Earlier that Morning...

Brian gulped down the last of his coffee, along with one remaining bite of his whole wheat toast as he set the china coffee mug down on the counter next to the sink.  He smiled; he hadn't used his 'Best Dad in the Whole, Wide, World' mug in a long time. Gus had purchased it for him several years ago as a Father's Day gift, and while he had made a point of using it whenever his son has visited Britin after that, he preferred just the plain but sturdy, off-white china mug that he normally used.  Today, though, as he helped prepare his daughters' breakfasts - egg white omelet for Kaylee and some blueberry pancakes dripping in syrup for Katie - and they awaited Justin's return from Chicago, he thought it was an appropriate time to take it out and use it again.

"Ready?" he called over to the girls as they finished up their meal.  Both girls were clad in comfortable attire for 'Operation Sunshine' as Brian had dubbed their mission earlier.   They were finally beginning to assert more of their uniqueness between them now rather than highlighting their multitude of similarities, he noticed, as he peered over at them.  Katie was wearing a pair of unadorned, form-fitting, purple running pants tied with a drawstring at the waist and a dark purple tank top, while Kaylee, ever the girly-girl, was wearing a looser fitting pair of emerald green capris with lace at the cuffs and a matching tee-shirt with eyelet lace at the collar.

"Ready, Sir!" They both responded as they looked over to him with twinkling eyes and gave their father a mock salute, both giggling between themselves conspiratorially like they were hiding some big, deep secret.  Ever since Brian had asked them earlier if they wanted to help him prepare the carriage house for their father's arrival later this evening, they had been giddy over the thought of their mutual 'secret mission.'  Of course, after conducting covert maneuvers for the past several weeks to help bring both fathers back together, Brian figured this was right in their area of expertise anyway.   Truth be known, he was quite proud of himself for thinking of it in the first place.  Not that he couldn't actually do 'romance' when he wanted to, but after witnessing his and Justin's daughters in action down in the wine cellar that day, he figured they would be more than happy to help take care of the more sentimental aspects of his plan in addition to helping to spiff the place up.   Calling Cynthia on her cell earlier to inform her that she would have to reschedule his clients today or get Ted to cover for him, he had the entire day now to carry his plan out.   While he had meant every word about allowing Justin to adjust to being back at Britin, that didn't mean he couldn't do his best to help make him feel more 'comfortable.'

Wiping his mouth off with his napkin, he placed it down next to his coffee mug.  "Okay, then, soldiers; dirty dishes in the sink and then it's off to the battlefield!"  The girls chortled over their father's silliness as they slid off their counter stools and rushed over to the sink; plates, silverware, and glasses clinked raucously together as they hurried to join their father by the back door a few seconds later.

"What exactly are we going to do, Dad?" Katie asked, a little suspicious all of a sudden as she noticed what appeared to be cleaning materials propped by the back door:  a couple of brooms, a plastic carrying bin filled with various cleaning items, and two pairs of small-sized gloves.  "You're not giving us latrine duty, are you?" she pressed, hands on her hips.

--

Brian laughed as he reached over to affectionately ruffle her thick hair; only now was it starting to grow just a bit longer, and was now down to her just above her shoulders.  He knew, however, that she wouldn't permit it to grow much longer than that, or it would interfere with her sports.  Unlike her sister, Katie despised having to style her hair.  She was - and always had been - a 'dry and go' kind of girl.

"Daaaad," Katie whined as she pulled away in reaction.  "Do you mind?"

Brian grinned.  "Sorry, Your Majesty," he told her with a bow as Kaylee giggled beside her.

Katie glowered at her before she turned back toward her father.  "You didn't answer me, Dad.  I love Daddy, and I would do almost anything for him.  But I draw the line at toilets."

Brian laughed.  "No latrine duty," he reassured her with a smile.  "The carriage house is pretty much all set to go. I just thought we could just do a little touch up and add a few things to make your father feel a little more at home there, that's all."

Katie squinted her eyes up at him in curiosity.  "What sort of things?"

It almost seemed like her father appeared uncomfortable with her question as he hesitated slightly.  "Well, uh, you know," he stumbled a little.  "Maybe some fresh flowers from the rose bushes out back.  And we'll need to go into town to the grocery store so we can fully stock the kitchen.  And I imagine he'll be hungry when he gets here, so maybe you girls can help me with a crockpot recipe of some kind.  You know your father," Brian added as he looked at them.

"Yeah, Daddy's always hungry," both girls replied in unison as if they had rehearsed it.

Brian shook his head in amazement.  "I don't know how you do that," he marveled.  "But you're right; your father is never one to turn down a good meal, especially when it includes dessert."  He clapped his hands.  "So let's get going, troops!  Operation Sunshine has now commenced!"

"Yeah!" Both girls grinned and gave themselves a 'high five' as their father slid the back patio door open and, picking up the variety of cleaning supplies waiting for them, they all ambled along the winding pathway leading toward the carriage house, all three of them anxiously awaiting the one missing link in their newly-reformed family.

Later that Evening...

