“I can’t believe you’re working on your birthday” Justin exclaimed as Debbie handed him an order. “Sunshine, when you get to my age, its good to know you can still move around unassisted” she said with a wink and a snap of her gum. Justin laughed and placed the order down  in front of a hot red head, whom Justin was pretty sure he’d fucked a few months ago. From the smile on the guys face and the way he looked at Justin, he also seemed to recall the event. Justin got a momentary stab of disappointment knowing that he wasn’t allowed to do that anymore. He pushed it away. That’s what he wanted wasn’t it? That’s what made his relationship with Ethan special. 

Justin turned away from the twink, Steve was his name?, and walked slap-bang into something solid. As two strong arms caught him before he lost his balance, he realised it was more a someone then a something. He smelt the familiar sent and felt the expensive Italian cotton suit, and he knew who it was before he even looked up. “Whoa, careful there sonny boy” Brian breathed. “Nearly had you on your back” he smiled slightly. “Wouldn’t be the first time” Justin said before he could stop himself. He felt the hot blush creep up his neck and settle in his cheeks. Brian raised his eyebrow. “Indeed” he almost whispered. They stood staring at each other for a long moment, Brian’s hand still resting on the small of Justin’s back. “Oi Kinney, your lunch is getting cold” Debbie shouted across the dinner. Brian dropped his hand and Justin stepped away. “Er….um…thanks” the blond stammered. “Anytime” Brian replied, a strange look passing over his features. 

As Brian walked back to the counter and his now luke-warm lunch, Justin tried to regain his composure. It was nothing he told himself. The fact that his heart was going ten-to-the-dozen was because he had almost ended up on his butt in front of a dinner full of customers. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he had just been so close to Brian he could almost taste him. No nothing at all.

			  		~	~                     ~  

Brian hoped he looked nonchalant and unaffected as he walked back to his seat, because he felt anything but. He’d forgotten how intoxicating it was being that close to Justin. He could feel his hands shaking slightly as he picked up his drink. Right no more coffee for him. He could feel Debbie staring at him and didn’t know if he wanted to kiss her or kill her. Kiss her because she probably just stopped him from doing something really stupid like throwing Justin down on one of the tables and fucking his brains out, and kill her because she made him feel like he’d done something wrong. And Brian hated feeling like that. 

“What the fuck was that?” Debbie’s voice broke through Brian’s silent contemplation. “I think it was supposed to be the meatloaf” He said poking at the brown mass on his plate. Suddenly he’d lost his appetite. “That’s the best fucking meatloaf in the state asshole!” Debbie scolded hitting Brian round the back of his head with her order pad. “ And you know very well that’s not what I’m talking about”. Brian put on his most innocent face. He doubted Debbie would buy it but it would give him enough time to make his getaway. “I’m afraid you are mistaken, I have absolutely no I idea to what you are referring and I’m gonna be late for a meeting so I’ll have to love you and leave you”. 

He stood up and threw some notes down on the counter. He really didn’t want a lecture from Debbie right now. It looked like he was going to get one anyway when she grabbed his arm. He huffed turning around. Something in his face must have told her not to push it though as all she said was “I’ll see you at Woodys’ tonight? For birthday drinks? Bout 8?”. He lent forward and kissed her cheek. “Of course. Happy birthday”. As he walked towards the exit he caught Justin’s eye. “Later” was all he could manage before pushing through the door.

				~	~	~       

Debbie watched the loaded look which passed between the two men. She saw the longing on the 19 year olds face as he watched Brian’s retreating back through the window. It pained her to see. It pained her even more knowing that nothing good would come of it. She’d had her suspicions for a while that Justin wasn’t as idyllically happy in his new relationship as he liked to make out. He’d lost some of his sunshine glow since he’d left Brian to be with Ethan. 

At first Debbie just put it down to stress. The worry of how everyone would react to what had happened. Also he missed the older man, of course he did. They had been through a lot together, but Debbie truly believed that Justin had made the right decision for him and that once the gossiping died down he would relish in his new romance. 

Although things did seem to improve and some spark returned to Justin’s demeanour he still hadn’t reached his old giddy heights, and today the reason for that became totally apparent. Brian. Kinney. The waitress realised the moment they bumped into each other. She could see it in their faces, could almost see the air around them crackling with electricity. Their stare was so intense, so personal that she almost didn’t want to interrupt them. She felt she should though when an image of them fucking on one of the tables whilst the other customers ate their lunches around them, flashed through her mind and she realised with those two it was always a possibility. She watched now as Justin smiled at a blond woman as he refilled her coffee mug. It had been stupid of her not to realise it straight away. She supposed she just tried to believe that Justin had moved on. Now she had seen it with her own eye’s though it was impossible to ignore. Justin Taylor loved Brian Kinney. Always had always will. Poor Sunshine was fucked.