Later that Evening

Gus exclaimed, "I still can't believe it, Dad!"  They had just come from meeting with the Yale recruiter over a dinner of filet mignon and baked potatoes.   Gus had felt like a king between the fancy meal and all the attention he had been given, and he was still coming down from the exhilarating feeling. 

Brian grinned over at his son, pleased about how excited he was.  Of course, he had a right to be.  Not only had he pretty much singled-handedly won the game earlier tonight, but he had also managed to attract the attention of one of the most prestigious schools in the country.  Brian wasn't sure at that moment which gave him more pride – his son's athletic acumen, or his ability to maintain such excellent grades despite his other activities. 

His heart swelled as he replied sincerely, "Me, too, Sonny Boy; I'm so damn proud of you!" Briefly he thought back to what a difficult childhood he had had with his sorry excuse for parents; he couldn't help feeling just a little smug over how well his own son had turned out.  Yes, by most standards they had an unorthodox father-son relationship, but it was borne out of love and trust and he cherished the day his son had come into his life.  Without him, he knew how empty it would be.  He was going to make certain that his son had a better life than he had had in every way, and this could be the start of something wonderful for him.  His son was his greatest joy in life. 

"Do you think I should go for it?"

Brian smiled as he turned back to watch the road; the nighttime, moonless sky was black as ink, requiring extra attention.  "Why decide now?" he answered reasonably.  "You have a few more months, and who knows?   Maybe Brown, Princeton or Harvard will be seeking you out, too."

Gus's eyes lit up at the thought.  "OMG! You really think so…?"

Brian beamed.  "It could most definitely happen, Gus," he reassured his son.  "You have the grades AND the athletic ability."  How could his son not believe that he could get into any school he wanted? he wondered.  His son could do anything when he put his mind to it.  Sometimes Brian felt like his son didn't have enough confidence in himself when the occasional doubts surfaced, even though at other times he could be quite assertive.  There was still just a hint of the little, fragile boy in his son even now – even after all he had accomplished.  He supposed in a way he wasn't so much unlike himself sometimes, although he was normally a master at hiding it.  He was glad, however, that Gus chose him to express his uncertainties to and confide in.  Yes, he was Gus's father; but he also liked to think that he was his friend, too, when he needed to be. 

Gus nodded as he turned to glance out the window, his mind racing.  What a night!  Between winning the game with that last-second throw, his father being there to see it, the recruiter showing up... and being able to spend a little time with Justin, it had been quite a night.  Of course, there had also been that ugly event with Owen and having to say goodbye to Justin way too quickly.   He hated how he had had to cut that part short.   But he knew he would be seeing him again very soon, and that made his heart beat just a little faster at the thought.  He pondered briefly whether to tell his father what had happened earlier with Owen, but he finally decided not to mention it.  He didn't want to spoil his father's happiness over the other events of the night, and when he put the incident in perspective he decided the other boy wasn't worth taking up his time.  Tonight was a time to celebrate, not rehash unpleasant memories. 

Brian stole another glance over at his son, noticing he had become more introspective.  "Gus?

His son turned to look at him in the dim interior of the Jeep.  "Yeah, Dad?" 

"That IS what you want, right?" 

Gus frowned.  "What do you mean?"

"The Ivy League schools.  If one of them offers you a scholarship, is that what you want to do?  I mean, you know I would make sure you got into any school you want financially.  And if you decide you'd rather stick closer to home, well...that would be okay with me, too.  The main thing is that you're happy with wherever you choose to go."  Brian was thankful his son had such good grades, because Ivy League schools weren't able to offer athletic scholarships, just financial aid packages to make the costs more reasonable.  Without Gus's good grades, then, the recruiter tonight wouldn't have given him a second look.  He could afford to send Gus anywhere, but he had to admit – having some financial support would make it easier on him.

Gus pursed his lips together to keep from smiling.  He knew precisely what his father was saying – he was going to miss him if he decided to attend a school farther away.  The truth was he would miss HIM, too; terribly.  All his life, it had been just him and his father through thick and thin.  Yes, there was Kayla, whose friendship he treasured deeply, but he couldn't imagine not having his father to confide in and to lean on.  His father wouldn't be the only one feeling the pangs of separation if he decided to do that.  But the thought of embarking on something new such as living on his own in one of the college dorms and making his own decisions was also exciting, too.  Truthfully, he hadn't decided where he wanted to go yet – or how far away it would be.  But just knowing how much his father would miss him filled him with an even deeper love and appreciation for him. 

"I know, Dad," he finally murmured as their eyes met across the front seat and Brian nodded, a silent message of affection passing between them.

A few minutes later, Brian dropped his son back off at the school's parking lot, now deserted, so he could retrieve his own vehicle.   "I'll see you in a few minutes, Sonny Boy," he called after Gus as his son opened the car door and got out. 

Gus was just about to close the door when his eyes widened in realization.  "Dad, I completely forgot about something!" 

"You mean something to ask the recruiter?  I have his email address and phone number." 

Gus shook his head.  "No.  I forgot to tell you that tomorrow there's a birthday party for Kayla at her house.  Practically the whole school is going to be there!"  After the impressive stunt that Justin had pulled off the other day, the entire school had been buzzing about this spontaneous, 'fake' birthday party of Kayla's, although no one seemed to be the wiser that Kayla had already celebrated the same event months before.  He had to hand it to Justin – he had managed to pull off exactly what he had intended to do – make Kayla one of the most popular students in school and make Owen just a distant runner-up. 