Brian surveyed the spotless carriage house with a pleased eye:  thanks to their daughters' efforts, the space had been completely dusted and vacuumed.  The polished, hardwood floor gleamed in the glow of the candlelight flickering on top of the modest-sized dining room table, and yellow and red roses were grouped together in vases throughout the combination living/dining great room, providing a fragrant aroma that rivaled the most expensive perfume.  In an odd way, it actually complimented the smell of the Beef Bourguignon currently warming in a crock pot on the kitchen counter over by the stove.

"Only for you, Sunshine," he murmured softly as he recalled his choice to contribute one of his most expensive bottles of Pinot Noir to the recipe, having discovered earlier in the day that he and the girls had forgotten to pick up a cheap bottle of wine at the small grocery located in town.  "Shit, am I so fucked," he muttered as he realized it was well after his normal cut-off time of seven o'clock for eating anything heavily carb-laden.  Of course, he shouldn't be surprised; from the first moment he had met Justin, his partner had managed to make him break many of his typical rules.  Why should this be any different?  In an odd way, it was actually comforting and provided him with hope that the two of them at last were on the right track.

He had to give their girls credit, too; instead of insisting on sticking around to wait for Justin's return, they had readily agreed to wait back up at the house for him with their grandmother and Gus to welcome him back and give their father a chance to greet him privately afterward.  Now all they had to do was wait - impatiently - for the 'guest of honor' to appear.

Having talked briefly to Justin about two hours ago and unable to wait any longer to hear his voice again, Brian keyed in Justin's one-digit phone code and waited impatiently for him to answer.  The phone rang twice before finally he heard it connect.

"Hey."

"Where are you?"

Justin laughed softly.  "Well, hello to you, too. I'm about two hours closer than I was the last time we talked."

"Asshole.  You know what I mean."

"Such a romantic," Justin growled, but there was no sting in his voice, only amusement.  "If you had waited about ten more minutes, you could have talked to me in person."

Brian's heart quickened in excitement.  "You're almost home?"

"Yeah," Justin smiled at the thought.  "I'm almost home."  He knew the word wouldn't be lost on Brian, either.  "I'm just now driving by the grocery store."

Brian couldn't help smiling in response.  He was within a few minutes, then.  He couldn't fucking wait to see Justin again, and to start them back on the road to a permanent reconciliation - with the help of two dearly-loved daughters, that is.  He knew he would have their full support.  "Just don't stop on the way by," he teased his partner as he heard Justin laugh that magical laugh that he had missed for so long.

"Damn," Justin played along as he drove on by.  "And I was craving Moose Tracks."

"You can track your moose later," Brian told him as Justin laughed.  "Get your ass back here.  I know two girls who are missing you like crazy.  And one father, too," he added softly in admission.

"Brian..."

"They're up at the house with your mom and Gus," Brian added before Justin could continue.  "Go up there first and say hello."

"First?  Where are you? At the stables?"

"Why?" Brian couldn't help asking, his lips curled under.  "Wanting to do a little 'riding' when you get home, Sunshine?"

Justin rolled his eyes as he felt his face warm at the thought; Brian could almost 'hear' his reaction as he responded a little to his disappointment, "Sorry, Mr. Kinney.  No 'riding' right away.  I'm pretty bushed at the moment after the long drive.  You didn't answer my question, though, by the way."

"I'm out at the carriage house; I wanted to make sure everything was in order before you got home."

Justin turned onto the highway heading toward the house, the night slowly encroaching and turning the horizon a delightful shade of pale purple and pink as the sun began to set.  "Everything seemed fine before," he pointed out.

"I just wanted to air it out a little," Brian vacillated; after all, it wouldn't be a surprise if Justin knew the real reason.

"Oh," he responded, seemingly accepting Brian's explanation to his partner's relief.  "That was a good idea; it did smell a little musty before.  Give me about five more minutes, then; I'm about a mile away now."

"Okay, but go up to the house first so you can see the girls, and then come on back."  Brian paused for a moment.  "I've missed you."

Justin smiled.  "I've missed you, too.  Stay where you are.  I'll be there as soon as can. "

"I'll be waiting," Brian told him softly as he disconnected the call.  Taking a moment to be grateful that Justin was, indeed, back home for good this time, he slowly looked around to make sure everything was ready.  "That'd better be a quick hello," he decided with a vow as he got to work setting the table for their candlelight meal.

Justin could feel the tension starting to leave his body as he pulled up the long, winding driveway of the estate.  The cats mewed softly in the backseat, almost as if they were aware that they would soon be reunited with Kaylee as he slowed down to a stop in front of the entrance to the house and turned off the motor.  He barely had time to unlatch his seatbelt and open the car door before the front door burst open and two excited girls rushed down the sidewalk toward him.

"Daddy!" both girls squealed as he reached out and grabbed onto them, giving them both a big bear hug.

"Welcome home, Daddy!" Katie told him, her face lit up with exhilaration.

"Hey, girls!" he greeted them with a big smile of pleasure as he kissed first one girl and then the other on the cheek before pulling back a little to look at them.  He grinned at Kaylee, who turned around to peek through the back window, her hands cupped over the glass so she could see a little more clearly.  "Someone wants to say hello to you," he told her as she let out a shriek of excitement and flung the back door open to crawl inside.  The cats immediately responded to her voice by meowing loudly for attention, no doubt excited at being reunited with her and wanting to get out of their confinement after having been in their cat carriers for far too long.

