brains and who knew better left him the fuck alone. The only one who seemed to weather the storm each year was Ted. That was mainly because his job had more to do with the dollars and cents of the operation and none of the creativity, which was usually where all the drama and angst occurred. Tonight, all Brian wanted to do was get home. To a good stiff drink and cock, and not necessarily in that order. As he approached the driveway leading to the house he hit the garage door opener and gently eased the car inside. Surprisingly, Justin was standing in the middle of the room, still in his running shorts, looking at him strangely. Getting out of the car, Brian asked, “Hey, what’re you doing out here?” “Being your one man welcoming committee,” Justin smiled widely. Brian grabbed Justin’s shirt and pulled him up against his chest. “You can be my welcome home man anytime,” he said as he nuzzled Justin’s neck. Putting both hands on either side of his face Brian ran his fingers through Justin’s chin length hair. I really like this new look of his. Reminds me of that actor in the Vampire Lestat movie. Hotter than hell! Brian put his mouth on Justin’s, his tongue savoring every bit of his unique flavor. “God, you taste so good. I was thinking about this all afternoon while I listened to this incredibly boring pitch.” Spinning him around, Brian slammed Justin up against the hood of the car, practically draping him over it. The heat from the still hot engine warmed Justin’s now painfully engorged penis. “Brian,” he moaned as his body responded to his touch. “You are the most beautiful hood ornament Sunshine,” Brian groaned as he started pulling a condom out of his pants. Yanking Justin’s shorts down Brian’s breath hitched when he saw that Justin had nothing on underneath. “Fuck, do you always run commando, or is this just for me?” Justin reached behind him and pulled Brian closer, begging him, urging him on. He was slick and ready. His cock hard and hurting as it rubbed against the hood of the car. No preliminaries were necessary. The tempo was frantic and urgent when Brian slammed into him, as if they hadn’t been together in days, weeks. Soon they were both coming, a minute apart from each other. The moaning and breathing seemed accelerated in the quiet of the room. Justin whimpered when Brian pulled out, missing him already. Later, as they sat in their Jacuzzi, wine glass in one hand, weed in the other, Brian turned to Justin and asked, “So, how was your day? Anything exciting happen around here?” “Nah, just the usual,” Justin replied as he looked away from him. Earlier that morning... The house phone was ringing as Justin came through the kitchen door. Grabbing it quickly he was pleasantly surprised to hear Daphne’s voice. Although they had always stayed in touch over the years they rarely saw each other because she lived in California and was too busy with her successful medical practice to get away that often. There was the occasional art show in Los Angeles that Justin would attend and Daphne always made it a point to come and see him. Nonetheless, their friendship remained strong and true and they tried to call each other at least twice a month. “Hey Justin, how’s tricks?” “Daph! Hey, I’m great! Just got in from a run. I’m really getting into this whole exercise thing. It’s so energizing.” “Well, you’re only about ten years behind everyone else,” she replied in that all too familiar sarcastic way of hers. “But I guess better late than never, right?” “Right. So, how have you been?” Justin asked, as he reached into the fridge to grab a bottle of milk and pour himself a glass. “Who’s the current fuck du jour, or don’t you have one?” “Shut up! As a matter of fact, I’m dating a very successful chef. His name is Mario and he owns this restaurant in Malibu named Comer. He’s half Portuguese and half Brazilian. Hotter than anything I’ve seen for a while.” “Is he hung?” “Jesus, Justin, grow up!” “I can’t help it...just think about who I live with. Sex is always foremost on our minds.” “Whatever,” she replied, in her very irritated voice. “Are you coming out here soon?” “Maybe in the spring.” Justin walked over to the sink to rinse out his glass and put it on the drain board. “I’m finishing a project for Sydney’s gallery so when that’s done I’ll be starting another commission which may take me out there.” “Good, I miss seeing your pretty face. Anyhow, the reason I called was because I have this new recipe for a killer salad that Mario made for me the other night. I thought you might want to try it out on Brian.” “Sounds good Daph, I’ll make it for him tonight.” After taking down the recipe, they finished up with some more small talk and then hung up. Grabbing the bag of trash that needed to go outside, he pulled open the kitchen door and almost fell over the dog that was sitting on the door step. “Jesus Fucking Christ! What the hell are you doing here?” Dumbfounded, Justin bent down and started to pet the dog. “How did you find me puppy?” The dog looked up and wagged his tail, happy to see his friend again. Oh my God, what am I going to do now? Okay, let’s think this through. First, I’m getting you some water and then I’ll see if I can’t find you something to eat. Heading to the cabinet, he found a big stainless steel bowl and poured some water in it. I am so calling Animal Control right now. Brian will have a stroke if he comes home and sees this dog! The water bowl was easy. Finding food, not so much. In the sub-zero fridge all he found was milk, lots of juice, protein drinks, vodka and cheese. Not exactly recommended by the AKC. The freezer yielded one wrapped package with two prime Angus New York strips that he was saving for Brian, but since he was going to make a salad tonight, he grabbed the steaks, threw them in the microwave and nuked them. Brian would have had an apoplexy if he saw what just happened to his steak dinner but he wasn’t home so... When the steaks were done, Justin cut up the meat and served it to the dog on an obscenely expensive Prada, European Country Kitchen platter. The food was gone in about five minutes. As Justin watched the dog wolf down the food he dialed information and got the number for the West Virginia Animal Control. “Hi, my name is Justin Taylor. I live over at Britin Manor, on the north side. Yes, that’s right. Anyway, there’s this dog that seems to be lost and I was wondering if you could send someone over to pick him up?” Trouble Chapter 4 Rated NC 17 If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it... Brian got to the office early this morning to try and sort out the mess that was left over from yesterday. As usual he checked his voice mail when he got in and was surprised to hear a message from the Phoenix Fence Company. “Mr. Kinney, this is David, over at Phoenix. Just wanted to let you know that we did check out your property yesterday afternoon and there does seem to be a slight break over on the west side of the invisible fence line. I’m sending some guys out there today to repair it. It must have gotten damaged during the last storm. Sorry about that...we’ll have it done today.” What the fuck? Dialing Justin’s cell, he heard it go straight to voice mail and realized that it was his running time and he would be incommunicado for a bit. “Hey, call me.” What the hell was that all about, Brian