Brian moaned as he slowly woke up to a litany of Spanish cursing and banging noises; he lifted his head, grimacing at the throbbing pain he was experiencing due to all the alcohol he had ingested last night.  He had a bitch of a hangover and everything was spinning in the room as he flopped back down onto the mattresss.  He blinked a couple of times, finally managing to turn his head and focus his eyes on his clock on the night table, discovering to his dismay that it was noon already. 

"Fuck," he mumbled as he dragged himself out of bed in a panic, realizing he was several hours late for work.  Cradling his head in his hands in an unsuccessful attempt to dull the pain,  he slid on a pair of jeans before dragging himself out of bed and walking out into the living area, observing Sofia, his housekeeper, attempting to clean up the mess he had caused last night. 

He frowned as he noticed Gus sitting at the kitchen counter, casually leafing through a magazine as if he didn't have a care in the world. 

"Well, Good Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Gus deadpanned as Brian scowled back at him.

"You! School!" Brian growled as he pointed his finger at him. 

Gus giggled.  "Boy, that must have been some night last night, Dad."  He shook his head in amusement. "It's Sunday, Einstein; no school today."

Brian opened his mouth as he tried to come up with a snappy comeback, but he was spared from having to try as Sofia walked over to stand in front of him, her eyes flashing as she gestured angrily with her hands.

"Usted tuvo otro partido de anoche, ¿verdad? No puedo creer la mierda que tengo que aguantar? ¿Cuándo vas a crecer? Usted es más joven que su hijo! ¡Increíble!"

Brian blinked, trying to clear his muddled brain as he shook his head.  "What?  Sofia...English, por favor?"  He pinched the bridge of his nose and winced at the loud tone of her voice.

"Estúpido!" she muttered as she threw up her hands and turned around to stomp back over to her broom propped against the kitchen island.  Well, that didn't need translating, Brian decided, as he finally realized Sofia was there on the wrong day and turned to look questioningly at his son.

"I called her this morning, because I thought you might need some help cleaning up the latest Hurricane Kinney; you might want to leave her a bigger tip than usual," he suggested with a smile.   "Now go grab a shower, Dad, and take a pain killer!  I think you and I need to have a good, old-fashioned, father-son chat about your extracurricular activities - along with some other things."  He laughed softly.  "I'm just not sure which one of us is the father-son here, though."

Brian groaned.  "Very funny, Sonny Boy," he responded gruffly.  He swayed slightly on his feet.  "Maybe you're right," he conceded before heading off toward the master bathroom.

Gus watched his father turn around and slowly shuffle away, curious about what had transpired to make his father go on such a binge last night.  If it hadn't been for what had happened last night between him and Justin, he would have been freaked out about the state of the apartment when he had come home earlier, but his encounter with him - and that kiss - had his mind on something much more pleasant at the moment...

Last Night...

Gus pressed his lips to Justin's; for just a second he could tell he was responding, but then he felt Justin's hands on his chest, pushing him away. 

"Gus...I... I can't," Justin whispered as he pulled back slightly; his eyes full of turmoil.  Gus, thinking Justin was just nervous or scared, reached out with the back of his hand to caress the side of his face reassuringly before he leaned in to attempt another kiss, only to be rebuked once more.

"No, Gus," Justin replied firmly but gently as he shook his head and rose to his feet, wrapping his arms across his chest as if to protect himself as he turned around to face the windows, his mind swirling with confusion.  What had he almost just done?  This would have been so wrong on so many levels.  The last thing he wanted to do was either take advantage of Gus or give him mixed signals regarding their relationship, no matter how great a friend he was trying to be.

Gus frowned; unable to understand Justin's reaction.  "Justin; it's okay," he tried to assure him, not wanting the evening to end.  "I...I won't try to kiss you again; please come and sit back down," he urged him as he patted the seat beside him.  But Justin sighed sadly as he shook his head and stood with his back to his friend, lost in a world of his own misery. 

"I think you should go now, Gus; I need to be alone."  Justin couldn't get what had happened with Brian out of his head; what could have happened to change things so abruptly between them? 

Gus was disappointed; he had thought this would be the night that he finally was able to break through to Justin and show him how much he cared about him...but then again he had to consider the circumstances.  Justin had just broken up with someone; even though it bothered him to think of Justin having been with this other guy, he also realized it would take time for him to move on from it. 