"There're my kitties!" she cried out in joy as she opened the first door of the carrier holding Picasso and reached in to pet him.  "I've missed you both so much!"

"Be careful," Justin reminded her.  "You don't want him to get out just yet.  Let's get them inside and then we can get their litter boxes and everything set up, okay?  You want to hand Picasso's carrier to your sister and get a hold of Dali's?" he suggested.  He noticed Katie shrinking back a little from the car.  "Katie?"

"They don't like me," she reminded him as she bit her lip apprehensively and eyed the green, glowing eyes staring back at her from the carrier.  "I'm afraid they'll bite me.  Do you know what happens if a cat bites you?  You get rabies and die."

"Katie," he gently advised her.  "Both cats have had their rabies shots, so you wouldn't get rabies.  But you are smart to be a little cautious until they get to know you better," he agreed.  "Cat bites can get infected.  But I'm sure once they get to know you, you'll be fine.  They're actually quite lovable."

"I'll take you word on that," she answered dubiously as she stood back from them.  "But they growled at me before," she recalled all too well.

Justin nodded, remembering clearly the odd reaction both cats had had to his daughter, back when he assumed it had been Kaylee with him in Chicago.  He sighed.  He could tell all of them - human AND feline - were going to have an adjustment period here.  Perhaps that was one more reason why it was best he and Kaylee start out in the carriage house for now.  "I remember," he told her as he peered inside the backseat.  "Kaylee, hand me Picasso's carrier and you can take Dali's in, okay?  And we'd better keep them in the carriers until we can get them out to the carriage house.  Until your sister and father are more accustomed to them being around, we'll have to be careful."

She nodded, a little disappointed that the cats wouldn't have free reign to go wherever they pleased. But she supposed she could understand that.  She handed the first cat carrier to her father and then scooted back out with Dali's in her hands.  "They would never bite you," she assured her sister, but Katie wasn't convinced as she stood aside to let her pass, giving them a wide berth in the process.

"I'll hold off judgment on that," she told her sister as Kaylee softly scoffed.  To her, the cats were almost a physical extension of her; the thought of being afraid of them was ludicrous.  But then she thought about how she still was nervous around Eton and Ceres while Katie was so comfortable perched on top of them, and she thought better of making light of it.

A few minutes later, both cats had been led out on leashes to the backyard to relieve themselves and, with freshly-replenished food bowls and water, they were presently roaming around unfettered with Kaylee in the downstairs rec room where their father had temporarily rested after his ankle sprain, Justin surmising that Brian wouldn't be too thrilled about him bringing the cats with him to the carriage house just yet.

He smiled as he came up from the basement, a little relieved that the door leading up to the main floor was unlocked - and open - this time.  Finding his mother sitting at the kitchen counter nursing a coffee mug, he walked over to briefly sit next to her.  "Quiet for a change," he observed as she nodded, enjoying the relative solitude as well.

"Katie and Gus are in the library," she told him.  "They're looking at art books."

Justin laughed.  "Art books?  I would have expected that from Katie, but Gus?  Not him; maybe playing one of his video games or listening to music. Gus doesn't seem like the artsy type, even though he could wield a mean crayon when he was younger."

Jennifer grinned.  "He's not," she verified.  "He does love sports, though; that's one thing he and his sister have in common.  But she's good at wrapping him around her finger.  He's doing it for her; well, for both of you.  She's looking for ideas on what to paint with you tomorrow."  She smiled at her son affectionately.  "She's so happy that you're back, Justin, and she's extremely excited about the idea of getting to paint with you."

Justin nodded.  "So am I," he told her sincerely before his smile faded just a bit.

Jennifer frowned.  "What?" she asked softly.

Justin sighed.  "Nothing really.  It's just that when you mentioned how Gus was more into sports than art, and how Katie wraps him around her little finger, it just made me realize how much I don't really know about either one of them.  About how much time has passed since we were all together.  It worries me, I guess."

Jennifer's brow creased.  "Worries you?  How?"

"Mom, it's been over a decade since Brian and I were together with the girls as a family, and Gus wasn't too keen on the idea at first of us getting back together."

"I thought the two of you had patched things up since then, though," she pointed out as she cupped her hands around the warmth of the china mug and eyed her son thoughtfully.

Justin nodded.  "We have," he confirmed.  "It's not really that.  It's...," he struggled to explain.  "I don't want anything to happen this time around that tears us apart again.  I've invested my heart and soul into making this work; Brian and I BOTH have.  For our sake - as well as for our daughters - I can't afford to fuck it up this time."

Jennifer reached over to place her slender hand on top of her son's lower arm.  "Justin, might I remind you that you 'didn't fuck it up,' as you put it, on your own?  I'm convinced that Brian wants this to work just as much as you do; maybe even more.  He loves you, Sweetheart.  And I know you've never stopped loving him.  And the girls?  My God, they're over the moon just at the thought of all of you being a family again!"