wondered? Justin was acting rather strange last night, but I was a little too fucked up to really tell why. It did seem weird that he wanted to go down to the garage just before we went to bed to make sure the alarms were on. That’s usually my job. And come to think of it, he did smell differently when he came back upstairs. Fuck. At home, Justin slammed the kitchen door and ran to pick up his cell. Whoever had called just left a message. Listening to Brian’s voice, Justin rolled his eyes and thought, Fuck, I bet those jerks at the fence company called him. His phone rang again and this time the caller ID said, Kyle Morris. “Hey Kyle, how’s it going? Are you coming over soon? That’s fine, but sooner rather than later, okay?” Christ and the fence guys are coming too. He ran upstairs to take a quick shower, throw on some clothes and wait for the whole world to get here. Meanwhile, Brian had left another message and Justin couldn’t think of one good reason why he should call him back and tell him what was going on, so he didn’t. Everything started to spiral out of control yesterday after the Animal Control guy showed up. He came in a small white truck with West Virginia Animal Control written on the side. “Mr. Taylor? Hi, my name is Kyle Morris. I’m here about the dog. Looks like you’ve got yourself a Newfie.” “A what-ee?” “A Newfoundland. That’s the name of this breed. They’re great dogs, known as the gentle giants. This one’s a pup though, probably no more than four months old.” “FOUR months! Holy shit! How big do they get?” “Oh, anywhere from one fifteen to one hundred fifty pounds. They’re big dogs alright, but they’re great watch dogs, good with kids, extremely loyal. They’re strong enough to pull a drowning man out of the water or haul leaves and firewood on a cart. Actually, that’s what they were used for originally. There was always a Newfie on a fishing boat.” “That’s nice,” Justin said. “Last time I looked, we were fresh out of boats. I don’t suppose you’ve had any calls from anyone around here looking for a lost dog, have you? I’ve already called the police department and no one seems to be missing a dog.” “No, I can’t say that we’ve gotten any calls. Too often people get Newfie’s from a pet store or a shelter and as the “cute little teddy bear” grows into a one hundred fifty pound dog they are abandoned by the owners.” “That’s horrible! How could anyone do that to a poor innocent dog. Look at him, he’s so sweet and lovable.” The puppy looked up as Justin was talking, raised his ears and wagged his tail. “He seems to have taken a liking to you, Mr. Taylor.” God, I know... “Well, I’ll take him off your hands, it’ll just take me a minute to get him into the truck.” “Wait a second,” Justin said. “What’s going to happen to him?” “Well, we’ll keep him at the shelter for about forty eight hours but if no one calls about him we’ll send him off to another shelter where he will be put up for adoption. However, if no one adopts him within a reasonable amount of time he’ll be put down.” Horrified, Justin could feel the tears starting to pool in his eyes, his mother-hen instinct quickly taking over. “I can’t let you take him.” “Mr. Taylor, are you sure about this? This decision is not to be taken lightly. As I said before, these are great dogs but require a fair amount of brisk exercise... I can do that... they must be groomed religiously or they’ll shed like crazy... I can hire someone to do that, Groomers exist... oh and last, but not least, they drool, a lot, and can sling slobber up to twenty feet... fuck, now that I’m going to have to work on, don’t suppose they have bibs for dogs, do they? “Well Mr. Morris, I don’t see how I can let you have this dog. My conscience won’t allow it. Even though my partner has never wanted a pet (No fucking way), I’m sure that after realizing that this puppy found us and not the other way around, he will reconsider.” “Okay, it’s your decision. I just want you to know that once I leave here I can’t come back to pick him up. Basically, by letting me go you will have assumed responsibility for this dog and the Animal Control will no longer have anything to do with it.” Oh, shit! “I do have a side business as a dog trainer, if you are interested? It’s real important that these dogs are trained early on so they develop good habits. The older and bigger they are, the more difficult it will be to keep him under control. Oh and by the way, you should think about having him neutered, it’s better for him.” Not in this house you’re not, no sir, there will be no neutering here! “I think I will take you up on the offer for training. How soon can you start?” “Tomorrow okay?” “Fine. Meanwhile, what do you suggest I feed him and where should he sleep?” Smiling now, Kyle rubbed the dog’s head and looked up at Justin. “There’s a good pet store downtown, right beside a veterinarian’s office. You should check them both out.” “I will, thanks a lot.” Justin reached out to shake Kyle’s hand. So, that was yesterday. Today, the puppy and I just got back from our “brisk run.” I’ve fed him and now he’s passed out in the garage, in the back storage room that Brian never looks in, on the four hundred dollar bed I bought him. His shots are current and they even put a computer chip in his ear so that the invisible fence would work on him too. The guy’s from Phoenix will be here shortly to repair the damage and Kyle’s on his way for the dog’s first training session. Meanwhile, Brian’s now called three times and I have no idea what I’m going to say... Trouble Chapter 5 Rated NC17 Let other’s know when they’ve invaded your territory... Brian had spent the morning handling problems as they cropped up, one by one. It seemed everyone had decided to go on holiday with Cynthia; the brains of his entire staff seemed to be missing in action. By eleven o’clock Brian was completely drained from putting out fires and it was only then that he realized Justin hadn’t returned any of his calls. He picked up the phone and tried calling home one more time. This time Justin answered on the second ring. “Where the fuck were you?” Brian barked into the phone. “Excuse me? Why are you yelling?” Backing down about four levels Brian took a breath. “Sorry, I’ve had an incredibly tedious morning.” “It’s all right,” Justin replied gently. “I’m sorry I didn’t return any of your calls, I’ve been busy.” “What with? The fence people?” “Oh, yeah,” Justin replied sheepishly. “I forgot to tell you about that.” “I noticed. So what happened that made you even realize there was a break in the fence?” “Uh, shit, shit shit, I was running and a deer came out of nowhere and scared the crap out of me.” “Really. And you didn’t think this was important enough to tell me? Justin, you know how I feel about that, especially now since you’re running all over the place with nothing on you but your perpetual hard-on.” “Come on Brian, it’s fine. Stop queening over this. You know I don’t like calling you every time there’s a domestic problem.” Standing up from his chair, Brian started pacing back and forth. “I’m not queening, Sunshine! We have spent an enormous amount of money on that fucking invisible fence to satisfy your need to preserve the integrity of the landscape, so I would really like to know if the thing is not working!” Calming now a bit, Brian reached for a glass of water and took a