"Just come on
I want your naked love
So don't you dress it up tonight
Come on
You know your naked love
Is what I'm dreamin' of tonight"

- Naked Love, Adam Lambert (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEP1YG7SCN0)

“I have some good news,” Justin said then, and Brian felt his heart-rate increase in anticipation.

“The NYPD caught the guy,” Justin smiled and Brian felt his own smile falter some. It wasn’t the news he was expecting. Still good, but not the news.

“Oh, that’s great,” Brian nodded and when Justin laughed he felt a scowl cross his face.

“Also,” Justin moved forward and rested his arms on Brian’s shoulders, “I’m negative.”

Brian felt something soothing suddenly blossom from the pit of his stomach and rise up, warming him. It was a kind of warm heat that was oddly comforting yet frightening at the same time and it was accompanied by a repeating mantra in his head, Justin was okay. He was safe.

It was as if every last bit of tension leached from his body and with a long, unsteady sigh, Brian pulled Justin hard to him, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing him as tightly as he could; he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to let go again. Lowering his face to the crook of Justin’s neck, Brian pressed his lips to his skin and inhaled his scent.

“I take it you’re negative too,” Justin mumbled, his words muffled as his face was pressed tight against Brian.

Brian just nodded. He didn’t trust himself to speak.

He was beginning to understand the soothing feeling he was having – it was similar to the feeling he’d had when he’d been told Justin had woken up from the coma after the bashing and like that time, Brian felt his emotions cart-wheeling wildly out of his control. He was slowly losing any last hold he had and he could feel all the fear and shame he’d been suppressing the last six months rushing forward and mixing with an immense relief and an overwhelming surge of love, all directed towards Justin. The thought, the very idea of anyone – himself included – causing pain or injury to Justin shook him to his very core. He hated himself for what he’d done, and he swore on the souls of everyone he loved that he would do better. That Justin deserved better. Hell; he deserved better, too.

Justin was holding on to Brian just as tight and when Brian lifted him from his feet and carried him out of the kitchen towards the stairs Justin’s arms tightened around him even more. At the base of the stairs Brian put him down and Justin looked up at him, a twinkle in his eye and a patented Sunshine grin on his face.

Brian, the rising heat and the emotional wave both reaching critical mass, gestured for Justin to go up to the bedroom.

Brian followed the blonde, fighting the betraying sting behind his eyes as tears prickled and attempted to break the tough exterior he struggled so hard to maintain. He was feeling every emotion in that moment. Sorrow, joy, love, fear, anxiety; but even with all that, the desire to have Justin naked in his bed was still the strongest.

They said nothing as Brian closed his bedroom door and locked it. They just stared at each other. Brian thought he saw some kind of acknowledgement of his emotional struggle cross Justin’s features as he stared back at him, but just as quickly as it was there, it was gone. If he saw how hard Brian was working to keep himself together, he didn’t let on. Instead, the other man simply reached out and pulled off Brian’s shirt before kissing and biting at his nipples. Brian closed his eyes and leaned his head back, one hand in Justin’s hair while the other unbuttoned his jeans and reached in to stroke his already fully hard cock.

Justin paused in his endeavor to remove his own shirt before resuming tasting and touching every part of Brian’s exposed skin. He soon fell to his knees and gently removed Brian’s hand from his pants before pulling them down and taking Brian’s dick in his mouth.

It had been months – months! – since anyone had touched his cock. Well, if the few minutes in Woody’s bathroom with Jesse were ignored – and Brian conveniently did ignore them.

After all those months of somewhat self-imposed, forced celibacy, the sensation of having Justin’s mouth on him was nearly an overload of the senses. Brian had forgotten what Justin could do with his tongue and he was honestly afraid he’d come before he’d even stepped out of the pool of his jeans.