Justin let out a deep breath between his lips.  "I guess that's what scares me the most," he admitted to his mother.  "Do you know how devastated they will be if this doesn't work out?  That's why I want Kaylee and me to live in the carriage house first, so we can slowly ease into this.  The girls have to come first, then Brian and me.  At least that's one thing that I'm sure both Brian and I agree on."

Jennifer smiled with a nod as Justin's cellphone buzzed, signifying an incoming text message.  "Speaking of Brian..."  Something told her that someone was getting impatient.  She knew she was correct when she noticed her son blush as he read the message left for him.

"Yeah, someone's looking for me," he told her as he slid off the counter stool and turned his phone off before his mother had a chance to see the photo Brian had just sent to him with his text.  "I'd better go say hello."

Jennifer laughed.  "Well, tell Brian I said 'hello,' too...but not in the same way."

"Mom!" Justin protested as his face flushed an even darker shade of pink as he turned to go.  "Will you let the girls know where I am?"  His mother nodded as he added, "Oh, and....will you tell them that we'll come up and wish them good night before they go to sleep?"

"Are you sure about that, Justin?" she asked with a knowing smile.

Justin nodded.  He knew how 'persuasive' his partner could be - and what an enormous temptation he was just by being in his presence - but he was determined to hold his ground this time.  "Yeah, I'm sure," he told his mother.  "They've been going to bed around 11, I think.  Tell them we'll be up to wish them good night before then."  He peered over into his mother's eyes as he explained, "I want to take things slowly this time, Mom.  That means actually TALKING things out, not falling back on our normal operating procedure."

She raised her eyebrows doubtfully for a few seconds before nodding, silently pleased with her son's decision.  "I'll take care of rounding them up, Honey.  You go ahead before someone comes looking for you."

Justin grinned, nodding as he opened the sliding glass door and walked out, closing it behind him.  Jennifer stared after his quickly retreating figure before she retrieved her mug and walked over to place it in the sink.  "Good luck," she murmured as she watched her son through the window overlooking the pathway that headed back toward the carriage house.

"Grandma!  Come and see!  I found the perfect photo!" Katie called out to her as her musing was interrupted.

"Be right there, Honey!" she yelled back as, with one last look, she turned and headed off toward the library.

Carriage House - A few minutes later...

Justin stood at the door to his and Kaylee's new home; his heart fluttering in his chest like a million, winged butterflies.  He had been eager enough before to see Brian again, but once he had sent him that text with the brief message - see what you're missing, Sunshine - and that photo of him standing in front of the bathroom mirror, clad in a pair of hip-hugger jeans with the fly open as he stroked himself - the adrenalin had rushed through him and promptly settled in his dick.  He took a few deep breaths before turning the handle, knowing the door would be unlocked, before he slowly pulled the door open and took a peek inside.

What he found was totally unanticipated.  He had fully expected Brian to revert back to his old modus operandi and be standing there, naked as the day as long with only a wide smirk on his face and a shot of Beam in his hand as they came face to face. But instead, from the sound of things, his partner was in the kitchen; he could hear a tinkling sort of sound like glasses being banged together, and then the distinctive popping noise of a bottle being opened as he quietly closed the door behind him.

He remained frozen to the spot as he surveyed the softly-lit space; a single, plain pillar candle stood in the middle of the wooden, rectangular table, the flame creating intriguing patterns on the simple china table settings.    What appeared to be a basket of some sort of bread sat off to the side.  The table was nothing fancy, befitting the space that surrounded it, but he could tell that Brian had taken some time to carefully place the table settings in order, stacking the smaller salad plate on top of the dinner plate and setting water glasses near the silverware.  He walked over closer to the table to examine it, smiling as he noticed a couple of small, white seating cards placed next to each plate.  He could clearly recognize Kaylee's handwriting on the one that said "Daddy;" the other card was written in a bolder style, probably Katie's, and said "Dad."    Each one had "XOXO" written underneath.  He shook his head in amusement; apparently Brian had enlisted some accomplices when it came to his table design.

"Hey," he heard softly behind him then as his heart began to pound.  Justin slowly turned around and, despite his conviction to take things slow this time, his breath caught in his throat at the sight of his barefooted partner standing quietly a few feet away, a canning jar full of wildflowers clutched in his hand as he gazed over at him.  He was actually surprised to see that instead of being undressed, Brian was clad in a well-loved pair of worn jeans - he recognized them as the same pair he had so tantalizingly left unbuttoned earlier when he had sent him the photo - but to Justin's relief, they were now buttoned back in place.   A form-fitting, black sleeveless tank top completed his ensemble, making him look particularly dangerous and attractive.

"Welcome home," Brian murmured.  He appeared a little embarrassed at being caught in the act as he curled his lips under and walked over to place the jar of flowers down in the middle of the table.  "The girls, uh, they couldn't find a vase earlier.  So I found this under the sink and thought it might do the trick."  He poked his tongue into his cheek impishly at that last part as Justin peered over at him and rolled his eyes at the double entendre.