Brian frowned.   "Isn't Kayla's birthday in September?" He had a flashback to years ago when Kayla regularly celebrated her birthdays with a lot of child-like fanfare.  Gus had always been included in them, but oddly enough one of the people who never showed up was Kayla's own mother, who always seemed to be away on business on her daughter's special day.  Instead, a gaggle of well-meaning nannies had directed the parties with financial backing from her, who apparently viewed it as her way to assuage her guilt over not being there.  Each year, Kayla's mother tried to outdo the previous year's party, hiring party planners to carry out elaborate celebrations, whether it was a clown performing, pony rides, temporary tattoo artists, or full-fledged caterers serving way too fancy meals.  If only her mother had known – still knew – that it was her presence that would be the greatest gift of all. 

One year, he remembered how she had arranged for a huge cake to be wheeled in with pale pink frosting and bright pink rosettes all around the three, rounded tiers.  Somehow the kids had decided to sample it, wedding style, smashing big gobs of it in each other's' faces and resulting in his son being smeared with the sticky, overly-sweet shit and causing him to spend two hours later at home helping him to clean it off.  He liked to think that it was that day that resulted in his son deciding he was gay to avoid such prissy events in the future, but he knew that Gus had actually not determined that until a few years ago.  He couldn't help thinking, though, even if it was facetiously, that that might have had something to do with it, however.  "I know she already had a birthday last September, Gus; I can remember it very clearly," he replied dryly. 

Gus grinned, knowing exactly what his father meant.  "Yeah, well, it's a fake birthday – to boost her reputation at school after what happened between her and Owen."

Brian nodded in understanding.  "Ahh, I get it...I guess.  But out of all the people in the world, you had to celebrate Kayla's birthday twice?!  Need I remind you of what happened at her last birthday party, young man?"

Gus laughed over the tone of his father's voice.  "No...I remember it all too well," he acknowledged with a smile.  "At least you can't say they're ever dull," he pointed out as he recalled one of the partygoers last year breaking his leg when he decided to act like Tarzan and swing down, one-armed, from the top balcony onto the floor below – and not very successfully, either.  Not to mention the vomit and diarrhea that ensued afterward from too much drinking and too many spicy, high-carb foods.  At the time, however, none of them thought their Mexican food theme would wind up carrying over to having symptoms of dysentery, too.  He had to admit – Kayla's parties tended to be a recipe for disaster.  He hoped this time, though, it would be just the opposite.  After all, Justin was supposed to be there.  That fact alone was bound to make it an evening to remember.  Just the thought made his pulse start to quicken in anticipation, and he quickly tried to tamp it down so his father didn't know how excited he was over the idea. 

"No, that's for damn sure," Brian agreed with a smirk.  He sighed.  "Just be careful, okay?  In every sense of the word."   He wasn’t about to come straight out and tell his son to use a condom if he decided to fuck someone or to never accept any type of recreational drug from someone he didn't know – or to get so drunk that he lost track of what he was doing or where he was.  He didn't need to; he had long ago taught his son all of that, and he knew that while his son could be quite rowdy and rambunctious like a lot of other teenagers, he was also very sensible and intelligent, too, and wouldn't let himself get into a situation where he couldn't extricate himself from it. 

Gus nodded.  "Okay, Dad.  I'll stay after it's over to help them clean up and put everything back into place; well, at least whatever doesn't get broken," he quipped as Brian shook his head in amusement.  "Maybe it's best that l just spend the night."

Brian nodded.  "Whatever you want to do, Sonny Boy; I think someone will be more than okay with you staying over," he said with a knowing grin.  The intense look of longing that Kayla's brother, Tristan, had bestowed on his son earlier tonight after the game hadn't been lost on him; the boy only had eyes for his child.  He knew that look – and what it meant.  Was this the boy, then, that Gus seemed to be so infatuated with lately?   He thought it had been someone at Gus's school from what he had remembered, but perhaps he had been mistaken.  Or...more likely, Gus had two admirers.  That wouldn't surprise him at all.  Who wouldn't be impressed with his son?  Before he had a chance to press Gus further, however, his son interrupted him. 

"Who...Kayla, you mean? I think she's used to it by now…" Gus said with a shrug.  Brian smiled; perhaps his son didn't realize how Tristan felt, and there WAS another boy at school, then.  He couldn't help noticing that Tristan was quite attractive; Gus could do a lot worse.  But he decided he would leave that decision up to his son, and only provide advice when he asked for it.

"I'll see you back at the loft, Dad," Gus told him then as Brian nodded.  "I have to stop and get gas first."  He paused for a moment before he added softly, "Thanks for coming tonight.  I'm glad you were there."  He knew his father must have cut his work schedule short in order to get there, and that meant more to him than anything, to know that he put him first. 

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Brian whispered back sincerely.  Gus felt himself tear up a little as he nodded back at him. 

Brian watched his only child walk over to his vehicle and stayed there long enough to make sure he was in his Jeep safely before, with another nod and a tender smile, he headed home.

Twenty Minutes Later...

His shirt hastily discarded on the mattress and his shoes and socks shrugged off the moment he had gotten inside the loft, Brian walked barefooted into the kitchen for some bottled water, the hardwood floor cool under his feet.  Settling on the couch a few minutes later, he propped his feet up on the glass-topped coffee table and crossed his ankles as he pulled out his cellphone to send a text message to someone who had never been far away from his mind all day.

Hey, Stranger.  Missing me yet?

He took a sip from his water bottle as he held the phone in his hand until several seconds later he heard the signal signifying an incoming text message being received.  Smiling, he held the phone up to his face and read:

And here I thought u had forgotten about me already. *g*

Smiling broadly now, Brian couldn't help typing:

Not too likely.  Certain parts of u are quite unforgettable.  Why don't u come over tomorrow night and I'll remind u?