sip. “Justin, you know I just want you to be safe. I don’t want you in harm’s way.” “I know.” “Besides, you shouldn’t be disturbing your muse with crap like this. Your right brain should only be occupied with artistic endeavors.” “I can multi-task ,you know,” Justin spit out. It’s my dominant female gene that enables me to walk and chew gum at the same time.” Smiling widely now, Brian whispered, “And I can vouch for the multi-tasking talent of yours. You demonstrated that in the shower yesterday.” “I love it when you talk dirty Brian. I’m not above having phone sex at this time of the day, but I’m sure the guys from Phoenix might be a bit perturbed if they saw me jacking off.” “Fuck ‘em.” “Yeah, well I’d rather be fucking you.” “I’m on my way.” Smiling into the phone Justin said softly, “Save it for tonight Brian, and don’t go to the bathroom after we hang up!” Laughing, Brian said, “Later.” Glancing at his watch he realized it was almost twelve thirty. He had promised to meet Michael for lunch to go over the plans for Thanksgiving. This year Gus and JR were scheduled to spend it with them so they were going to work out the logistics of sleeping arrangements and who was picking them up at the airport, et cetera. The kids each had bedrooms at both houses and they usually bounced back and forth between homes so that everyone was satisfied. Mel and Lindsey had decided to take advantage of this time alone and were flying to Cancun for a week of fun in the sun. “So Mikey, how’s it going?” Pulling his chair out, Brian sat across from Michael at the restaurant and grabbed a menu. “Hey.” Michael was already munching on a bread stick. “I suppose you’re going to have another one of your boring salads?” “No,” Brian replied as he scanned the menu. ”I’m in the mood for a steak. You know I have my biggest meal at lunch, it’s better for you than eating heavy at night.” “So you’ve said,” Michael mumbled in between bites of bread. “Anyhow it’s too late for me. I’m morphing into my mother, ten pounds overweight and balding. Soon I’m going to need one of her grotesque wigs.” Laughing, Brian said, “You just need to exercise more, Mikey. Like Sunshine. He’s into this new exercise program to ward off middle age spread.” “Middle age! Christ, he’s only 29!” “Not for long...He’s turning thirty in two weeks- can you believe that? Remember the first night we laid eyes on him, when he was a seventeen year old twink?” “How can I forget?” Michael said, with a mouthful of pasta. “Anyway, I think he’s freaking out over it,” Brian said munching on a carrot. “Really, enough to have a scarfing party?” “Ha, ha, very funny...NO, he’s not going to do anything as dumb as I did. Speaking of birthdays, you and Ben going to do anything special this year?” “No, why?” “Well since he and Justin have the same birthday maybe we can plan something.” Michael put his glass down and leaned over to Brian, “Are you still trying to make up for the hustler fiasco?” Rolling his eyes, Brian said, “No. I just know it’s important to him, so now I make more of an effort to make his day special, disgustingly sentimental as that may sound.” Smiling, Michael said, “don’t worry Brian, I won’t tell anyone. Might ruin your reputation as a cold-hearted bastard” Brian stuck his tongue out at Michael. “Gotta go, Mikey.“ Standing, he grabbed the check off the table. “Catch you later.” “Thanks for lunch!” “What ever!” Driving back to Kinnetik Brian dialed Justin again. “Hi,” he answered, sounding out of breath. “Are the guys from Phoenix still there?” “Just about done,” replied Justin. “Good. Everything working now?” “Yeah. How was lunch?” “Fine, the usual. We talked about Thanksgiving, when and where the kids will sleep. Michael’s picking them up at the airport and they’ll stay with him from Sunday to Tuesday, then we get them for the rest of the week.” “That’s fantastic! I can’t wait to see them. I’m sure Gus is probably as tall as me now.” “Try taller.” “Oh fuck off, I’m not that short!” “Well, Lindsay and I are both tall so ...” “Okay, let’s change the subject. I’m calling Emmett to discuss the dinner. Any special requests?” “Nope, you do it all.” “Okay, bye.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Party People! Emmett speaking.” “Hey Em, it’s Justin.” “Hi baby,” Emmet chirped into the phone. “Ready to finalize Thanksgiving plans?” “Yeah, let’s go over the list of people to make sure you’ve got enough food.” “Sure hon, who do we have on the list?” Justin looked down at his piece of paper and started rattling off names. “Me and Brian, mom and Tuck, Molly and Vince, Ben and Michael, Hunter, Heather and the twins, Deb and Carl, Ted and Blake and you and whomever.” “Drewsie!” “No shit! He’s in town?” “Yup, flew in two days ago for some Hall of Fame thing and decided to stay for a while to catch up, so to speak.” “I’ll bet! How’s your ass holding up?” “Not bad, considering we haven’t seen each other in ages.” “Was it weird?” “Weird? “ Emmett thought about it for a minute. “Not really, just a bit awkward in the beginning but soon it was like we’d never been apart.” “I know,” Justin replied. “It used to be like that with me and Brian when I lived in New York. The first time we’d get together after a long separation was like an acquaintance party but the sex was incredibly hot!” “You’re telling me.” Emmet groaned, “I could barely walk this morning.” Laughing out loud, Justin knew exactly what that felt like having lived through it countless times. “Okay, Em, stop already. You’re making me horny and Brian won’t be home for hours.” “Right. Shall we proceed with the menu then, Mr. Taylor.“ Emmett enunciated with the most perfect British accent. Trouble Chapter 6 Rated NC17 Never pretend to be something you’re not... It had been a week since the dog had come into Justin’s life. In that time he had tried to stick to his daily routine so that Brian wouldn’t suspect anything. His hope was that Kyle would finish training the puppy and turn it into this perfect animal so that when he finally presented him to Brian he wouldn’t object. Justin felt the dog was already perfect in many ways. He was completely house broken, and had never had an accident since he’d moved in. Even that one day when Brian had asked Justin to go with him to Kinnetik to help out. They had been out of the house for over six hours and when they got back there had been no mess to clean up. The dog loved his bed and he seemed perfectly content with Justin’s unscheduled visits throughout the day. The most important part of the day was their early morning run. The dog ran alongside him the whole time, never holding him back or wandering off. After each run they would sit on an old log and share a bottle of water. Justin never knew how much fun it was to have a pet and he was completely enjoying this new experience. What Justin had not counted on, never being around pets before, was his body’s reaction to the dog’s dander. His immune system had gone into full combat mode and his antibodies were working overtime to overcome this new, foreign assault on his body. He was, physically, completely miserable. His eyes were constantly tearing and his nose was either running or stuffed up. The itching and hives came and went, so that was tolerable. The other symptoms were making him irritable and short tempered. His allergist had consented to see him