He stared at the beautiful array of diverse colors and types arranged in the greenish-blue glass container.  "Are these from the flower garden?" he asked softly as he reached out to touch a silky, yellow lily petal, remembering how much he used to admire the vibrant display of flowers that always grew out back by the fence.  The girls had always delighted in picking their own bouquets to bring him each day as they toddled in from the backyard with Brian, holding out their treasure proudly to him, even though some of the flowers they picked were invariably interspersed with a healthy dose of dandelions and wild clover.  Despite his allergies, though, to Justin those flowers offered from chubby little hands were the most exquisite treasure he could ever have hoped to receive.

Brian nodded as he watched Justin stare at the flowers, his own memories flooding back in much the same manner.  "Yeah," he told him as he stood next to his partner.  "It was the girls' idea to go pick them and bring them to the table; they said it would be...romantic."

Justin laughed softly at the disdainful tone in Brian's voice as he tripped over the last word; it was somewhat akin to someone finding a dead rat.   "Somehow that doesn't surprise me; still playing matchmakers, I see."

"Yeah," Brian replied as he stared over at the older but strikingly beautiful face of his partner; he still took his breath away, even after all these years of separation.  He suspected that would always be the case, no matter HOW old they got.  And he fully intended on growing old with this man.

Justin must have felt the heat of his stare, because he turned to look over at Brian and flushed in reaction.   He cleared his throat.  "Something smells good," he commented with a smile.  "Did the girls do that, too?"

"No," was the surprising reply as Brian shook his head.  "They helped," he admitted.  "But that was my idea.  Beef Bourguignon," he told him proudly.  "Used the crock pot...and some of my most expensive Pinot, too."

Justin laughed.  "Wow...I'm flattered.  You didn't exactly have the most wonderful experience the last time you were down in the wine cellar.  Neither one of us did, actually."  He sniffed the air.  "I have to admit, though - it does smell incredible."  He twisted around slightly to look over at the counter where he could see a crockpot sitting next to the stove, its lid condensed with steam as the meal simmered inside.  He was finding it hard to believe that Brian had done something so 'domestic.'  He grinned as he turned back to him to say, "This I have to see."

Before he had a chance to move, however, Brian walked closer to capture Justin's wrist as he brought his hand up to hold it against his chest; he could feel his partner's heart beating rapidly in time with his own as he reminded him, "Justin, that's the advantage of using a crockpot; it will stay warm until we're ready to eat.  Are you really in the mood for food right now?"  He began to carefully knead the elegant, pale fingers with his hand, using his thumb to slowly rub across the knuckles as Justin lifted his gaze to meet his.

"No," he heard his partner croak out in a low, throaty voice, the novelty of Brian's actions quickly being pushed aside for more immediate matters.  Justin quirked one side of his mouth up to stare into his eyes.  "For once I'm not that hungry - at least not for food, anyway."

Brian smiled smugly, pleased, as he leaned in to steal what would no doubt be the first of several kisses that evening, only to have Justin stop him by placing the fingers of his other hand against his lips.  "What?" he asked softly, both concerned as well as disappointed.  He could see hesitation in Justin's face, and for just a brief second his insecurity flared to the surface.  It was an emotion he was not normally accustomed to feeling, but Justin seemed to bring that out in him somehow.

Justin reached up to place his hand against Brian's neck reassuringly as he told him, "We promised to not keep secrets between us anymore."

Brian nodded, his brow furrowing in confusion.  He was dying to ask what was going on, but held his tongue.

Justin peered over at him as he explained quietly, "I just thought you should know that I had an unexpected visitor earlier today when I was taking some boxes out to the SUV."

Brian's grip on his partner's hand tightened involuntarily as he pressed, "Who?"  The leaden feeling in his stomach, though, somehow told him what Justin would say before he verbalized it.

Justin took a deep breath before he verified what Brian had already figured out.   "Alex."  He could feel Brian's hand squeezing his almost painfully tight, and he instantly noticed his lover's pupils darkening in anger and probably some other element of vulnerability that he would likely never acknowledge aloud.    "Brian..."

Brian pursed his lips tightly together as he fumed.  "What the hell was he doing there, Justin?  Did he try something again?  How did he even know you would be there?  Has he been fucking stalking you?  That son of a bitch!"  Up until that moment, Brian had mistakenly thought he had pushed his partner's former boyfriend completely out of his mind, unworthy of any further consideration.  Now, however, he realized he had just been deluding himself.  He turned slightly to grasp Justin by the neck, not painfully but in a way that told his lover that he wasn't letting him go this time.

Justin brought their clasped hands up to his mouth and brushed his lips against his partner's fingers as Brian stared into his eyes, silently seeking reassurance as he breathed heavily in and out.

"Brian, calm down.  Everything's okay," he whispered soothingly to him.  "I don't know how he knew I would be there.  Maybe it was just pure, dumb luck.  Maybe he was just driving by and happened to see my SUV parked there.  Or maybe you're right," he conceded.  "Maybe he'd been going by there all the time, just hoping to catch me at home and confront me.  But I took care of it."

"How?" Brian asked as he placed his thumb under Justin's chin to force him to look into his eyes; he wanted to make sure he was getting the whole truth from him, and he knew there was no way his partner could look him in the eyes and keep something that might be unpleasant from him.  "And what do you mean by confront?"