Pulling Justin off him, Brian helped him stand before he got on his knees and pulled the other man’s jeans off, returning the favor and taking Justin into his mouth, invigorated by the moans and thrusts the other man offered as Brian sucked and licked and bit. But he didn’t want Justin to come yet either so after a few minutes he stood. Wrapping his arms around Justin’s body he lifted him off his feet once more and carried him the short distance to the bed where he, fairly unceremoniously, threw Justin down before he covered the other man with his own body.

Their cocks were hard and leaking and Brian grinded his hips as he attacked Justin’s mouth with his. His hands went to the blonde’s hair, where they twirled and pulled at the long, soft strands. Justin’s legs spread beneath Brian as he lifted his hips and wrapped them around him, crossing his ankles at Brian’s back and meeting his hips thrusts as they pressed against each other as hard and fast as they could.

Brian was on the verge of losing all control and he was so desperate to get off that he nearly let it happen – but as he felt himself nearing that cliff he stilled, letting his full body weight press down on Justin, forcing the other man to stop moving too. Staring into Justin’s eyes, Brian felt all the emotions he’d successfully pushed down moments earlier start to rise back up. He couldn’t help but think as he stared into the clear blue eyes of the man beneath him, about how fucking lucky he was that Justin hadn’t given up on him. That even after everything he’d done, over all the years they’d been “together”, after all the hurt and heartbreak he’d inflicted (sometimes inadvertently, but not always) that he’d stayed around. Brian could not understand what it was Justin saw that kept him there, fighting for him and encouraging him.

Brian knew he was a shit – a cruel and heartless shit even though he tried so very hard to be a better man it was counter to his nature; or so he thought.

But Justin…Justin seemed to see something in him worth loving and worth waiting for. All Brian knew was it was a fucking miracle the blonde was still there – and Brian intended to make sure he never had another reason to doubt him again. He intended to make sure he never had another reason to want to leave.

These realizations, along with the feel of the other man, hot and sweaty and hard beneath him, heightened everything and Brian was once again on the very brink of losing his tenuous hold of his emotions.

Refusing to let Justin see him break down, Brian nuzzled his head into Justin’s neck, kissing and biting and nibbling at the spot that he knew drove the other man crazy. He felt Justin start to squirm underneath him and with a soft sigh Brian rolled them over, so Justin was now lying on top of Brian, straddling him.

The blonde raised his head and gave a questioning look to which Brian didn’t respond. Instead, he ran his hands up Justin’s thighs, to his ass, and then up his back before ending at his head where he grabbed on to his hair and gently pulled him down into a kiss.

This time it was slow and deep. Some of the urgency had been left behind. Brian felt Justin’s weight shift to the side and then he heard the familiar crinkling sound of a condom wrapper.

Opening his eyes, Brian gently pushed Justin back and with slightly more force than was necessary he grabbed the condom from the other man and shook his head.

Justin looked at him quizzically before his eyes widened. He sat up fully and stared down at Brian, his expression still unsure.

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice soft.

Brian only nodded. He didn’t trust his voice not to betray his wildly fluctuating emotions. And he was absolutely sure. They’d basically been celibate for six months and they were both negative. If ever there was a time… And Brian wanted it – more than he could remember wanting anything else in his life. He wanted there to be no barriers between them; just he and Justin, together for real.

Justin smiled at Brian and reached over to the nightstand to retrieve the lube. He moved to squirt some into his hand when Brian reached up again to stop him.

Justin once more looked at him with some confusion.

Brian didn’t want to explain, or have to spell it out, or speak his desire at all…he wanted Justin to understand on his own. He knew he would get there eventually, and he did after a few moments. His eyes grew wider still and if Brian had been in control of his emotions he might have burst out laughing – if he wasn’t certain it would only turn into tears.

“Brian-,” Justin murmured his name and looked down on him, his hands traveling across Brian’s chest, softly massaging his muscles while spreading a heat and desire through Brian’s already ready and willing body.

Shaking his head again, Brian closed his eyes and offered a crooked smile. It was what he wanted. It was what he needed and he wanted no more words about it.