today so he was hoping she would provide a solution and some relief. Brian had already asked him twice if he had a cold. He had made up some lame excuse about pollen which he was sure Brian had not bought, knowing full well that fall was not really allergy season. However, he hadn’t called him on it so Justin didn’t need to elaborate any more than necessary. Another thing that was making him sick was having to lie to Brian. He kept telling himself that he wasn’t lying, this was really only an omission of facts, but he knew deep down that he was being deceitful and it was killing him. The last time he ever did anything like this was twelve years ago, with Ethan, and after that all ended and he and Brian got back together he swore he would never, ever go through that again. And he hadn’t, until now. He knew he was being stupid for not saying anything but he also knew that there was no way in hell Brian would let him keep this dog. Not unless he could prove to Brian that the puppy would be no trouble and would behave perfectly and would not disrupt their lives in anyway. The last part was a bit of a stretch, he knew that. It would be impossible for the dog not to change their lives in some way, but Justin couldn’t think about that yet. He just knew that there was no way he would ever let this dog be put in a situation where he may end up being put down. He just couldn’t do that. At Kinnetik, Brian sat at his desk contemplating the new campaign for Eyekonic Optics. He was staring at the papers in front of him, but his mind was a million miles away. Something was bothering him, but he didn’t know what it was. And this bothered him even more. Brian had always relied heavily on his instincts. They had very rarely failed him, except that one time years ago when he and Justin broke up. In reality though, his instincts had not failed him, he had just refused to listen. Today, he was getting the same uneasy feelings he had way back then, when Justin was seeing the fiddler on the sly. But he didn’t think anything like that could be possible, or could it? He and Justin had been monogamous for years, because they wanted to be and because there had never been the need for anyone else. Justin fulfilled all of Brian’s needs, sexually and emotionally, once he had opened up his heart and admitted that he loved him. He thought that Justin was satisfied as well. Their sex life had only improved with time and thankfully, he was still able to keep up with Justin’s raging hormones. Sex had never been an issue with them. Emotionally they seemed to have arrived at a comfortable, honest place. Both accepting the other for what they were. Brian making the effort to show his feelings more often, Justin learning to show them less; to not over react to the slightest thing. He was still impulsive, though much improved, but still the drama queen. The artist in him would never give that up completely. He was emotional, always had been, always would be. The best he could do was tone it down. Brian could usually tell when something was making his Sunshine unhappy and scrambling his little blond brain. And today, sitting at his desk, he knew something wasn’t right. He felt it in his gut and it was giving him a major headache. He picked up the phone and speed dialed Justin. “Hey, what’re you doing?” he asked when Justin answered. “I’m in my car, on my way to see Dr. Mitchell.” “Doctor? What’s wrong?” “She’s the allergist, Brian. I’ve got to do something. My allergies are driving me nuts and these pills I’m taking aren’t working for shit so I’m going to try and get something better.” “Right. Maybe she can give you a shot or something to clear it up.” “We’ll see. Anyway, did you need anything while I’m in town?” “No, but I’ve got time to have lunch with you if you want.” Brian opened his scheduler quickly to confirm that. “Okay, I’ll pick you up at twelve thirty.” Dr. Mitchell finished up the physical exam then drew some of Justin’s blood to rule out anything systemic. “Justin, it looks like your allergies are being aggravated by something new. Has anything changed around the house? Any new trees planted, have you switched hair or face products?” “No,” Justin replied, miserable and stuffed up. “I need to talk to you about something, but you have to promise to keep it confidential.” “Of course, that goes without saying.” Justin proceeded to tell her all about the puppy and the sequence of events that led up to today. “So, is there anything that you can give me to help?” “Not really. It’s sometimes possible to desensitize you with a series of injections that acclimatize the body to increasing doses of the substance, in your case, dog dander. However, because it occasionally causes dangerous reactions I would not advise it. Furthermore, the end result is often disappointing. I heard a few success stories involving acupuncture, but again, that’s a long shot.” “There are some breeds that work better for people with allergies, Justin. Wheaton Terriers, Australian Silkies. Their hair is more similar to humans and therefore have less chances of causing allergies. I’m sure there are other breeds like that, I just can’t think of them, but I’m sure you can look it up. Perhaps you might think of getting another breed?” “I can’t get rid of this dog Dr. Mitchell. We’ll just have to find a solution. Can I double my daily dose of pills?” “Sure, if you want to walk around like a zombie. Besides, eventually that won’t work either because the source will still be around.” “Fuck,” he said softly. Standing, Justin yanked some more tissue out of the box on Dr. Mitchell’s desk and blew his nose for the hundredth time that day. “Thanks so much for seeing me on such short notice.” “You’re welcome, Justin, I just wish I could have been more helpful.” Trouble Chapter 7 Rated NC 17 When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently... Lunch had been muted and strained. Justin was irritable and withdrawn, barely eating because he couldn’t taste anything. Brian asked about the visit to Dr. Mitchell and had received mono-syllabic answers. It was like trying to pull teeth and not much fun at all. . After Justin dropped him off at Kinnetik, Brian went to his office, sat at his desk and thought about what to do next. He picked up the phone and asked his secretary to get Dr. Mitchell on the line. He was told that the doctor was unavailable but would get back to him shortly. Standing up, he crossed over to the window that overlooked the city. This was a reflex action on his part. He seemed to always do his best thinking here in this spot. In a few minutes his secretary buzzed him to let him know the doctor was on the phone. “Hey, Dr. Mitchell, Brian Kinney here,” he said as he pulled out his chair, sat down and leaned back on the headrest. “Hi Brian, it’s been a while. What can I do for you?” “Well, I know Justin was in to see you this morning and I wondered if perhaps you think we should upgrade the filtration system we have at home. His allergies seem to have kicked in big time and I’m thinking that the machines we have aren’t working right. They are a few years old so maybe it’s time to upgrade. Any suggestions?” There was a long pause after he finished his sentence. “Doctor, are you still on the line?” “Yes, Brian, I’m here. I really don’t think upgrading your system is the answer.” “Oh really? Then