Curling his lips under playfully, he was rewarded several seconds later with another response.  This time, however, the smile faded from his face as he read what Justin said:

I have plans in the evening.  Can we meet afterward?

What the fuck?  Brian couldn't help thinking as an unpleasant thought crossed his mind.  This was the second time that Justin had indicated he had 'other plans.'  Once more he couldn't help wondering just what those 'plans' were.  Was Justin meeting someone else?  The thought made his stomach churn with jealousy.  He couldn't help texting back:

Got a hot date, Sunshine? He waited anxiously for Justin's reply.  After what seemed like an eternity Justin finally texted back:

LOL, no! Nothing like that!  I was just invited to a party for a friend, but I think I could sneak out early…if I had the right incentive (wink, wink).

Brian let out a sigh of relief.  Thank God Justin couldn't see him sitting there, acting like some silly, lovesick idiot as his mind ran amok.  He shook his head in astonishment.  Since when did what some other guy do – or NOT do – mean so much to him?  He knew the answer to that, but he refused to voice it aloud – or even let it germinate in his mind.  Instead, he hurriedly texted back:

I'll be waiting for you – naked.  How's THAT for an incentive?

It wasn't more than a few seconds later before he had his answer, and his smile quickly returned to his face:

Uh – maybe I should sneak out sooner than I had planned.

 Brian smirked as he typed in:

Horny little boy.  Get your ass over here tomorrow.  'Night, Sunshine.

A few seconds later, he had his final text from his lover:

Fare thee well until tomorrow night, Romeo.  I'll be dreaming of you.

Brian rolled his eyes and snorted at the literary, hokey goodbye, but he couldn't help grinning at the same time.  "You won't be the only one," he murmured as he quickly turned his cell phone off.   

The Next Afternoon...

Gus followed along behind Kayla as she opened the side door to the house.  It had been just another day at school, which was good and bad.  Good, because Owen didn't harass either him or Kayla, and bad because he had only seen Justin once today and it had been from a distance.  They hadn't even talked at all; just a short wave before Justin entered Old Man Nelson's room for English class. 

There were only two things that had made the day tolerable:  the other students who had come up to congratulate him on the game last night, and the fact that he knew Justin would be here at Kayla's party later tonight.  He vowed that once he did show up, he would definitely make up for lost time.  After being encouraged by Justin's actions last night, he thought it was finally time to make a move on the beautiful boy.  Tonight, if everything went according to plan, he was finally going to kiss him and get a taste of those lips he had been craving since the first second he had laid eyes on him.  He smiled at the thought as Kayla raided the refrigerator to locate a couple of soft drinks and hand one to him. 

She narrowed her eyes curiously when Gus didn't wipe the smile off his face quickly enough.  "What are YOU smiling about?" she asked as he quickly averted his eyes. 

"Nothing," Gus grumbled quickly, self-conscious.  "Aren't I allowed to smile?" he countered as Kayla stared at him suspiciously. 

 "Yeah...when you have something to smile about," she replied.  She opened her mouth to quiz him further, but Gus was spared any further interrogation, however, when both of them heard a jangling noise coming from the living room, kind of like when a ladder being moved.  Frowning at Gus, Kayla walked from the kitchen toward the living room and both of them stopped dead in their tracks as they came to the end of the hallway, their mouths agape with shock.  There must have been at least 50 people buzzing around the room, putting up lavish decorations for the party.   Some were standing high on collapsible, repositioning ladders putting up purple and pink streamers – her favorite colors – while others were setting up folding chairs and portable tray tables.  One tall, blonde-haired girl was busily blowing up shiny Mylar balloons with a helium tank, and an obscenely large, deep purple, vinyl banner proclaiming, "Happy Birthday, Kayla!"  was prominently displayed across the width of the far room.  There was even a portable wet bar set up on the other side of the room with purple and pink plastic drinking glasses stacked next to a large ice bucket.  She walked closer to the wet bar to get a better look at a white cardboard box with a clear lid on top that was sitting next to the cups and groaned.  Inside was a pale pink sheet cake with deep purple frosting around the edges and the words, "Happy Birthday, Kayla" in fancy script written on top.  It was accompanied by several rows of pink-and-purple striped candles, just waiting to be lit. 

"Oh, my God," she deadpanned as her eyes swept across the ostentatiously bedecked room.  "Who are these people?" she muttered to Gus.  "And where did all this come from?"  He shrugged his shoulders at her in response as she sighed.  "Tristan?" she called out loudly then, hoping her brother could shed some light on what was going on.  She knew they had to make it look legitimate, but this was going a bit too far, even for her. 

"I'm up in my room!" he shouted down to her as she and Gus climbed the steps and headed toward her brother's bedroom.  As they entered through the open door a few seconds later, they found Tristan sitting on the edge of the bed getting dressed.  He was wearing a form-fitting pair of jeans, but he had obviously just come from taking a shower – his hair was wet and slightly askew, and his bare, muscled chest glistened with beads of water.  He glanced up from putting his socks on as he heard Kayla and Gus enter his room.

Kayla placed her hands on her hips.  "What is going on down there?  Did you hire all those people?" she demanded. 

From his place beside her, Gus swallowed hard at the vision of Tristan half-dressed.  Despite his feelings for Justin, he couldn't help thinking how hot the other boy looked with his dark, wavy hair and his deep brown eyes.  Unbeknownst to him, Tristan was thinking much the same thing as he gazed over at Gus briefly before casting his eyes downward.  Feeling his face warm in embarrassment, he told his sister, "No, you can thank Mom for that."