So he grudgingly realized that he had to try and take the higher ground here, for his sake as well as Justin's; what had happened tonight was a start, and when Justin was ready, he planned on being there for him.  That would make Justin realize he was a much better match for him as well.  He sighed; he really wanted to stay and support Justin, but instinctively he knew this wasn't the right time.  He finally nodded his head as he raised his hands in surrender.  "Okay, no problem; I understand," he told him as he stood up.  Walking a few feet over to Justin, he hesitated for just a moment before he placed his hands on Justin's upper arms briefly and gave him a kiss on the cheek from behind.   He smiled wistfully at his friend as Justin turned his head to look at him.  "I'll go," he told him softly before walking to the door.  "But if you need anything - anything at all - call or text me, okay?"  He waited for a moment for Justin to speak, but when he simply nodded at him, he turned to leave.  He had just reached the door when, at last, Justin found his voice.

"Gus...," Justin called after him quietly, not even sure what he was going to say as the boy turned around to face him; he could see a look of hopefulness appear on his face, no doubt a desire to remain with him.  "I'll...I'll see you later," he finally said.  "And...thanks."  He could see Gus's face fall slightly over his dismissal before he nodded, closing the door softly behind him.

Justin slumped down onto the couch in the heavy silence then, weary and emotionally spent.  Propping his elbows on his knees as he sat there alone, he hid his face with his hands, wondering what he was going to do.  Lying down on the couch when no answers were forthcoming, he curled up into a ball and was asleep within minutes, too tired to remain awake any longer.

Gus's thoughts were a jumble on the drive home.  While he was somewhat frustrated that Justin hadn't reciprocated in kind regarding their kiss, he decided to look on the bright side.  That kiss - however brief - had been the beginning of something more substantial; he just knew it.  He smiled.  Yes, it was his and Justin's beginning.  His smile widened at the thought.  "I'll be there for you, Justin," he vowed as he headed back toward the loft he shared with his father, confident that if he continued to be supportive of Justin during his break up, then he would finally succeed in getting his man.

Present Time...

Brian let the stream of hot water run down his face as the events from last night came flooding back to him with unrelenting, brutal clarity.  Even though he had been half-drunk out of his mind and in a dark, anguish-filled place at the time, he could still clearly see the look of devastation and hurt on Justin's face as he had spewed all sorts of hateful, horrendous lies at him.  He closed his eyes, trying to shut out what he had done, but that only made things worse.  Had he really told Justin that he had meant nothing to him?  That he was a one-time deal?  That he had only, in essence, been using him to satisfy his needs?  Had he really tried to physically shove him out of his loft?  My God, how could he have done that to him?  He of all people (in addition to his son) meant the world to him. 

"Fuck," he whispered as the ramifications of his actions came back to haunt him.  He swallowed the painful lump in his throat.  It felt like a knife was stabbing him right in the heart; probably the same type of feeling that Justin must have been experiencing last night. 

Had he managed to push the one man who meant something to him away?  Had he lost him permanently?  He pursed his lips tightly together in determination.  No.  Justin was special; he would always be special.  He wouldn't let that happen; he couldn't let that happen.  He stepped out of the shower and gulped down a couple of pain killers to try and dull his headache as he looked at the despicable man staring back at him in the mirror with bloodshot eyes.  He felt sick to his stomach, and he knew it wasn't from all the booze. Way to go, Kinney.  He missed Justin so much already.

Worried and depressed, he walked out of his bedroom a few minutes later, feeling a bit more like himself as he observed his housekeeper standing by the door to the loft, waiting for him.  Somehow Sofia had performed a miracle; the place looked spotless now, which had to be no mean feat after everything he had destroyed last night.  What a shame she couldn't pull some other rabbit out of her hat and erase everything he had done with Justin, too. That, unfortunately, would be one area he would have to try and fix himself, however. 

Striding over to his desk and pulling out his checkbook, he quickly scribbled out a check and walked over to hand it to her.  "Lo siento mucho," he mumbled.  "And... thank you," he added softly, a little ashamed about what she had had to do for him this morning.

Sofia's previous anger dissolved into astonishment as she glanced down at the generous amount on the check and her eyes widened in delight; her face broke out into a huge smile as she exclaimed, "Muchas gracias, Senor Kinney!  Muchas gracias!" 

He nodded blankly as he turned to open the door for her, and with a final nod of gratitude, he closed it behind her to turn around and face his curious son.  His face softened as he looked at the boy he adored, recalling how happy he had seemed earlier.  "Well, aren't you the industrious one?" he murmured as he glanced around at the now spic-and-span loft.  "You saved my ass, Gus," he told his son.  "Thanks."

Gus nodded back a 'you're welcome' as Brian sighed.  "At least one of us had a good night last night, apparently.  Would it have something to do with this boy you keep telling me about?" 