what is?” Again, the doctor hesitated before answering. “Um, perhaps you and Justin need to go over this matter, rather than taking it up with me.” “Go over what?” Brian asked, sitting up straight in his chair, not liking the way this conversation was heading. “Oh, whatever it was he and I discussed this morning. I’m sorry Brian, I need to go. My next patient has arrived. It was nice talking to you.” She hung up and Brian stared at the phone in his hand with a puzzled look on his face. What the fuck was that all about? He stood up quickly, grabbed his coat off the rack and made his way out of the office. At the entrance to the building he bumped into Ted and told him we was leaving for the day. Ted looked at his watch. It was only two thirty and Brian had a meeting with the art department at three. After Ted reminded him of that he was told in no uncertain terms to cancel it. Ted was surprised at the look that came over Brian. He had not seen that cold, 'I don’t give a fuck, I will do what I want look', in a long time. In the car, Brian kept going over the last few days and the chain of events that led up to this moment. What the fuck is the doctor not telling me or not able to tell me? Justin had been acting weird ever since that morning he bitched about his ass dimple. Outwardly, all signs pointed to allergies. Stuffy nose, teary eyes, intermittent rashes...classic signs that he had exhibited before Dr. Mitchell had put him on the kick-ass pills a few years ago. Since then his allergies had been totally under control. The pills and the central air purifier seemed to have fixed the problem. Until last week. Whatever bizarre thing is going on at home is causing this. Maybe it’s not allergies? Maybe it’s something more serious and the doctor can’t tell me about it because of privacy regulations and all that other bull shit. Or maybe I’m just freaking out over nothing and should stop acting like a stupid fag. Another strange thing that Justin had started doing all of a sudden was making nocturnal trips around the house, just before bed, insisting on checking the alarms and doors late at night. Something he never did before, knowing it was Brian’s thing. Justin was more than happy to let him play security guard while he warmed up the bed and waited patiently for him to come back. And speaking of bed. They hadn’t had sex in at least thirty six hours and this was seriously pissing Brian off. There was nothing that ruined his day more than a day that started without Sunshine. Justin never, ever refused to have sex. But just the other morning when Brian asked him to blow him, he had refused because he said his nosy was stuffy and he couldn’t breathe with his mouth full. What a crock of shit! Well, he’d had enough of this weirdness. He was going to find out what the hell was going on. As he finally approached Britin, he turned into the driveway and was surprised to see a Jeep Cherokee sitting there. It was old and dirty and had definitely seen better days. Backing his car out of the driveway, he decided to park alongside the road. He got out of his car, locked it and started walking towards the house. As he got closer, he headed towards the back of the house so he could get in through the kitchen. Rounding the corner he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Justin in the middle of the garden deep in conversation with some guy he had never seen before. He was probably in his late twenties, tall, dark hair, tight pants, even tighter jacket. He looked pretty hot from where Brian was standing. They had their heads together and were talking. Brian couldn’t hear a word they were saying. He could just tell from Justin’s body language that he was upset. Suddenly Justin started to cry and the jerk pulled him closer into an embrace to comfort him. Brian felt the air around him turn to ice as his brain tried to process what he was seeing. He couldn’t breathe. All he could hear was his heart beating louder and louder. He tried telling his feet to move but they weren’t listening to his brain at all. They were rooted to the spot, unable to obey the simplest command. His breathing started getting faster and more ragged and he knew he was starting to hyperventilate. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, hoping the natural act of inhaling and exhaling the smoke would regulate his breathing and calm him down. Justin stepped away from Kyle, embarrassed that he had gotten so emotional in front of him. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and apologized for losing it. “I’m sorry Kyle, I didn’t mean to break down like that. I’m just so upset about this turn of events with my fucking allergies. My visit to the doctor was not helpful at all so I have no idea what I’m going to do now. Obviously, I can’t continue like this. I can barely function during the day. My head is either fucked up from double dosing on the antihistamines or it’s full of snot which is even more disgusting. I haven’t picked up a paint brush since the dog came into my life and I have a project I need to finish for the Sydney Bloom gallery which will never happen at this rate. Oh, and did I mention that my partner thinks I’m acting weirder by the minute?” Kyle put his arm around Justin and said, “I think you really need to start thinking about putting him up for adoption, Justin. We can put an ad in the paper and find him a good home.” They turned to start walking toward Kyle’s car and as they headed towards the house Justin saw Brian, leaning against the wall near the kitchen door looking at him. His eyes were blazing and Justin could tell even from a distance that he was beyond furious. If looks could kill there would be some dead bodies right now. The last time Brian looked at him like that was when Justin was part of the Pink Posse and Brian found a gun in his backpack. Justin turned towards Kyle and gently pushed him away. “You’d better get going Kyle. I’ll call you in the morning.” Trouble Chapter 8 Rated R Sometimes, a bark is worse than a bite... Brian and Justin stared at each other as they listened to the sound of the car leaving the driveway. Hesitantly, Justin moved forward towards Brian. “Please, let me explain,” he asked. ‘No,” was the only reply he received as Brian’s frosty eyes bore into him. Turning abruptly, Brian opened the kitchen door and headed straight for the bar in the great room. He grabbed a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and a glass and took the stairs two at a time to his office on the second floor. The sound of the door slamming shut reverberated throughout the house and then there was only silence. Justin stood in the middle of the kitchen, trying to decide whether he should go upstairs now and get this fight over with or wait until Brian calmed down. He had learned through the years not to meet his rages head-on but rather to wait until the storm subsided before trying to iron anything out. However, in this case, he didn’t think waiting was such a good idea. God only knew what ideas were going through Brian’s head right now. How he found out about the dog was a mystery. He should have known Brian would find out soon enough-he always did. He crossed over to the sink and poured himself a glass of water so he could take a couple of allergy pills. He hadn’t had any since breakfast and he could feel himself