"Mom?!" Kayla replied in astonishment.  "How did SHE find out about it?" 

All she had to do was look at her brother's expression as he lifted his gaze to peer over at her sheepishly, and she had her answer.  "Tristan," she whined. 

"Okay, so shoot me," he replied with a shrug.  "She called earlier today to check up on us and I told her about the fake party we were having and the reason why… and she thought it was a great idea." 

"Of course she did," Kayla told him sarcastically.  "Anything to make me look better.  Can't have one of her kids being just normal.  Heaven forbid."  She sighed in disgust, cursing herself for the prickle of tears forming behind her eyes.  It had always been this way with her mother; she always had thought that only the most popular kids in school were worth anything if they were to 'get ahead' in life, whatever the hell THAT meant.  Merely being liked by a small group of loyal friends and getting slightly above-average grades in school never had been good enough for her mother.  "How typical," she whispered in a choked-up voice. 

She felt Gus's hand squeeze her shoulder sympathetically as he murmured, "Hey, look on the bright side!  You are going to have one awesome party!" 

She nodded half-heartedly.  "Yeah...great." 

Gus flashed her an almost blinding smile.  "Cheer up, Kayla!  I'm here!  That's all you need!" 

At last he got Kayla to laugh in amusement.  "You are so full of yourself, Gus Kinney!" she chided him as she poked him in the ribs.  He bent over in mock injury as she grinned back at him, her previous melancholy mood quickly forgotten.  She began to shriek, however, as Gus unexpectedly began to tickle her relentlessly in the side where she was most vulnerable and she giggled like a kindergartner as she tried to squirm away from him.

Tristan rose up abruptly from the bed, grabbing his shirt nearby as he told them abruptly, "I'm taking off." 

Gus stopped tickling Kayla as she turned to call after her brother, "Tristan..."  It was the first time in a month that Tristan had felt the need to run away from his worries.  But as he hurriedly pulled his shirt on over his head and turned to go, she knew that seeing Gus and Justin together last night had changed him.  Suddenly she understood that she wasn't the only one who felt insecure at times. 

"I'll be back later," he assured her as she nodded back at him in concern, knowing he needed to clear his head for a while and think.  After their terse conversation in the car last night, she hadn't brought up the subject of him and Gus again.  That didn't mean that she didn't understand completely why he was running away, though, even if it didn't solve anything. 

She watched as Gus followed closely on Tristan's heels, holding her breath as he heard him ask her brother, "What about the party?  You will be there, won't you?" 

Tristan stopped walking away, but he refused to face Gus.  Truthfully, he couldn't at the moment.  "Maybe," he told him finally before he proceeded down the hallway and quickly trotted down the steps.  A few seconds later, Gus heard the banging of the side door and then Tristan's car revving to life as he drove away.   

Kayla stared at her friend silently as he turned and stared at her in confusion.  "What just happened?" he asked softly.  "Why did he run off?"

Kayla longed to tell him the truth, but didn't feel it was her place.  So she settled on replying, "I don't know, Gus.  You'll have to ask him." 

Gus bit his lip thoughtfully, thinking what an enigma the other boy was.  Taking a deep breath after a few seconds, he reached to gently grab Kayla's arm.  "Come on," he told her.  "Let's go downstairs and see what's going on.  If they start putting up green streamers to go with the purple ones, we'll have a Barney party on our hands instead of a birthday bash." 

She grinned as, with a nod, she followed him out of the room, temporarily pushing her brother's situation aside. 

It was 10:30 at night and the party was just hitting its peak.  Despite how her mother had gone overboard with the birthday decorations more befitting a pre-teen, Kayla was having the time of her life and was enjoying being the center of attention.  As the music blared out one of the latest popular songs, several couples were gyrating to the music or perched on every available chair and even on the steps, either talking animatedly with a drink in their hands or just plain making out in front of everyone else.  The festivities were quickly rising to the same level as a frat toga party in exuberance and inanity, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. 

Gus, on the other hand, was beginning to get restless as he sat at the kitchen table with his head propped up with his right hand.  He was keeping a close watch on the side door leading out to the driveway, hoping he could somehow wish Justin's appearance into existence.  It was getting late, and he was still a no-show.  He sighed in frustration, not quite willing to give up altogether, but quickly losing hope that he would come, despite what he had promised. 

His heart threatened to explode out of his chest, however, when he heard the door bang open and Tristan staggered in instead, stumbling toward the table.  Gus hid his initial disappointment as he jumped up to support him, wrapping the other boy's arm around his shoulder as he slid his arm around Tristan's waist to help prop him up.  It didn't take a genius to determine that Tristan was wasted, and not from the booze flowing inside the house.  Even if he hadn't stumbled in, the smell of booze was prominent on his breath, and he had a distinctly goofy smile on his face as he looked Gus in the eyes. 

"Hey!" Tristan slurred out, grinned stupidly at him.  "When did YOU get here?" 

Gus rolled his eyes; Tristan was so smashed he apparently didn't even realize where he was.  He found himself flushing over the leer he was receiving as Tristan's eyes swept down from his face toward his torso and moved even lower before slowly lifting to bore into his eyes with a smirk.  He noticed a gash across the top of Tristan's right eye and wondered how it had gotten there.  It did not appear to be too severe, but it was still oozing blood.  He shook his head.  What had caused Tristan to go off the deep end like this?  He had never even seen the guy drink before. 

"Where we going?" Tristan murmured as Gus began to pull him toward the half-bath located off the hallway.  He figured Kayla wouldn't appreciate her drunken, older brother being paraded in front of her friends.   "Need another...another drink," Tristan hiccupped out as Gus sighed. 