Justin’s weight shifted as he moved down between Brian’s legs, pushing them apart before his fingers started probing around his hole. Brian’s ass, like his cock, hadn’t been touched by another man for months and months and as such the nerve endings, already sensitive simply by design, were on fire from even the slightest contact. It was once again all Brian could do to keep from yelling out as Justin massaged and poked and prodded. Soon his mouth took over, and Brian thought he might fall over the edge once more.

Finally unable to stand it any longer he managed to utter the three words he rarely said out loud, but which he said over and over with his actions; the three words that he knew would send Justin into action, “I love you.”

The younger man gazed upon him with such adoration and love that Brian’s eyes began to prick once more with the threatening sting of tears. But Brian persevered and managed to shove that emotion back down deep into the cavernous well that had so successfully kept it at bay until now.

Justin took the lube back from Brian and after applying some to his cock, and to Brian, he hovered over him. With eyes locked he slowly pressed in. There was resistance, as Brian knew there would be, and there was pain, as Brian also knew there would be. But it was a sweet, sweet pain and as Justin pushed in slowly Brian knew there was no going back. In this moment he was giving himself entirely to this other man – and he knew Justin understood the multi-layered significance of what they were doing.

The pain faded, slowly, as Justin entered him completely, full to the hilt. He paused in his movements while Brian relaxed and let the pain slip away. Justin had his hands in Brian’s hair and his lips on his neck, licking and kissing. When Brian lifted his hips slightly, causing Justin’s cock to move against his prostate he gasped out loud at the sensation. It was only a moment later that Justin began to move and Brian let himself drift away on the waves of pleasure.

Brian had only let Justin top him a handful of times yet the way he felt moving inside Brian, skin on skin, was like coming home. It was a feeling so familiar to Brian it was as if it was this way all the time.

Justin moved slowly, with deliberate thrusts that sent shock waves through Brian’s body. He didn’t want it to stop, yet he also wanted it to go faster. He was desperate for release yet he also wanted the build-up continue forever.

Reaching arms down to grasp at Justin’s bare ass, Brian pressed his hips upward, meeting Justin’s thrusts and sending the other man’s cock even deeper still. The feel of him, unsheathed, inside of him, was blissful. Heavenly. Like nothing he had felt before.

Justin, panting and softly moaning with exertion and pleasure, raised his head to stare at Brian.

Brian felt his eyes begin leak and tears unbidden and out of his control started slipping from both eyes, sliding slowly down the sides of his face yet still he held Justin’s gaze. He wanted to see his face while he was inside him. He wanted to watch him come and more than anything else he wanted to feel him come while he was inside him.

God he was beautiful.

Fuck this was so right.

Shit, he really was offering him everything.

It was quickly becoming too much and Brian, suddenly afraid of exposing too much of himself, pulled Justin down to his chest, holding him tightly while they moved together. Justin rocked his hips, thrusting his cock into Brian’s ass while Brian raised his hips to meet the thrusts. Brian could feel Justin’s hot breath on his bare chest, he could feel Justin’s hands grabbing at his hair, his fingers both massaging Brian’s scalp and pulling gently at the tendrils that fell long around his face.

The accumulation of emotions from the last several months was bearing down on him like a freight train and Brian knew there was no reining them in this time. His breath caught in his throat as he choked back tears. He felt Justin try to raise his head to look at him and he immediately pulled Justin’s head back down. He couldn’t allow him to see the tears that were now flowing freely from his eyes.

Instead Brian channeled his emotion into his body’s motion. They were so close together it was like they were one. They moved harder, faster. Brian wrapped his long legs around Justin trapping him tightly inside him. Between their bodies his cock was hard and firm, leaking from the tip as he approached his limit. Wiping his tears in Justin’s hair he urged the younger man on, begging him to fuck him harder, faster, deeper. He lifted his hips slightly to adjust the angle of Justin’s entry and felt the difference in pressure immediately. His eyes, still wet from tears, squeezed shut as waves of pleasure reached their peak and coursed through him. He groaned loudly, allowing another soft cry to escape his lips. Justin didn’t try to look up again, but Brian sensed a change in him. His hands, which had been desperate in their endeavors in his hair, suddenly moved with much more care, traveling down to Brian’s face and stroking his cheeks. Justin’s touch only made the ache in Brian’s heart grow, weakening any little bit of resolve he might have had left. Soon another wave of pleasure as well as tears washed over him.