getting wheezy and congested again. He knew that taking two at a time was not recommended but the last thing he needed while having an argument with Brian was to stop and blow his damn nose. He also thought he should check on the puppy before he went upstairs in case this dragged on forever. He peeked into the dog’s room and saw that the puppy was fast asleep. The sound of the door opening did wake him up and he lifted his head, opened one eye, and wagged his tail slowly back and forth. When he saw that it was only Justin he opened his mouth into an enormous yawn and went right back to sleep. This dog is so damn cute, Justin thought to himself. He looks like a little black bear or a panda without the white eyes. Upstairs, Brian sat at his desk, well into his fifth glass of scotch. His coat and jacket lay on the floor where he threw them when he stormed into the room. His breathing had finally regulated itself but there was a chill creeping through his veins and all he kept seeing in his head was Justin in the arms of that guy. Who the fuck is he and when did this start? This was a question he kept asking himself over and over. How stupid am I that I didn’t even suspect anything or see the signs? The whole ass dimple bullshit was probably his way of telling me that he was feeling unattractive and invisible to other men. Hell, I remember going through a phase like that. When I had to convince myself that I was still the hottest guy around and had to fuck everyone to prove it. But Justin? Doesn’t he know how hot he is? I’ve told him and shown him a million times over. Doesn’t he see the way other men look at him whenever we go anywhere together? How their eyes scan us both but invariably end up being mesmerized by him, because he has a presence that is so intriguing and a confidence well beyond his years The aura he has is something that very few men have been able to resist. How can he not know this? And when he looks at you with those blue eyes that see deep into your soul you want to just die a little because they see too much. Things you’ve never told anyone else but gladly, willingly tell him. And his mouth. Brian groaned as he thought of Justin’s mouth. The mouth that could in one minute bring you to the highest place any person has a right to be without being dead. The thought of that mouth on anyone else was starting to make him shake. Standing up, he lit a cigarette and walked over to the maroon leather sofa. He sat down and leaned his head back. Closing his eyes, he could see Justin in his head, the night he first laid eyes on him, standing under the street light. The most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Then, and still, after all these years, Justin was the only one he had ever wanted. He didn’t do jealous but today he wanted to go out there and kill that guy. The thought of him and Justin having sex was making Brian want to puke or break something. Now into his sixth glass of scotch he started feeling its numbing effects. He stood up and crossed over to the window, trying to decide how to handle this. Should he go ballistic or be Mr. Cool. Fuck cool, let’s go with the ballistic and kick some ass! He yanked open the door and was surprised when he saw Justin sitting cross legged on the floor facing the door. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Brian spat out. “Waiting for you to come out of there.” “Well I’m out. Get out of my way-I need to piss.” “Brian, we need to talk, “ Justin said as he grabbed Brian’s arm. Giving him the raised eyebrow Brian said, “Oh we’ll talk alright. Don’t move, I’ll be right back.” He made his way to the bathroom, a bit unsteady on his feet, but still able to walk a straight line. When he got back Justin was standing in the hallway, waiting for him. The double dose of antihistamines was making Justin feel light headed. His skin felt really tight and his heart was racing. Brian came over to where he was and stood right in front of him, practically in his face and said, “What’s his name?” Justin looked at him with a blank look on his face and said, “I don’t know.” “What do you mean, you don’t know? Isn’t that kind of cold?” Brian asked, his eyebrows way up there again. “Well, I hadn’t really thought about it, to be perfectly honest. I thought we could decide together, “ Justin said looking up at him innocently. “Why the fuck would I care what you name your trick? So, where did you find him? Did you pick him up at Sam’s Club, along with our weekly supply of groceries?” Looking at Brian he said, “No, I did not just pick him up. He followed me home.” “Followed you fucking home!” Brian yelled at him, “ I cannot believe you let a total stranger come into our house, not knowing who the fuck he was or even his name for that matter-have you lost your fucking mind?” Looking at Brian, completely out of control, Justin was trying to understand where this whole conversation was coming from. Maybe I’m over dosing on my pills and am hallucinating, he thought. Wait a minute, what is he talking about? What trick? Justin’s mind didn’t seem to be functioning very well either. “Brian, I need to sit down, I’m really feeling light headed.” Why is he talking about a trick? Brian pushed him down on the floor. He knelt beside him and said, “Is he hung? Does he fuck you just the way you like it?” Justin looked at Brian in disgust. He must be really drunk or high on some other shit. “Brian, he’s not hung. Only you would care about that kind of shit.” Now Justin was starting to get pretty angry himself and he screamed into Brian’s face. “And guess what Brian? I don’t fuck dogs!” Brian huffed and said, “He didn’t look like a dog from where I was. He was actually kind of cute.” “What the fuck are you talking about Brian?” Justin asked him, getting more agitated and nervous. “I’m talking about the ass hole I saw you with out in the garden. The one you’ve been fucking for the last week! What are you talking about?” “Kyle? Fucking? I don’t know what you mean?” “I thought you didn’t know his name?” “I don’t have a name for the dog, but his trainer’s name is Kyle.” “Dog?” Brian looked at him like a wild man. Completely lost in the conversation. “Sunshine, what do you mean by, ‘the dog’? A real one? The kind that goes ‘woof, woof’?” “Yes,” Justin answered exasperated. “A real one. He followed me home last week and I was too afraid to tell you about it because you would make me take him back.” “Wait a second okay? I know I’m really drunk and feel like my head’s going to explode but I know what I saw Justin. I saw you with that asshole out in the garden. I saw him put his arms around you when you were getting all upset. “ As Brian spoke his voice got softer and softer and when he finished and looked at Justin there was a sheen in his eyes. Justin looked at him and finally realized that they were talking about completely different things. He also realized that Brian was dying in front of him because he thought Justin was seeing someone else. “Oh my god, Brian, all this time I’ve been talking about a dog. The one I’ve been taking care of, the one that’s sleeping in our garage right now,” Justin said quietly. He tried to control his tears but they started streaming down his face because he couldn’t believe that Brian thought he was screwing around. No wonder he was acting like an insane man. Brian looked at