"No, you don't," he chided him gently as he finally managed to kick the bathroom door open and pulled Tristan inside before closing it behind them.  For a half-bath, it was fairly spacious, at least enough for him to lean Tristan against the white, tiled wall as he grabbed a washcloth hanging on a round towel ring next to the sink.  "Shit, you're a fucking mess," he muttered as he ran some cold water over the cloth and wrung it out. 

"Hold still," Gus murmured as he held the washcloth against the other boy's forehead and gently began to dab at the injury.  As he did so, he couldn't help peering into Tristan's eyes, noticing for the first time how mesmerizing they were, even in his drunken state.  They seemed to be multi-ringed; dark brown on the outside, with rings of gold and amber on the inside, much like a tree after you sawed it in half.  He had never seen anyone with eyes like his, and between that and the other boy's golden-colored skin, dark, thick, flowing hair, full lips, and strong jaw, he was quite striking even now.  Gus found his breath hitching as they looked into each other's eyes.  Time seemed to stop and his hand stilled as he clutched the washcloth until Tristan slid his hand around Gus's waist and pulled him flush against him.  Before he knew what was happening, the other boy's lips were plastered against his.  Gus was taken aback by the unexpected action at first, but then found himself beginning to respond as he parted his mouth and...

Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice as the door flew open and his heart stopped in his throat.  No...

"Oops! Sorry…!" Justin exclaimed in surprise as he opened the unlocked door to take a piss and observed what was going on.  He noticed Gus pulling away flustered as he quickly closed the door back.  Well, well, well...Seems he wouldn't have to worry about Gus and his crush on him now.  He smiled in relief.  Good. That took care of one problem for him.

Figuring his reason for having to be there had just been conveniently eliminated, he turned and headed back toward the kitchen unobserved by the other partygoers, figuring he could make up some sort of excuse to Kayla the next time he saw her in school.  He figured she was probably having too much fun at the moment to miss him, anyway; at least by the sounds of rowdy merriment escaping from the living room. 

Gus pulled away quickly from Tristan's embrace as his eyes met Justin's and he watched the boy he had been waiting to arrive quickly close the door behind him.  Maybe he had just imagined all of what had happened, including that impromptu kiss with Tristan.  But as he looked over at the boy and noticed the same wound there – as well as the other boy's odd expression – he knew it had been all too real.  

"Gus..." Tristan began as he reached out his hand to grab onto Gus's arm, all of a sudden experiencing a bout of temporary sobriety.  But his heart sank as Gus wrenched his arm away from him, his eyes full of hurt and dismay.  In that second, Tristan thought he saw a world of accusation and betrayal in Gus's eyes, just before Gus whirled around and flung the door open, disappearing from view in seconds.  Feeling his world spinning out of control, Tristan turned and slammed his fist down onto the bathroom vanity, the pain that quickly shot up his arm serving as a fitting remedy to his foolhardiness. 

"Justin! Justin, wait!" Gus called out as he ran out of the bathroom, just in time to see Justin opening the side door leading outside.  But either Justin didn't hear over the loud din of the party, or didn't choose to acknowledge him, because he kept on going. 

Fortunately, Gus's determination, along with his longer legs, served him well as he rushed after Justin and succeeding in catching up with him just as he was straddling his bike and preparing to slide his helmet down over his head to leave. 

"Justin!" Gus exclaimed as he rushed up to him, out of breath.  "Let me explain..."

To his surprise and consternation, Justin smiled over at him as he clutched the helmet in his hand.  "I'm happy for you, Gus," he told him with a wink.  "It's cool.  You make a hot pair." 

"No!" Gus stuttered out in protest. This was not going the way he had hoped at all.  "I...He's not...No..."

Justin giggled a little at the other boy's struggle to get his words out as he gave Gus a playful push on the arm.  "He really got you all worked up, didn't he?" he teased him.  "It's okay; we're just friends, remember?  Now go get him before someone else grabs onto him!"

"But..."  Before Gus could say another word, Justin replied, "Got to go; see you in school," before kick starting his Harley to life and quickly turning the bike around and heading back down the driveway.  A couple of seconds later, he accelerated onto the street and was quickly swallowed up by the blackness of night, leaving Gus reeling in shock and dismay.  At that moment, he wished the ground would just cave in beneath him, so he, too, could disappear.  He stood there for several seconds, unsure of what to do, until he finally turned around and dejectedly shuffled back toward the side door leading back into the house. 

Unbeknownst to Gus, Tristan had sadly observed the entire scene from the open bathroom window that overlooked the driveway.  He swallowed the lump in his throat as he silently noticed the two boys talking quietly together.   He couldn't make out most of what was being said, but just seeing Gus running to intercept the other boy to prevent him from leaving was too much for him.  He closed his eyes tightly to keep the tears from escaping, but a few trickled down his cheeks nevertheless.  He opened his eyes back up as he heard the roar of Justin's motorcycle, relieved somewhat that Gus had remained in place as Justin left, but even sloshed out of his mind it wasn't enough to quell the deep, emotional pain lancing through his body.  As he sank onto the top of the toilet lid in defeat, he realized all too clearly that he had really fucked it up big time now. 

Several Minutes Later Across Town...

Brian lay on his bed, stroking himself through the open fly of his jeans as his thoughts dwelled on a certain sexy blond who had insisted on invading his every waking thought lately.  Actually, Justin had managed to invade his every dreaming thought lately, too, thanks in part to his parting text to him earlier.  It had almost been preordained, then, that he would spend all last night fantasizing about their next time together. Each time with Justin was somehow better than the one before.  And while they were perfectly in sync sexually – almost knowing instinctively what each one needed and wanted to heighten their pleasure – he truly believed it went deeper than that.  It wasn't just sexual.  There was more there.  How, with them being so far apart in age he wasn't sure.  It continued to astound him, in fact, that they were so compatible.  But he had quickly decided that while Justin might be years younger than him chronologically, in terms of wisdom, common sense, and maturity, he was very much on a par with him. 