"Yeah..." Gus replied, as a big smile appeared on his face. 

Brian walked over and sat down next to his son.  He ruffled his hair affectionately for a moment before he asked, "So what's going on?" 

Gus's eyes sparkled with happiness.  He was a little embarrassed to share such information with his father, but he couldn't contain himself even if he tried.  "We finally shared a kiss last night!" he confided.

Brian smiled despite his present circumstances; his son's joy was contagious.  "Good for you, Sonny Boy!" he praised him, although he really wasn't surprised; no one stood a chance against the Kinney charm, at least when they weren't being asses like he had been with Justin last night.  His face dissolved into a worried look at the thought of what he had done, an expression that wasn't lost on his son.

"Dad, what about you?  Are you going to tell me what happened last night?  You haven't gone off the deep end like this in a long time."

Brian took a deep breath, realizing not only that he needed to resolve what had transpired between him and Justin, but he had an even bigger problem potentially.  Rising silently from his seat, he walked over to his desk to locate the thick packet that Lindsay had left last night, including the surveillance photos and the court order, and returning to his son, he wordlessly handed it to him to study.

"What's this?" he asked in puzzlement. 

Brian's lips drew into a tight line.  "Some of your mother's handiwork," he told him tersely.  "Just look at it, Gus; I think it's pretty self-explanatory." 

Gus began by scanning the stack of photos of him at various ages, including the recent one where he had kissed his friend goodbye.  "What the fuck, Dad?  She's been spying on me all this time?" 

Brian nodded.  "She hired a P.I. to take them, practically since the day you were born.  But that's not the worst of it; look at the document."

Gus's mouth hung open as he scanned the official-looking paper. Even without being a legal expert, it wasn't hard to figure out what it said.  "No fucking way...uh, uh," he finally said as he shook his head in disbelief.  "Oh, my God; can she really do this, Dad?  And why? Why now?"

"Apparently she's going to try," he told him curtly.  "As for why she's pursuing it now, evidently she's finally decided that I'm a bad moral influence on you."  He snorted.  "Took her long enough to come to that conclusion.  She thinks you need a more ‘calming, normal' influence in your life, not some fag father."

"What the...No, Dad!  You can't let her do this!" Gus replied, feeling panic rising in his throat. 

Brian's jaw was set in determination as he told him quietly, "Don't you worry, Sonny Boy; I'm going to fight her with everything that I have; I won't let her take you away from me."  If he lost Gus - after what had just happened with Justin - he didn't know what he would do.  He refused to believe that either one was a lost cause, however. 

"Dad...I don't want to live anywhere else!  I want to stay with you!  You're the best Dad anyone could ever have!" Gus cried, his voice breaking.

Brian swallowed hard as he pulled him into his arms and wrapped him into a hug.  "Don't worry, Gus; it isn't going to happen, you hear me?"  He could feel Gus nodding against his neck after a few seconds.  "Good boy. "  He pulled back to stare into his son's eyes and flash him a reassuring smile, although tendrils of doubt were still creeping in.  He would never let his son see that on his face, however.  "Now I have something important that I need to take care of this afternoon; will you be staying home today?" he asked him, trying to change the subject.  Besides, it was the truth; there WAS something he needed to rectify immediately - if he could. 

"Actually, I was planning on going over to Kayla's to help her study for a test tomorrow," he told him as Brian nodded.

"Okay," he replied as he grabbed his car keys; he had an important mission, and he knew he wouldn't rest until he had accomplished it - if it was possible.  It had to be; that was the only option.  "I'll see you later, then.  And don't worry," he called out to him as he turned to go, wishing he could accomplish the same thing with himself.  For at the moment, ‘worry' was his middle name.

Thirty minutes later...

Brian noticed he was sweating slightly as he emerged from his jeep, shutting the door before walking toward the entrance to Justin's apartment building.  At the moment, he had no fucking clue what exactly he was going to say to his lover to make him forgive him for the horrible things he had said to him last night, but he knew he wasn't leaving until he had given it all he had.  Justin meant far too much to him to just let things fall apart like this.  His stomach was fluttering nervously and his anxiety began to build the closer he got to Justin's building.

Standing at the door several seconds later, he took a deep breath to steel himself for what he figured would be a somewhat hostile encounter before he reached for the door handle, only to dodge it as it unexpectedly swung open and the object of his search stepped outside.   

Justin covered his initial surprise as he glared at him, the hurt still fresh and raw.  He bristled at the sight of his lover standing there; hadn't he put him through enough pain?  "Brian, what the fuck are you doing here?" 