Justin sighed as he wriggled his fingers to free his hand from Brian's, who was close to cutting off his circulation; it was on his damaged hand, too, which meant that his partner must be quite agitated.  Of course, he didn't need to feel his vise grip to know that; all he had to do was look in his steely-looking eyes.  "Brian, he didn't touch me," he reassured him as he reached up to cup his hand against his cheek, secretly pleased in a way that he was so worked up merely over the thought.  "And I made it clear to him that if he ever came anywhere near you, me, or the girls, especially, I would take out a restraining order on him - AFTER I dragged his ass back to the car and threw him inside."

Brian curled his lips under at the thought; his fingers caressed the slightly stubbly skin under his touch as he replied, "You really told him that?"

"Damn straight I did," was the firm reply as Justin smiled over at him.

He received a smile of relief in return as Brian observed dryly, "I don't imagine he liked that answer too well."  He lightly rubbed his thumb over Justin's lower lip, his eyes changing slightly from an angry, dark hue to a warmer one as they focused on the blue eyes boring into his so intently.

Justin smirked.  "No, he didn't."  He face dissolved into something more serious as he told his partner, "But I think he finally got the message."

"And the message was...?" Brian asked softly as he continued to idly stroke his lover's cheek.

Justin reached up to grasp Brian's hand to pull it down his body and place it over his denim-clad cock.  "The message was - that my life is with you and the girls."

Brian smirked this time with the lopsided grin that always made Justin's heart lurch.  "Was that the only message?"

Justin smiled broadly as Brian kneaded his throbbing shaft with his fingers.  He couldn't help gasping at the sensations coursing through him, his heart beginning to pound in anticipation.  Just one day away from him had been too long; way too long...he could feel his convictions wavering.

He barely managed to eke out a wisecrack of, "Well, maybe not the only part," before Brian grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and promptly crashed their lips together.

Brian heard Justin groan slightly from the fierceness of their kiss as he forced his tongue in between his lips; at last, he stole a taste of what he had been craving from the first second Justin had returned home as his partner's mouth opened to accept the intrusion.  Both their bodies reacted to the heat being generated between them as Brian wantonly ground his cock against Justin's to heighten their desire, the stiff fabric of his jeans causing an unbearable friction as he reached behind to the small of Justin's back to pull him even closer and grabbed onto his buttocks for leverage.  He couldn't get enough; their strenuous bout of reunion lovemaking the other night, along with their phone sex last night, had merely served to enflame his thirst even more.

After several seconds of attacking the lips and mouth he knew so well but had been deprived of for far too long, he finally broke apart just enough to growl, "Fuck, Justin!  How much willpower do you think I have?  Keep that up and I'll drag your fine little ass up to the bedroom right now!"

Justin fought to control his own breathing as he huffed out in protest, "I didn't start it!"  He gripped the muscled flesh of Brian's biceps tightly; he had always thought it was ludicrous to think that someone could swoon over a kiss, but he could have sworn at that moment that he was feeling unsteady on his feet. Damn, but the man could kiss!  His lips tingled and he felt like they were two times their normal size after Brian had just plundered them like a pirate seeking treasured bounty.

Brian replied with gruff honesty, "Sunshine, you started it the minute you walked back in here." His left hand played with the longer length of Justin's hair at his neck as he stared so intently into Justin's eyes that it made him blush.

"Brian..."  He took a deep breath to steady his nerves; Brian feathering his hair or looking at him like he was right now always made him crazy with desire; doing both at the same time, while continuing to squeeze his hard-on through his jeans, was unfair - and almost impossible to resist.  Using every ounce of fortitude he had - and remembering his promise earlier to the girls that he AND Brian would come to see them tonight before they fell asleep - he reached down to grasp Brian's hand and pull it away from his cock.  He could detect a flash of both surprise as well as disappointment flicker across Brian's face before he hurriedly covered it up.

He let out a long breath between his lips as he continued to hold Brian's hand, realizing this 'trial' separation was going to be even harder than he had imagined.  But he had to look at the big picture here; he had not only him and Brian to think about, but two girls back at the main house that they both loved dearly.  "I told my mom that we would come back to the house to tell the girls good night before they went to sleep.  She thought it would be a good idea for Kaylee to stay there just for tonight with Katie."

Brian groaned slightly in frustration; he didn't mind both girls staying at the house.  And it wasn't that he didn't understand - and even love Justin even more for thinking of the girls first.   But he wasn't ready to part from his partner just yet.  "Okay," he agreed reluctantly as he concentrated on the feeling of familiarity and warmth of the hand resting in his.  "I think that's a good idea, actually, since you've had a long day and I'm sure you're tired.  There's no reason why Kaylee can't stay at the house tonight.  And I think it's important to provide them with a comfort zone after everything they've been through."