Glancing over at his small, sleek, chrome clock sitting on the night table, he noticed it was almost 11:30 now.  How late was 'late evening'?  Wasn't that BEFORE midnight, he reasoned?  He sighed in pent-up desire and frustration just as his cellphone went off, signaling an incoming text, and his heart began to race hopefully.  Twisting on his side to reach for his cell lying next to him on the bed, he pressed a button to bring the screen back to life to read the message and smiled.

Inspector at door needing full-body cavity search.  Immediate entry requested.  No, make that DEMANDED.    

Brian chuckled softly.  Sitting up in the bed, he swung his legs around to place them on the floor before he punched in a response:  Can't wait to begin inspection.  Give me thirty seconds and come on up. 

A couple of minutes later, Brian heard the telltale whine of the old-fashioned lift coming up to the top floor as he waited impatiently for Justin to appear.  He stood near the door rooted to the spot until he heard the lift's metal door swing open and then closed and gave it a few seconds more before he opened the loft door, only to be abruptly attacked by a very eager blond as soon as there was enough room for him to slip through. 

Justin knocked the wind out of him as he slammed forcefully into his body and began to rain sloppy kisses all over his face, neck, and shoulders while he murmured Brian's name over and over again.  His warm breath washed over Brian's skin as he whispered to him, making Brian's body start to burn with ever-increasing desire. 

He couldn't hold back the moan that escaped between his parted lips as he firmly cradled Justin by the buttocks to hold him up and savored the feeling of having Justin in his arms again.  The tentative kisses turned into passionate ones as their lips finally met, Justin taking the lead by sliding his tongue in between Brian's to take a swipe at the distinctly masculine taste inside. 

"Bed," Justin demanded as he broke off their kiss several seconds later and his hands began to roam all over Brian's chest, palming his nipples possessively as they slid up to curl over his shoulder blades.  "I need you, Brian," he breathed out as his right hand slid around to feather the soft, auburn hair at the back of Brian's neck.  "I need you surrounding me, taking me, marking me as yours.  Fuck, I'm so hard right now.  Hurry, Brian," he demanded as he began to unzip Brian's jeans, the tip of his tongue sliding out to wet his dry lips as he yanked the flaps apart, finding to his satisfaction that Brian was presently going commando.  "Yesssss," he hissed out in pleased triumph as he gave the steely shaft a firm squeeze, relishing in the hard silkiness under his touch.

"Fuck," Brian groaned as he bit down hard on his lower lip.  He wanted to yank Justin's hand away – afraid he was going to come merely from the sound of Justin's voice and the hand that was now sliding up and down his cock – but he was still propping Justin up by his ass and had his hands full – literally.  As he rushed to carry them both over to his bedroom and he flung the door open with his foot, he prayed he could hold off long enough to throw Justin down onto the bed before he exploded from lust-filled desire.

"Justin, stop," he finally managed to say as he reached the bed.  One look at the flushed look on his lover's face and his heart began to pound.  How could this man do what he did to him with just one look?  "Slow down," he cautioned him as thankfully Justin seemed to understand when he nodded and reluctantly removed his hand from inside his pants. 

Brian laid Justin down onto the bed with surprising gentleness as he took just a moment to tug his pants down his legs and step out of them, his cock springing up against his belly, swollen and throbbing.  His entire body was strung out high as a kite, even though he was stone cold sober as Justin reached his hands out toward him in invitation.

"Come here," he demanded urgently as he wriggled on the bed in barely-controlled passion, and Brian was only too happy to comply.  Brian walked over and crawled on top of Justin to kiss him deeply, desperately.  Justin was like some incurable sickness that permeated every pore of his being.  God, what was happening to him?  He draped himself over Justin's smaller frame as his lover spread his legs wide to allow him to nestle in the V of his lower body, their cocks brushing against each other's in obvious, exquisite, painful arousal.  Brian knew extended foreplay was out of the question tonight as he reached over to grab a condom from the night table, along with a small tube of lube.  Rising up onto his knees, he noticed the dark, almost midnight blue irises boring into his as he sheathed himself and quickly squirted some of the lube onto his fingers.  Justin planted his feet firmly onto the mattress and parted his raised knees in wanton invitation for him to prepare him, but somehow he knew he'd better not take too long to do that. 

He stuck one, slick finger inside and crooked it as he pushed deeper, eliciting a gasp from his companion as he hit the perfect spot.  He watched, entranced, as Justin's eyes seemed to roll back into his head as he slowly pushed another finger inside, reveling in how deliciously constrictive it felt.  The thought of placing his dick inside there momentarily was about to undo him, so he slowly pulled his fingers out and lined himself up, placing his hands on either side of Justin as his lover bent himself in two, pressing his knees against his chest in wanton invitation.

Brian sucked in his breath at the sight; fuck, this boy was so beautiful and so incredibly passionate!  It was almost like time had stopped, but it was just for a brief moment, however, as Justin quietly complained, "Come on, Brian; enough, fuck me already," and after stealing one more deep kiss from the boy's soft lips, Brian tentatively pressed inside, his cock already weeping copiously.  Brian noticed Justin wince slightly at the intrusion as he paused, his desire conflicting with his need not to inflict unnecessary pain; a few seconds later, however, Justin gripped his biceps forcefully, his fingers digging into the toned flesh in silent demand for him to get on with it, and he pushed in harder.