"I came to talk to you," Brian told him calmly; inside, however, his heart was pounding.  He had to get through to Justin and make him understand why he had done what he did last night.  He had an idea it wasn't going to be easy, though, and he soon found out that he was correct. 

Justin laughed scornfully.  "Talk?  TALK?  Did you crack your fucking head on something in your drunken stupor last night after you threw me out?  Well, let's see if you can comprehend this, Brian:  LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!  You've already had me, remember?" he growled as he pushed Brian aside to leave. Brian, however, was too fast for him as he reached out to grab his arm to prevent him from escaping.

"Let go of me, NOW!" Justin yelled as he thrashed violently against Brian's hold, but his lover wasn't about to release him; Justin cursed himself silently for the tears of hurt and frustration that threatened to fall from his eyes as Brian held onto him fast.  "Damn you!" 

Still holding tightly onto a struggling Justin, Brian stepped closer until their bodies were touching.  Keeping his grip firmly on his lover, Brian pulled him closer so he could whisper in Justin's ear, "I'm sorry, Sunshine."  He took advantage of their proximity to nuzzle the side of Justin's neck, inhaling the unique scent.  Fuck, how he had missed him!  He thought he heard Justin emit a soft whimper in response, and his heart sang at the thought that he was bending just a little.  Emboldened a little more, he pulled back to cup Justin's face in his hands as he leaned down with the intention of kissing his mouth, only to have Justin turn his head just in time to avert it. 

"That's NOT good enough; I don't accept your apology!" Justin snapped, coming out of his temporary trance as Brian's heart dropped.  "I said let me the fuck go, you asshole!" 

But Brian had no intention of letting him go - ever. "Justin, come on; stop being unreasonable," he implored.  "Let me explain..."

Justin wrenched his arm away to Brian's surprise as he laughed incredulously, "You explained it very well last night!  I understand perfectly what I mean to you now!  So just leave...me...the...fuck...alone!"

"Not until you listen to me," Brian growled obstinately as he grabbed Justin's wrist and forcefully dragged him back into the apartment building.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he shouted as they entered the small lobby, Brian half-pulling, half-dragging him up the steps back to his apartment.  "I'll scream for the apartment manager!" he threatened.  But to Brian's relief, Justin miraculously held his silence as they proceeded up the steps.

Brian finally stopped as they reached the landing about a minute later, firmly bracing Justin against the nearby wall by his upper arms to trap him there as he stared into the defiant blue eyes of the man he cared so deeply for - and the man he had hurt so badly last night.  He sighed; this wasn't going to be easy.

"Justin, please; just give me five minutes.  Five minutes; that's all I ask.    I had a reason for acting the way that I did.  It won't excuse what I did to you, but it will explain it.  Just hear me out first.  If you still don't want anything to do with me afterward, then I'll...I'll let you go and walk out of your life."  Please don't let it come to that, though, he silently entreated.  He couldn't stand it if that happened. 

Justin remained stonily mute, making Brian uneasy.  "Justin...Please.  Five minutes.  Okay?"

Justin sighed.  His common sense was telling him to run like hell away from this man, but his heart - his heart was telling him just the opposite.  Something told him that Brian didn't say the word ‘please' too often.  And there was something in his eyes, something almost bordering on desperation there.  What difference would it make if he did hear him out for five minutes?  Perhaps nothing.  But perhaps everything.  He lifted his eyes to peer into Brian's face, and he knew he couldn't yet walk away from this man; at least not yet.  His heart was way too invested in him already.

He let out a ragged breath, tired of fighting for the moment. "All right, Brian.  You've got five minutes." 

Brian nodded in relief, finally letting him go.  Justin pursed his lips tightly together as he turned to lead them down the hallway toward his apartment; Brian kept a comfortable distance between them, not wanting to crowd Justin as he watched him unlock the door and enter.

Justin walked over and took a place on the couch, crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive posture as he eyed Brian skeptically, who chose to remain near the front door.  "Okay, Brian, I'm listening.  Better make it a good story, though; you're only going to get one chance." 