“Harder,” Brian moaned, desperate for release but not wanting this intimacy to end. Brian wanted him inside him, deep inside him, so he squeezed his legs tighter, encouraging him to fuck him harder.

“Please,” Brain gasped, trying to control his voice as he feared he would release another sob, “harder, Sunshine.”

Justin seemed to respond to his nickname and Brian felt him push ever deeper inside him. He thought he heard Justin moaning his name against his chest, but he couldn’t be sure as his head was pounding with the rush of blood and endorphins. Hands holding his head, threading through his blond locks, Brian lifted his hips faster, feeling the buildup of release deep inside him.

“Fuck, yes,” Brian groaned as his ass tightened around Justin, creating more pressure and more pleasure. He heard Justin moan in response.

“Wait,” Brian panted. He wanted them to come together; he wanted to feel Justin’s release even as he was riding his own wave of orgasm. He wanted to hold Justin’s trembling body to him as they gave each other the pleasure they each needed and craved from the other.

It was the one thing they had always been perfect for each other for.

“Justin,” Brian grunted, the tingling in his groin spreading as it started.

He cried out just as Justin rammed into him hard and fast a few more times and then they were in it together. Justin, shuddering as he shot, filled Brian and Brian could feel it – Justin’s warm wetness inside him. He wanted to hold on to the feeling for as long as he could.

Brian, as he fell into the chasm of pleasure, riding the waves as they crested again and again, felt the very last bit of restraint slip from his grasp and his eyes filled as the wound in his gut opened wide. Justin in his arms, Brian was completely powerless to hold back the single hitching sob that escaped him.

He had very nearly ruined everything. He had very nearly let this man walk out of his life forever. The only person undoubtedly patient and understanding enough to put up with his bullshit – who had put up with his bullshit for years. He had almost let him walk away; or rather he had almost let Justin allow himself to be shoved away.

If not for Melanie’s death…it was ironic, really. Lindsay and Melanie’s tragedy was the reason Brian had Justin in his arms now. If Melanie hadn’t died, and if Brian hadn’t been called upon to take care of his son, he never would have seen Justin again. Of that, he was certain. Brian, letting Justin go to New York, had fully intended to give him up; to let him go and never see him again. He wouldn’t have turned him away if he’d come back, but Brian had never had any intention of going after him.

Now he had no idea why he’d thought that way; or why he’d thought it would be a good idea in any way.

For the first few days after Justin’s departure he’d been okay, but then the loneliness set in and he’d grown progressively more and more miserable the weeks leading up to the accident. He had been wandering, aimlessly and without any real purpose. He hadn’t known why; or maybe he hadn’t allowed himself to realize why. He wasn’t sure which was true.

It wasn’t as if Justin had been his sole purpose – because he hadn’t been; he wasn’t. But Justin had had an uncanny ability to bring out the best in Brian, to shine a light on his value as a man and a person; Justin had the ability to make Brian believe in his own worth; Justin had the ability to free and magnify the parts of Brian that he kept closed off for fear of being hurt.

Justin, from almost the beginning, had made Brian believe he was worth more than just what he perceived as the sums of his parts – that he was the best fuck on Liberty Avenue and the best ad man in Pittsburgh.

Brian couldn’t even fathom where he’d be now if the accident hadn’t happened… All he knew was he’d be a fucking fall down, miserable mess. And he’d be alone. Alone and a truly over-the-hill club boy who would be unable to gain even a fraction of real joy or satisfaction from fucking and sucking nameless, faceless, emotionless men.

No amount of random men in his bed could match, or make up for, the absence of one single, particular man.