He sighed in resignation.  "So we will both make an appearance at the house to say goodnight to them.  But what does that have to do with now, Justin?"  He glanced over at the kitchen clock displayed on the microwave, noting the time.  "It's only 7:45.  I don't think the girls will be going to bed until, what?  10:30, 11:00?  We have plenty of time before that, and you already said you weren't ready to eat yet."  He pulled Justin closer, noting that his partner wasn't putting up much of a protest over his actions.  "Fuck, I want you," he whispered, his voice a silky octave lower as he unclasped Justin's hand to reach over and begin slowly unbuttoning his shirt, his eyes never leaving his lover's.  "If you don't want this, tell me to stop," he dared him, but he knew Justin wouldn't; his own lust was clearly reflected back in his partner's eyes as Justin whispered back, "I can't."

Brian dispatched Justin's shirt with alacrity, pushing it off the slender shoulders as his partner dropped his hands to his sides just long enough to allow the fabric to drop to the ground in a heap at his feet.  As soon as his skin was revealed - an intriguing color under the inspection of the flickering candle nearby and the soft glow of the muted light elsewhere - Brian lips descended upon the side of his neck, his touch making him shiver as Justin grasped the soft, auburn hair in his hands; the errant strands felt ticklish against his skin as Brian nuzzled the silky flesh with wetness and warmth.

Justin moaned in his throat at the contact, savoring the feeling pouring through him.  It was like the feeling one experienced when rushing down the highest hill on the steepest rollercoaster, or the adrenalin of reaching the apex of a mountain.  "Brian..." he whispered in surrender as he reached out blindly to locate the hem of his partner's shirt to snake his hands beneath the cotton to feel the muscled smoothness of his chest.  The sleeveless shirt Brian was wearing was quickly bunched up around his pecs as Justin slid his hands up to feel the familiar expanse of flat skin at his fingertips.  At last, he angled his head so that his and Brian's lips fused together, and their passions immediately flared anew once more.

They stood there for several seconds, lips and tongues probing and arms roaming everywhere over bare skin, until at last Brian slowly began to push Justin backward toward the couch, unwilling to take the time to walk up the steps to the bedroom.  Both of them, however, knew where this was leading, and both knew neither wanted to stop it.

Their dinner was promptly forgotten as Brian slowly lowered Justin down onto the couch, pausing for a moment to gaze down at the flushed face of his partner and the dark-blue eyes blazing with desire for him, before he reached down to pull at the flaps of Justin's jeans.  "Lift up," he commanded breathlessly, his heart pounding as Justin braced his upper body on his elbows as he arched his hips up just enough to enable Brian to pull both his jeans and his briefs down in one fluid motion.  His shoes and socks were quickly removed before the pants followed suit onto the ground nearby, leaving him shivering slightly in the coolness of the air, even as Brian's intense gaze threatened to make him combust.

"Come here," he urged Brian, holding out his hands toward him in entreaty.  Brian held back just long enough to shred his shirt and unbutton his own jeans to slide out of them, Justin noticing he had on nothing underneath.  Not surprising, though, considering the provocative pose that Brian had sent to him on his phone earlier.  At the time, Justin had had no idea how he had managed to even reply intelligently to what his mother was saying to him after seeing that, but as Brian stood there now in much the same condition, his desire for him blatant and so readily discernible, the fact that he could cause such an impressive reaction in this man made Justin speechless once again.

Brian climbed on top of him, stealing one more kiss before his lips traveled from Justin's mouth, down his neck to his collarbone and then onto his left upper arm, trailing a hot, wet path down his skin like he was being marked and branded.  His legs tangled with his partner's, their cocks brushing against each other and the friction causing him to gasp at the feeling as Brian's hands grasped his sides while he traveled lower, lower, until at last he found his target.

A few seconds later, he arched off the couch as Brian's mouth latched onto his cock, and, with his lover's left hand gripping the base of his shaft, he felt him quickly going to work with his lips and tongue as Justin held onto the top of his head, his fingers tightly clutching a thatch of soft but thick strands of hair as he uttered vocal but not-so-intelligible words of appreciation in response.

"Mmmm," Brian hummed against his inflamed skin as he licked the underside, making Justin suck in his breath as the vibration raised his arousal to a fevered pitch.  His free hand reached for the couch cushion, gripping it painfully for support as Brian tightened his grip on his cock and then deep-throated him all the way to his pubes.  A few seconds later, his entire body clenched and he spiraled out of control, climaxing explosively in Brian's mouth as waves of pleasure roiled through him and he called out Brian's name like a victory shout.

Breathing through his opened mouth to try and regain some sense of normalcy several seconds later, his heart threatened to burst through his chest in reaction as he lay there with Brian still draped over him, his partner's face lying sideways on his belly as he reached down with both hands to cradle Brian's head and turn it so he could meet his gaze.

Brian licked his lips suggestively with a pleased sort of smile as he slowly lifted his head to stare into the expansive orbs of blue, his love for this man openly displayed for his perusal and causing Justin's face to warm.  "Come...Come up here," he managed to say at last.

Brian crawled up his body, his own needs painfully obvious as he finally came face to face with his partner.  They met for a brief but intense kiss as Justin reached down between them to grasp Brian's erection and give it a squeeze, hearing Brian moan under his breath, a whisper of air blowing on his face through the parted, wine-colored lips.