The hurt and doubt were written all over Justin's face, and it made Brian feel like a total jackass for what he had done.  He rubbed his face with his hands before starting what might be the most important speech of his life.  Here goes. "Before you arrived at my loft, Justin, I had an unexpected visitor:  Lindsay, my son's martyred, saintly mother."  He noticed Justin eyes flicker with surprise as he continued, "It seems my son's dear old mom - who up until now has never wanted anything to do with him - hired a private investigator to keep tabs on him all these years.  She showed me a virtual dossier of every stage of his life in photos, including one taken last year when he had to say goodbye to one of his friends who was moving.  They were mainly joking around - it was just a friendly peck on the lips - but Lindsay, being the prude that she is, saw something sinister and morally depraved in it and now she's decided that I'm a bad influence as a father."  He brushed his left hand through his hair in agitation as he explained, "She's filed a fucking court order for full custody of him!  She wants to take him back home to live with her and her happy little hetero family.  She thinks she can turn him straight now!"  He let out a deep breath, his voice breaking as he told Justin, "I can't let that happen, Justin!  He...He's been my world ever since he was born.  I never thought I would want a child.  But since he came into my life, I know now that I would do anything for him.  If she succeeded somehow in taking him away..."  He shook his head and swallowed hard as he strove to compose himself.  

Justin remained silent as he stared at Brian, not giving him any clue as to what he was feeling, before he plodded on with his explanation. 

"Well, after she left, I went off the deep end.   I admit it.  I threw everything and anything I could get my hands on.  I smoked cigarette after cigarette like a chimney and got totally smashed.  I didn't care.  All I could think about was the possibility of losing my son and dulling the pain that I was feeling.  I didn't think about any of the consequences."  He took another breath.  "I stayed like that for hours, just contemplating what life would be like without my son. And then...You arrived and...And when you tried to find out what was wrong; well, I was in a very dark place then."  He closed his eyes briefly before peering over at his lover.  "I had no right to take it out on you, Sunshine.  But I did.  And you'll never know how fucking sorry I am about that." 

Justin was shocked.  He could only imagine how Brian must have felt when the mother had showed up out of the blue.  But did that excuse what he had done to him?  No, it didn't.  "I'm sorry to hear that, Brian," he replied, his voice low and quiet.  "But it still doesn't explain - or excuse - the way you treated ME.  I was trying to help you last night- and you repaid me by saying some of the most horrible things you could say.  I thought...I thought I meant more to you than that."    

Brian's heart ached; he knew that was true; his actions and words had been horrendous, and he might never be able to explain even to himself why he had done what he had done.  But for his sake - and Justin's - he had to try.  Walking over to sit down beside Justin, he took a leap of faith as he reached to grasp Justin's left hand, gratified that Justin didn't flinch from his touch or try to pull away this time.  The blue eyes bored into his as he told him, "Justin, you do.  Maybe more than you know." 

"Well, you have a damn funny way of showing it, then," he was flatly told as Justin cast his eyes downward, the hurtful things that Brian had hurled at him last night still reverberating in his mind.  He felt Brian release his hand, causing him to lift his gaze to peer over at him curiously, before Brian placed his right hand under his chin to gently force him to look into his eyes. 

"Justin," he whispered, the regret and pain over what he had done clearly etched on his face.  "I will never be able to take back what I said to you last night; that's something that I will regret forever. But I can try to make it up to you; I want to make it up to you.  That is...If you'll let me."  Brian licked his lips nervously; almost afraid of the intensity of his feelings and how important it was that Justin forgive him.  Until Justin came along, he would have never believed he could have become so emotionally attached to someone; at least, anyone other than his son.  But with the startling realization of how much it mattered to him came the additional epiphany that he was quite possibly falling in love with this beautiful and passionate man. 

"Justin?  Talk to me," he softly pleaded when Justin remained stubbornly silent. 

Justin's eyes glimmered.  "You hurt me so much last night," he whispered in a choked-up voice.  "When...when you said those things...like I was some toy to be played with and discarded..."  He swallowed hard and tightly closed his eyes as the pain washed over him anew, unable to prevent the tears that escaped the corner of his eyes and trickled down his cheeks.

He opened his eyes back up as he felt Brian's hand withdraw from his face, only to feel him gently wiping his tears away before Brian placed his hands on either side of his face.  He was startled to clearly see tears in Brian's eyes, also, as his lover whispered, "Justin, if I could only take it back...If I could go back in time and start over again; fuck, you don't know how much I wish that I could!  I don't know why I said those things to you." Brian's fingers gently caressed his cheeks as he told him, "I only know that the hurt I caused you - as great as it had to be - can't compare to the hurt I feel right now over knowing what I did."  He leaned in to rest his forehead against Justin's, hearing Justin sigh softly, before he pulled back to gaze into his eyes and then press his lips tentatively against his lover's.  "Please forgive me, Sunshine," he whispered against his mouth as he broke off their kiss to stare into his face.  "I'll find a way to make it up to you; I promise." 

Justin blinked; his eyes still bright with tears.  He didn't know why he should forgive Brian - or why he should even trust him. But he did know that he cared too much about Brian to just throw everything away - and his heart desperately wanted to believe him. 