him, trying to understand what he was hearing. “Sunshine, do you mean that there really is a dog?” “Yes.” “And the guy you were with in the garden?” “His trainer, Kyle.” Breaking down completely Justin’s tears poured non-stop. The tension of the last week was finally too much for him and now seeing Brian upset just finally pushed him over the edge. He grabbed Brian’s face and said, “Brian, I would never have done this behind your back if I thought for one minute you would think I was cheating. Sex has been the last thing on my mind this entire week. I’ve been so afraid that you would find out about the dog and would make me take him back. I didn’t want him to be put down and so I wanted to have him trained and made into this perfect dog so you would love him the way I do and I totally fucked everything up,” Justin babbled on, only stopping to breathe. “And on top of everything else, my body betrayed me by going into a major allergy attack over the dog dander and so I was trying to cover that up too, so you wouldn’t notice.” “Kind of hard not to notice, Sunshine, your nose is starting to look like Rudolph’s. Look, this is 2013. We’ll find a way to control these damn allergies of yours. I’m sure the technology exists, we just need to find it, and I will, trust me.” “Stop it Brian.” “Stop what, Sunshine?” “Stop being so nice. You’re making me feel even worse than I already do.” “Hey,” Brian wiped a tear off Justin’s face. “ Stop with the tears already, okay? This whole thing is a big misunderstanding and I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am that you have a dog and not a lover. If you had told me we have a Wooly Mammoth in the garage I would be just fine with it.” “We do.” Justin smiled, looking at Brian with a twinkle in his eye. Smiling softly, Brian ran his fingers through Justin’s hair. He put his cheek against Justin’s and whispered in his ear, “All this bullshit is because you thought I would make you return the dog. When was the last time I said ‘no’ to you Justin?” Justin heard that and started crying again. “Come on, Sunshine, stop. Please, stop crying, “ Brian said as he continued to caress Justin’s face. “You know I can’t handle it when you cry.” ”I’ll stop, if you stop, Brian,” Justin whispered taking Brian’s wet face in his hands and rubbing his cheeks dry with one of his sleeves. “Christ, aren’t we a pair of fucking drama queens,” Brian laughed gently. “If you tell anyone about this conversation, I will kick your ass!” Smiling widely now Justin looked at him and said, “Who’d believe me?” Hand in hand they made their way downstairs and out to the garage. When Justin opened the door of the room the puppy jumped up from his bed and ran over to where they were standing. “Christ, Justin, “ Brian stood there staring at the dog and couldn’t believe his eyes. “ You weren’t kidding when you said we had a Wooly Mammoth. What the fuck is that?” The puppy looked up at Brian happily and started licking his hand. Brian looked at Justin and just shook his head. “What kind of dog is he?” “He’s a Newfoundland, Brian. A Nana dog.” “What?” “You know, Nana, in the Peter Pan story. She took care of the kids. Same kind of dog, only a different color.” “Oh really?” Brian squatted down to take a better look. For some reason, this dog appealed to him much more, now that he had this new bit of information. “So, what shall we name him?” Justin asked. “How about Trouble,” Brian answered, tongue in cheek. “How about Peter?” Justin said with a big grin. “Perfect,” Brian said, smiling up at Justin. Trouble-Epilogue Rating: R Stop and smell the roses...and dirt, and grass, and fire hydrants, and trees... Brian watched as Justin came in from the garden with Peter following closely behind. He told Brian that he had to take the dog out every night, just before he went to bed, so that he would be okay and ‘accident’ free until the morning. This explained Justin’s nocturnal wanderings, Brian thought to himself. Finally, they settled the dog in his room and closed the lights, leaving the little night light on. “So that Peter won’t get scared,” Justin said. Brian was tired from all the drama of the day, especially the last few hours. He had past drunk long ago and right now was hungry and horny. It had been at least 8 hours since he had last eaten anything. Somehow though, the horny part was winning over the hungry. He could sense that Justin was feeling the same kind of sexual tension; it had been over forty eight hours since they had last had sex; it may as well have been forty eight days. The air around them was thick with anticipation as they entered their bedroom. The lights had switched on automatically but the room was chilly and Justin decided he wanted a fire. He crossed over to the fireplace, setting everything up and getting the fire going. Brian waited, trying hard not to show his impatience. Soon, the flames were shooting up, casting dancing shadows on the walls. Brian walked over to Justin and pulled him into an embrace. “How’s your nose doing Sunshine? You think you can breathe with your mouth full,” he asked playfully. Justin looked at Brian. A lock of hair had fallen into Brian’s eye and Justin lifted his hand to move the hair out of the way. Brian took Justin’s hand, turning it over, kissing the palm then slowly licking each finger, one by one. He was like a cat, lapping at a bowl of milk, gently, enjoying every lick. His eyes continued to bore into Justin’s, the greenish, brown flecks turning yellow in the light of the fire. Justin’s knees felt like they were made of water, he was so turned on by this simple act. They hadn’t even taken their clothes off and he was ready to come, just watching Brian sucking on his fingers. “Brian,” he moaned. Pulling Brian down, Justin started removing his clothes, first his shirt, then his pants, watching as Brian did the same. Soon they were both naked, kneeling in front of each other with the fireplace as a back drop. The rug they were kneeling on was plush and comfortable and the room had started to warm up as the fire got stronger. Brian looked at Justin, unable to take his eyes off him. He was beautiful in the light of the fire, his blond hair disheveled, springing around his face like a halo. In the shadows, his eyes seemed darker, more a sapphire color, than the normal clear blue. The mouth that invariably got Brian right in the gut was pink and wet, waiting to be kissed. Brian moved, putting his mouth on him. Justin held on to Brian pulling him closer, dicks meeting, hard and ready, slippery with pre-cum. The kissing intensified, invasive and rough, tongues roaming over lips and teeth, tasting each other. Their breathing was ragged and soon they had to pull apart, to back off a little, regroup. “Jesus,” Brian said. “I know,” Justin whispered, trying to catch his breath. He laid back, pulling Brian down with him. Brian started playing with Justin’s hair, twirling the strands around his fingers, all the while kissing his forehead, moving down his face back to his mouth. “Sunshine, I want you inside me,” he said. Justin moaned when he heard that, feeling his stomach clench with anticipation. The request was always so special, because it hardly ever happened. Giving up control was not something Brian did lightly, so when he did, Justin never failed to appreciate every moment of it. It was so