"So hot," he couldn't help whispering as Justin arched up for deeper penetration and he felt surrounded by the heat.  Keeping his eyes focused on the endless pools of blue that bored into his, Brian pulled out and then aggressively pushed back in, being rewarded with a loud, vocal moan from below as he hit Justin's sweet spot again. 

"You like that?" he growled, his voice husky and thick with need as he reared back out partially and thrust in once more to the hilt, their slickened bodies meeting with a distinctive smack as he swooped in for another kiss on the down stroke.

Justin's face transformed into something almost feral as he nodded.  "More...harder...fuck me, Brian." 

Brian wasn't sure what had caused Justin's almost desperate urgency tonight, but he was too caught up in his own passion to question it as he began to pump in and out in earnest now, his hands gripping either side of Justin's torso as their bodies began to move as one. 

Justin met Brian thrust by thrust, his knees bent so tightly against his chest he thought he would explode. But the slight discomfort he was feeling from his position was more than compensated for by the exquisite pleasure coursing through his body as Brian plunged into him time and time again.  Brian finally released him enough so he could wind his legs around his lover's waist and link them at the ankles to pull him even closer and allow Brian to reach around and start stroking his throbbing cock.  Just a few, masterful pumps of his shaft and Justin felt his muscles clenching in pending release.  With a loud cry, he exploded all over their bodies as Brian thrust in a few more times before he, too, released his seed with an equally vocal shout of his own. 

They lay there, spent, for several seconds before Brian reluctantly pulled out and twisted his body to flop down beside his younger lover.  Tossing the tied-off condom down onto the floor beside him, he turned to gaze over at the amazing young man who had firmly captured him, body and soul.  Justin's chest was still heaving softly up and down, a fine sheen of sweet covering him in the after-throes of pleasure.  He scrunched up his nose when a tendril of rebellious hair fell into his eyes before Brian reached over and tenderly brushed it aside; he was rewarded with a turn of Justin's head and a smile that made his heart flutter in appreciation. 

"Well," he finally managed to utter.  "That was some inspection...I'm glad you insisted on me being so thorough." 

Justin blushed, a little embarrassed by the way he had practically stripped Brian's jeans off him and had pounced on him the moment he had seen him.  But Brian had been on his mind all night, and seeing Gus with Tristan earlier had just made him hornier for him – and even more eager to be with him again. 

Brian smiled at his reaction, pleased that he could invoke such a response from him.  He tugged on Justin's arm in silent invitation for him to scoot closer as he propped himself up on one elbow and just drunk in the sight of him. 

"What?" Justin asked softly in confusion at the odd expression on Brian's face. 

Brian shook his head in dismissal.  "Nothing," he whispered.  "I was just thinking about something..."

"Oooh, better not do that," Justin teased him.  "At your age you might not have many brain cells left."

Brian smirked at him.  "Well, fortunately for you, I don't use my brain cells for what we just did.  And it was fucking fantastic, by the way, I might add." 

"Yes, it was," Justin admitted as he reached over to trail his hand down Brian's arm, marveling at how smooth and firm the warm, muscled flesh was beneath his touch.  "But then again, it always is when I'm with you." 

Brian frowned slightly, trying not to read more into that statement than there was.  Did Justin mean he had been with other guys since they had met? Had he been naïve, assuming that he was the only one who enjoyed Justin's company?  Justin was a beautiful young man.  It would only be normal that other guys found him just as attractive as he did.  But the thought of someone else touching him – being inside him – was unacceptable to him and caused his blood to boil. 

"Brian?" 

He blinked and refocused his thoughts as he realized Justin had been watching him.  "Hmm?"

"Where were you just now?" 

He shook his head slightly, deciding to be obtuse.  "I'm right here, Sunshine."

Justin's hand stilled on his arm.  "No, you were here, but your mind was somewhere else.  What were you thinking about?"

Brian sighed softly.  Was he ready to go there with him?  This whole relationship thing was so new to him anyway and made him insecure as hell, and he wasn't used to feeling that way.  Until now, about the only person he really confided in was his son, and even HE wasn't told everything.  After all, he was the father and was supposed to be the confident one with all the answers.  How wrong that was when it came to Justin, though!  Was he ready to put his heart on the line here?  Or perhaps more to the point, was he ready to risk losing it?  Taking a deep breath of resolve, he finally whispered, "Is there anyone else, Justin?" 

Justin furrowed his brow.  "What do you mean?"

Brian was quiet for a moment before he replied, "You said earlier that sex with me is always great."

Justin's face warmed in embarrassment; he wasn't used to discussing sex this openly with Brian. He liked to think he was more of an actions sort of man, just like Brian was, and they didn't need words to explain it.  But still, he couldn't deny it.  "Yes," he replied softly.  "It is."  His cheeks were tinged with pink as he added, "You were all I thought about today."

"Me, too," Brian found himself admitting as Justin smiled in pleasure over the statement.  "But you said you had plans earlier.  And you told me that once before, too, when we were going to get together."

"That's right," Justin told him with a frown.  "So?  Brian, what are you trying to say?"

Brian took a deep breath.  Here goes nothing...  "Justin, have you been with anyone else since we met?" 

Justin stared over at his companion, noticing a distinct look of uncertainty on his face, and it was then that he realized what Brian was trying to say.  The fact hit him like a bolt of lightning, and filled him with such joy he didn't dare express it.  Brian was bothered by the fact that he might be seeing other guys! 

"Would it bother you if I was?" he asked him, deciding to be just a little evil and make his lover squirm a bit first. 