"Justin?" Brian softly pressed; his heart in his throat over what his answer might be.  Finally, to his enormous relief, Justin nodded. 

"I forgive you, Brian," Justin replied at last.  Before Brian could say anything, however, he added, "But if you ever do anything like this again - if you ever shut me out again or hurt me like you did this time..."

He was silenced by another, more fervent kiss as Brian pressed his lips tightly against his.  He opened his mouth to allow Brian to deepen the kiss, feeling his lover's hands running all over his back as his arms slid around Brian's waist to pull him closer. 

After a few minutes, they broke off their kiss, Justin's head resting against Brian's chest as they continued to embrace.  He thought he detected Brian exhaling a sigh of relief when all of a sudden he heard him say, "I'd like you to meet my son, Justin." 

Justin's head snapped back as he looked into Brian's eyes.  "Seriously?"

Brian smiled.  "Yeah, I think it's about time, since you're here to stay after all.  At least...I hope so," he added tentatively. 

Justin finally bestowed a warm smile on him as he nodded.  "Yeah, I think maybe I am." 

At last the heavy, leaden feeling in his heart was lifted as Brian leaned down to steal one additional, quick kiss from him. 

"I'm so fucking glad," he told him.  "Let's go back to my place, then.  I'll order in some dinner and show you how glad I am, okay?" 

Justin nodded, his face warming in anticipation as Brian pulled him to his feet and, hand-in-hand, they exited the apartment.  They kept their hands clasped firmly together all the way until they had reached Brian's jeep. 

Same Time...

Gus pulled up in Kayla's driveway and parked his vehicle at the end, observing Tristan shooting hoops by the garage, shirtless.   After what had happened the other night, he felt a little awkward approaching Kayla's brother again, but he couldn't help admiring the smooth, tanned skin that was exposed and the gracefulness of his actions as he moved.  He found himself staring at the other boy through the windshield.  It was so sexy the way his abs rippled as he traveled with the ball; it was obvious that there wasn't one ounce of fat on him as he continued to dribble the ball before taking a shot. 

As he closed the door to his jeep to get out, he noticed Tristan glancing his way before he quickly averted his eyes, apparently ashamed of his behavior the other day.  Well, you ought to be, Gus silently declared.

Deciding that it was best to just try and ignore what had happened the other day when Tristan had been smashed out of his mind, however, he chose, instead, to approach him with a safer topic.  Gathering up his courage, he called out to him, "Hey, Big Shot!  How about some one-on-one with a REAL pro?"   He quickly shrugged out of his tee shirt and threw it onto the concrete. 

Tristan blew out a relieved breath between his lips; apparently all was forgiven - or at least Gus was going to pretend that their awkward scene from the other day had never happened.  Thank God.  He turned around to bestow a smirk on Gus, swallowing hard at the image of the other boy shirtless, revealing perfectly-toned stomach and abs.  Get a hold of yourself, you idiot! he silently berated himself before he cleared his throat and smiled back at him.  "Bring it on, then, Stud!  Let's see what you got!" 

Gus laughed as he walked up to join him; relieved as well that for now the tension from before had been broken.

At Brian's Loft...

"I thought you promised me something to eat?" Justin reminded Brian as he licked his lips seductively; he could feel Brian's hard-on pressing against him as he sat on Brian's thighs and peered down into his lover's amused face from his position on the couch.  Some soft jazz music was playing on the stereo several feet away, adding to their more relaxed attitude now that they had cleared the air between them.

"Oh, don't worry; we'll both be eating something tonight," Brian told him huskily as Justin grinned back at him before leaning down to begin peppering his neck and jaw with kisses.  "Where's your son?" he asked, his breath warm against Brian's face.  He braced himself with his hands on Brian's shoulder blades as he continued to reacquaint himself with his lover's touch, taste, and smell.  He sighed in contentment as Brian's hands slid around to his back to pull him closer.

"He's at a friend's house," he heard him say in his ear. "He won't be home until later; much later." 

At least Brian hoped so; right now he had only one thing on his mind - proving to Justin just how much he meant to him.  Justin pulled back to stare into Brian's eyes and nodded.  "I still want to meet him," he told him, so humbled that Brian wanted to do that.  Somehow he knew that he would be the first man that Brian had granted that privilege and honor to, and it made him even more convinced that Brian really did care deeply for him. 

"You will," Brian promised him.  "But first...I think I might have some major sucking up to do."

Justin's smile grew wider as he replied, "Damn straight you do, Kinney." 