Brian reached to wipe some sweaty hair away from Justin's face as his partner continued to stroke his cock, but he didn't want his needs met this way.  "Justin..."  He reached down to grab his wrist and hold it still.  "Not like that..."

Justin gazed into his eyes, noting the restraint Brian was fervently trying to maintain written all over his face as he nodded in understanding.  "Okay."  God, he hated to ask right then, but he had to... "Brian, you did remember...?"

"Hell, yes, I did," Brian instantly replied as he lifted himself off Justin's smaller frame and reached down to slide his hand under the couch.  Sitting up on his knees in between Justin's legs, he pulled out the needed supplies as Justin laughed softly in amusement.

"An entire box, Brian?" he chided as Brian dropped the small tube of lube onto the couch and hurriedly tore open the lid of the jumbo-sized condom box.  In his haste, several condoms spilled out onto Justin's stomach as he shrugged back at him.

"I was going to be prepared this time," he told him with such intensity that Justin flushed at the tone of desire and longing in his voice.  "We have a lot of making up to do, Justin," he explained as he plucked one of the condoms off Justin's belly and brushed the others aside, keeping them on the cushion for later.  "And there are plenty more where these came from."

Justin shook his head with a smile as he reached up and wordlessly snatched the condom package from Brian's hand.  In a ballet that had been performed countless times before, he held it up in his hand meaningfully as Brian reached for the tube of gel.  Opening the tip to squeeze a generous amount of the self-warming liquid into his hands, he waited with barely-concealed impatience and anticipation as Justin tore the package open with his teeth and pulled the latex out.  Their eyes met for a moment before Justin reached over and deftly slid the material onto Brian's cock, his hardness making the task easy, even though his hands were shaking slightly the entire time.  His task accomplished, he lifted his gaze to stare into his lover's face, the moment briefly held in a sort of suspended animation as Brian slid the slippery fluid onto his shaft to prepare himself.

Grasping Justin's thighs in assistance, his partner slid his feet around his waist to lock them in place behind Brian's back and gripped his arms for support.  He held his breath and nodded slightly in encouragement as Brian smiled down at him lovingly.  "Come on," he whispered urgently, his own cock stirring once more in attention merely at the thought of Brian being inside him again.

Brian bestowed a satisfied, lop-sided grin on his face before his expression evolved into something more emotion-laden.  "You are so fucking beautiful," he murmured almost involuntarily, receiving a surprised but pleased look from his partner over the atypically romantic words.  A few seconds later, he lined up his cock and, his eyes fixed on Justin's face, he slowly slid the tip inside the hot, tight space, pressing his lips together as the sensation of being together again threatened to overwhelm him.

Just like in the old times - before their separation - no words were needed to convey what Justin wanted as he gripped Brian's biceps hard in an unspoken plea for him to go deeper; Brian was only too happy to oblige as he pushed in harder, unable to avoid uttering a guttural type of sigh as he marveled at how perfectly matched they were in every way.  For just the briefest of moments, he regretted being unable to consummate their union unbidden with the latex separating them, but he pushed that aside for now to concentrate, instead, on how it felt to be moving inside his lover again; how right it felt and how even now it made him feel things he had never felt with anyone else.  As he withdrew slightly and then plunged back in, hearing Justin moan beneath him in pleasure, he vowed one day that nothing would separate them, emotionally or physically, ever again.

Several minutes later, the two lovers lay side by side on the couch, their arms twined around each other and both struggling to regain their normal breathing.  Brian had disposed of the condom on the floor nearby, and he knew he should get up and find a rag to clean the aftereffects of their passionate encounter with, but at the moment the last thing he wanted was to leave Justin's embrace, so he chose to remain where he was.

Their quickly cooling bodies were becoming chilled in the evening air - the weather that time of year hovering between needing the air conditioning and the heat turned on, and he could feel the prickle of goose bumps on Justin's skin as he caressed his back.  So instead of rising, he reached to grab a lightweight, maroon fleece throw lying on the back of the couch to place it over their bodies for added warmth as Justin burrowed deeper into his chest in reaction, sated and content to remain where he was.

"Brian?"

"Yeah, Sunshine?"

"...time is it?" was the mumbled query.

Brian smiled as he kissed the top of his partner's head, realizing why he was asking.  "It's still early," he whispered as he pulled Justin closer.  "We have plenty of time before the girls need to go to bed.  I'll wake you up before then, I promise.  Just get some rest."  He had forgotten until now that Justin had spent all day packing boxes and driving down from Chicago; not to mention how aggressively they had just made love a few minutes ago.  No wonder he was so tired.  But he figured it was a good kind of exhaustion - for both of them.  "You don't have to go anywhere for a while, okay?" he murmured.  Actually, you're not going anywhere, period, Sunshine, not if I have anything to say about it, he couldn't help thinking.  He and the girls would do their best to see to that.

Justin smiled drowsily and nodded as he kissed Brian's chest.  "'kay," he agreed just before his eyes, heavy with exhaustion, slowly fluttered shut and he soon fell asleep in Brian's arms.  Brian lay there on his side, staring over at his partner as if memorizing every inch, before he set the alarm on his watch and pulled Justin tighter into his embrace, soon drifting off to join him.