Friday Night

As the class drew to a close, Brian closed his eyes. This had been the longest three hours of his life.

He'd caught himself pausing mid-lesson just to stare at the blond in the back row. Every time their eyes had locked, the teacher lost the ability of speech. Not a helpful attribute for a lecturer. Thankfully he didn't think any of his students had noticed. Well, except for him. Brian had felt the heat of blue searing his bones with each passing second. The second half of class he had been forced to retreat to his desk,in effort to hide his overly obvious arousal.

As he listened to his class' departure, he pinched the bridge of his nose, when he'd heard it. The melody of heaven. Though the notes sounded vaguely familiar he'd been hard pressed to place it. He opened his eyes. They were met with the equally inquisitive eyes of Mr. Taylor.

The large classroom, empty now, save for the two of them seemed to close in around them. It felt as if the walls themselves were insistent on pushing these two together.

Brian felt his lips turn upwards, though he hadn't granted them permission to grin like a lovesick puppy.

"What's that you were just humming?" he asked the blond as he gathered his belongings.

Justin hadn't even realized he'd been making noise. Notes had always flowed easier than words.

"It's part of my Sonata." he said nonchalantly, trying to avoid further detail. He'd literally been working on the piece for several of Brian's lifetimes. The sense of failure pressed heavy upon him that in too many ages, he had never completed it. He knew something was missing, but had been unable to identify it's identity.

Stepping into the hall, Brian turned "Walk you home?" he asked almost shyly. Those fucking non existent butterflies began not fluttering again.

"Actually, I thought I'd take a walk. It's beautiful tonight." Justin answered.

"Oh. OK." The Professor replied, mischance heavy. "Goodnight then." he smiled and turned.

Justin was damn near bouncing with fucking glee as he listened to the brunet's disappointment. No, not because he was a bastard, but because he knew how to fix it.

"Care to join me?" he called down the hall, ecstatic grin in place.

Brian stopped. Gulped. Turned. Walked. Approaching the blond, he couldn't stop his eyes from tracing the man's slender form. 'Damn straight I want to come...and come, and come some more.' his mind answered. Thankfully the words hadn't reached his lips.

"Sure. Well, if you don't mind." he answered aloud.

Justin nodded and smiled softly "The night awaits us Professor Kinney." the blond bowed, eliciting a chuckle and a head shake from the brunet. 'Christ this twat was adorable.'

Standing now in the courtyard, Justin was feverishly trying to read the brunet. All throughout class up until now, Brian sounded wounded. The blond had been eager to get the man alone, and with any hope get him to talk. Brian was so closed off. So much so that Justin guessed the man had secrets he'd kept from even himself.

Whether he'd outwardly displayed his emotions or not, the blond could always see them. Though true, the Professor had always had a somber aura, tonight was different. Something significant sat heavy on the brunet's shoulders. Even as he stood in the crowded promenade, Brian's heart sang a lonely song. Brian's eyes focused on a memory Justin couldn't see. He could tell the instant he'd met him, that the man didn't prefer to overshare.

"Are you alright?" he inquired in a voice so soft, it sent a shiver down Brian's spine.

The brunet ordered himself not to meet the student's eyes. For he had been too afraid of what Justin would see there. Also, he feared that once he welded with sapphire, he'd start talking about Mikey and get all emotional and shit. 'Don't meet his eyes.' he mentally repeated, then instinctively looked up and caught those fucking blue oceans anyway. He was beginning to get irritated at his blatantly disobedient body.

"Of course. I'm fine." he lied. Truth was Michael had shared every moment of today with him. Justin Taylor had also spent some quality time in Brian's thoughts.

Accepting the other man's answer of avoidance (for now), The blond decided not to push him. Nevertheless, Justin hated knowing that Brian was struggling internally. He needed to lift the brunet's spirits. With any luck, his Professor may actually even relax.

"Close your eyes." he instructed simply.

Brian stared blankly for several moments. He had been lost in thought when Justin had found him. "Uh, my eyes?"

"Yes. Those gorgeous orbs in the middle of your face. Close em'." the blond teased "And you call yourself an educator." he shook his head.

Usually Brian would have refused such a request. Closing his eyes meant letting someone else observe him. It meant relinquishing control. It meant allowing himself to trust.

Though for some reason,he gave in and allowed his eyelids to fall. A small knot of worry found his stomach, that may or may not have had to do with the fact that the blond had just said his eyes were gorgeous. This was beginning to feel a whole lot like everything Brian wasn't sure he'd wanted.

"Don't get frisky Taylor." Brian teased, eyes still closed.

Justin resisted the urge to trace his finger along the brunet's eyelashes. He'd been entranced by the way they gingerly met his face. He loved them merely for the fact that they protected the most exquisite eyes in existence.

"What do you hear?" Justin urged.

Eyes still closed, Brian raised an eyebrow, and a smirk found his lips.

Justin, more in awe than annoyed spoke again "I'm serious. I want you to listen and tell me what you hear."

Noting the seriousness of the blond's voice, Brian sighed and listened. "I hear New York. Cussing, yelling, honking, talking." he listed rapid fire.

"Anything else?" Justin asked.

"I'm not sure what you're wanting me to hear here Hollywood." he was puzzled.

"OK. You may open your eyes, and follow me please." he instructed.

'No problem. Brian would follow that ass anywhere.'

In less than five minutes they found themselves on the rooftop of Justin's building. Brian had to admit the view was fucking breathtaking, though it paled in comparison to the pale vision beside him.

The city's skyline provided an elegant backdrop to the blond piece of art. "So what are we doing up here?" the Professor asked the masterpiece with genuine interest.