Brian laughed and grinned back at him before flipping their bodies so that Justin wound up lying on his back lengthwise on the couch, Brian hovering over him.

Justin frowned at the odd look on Brian's face.  "What?" he asked softly as he reached up to caress Brian's cheek in concern.

Brian stared into his eyes.  "I'm..."

"Brian?" 

Brian shook his head to quiet him.  "I'm just glad...that you gave me another chance," he whispered with heartfelt seriousness as he caressed Justin's shoulders with his fingers, gazing into the blue eyes so intently that Justin's heart skipped a beat. 

Justin nodded and flashed a reassuring smile at him as Brian sat back on his knees to unbutton and unzip Justin's jeans.  His eyes never left his lover's as he pulled off Justin's shoes and socks before leaning down to grasp the waistband of his jeans and briefs to pull them down the slender legs and drop all the items down next to the couch. 

Rising from the couch, he quickly dispensed with his own clothing before returning to Justin's side, crawling up his body until they were seeing eye-to-eye; draping himself over the smaller frame, Brian could feel their mutual desire trapped between them as he leaned in to begin raining kisses on Justin's forehead, his eyelids, his nose, and his cheeks before pressing their mouths together for a deep, lingering kiss that left them both breathless.  He could feel Justin's hands lightly caressing his back as they kissed, and he thanked his lucky stars that he hadn't lost this young man forever as he pulled back to stare into his captivating, blue eyes, darkened presently with lust - and he also hoped, love - for him.

Their lovemaking this time was slow and sweet, making Justin's heart sing while at the same time making him grow impatient.  "Brian," he whimpered restlessly after several minutes of his lover continuing to caress him everywhere while biting down playfully on his lower earlobe, making him crazy with desire.  "Brian, I want you inside me.  Please..."

"Shh..." Brian whispered to Justin's consternation as his frustration grew.  "We have all day," he reminded him as he lifted his eyes to peer into the darkened, impatient, blue ones.  "Don't worry," he promised him huskily.  "By the time we're done, you'll know exactly how special you are to me." 

Justin flushed at the sound of Brian's voice as he mutely nodded before Brian continued his sensual onslaught.  For the next several minutes, his lover continually brought him to the brink of climax, only to stop just long enough for Justin to catch his breath and relax slightly, then to start back up again with a tender, languid kiss, touch, lick, or bite.  To Justin, it was one of the sweetest and yet most nerve-wracking experiences he had ever had.  "Fuck, Brian!" he implored after enduring a few more minutes of his lover's form of erotic torture, hearing a chuckle against his skin, only inflaming his desire more.  He felt like he was about to combust.  "Keep it up and I'll change my mind."

Brian lifted his head where he had been worshiping Justin's nipples with his tongue and lips to smirk at him.  Cocky bastard, Justin couldn't help thinking.  "No, you won't," he told him gruffly.  "You're enjoying this as much as I am." 

Justin harrumphed.  "Enjoyed is the not the word I had in mind," he decided as Brian grinned at him.  "Fuck!" he cried out a few seconds later as Brian's mouth promptly latched onto the head of his cock and began to suckle it like some juicy pear.  He arched off the couch cushions and fisted Brian's soft, auburn hair as the older man made some sort of humming noise; this time Brian wasn't fast enough to prevent Justin from gushing down his throat as he erupted in pure, unadulterated pleasure a few seconds later. 

Flopping back down onto the couch, Justin lay there, his hands spread out to his sides like a spineless jellyfish, his chest heaving up and down rapidly as he tried to come down from the incredible high he had just experienced.  It took him several seconds to regain normal breathing before he let out one, deep breath and peered up at Brian's face; a face that was so open and tender that it made his heart leap. 

Brian leaned down to kiss his soft, swollen lips before Justin reached down to curl his hand around his lover's cock, still rock hard with unfulfilled need.  "Let me take care of that," he whispered.  "I want to ride you, Brian.  I need to feel you inside me." 

"Well, who am I to turn down such an enticing offer?" Brian replied, tongue-in-cheek.  He grasped Justin's upper arms and managed somehow with his lover's help to flip their positions on the couch as Justin sat up on Brian's thighs.  "Where...?"

"Under the cushion," Brian told him as Justin nodded eagerly. 

"Ever the Boy Scout," he deadpanned as he slid his left hand under the cushion to feel for the familiar, flat package.  Pulling the condom packet back out and holding it up triumphantly for Brian's inspection, Brian reached his arm down to blindly grope for his pants on the floor, finding them and reaching inside the jeans pocket to pull out a small tube of lube.  Handing it to Justin, he watched under heavy-lidded, darkened eyes as Justin began to prepare himself and Brian for the next round of their lovemaking.