"You can do whatever you want," Brian dismissed him curtly, his jealousy flaring up at the thought.  What kind of answer was that?  "Just answer the damn question, Justin, that's all I'm asking.  Are you?" 

"Are YOU?" was the unexpected reply.  Justin had seen the way other guys had been watching him at Woody's the day they met.  He wasn't stupid.  He knew all too well how other men had to be drawn to his lover like a moth to a flame.  He didn't like the idea of Brian being with other men, either. 

"Am I what?"

Justin sighed in exasperation, feeling like they were participating in a tennis match.  "You know what I mean!  Are you hooking up with other guys when we can't be together?" 

Brian rolled his eyes.  This was going nowhere.  Why did he think it was a good idea to have this conversation in the first place? But he had started it.  "Justin..."  He let out a deep breath of exasperation before the words burst forth almost of their own accord.  "Okay!  NO!  I'm sure you will find this impossible to believe, and it goes against everything I normally would do, but no, since I met you I haven't been with anyone else!  And yeah, it would bother me if you WERE!  There, are you satisfied now?  Now answer the fucking question!"  He huffed in aggravation as a smile broke out on Justin's face; a blinding smile that threatened to rival the entire electric grid of the eastern United States.

"Well?" he pressed when no answer was forthcoming.  He HATED feeling this way. 

Justin smiled even more if that was possible before he took sympathy on him and his face grew more serious, even tender.  "No, Brian," he told him softly at last as he reached over and brushed some hair away from his lover's face to lay his hand against his stubbled cheek.  "Why would I need to do that anyway when I have you?"  He paused, his breath taken away by the openly vulnerable look on his lover's face.  "I told you before," he reminded him.  "There IS no other 'one.'  They're just friends; that's all.  They don't mean anything to me; not like YOU do."  He searched Brian's face to determine if he believed him, but he couldn't tell.  "Okay?" he whispered as he leaned in just enough to gently kiss his lips in reassurance and pull back to look into his eyes.  "Brian?" 

Brian breathed out a sigh of relief between his lips before he nodded.  "Yeah...okay." He smiled at Justin before they met for another, deeper kiss.  As they broke apart several seconds later, Brian gently pushed Justin down onto his back as he hovered over him.  He shook his head slightly in amazement over how deeply he felt for this boy.  Did he dare call it love?  He didn't know.  But he did know he couldn't imagine his life without him now.  He leaned down to nuzzle the side of Justin's neck as he murmured, "We're all sticky now.  Care to go wash it off with me?"

Justin smiled at him as he pulled back and nodded. 

One Hour Later...

As Justin stood in the doorway of Brian's loft, it was hard to tell which man was more unwilling to say goodbye.  For the past fifteen minutes, he and Brian had been making out like two love struck teenagers; well, perhaps he still was one, he couldn't help thinking, as they continued to kiss, their hands touching the other everywhere.  But as he pulled back reluctantly to look into Brian's eyes, he knew he couldn't stay.

Almost as if he were reading his mind, he heard Brian whisper, "Do you really have to go?" 

Brian uttered the words before he even considered the implications, but it seemed to be the day for that sort of revelation. 

Justin leaned his forehead against his, his hands gripping his shoulders, as he responded regretfully, "Yeah, I'm afraid that I do.  I have to be up early tomorrow.  But if it's okay with you, we could do a rerun tomorrow night." 

Brian had to have one more taste as he leaned in to kiss Justin deeply before pulling back.  "How about a rerun now?" he asked huskily, his voice low and smooth. 

"Brian..." Justin protested as his lover curled his lips under.  He knew how hard he was making this.  VERY hard, he thought ruefully as he felt his body responding to Brian's words and his touch.  "I can't," he told him as Brian sighed.  "But I promise I'll make it up to you, okay?" 

"You'd better," Brian growled in frustration.  They had already...Okay, he had to admit it – made love – two times already tonight, but it was never enough with Justin.  He pushed their bodies closer together as he admitted, "You're making this very hard on me," as he gripped Justin's hand and settled it over his cock to prove his point.

"You're not the ONLY one," Justin responded with a groan as he finally disentangled himself from Brian's embrace.  He knew if he didn't leave in the next few minutes, he wouldn't at all. 

"I'll see you tomorrow," he promised him as he turned to go.  He paused to look back when he got to the elevator, noticing Brian still standing there.  He looked like he was about to walk over to him, but Justin held out his hand in a 'stopping' gesture as he told him truthfully, "You stay there.  You're too much of a temptation from less than 10 feet away." 

Brian grinned just as the elevator finally arrived and Justin stepped inside.  Only when Justin had the gate firmly closed did he finally know they had said their final goodbye.

Brian watched the elevator car descend until he couldn't see it anymore before finally turning around and quietly closing the door behind him, walking over barefooted to plop down onto the couch.  He found himself smiling as he recalled Justin's reassurance earlier that he was, indeed, only seeing him.  That fact filled him with a great deal of both relief as well as satisfaction.

Several minutes passed when he heard someone knocking on his door, and he couldn't help the grin that broke out over his face.  It seems he wasn't the only one that couldn't bear to say goodbye.  Justin must have decided that his early-morning plans weren't so important after all.  Clad in his blue jeans and nothing else – his favorite 'stay-at-home' attire – he walked over to the loft door and eagerly swung it open to prepare for another onslaught.  He stared, his mouth agape, however, as he found out it wasn't Justin at all. 

"Hello, Brian," was the quiet greeting.

Stunned, it took Brian a few minutes before he could verbalize what he was thinking.  "What the fuck are you doing here, Lindsay?"