much more than letting him top. It was Brian acknowledging his love and trust, allowing Justin to see a side of him no one else ever did. It was his own way of saying ‘I love you’, without ever saying a word. Nodding in acknowledgment, Justin turned Brian over, kissing his shoulder blades, licking and leaving a wet trail that he blew on, giving Brian goose bumps. He could feel Brian holding his breath, unable to relax, as always, until he finally heard Justin moan, “Breathe, Brian.” Brian huffed out a breath, then inhaled deeply as he raised his hips to give Justin better access. Justin continued his path down to the divot right above Brian’s beautiful ass, resting there for a minute to try and get control of himself. Rimming Brian was such a turn on for him that he had to really concentrate on not coming himself before they were ready. “Justin,” he heard Brian groan, all he needed to say to let him know he was ready. Justin made his way down to Brian’s crack, lapping everything along the way. When he got to the entrance he could see Brian clenching and puckering, anticipating the invasion that was about to occur. Justin took his time, entering him slowly, twirling his tongue around the tight ring, pushing in little by little as he heard the whimpering coming from Brian. This was all part of the pleasure, hearing the sounds pouring out of him. Brian wasn’t the one who did the screaming, it was always Justin who made enough noise to wake the dead. So one of Justin’s guiltiest pleasures was hearing Brian, as he lost himself in the sensations. It was like winning the lottery, music to his ears. God, he is so good at this, Brian thought, why don’t I let him do this more often? Through the years, Justin had learned so much from Brian, about love making and giving pleasure. Tonight he put it to practice, every move he had ever been taught, prolonging the pleasure, bringing them both up so high, then pulling back, dragging out the torture. Finally he could feel that Brian was having no more of this. He wanted to come. He needed to. Raising his ass, he pulled Justin towards him and said, “Now, Sunshine.” Kneeling in front of him, Justin grabbed a condom and got ready to enter Brian, when he felt himself being pulled forward. Brian pulled him in deep, trying to get control of the situation, topping even as he bottomed, because he couldn’t help himself. Justin stopped him, whispering to him, “No, let me do it.” Moving his head in acknowledgment, he relaxed a little as he felt Justin starting their dance, moving his hips back and forth, hitting deeper until he touched the one spot that always sent Brian over the edge. Brian started to move with Justin, in sync as always. Justin’s hand snaked around Brian’s hip as he took hold of his dick which was now slippery with pre-cum and started to pump in unison with the movements their hips were making. All too soon, they were both clenching and coming together, Brian letting our a huge guttural moan and Justin collapsing on top of him. “Holy shit, Sunshine, ” Brian huffed out. “That was so good,” Justin answered. “I’m so good,” he said, smiling and rubbing his face on Brian’s neck. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two Weeks Later- Thanksgiving day. Brian sat in the living room with a drink of scotch in one hand, listening to Debbie telling stories to anyone who was willing to listen. Her audience consisted of Carl, Ben and Michael, Hunter and his wife Heather and their twins, Debra and Benjie. Also present were Melanie and Lindsay (they had decided not to go to Cancun) with Gus and Jenny sitting on the floor with Peter in between them. Peter looked very nice this evening, Debbie commented, with his pretty bib that said ‘Spit Happens’. Justin had been so excited when he found it the other day in one of the big boxes in the attic. He remembered Gus using it when he was little and so he decided to resurrect it for the dog. So we now have an heirloom bib that has been passed on to the next generation, Brian thought to himself sarcastically. What an insane month this had been, with the dog coming into their lives so unexpectedly. It had been a whirlwind of activity. Brian had put in huge amounts of time researching new techniques for home filtration systems, meeting with the people from AeroTech and pouring over designs that could be incorporated into their system here at Britin. Not to mention all the countless visits Justin had to endure at Dr. Mitchell’s for the ‘acclimatization’ shots to help his immune system to stop over reacting to the dog dander. Thousands of dollars and many man hours later, they seemed to have found the right mix to keep Justin’s allergies at bay. Now he was able to function normally, with a clear head and a mind free of antihistamines. He was back to spending hours painting in his studio, with Peter sitting patiently watching and waiting, for their next outing. It’s a good thing we found a solution, Brian thought to himself, because he vaguely remembered promising Justin he could keep the dog. It was the night of his birthday and it was in a moment of weakness, after one their marathon ‘fuck’ sessions. “Happy Thirtieth birthday, ” is what he said, if he remembered correctly. The subsequent events of that evening, with the mind numbing sex and countless orgasms were much clearer in his mind. Brian had a contented look on his face as he listened to Deb telling everyone how she walked into the house earlier and had almost had a heart attack when she saw Peter, because no one had bothered to tell her about him, least of all her grandchildren who could have prepared her for the shock! “Jesus Christ, Brian,” she said. ”You could have gotten him a Poodle or a fucking Chihuahua you know.” “Hey,” Brian said. “I had nothing to do with this. This was all Sunshine’s doing. And Deb, watch your fucking language will you? There are children present,” he said to her with a wicked grin. The kids looked up at him and giggled. In the kitchen, Justin and Emmett stood looking everything over for one last time. They had worked tirelessly since morning , checking and double checking to make sure everything was perfect for tonight’s dinner. The kitchen smelled wonderful with all the good food that was being prepared. Tonight was not only a Thanksgiving celebration. It was also a birthday party of sorts, for Justin and Ben, who were born on the same day only many years apart. They were also celebrating the fact that for the first time in a long time, everyone was together under one roof. Even Drew Boyd had stayed in town a few more weeks to celebrate with Emmett. The door bell rang and Peter started barking. The kids all ran to the front door to let Ted and Blake in. Behind them stood Cynthia with her new boyfriend with Jennifer and Tuck following closely behind. The noise was deafening as Ted and Cynthia both let out “Holy Shit’s” when they saw Peter. There were hugs and kisses and baskets of flowers being passed around as the dog kept on barking, excited from all the activity and the new faces. The more he barked, the louder people talked. Finally everyone yelled at the same time. “Shut up Peter!” He sat there, looking up at everyone, wagging his tail happily, drooling all over his bib. It was crazy and chaotic and Brian and Justin looked at each other and grinned. Fun times... The End. .