Thirty minutes earlier...

Tristan groaned as Gus jumped up on his tiptoes and smoothly lobbed the ball into the net with a quiet swish, just out of his reach. 

As soon as Gus retrieved the ball, Tristan rushed up to steal it away from him.  "No more slam dunks for you, Kinney!" he growled good-naturedly.  "How about spreading the wealth a little?"  Both boys had been at it long enough that their bodies were covered with a fine sheen of sweat in the warm, mid-day sun. 

Gus grinned smugly as Tristan dribbled the ball a few feet away.   "It's all part of the game, Callahan!" Gus remarked teasingly as he smiled back at him, thoroughly enjoying their competition now. 

"Oh, yeah?" Tristan replied, dodging agilely around the other boy and leaping up to adroitly land a three-pointer in the basket as Gus huffed in disbelief.

"Who's the superstar now, Stud?"  Tristan bragged with a big smile as he spread his arms wide in bravado.

"We'll just see about that!" Gus growled as he smoothly stole the ball back with a grunt of exertion.

"Hey!" Tristan protested as he crowded around him, keeping close guard as he looked for an opening to steal the ball back.  They were presently so close that Tristan's body inadvertently bumped up against Gus's crotch; he bit back a groan of desire before, unable to take their proximity any longer, he pulled away from him and just stood there in indecision, afraid after the last fiasco to make any wrong moves. 

Gus frowned as he stopped bouncing the ball, wondering what had just happened. They had been having so much fun.  "What's wrong?"  He asked, trying to make light of their situation, as he added, "Giving up?"  The grin on his face, however, disappeared instantly at the intense look on Tristan's face as the other boy walked the few steps over to him and knocked the ball out of his hands, just before he grabbed his upper arms and plastered his lips onto his.  Gus's heart was fluttering furiously as he began to passionately return the kiss before the reality of what he was doing set in and he pushed a disappointed Tristan away from him. 

"Gus..." 

Gus stood there like a deer in the crosshairs of a gun before he brushed his hand through his hair in confusion, his emotions in turmoil.  Quickly picking up his shirt nearby, he turned and rushed over to his jeep to get in, hearing Tristan shouting in frustration at him through the vehicle's open window.

"Damn it, Gus!  One of these days you'll have to stop running away from me!"

Gus closed his eyes for a couple of seconds before starting up the car and backing out of the driveway; the tires screeched as he hit the gas pedal and sped off, leaving a thoroughly flustered Tristan in his wake.

Gus shook his head as he drove, wondering what in the hell was going on.  He was so confused; how could he be attracted to two guys at once?  And that was what he now had to face - it was the truth.  He could no longer attribute the feelings he had for Tristan to that one, drunken night.  They were still there; they had actually been there, under the surface, before Tristan had kissed him the other night.  But he was also attracted to Justin.  And now it appeared at last that he would finally have a chance with him.  He couldn't miss seeing what might come of their relationship, could he?  But then why was his heart being pulled in two different directions?  Tristan was Kayla's brother, and he was just a friend...Wasn't he?

He groaned; he didn't know what was going on. All he knew was that he had to talk to his father; his Dad would know how to straighten everything out and tell him what to do. 

Feeling a little better, he pressed down a little harder on the gas pedal, speeding up as he headed back toward his and his father's loft.

Arriving a few minutes later, Gus practically flew up the steps in his haste to talk to his father; hurriedly punching in the key code, he swung the door open and rushed inside, not even bothering to shut the door behind him.  "Dad!" he called out breathlessly.  "Dad, are you here?"

Gus hurried into the living room and was about to call for his father again when he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him.  He discovered immediately that his father wasn't alone; a blond-haired, naked man was presently sitting on top of him, rocking back and forth as he recognized his father's soft moans of ecstasy echoing off the loft's walls while the man leaned down to steal a kiss from him as they continued to fuck.

A leaden, eerie feeling settled into the pit of Gus's stomach and a sense of dread began to creep into his consciousness as he stood there, frozen to his spot.  Even though he couldn't see the blond's face, there was something oddly familiar about the man's frame, the shining, golden hair, and the soft whispers escaping his lips as the two continued to quench their desire unabated, oblivious to Gus's presence in the room. 

"No..." he whispered at last in horror as the stark reality of what he was seeing bloomed inside him.  "No...!" he said louder as, at last, the blond-haired man turned his head to look at him and his look of shock and dismay mirrored his own.  "Dad?  Justin?!"