By way of answer the blond just smiled. 'No. he hadn't just smiled. He'd illuminated the world, or at least this city, or at the very least he'd illuminated Brian's ...er...something or other. Definitely not his heart.'

Momentarily the 'City that never sleeps' stood still. Focused intently on Justin's smile, he froze. Time stopped. All else quickly faded from Brian's view, as Justin was the only thing worth seeing.

Though the dazzling lights dancing across the city, lessened the moon's glow, it hadn't mattered. This man's smile was truly the light of the night. Sunshine chasing the darkness away.

The damn thing was seemingly seeping from the blond's pores. The brunet had never seen anything so mesmerizing. Every feature the pale man wore was outshone; giving the appearance that he'd been poured from liquid gold.

He wanted to kiss that smile. So he did. A quick chaste kiss on the corner of flawless lips. Justin only smiled wider.

"Close your eyes." he instructed once more.

"This again Sunshine?" he rolled his eyes, but conceded and closed them once more.

'Sunshine.' Never before had a single word caused so many feelings in an equally massive amount of places. Inside, Justin was beaming brighter than his smile ever could.

He took Brian's word of endearment, gingerly wrapped it, and tucked it away in his heart for safe keeping. He would hold onto it always. It was as close as he'd ever come to having the sun return to his desolate darkness.

For a moment, the blond just stared at the brunet with awe and admiration. Shamelessly gawking, he'd wondered briefly 'If he stared hard enough would he be able to catch a glimpse of his soul?' Something the vampire himself no longer believed he'd had.

He imagined Brian's soul to be extraordinary. Fierce yet gentle. Despite his tough exterior, Justin knew the truth. He'd repeatedly heard it in the man's song. Brian Kinney was as delicate as a house of cards. One whispered breath could be all it would take to destroy him.

"Listen. Are you listening?" Justin inquired.

Brian dramatically straightened his posture and playfully tapped his ears.

"Tell me what you hear." the blond instructed.

The brunet evoked his right to remain silent. Besides, he hadn't a clue what Justin was getting at. All he was hearing up here was the same obnoxious city he'd heard below.

*"Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination." the student half spoke, half sang almost too softly to hear. Brian heard him.

Behind closed doors, hazel smiled. The blond was singing lyrics to 'Music of the Night' and Brian couldn't help but note that he was doing so flawlessly. 'Was there anything this kid couldn't do?'

"We often lose ourselves in the rush of everyday; causing us to miss out on the melody of life." Justin explained to a still very perplexed Brian.

"That's quite poetic sunshine." the teacher said in jest, eyes still closed.

"When that happens," Justin began "when it seems as though it's notes are lost forever, you can still hear it. If you know where to look." he approached the Professor and rested his head on the taller man's shoulder. He relished in it's warmth.

"There's a rhythm in everything. Sometimes all it takes is a different view, a new perspective for it to play." Slowly hovering above Brian's ear, Justin's cool whispered lyrics sent a deliciously icy shiver straight to his cock. *"Softly, deftly, music shall surround you. Hear it , feel it closing in around you."

The brunet was finally beginning to understand this poem of a man. *'Listen to the music of the night' the lyrics spoke to his insides. He took a slow deep breath, then for the first time in too long, truly listened.

A nearby rooftop fan wooshed a delicate tune. Door chimes and car horns danced along with a struggling street performer's guitar. The vibrant color changing fountain splashed and crashed in sync with the chatter and laughter twirling in the air.

There was indeed a symphony in the atmosphere. A chorus of life.

Something that at first Brian had deemed ridiculous was rapidly becoming his favorite song. He'd found himself seizing every note singing through the breeze.

He felt Justin's light caress on his arm. Opening his eyes, blue pools shimmered before him; into which he'd desperately wanted to dive. He was still wearing that smile, unfair in it's beauty.

The Professor's stomach flipped in co-ordinance with his thumping heart.

He had never before done an activity so, so... the word 'Whimsical' came to mind. Which he'd quickly countered with 'Lesbionic'.

This blond was unlocking him with one too many fucking keys.

His soft touch, his gentle embrace, the song of his voice, that smile on his face.

Observing the locksmith now, he'd noticed him noticing something in the sky. Instinctively Brian too drew his gaze upwards.

Tonight's time together was beginning to feel a little like romance. However you don't outlive a century and not learn to read people. Justin knew that the mere mention of 'mush' would result in a closed off Kinney; which in turn would result in a loneliness in his own chest.

Justin's mind mingled with fleeting coherence. Listening to Brian's blood was causing a bought of mental paralysis. It was almost too much to bear. The Professor's heart was beating slowly, indicating for the first time since he'd first heard him, that the man was content. Satisfied with just being here. Here, with him.

A tiny trace of Justin's long forgotten happiness returned. Brian Kinney was quickly filling the vast void his soul had long ago become.

Looking at the sky, he frowned. Albeit, he'd never felt closer to heaven than he did in that moment, not a single star was visible.

"Pity we can't see the stars." Justin sighed almost longingly.

Hazel found blue. Brian couldn't relate, for he was currently looking directly into two luminescent stars. Blue eyes that shone brighter than any twinkle in the sky.

A spark of thought ignited a plan.

Wordlessly, he took the blond's fragile hand into his own; allowing no pause for contemplation of the intimate gesture.

"There's somewhere I'd like to take you." he informed the student without further explanation. As they made their way back down to the street, Brian was grateful he could not see his own face. He'd been certain the foolish grin currently holding his lips hostage, would ruin his image of himself.

Within minutes, Brian was ushering the blond into a taxi, excitedly anxious to bring Sunshine to the stars.