“Brian,” Justin finally whispered, resisting against Brian’s hold. Only then did Brian release him.

Justin lifted his head and met Brian’s eyes. His face was full of concern and love and Brian bit back a fresh wave of painful tears. Justin didn’t say a word as his hand moved to cup Brian’s cheek, his thumb gently wiping away the residual wetness.

Leaning down, Justin kissed the damp trail of tears on Brian’s other cheek before he slowly rose and pulled out. Brian groaned with the loss, feeling more empty and alone than he had before Justin’s arrival.

Brian struggled to regain any control of his wildly out of control emotions, clenching his jaw hard even as he felt Justin’s hands on his face, stroking his cheeks, winding in his hair. He felt the soft breaths of the other man on him as Justin whispered soothing words in his ear. Brian didn’t really hear the words – all he knew was the sound of Justin’s voice was all he ever wanted and the feel of Justin’s body against him was all he ever needed.

Brian held Justin tightly to him. They were sweaty and sticky and messy but he didn’t care. He wanted to feel the heat of Justin’s body against him; he wanted to feel the beat of Justin’s heart pounding against his own. He just wanted Justin there – loving him and being loved in return.  He finally understood why people craved this. He finally, truly wanted it for himself.

They didn’t speak for a long time. They just laid there, wrapped up in each other. Soon the heat between them cooled and their sweat dried. The sky outside the bedroom windows grew darker blue and stars began appearing as the afternoon faded to night. Still, Brian couldn’t and wouldn’t let go. He was famished, having not eaten since lunch, yet in that moment he would have rather died of starvation then let go of Justin.

As the sky transitioned from navy blue to black, Justin began to stir and Brian reluctantly loosened his hold. The other man was surely as hungry as he was and they most certainly needed to shower, too. Hell, Brian still had Justin’s cum up his ass. Yet a part of him didn’t want to wash it away. It was symbolic – what he’d allowed the other man to do – and Brian wanted to keep a part of that with him. He would, in his memory, but in that moment he wanted more than the memory.

Feeling Justin pulling away, Brian relinquished his hold and met the concerned blue eyes of the other man as he raised his head and ran his hands through Brian’s hair, smoothing back the strands. Brian could only imagine how wildly they were sticking up; it made him smile.

“Okay?” Justin whispered and Brian, by way of answer, pulled him back down into a soft kiss.

Justin smiled as they parted and with a sigh, rolled off the bed and headed to the bathroom. Brian watched him, admiring his beautiful rear end before he too slid off the bed and followed.

The two men tenderly and carefully washed each other clean. Justin’s touch was especially soft as he washed Brian’s back and behind and Brian, who hadn’t bottomed for…well…a very, very long time, bit his lower lip as the soreness began to set in. It had been worth it, though. The pain and pleasure had signified a kind of rebirth for Brian and as Justin’s hands softly washed him he just let the emotional pain and strife of the last six months slough off him and swirl down the shower drain. He never intended to feel any of it again and it was freeing to finally let it go. For the first time in a long time Brian felt truly happy, even as the eternal pessimist inside him tried to give voice to all the things that could still go wrong. Brian quieted that voice though – content to revel in the joy of being with Justin again, and allowing himself only to briefly wonder why in the heck he’d pushed the other man away to begin with.

“I love you,” Justin murmured from behind Brian as he placed soft kisses on the nape of Brian’s neck, bringing him back to the present.

Though he knew Justin’s declaration wasn’t because he was asking for the words in return, Brian still wanted him to know…he had to make him know.

Turning, Brian gently gripped Justin’s face in his hands and stared hard into the blue eyes. They looked back at Brian with complete and total trust and it caused Brian’s heart to swell. He placed a soft kiss on Justin’s lips.

“I love you,” he said, for the second time that night.

Ten minutes later, both of them clean and dry, the twosome ventured downstairs to scavenge for some food. Brian was slightly relieved to find a note from Lindsay that she had taken Gus into Pittsburgh to have dinner with Michael and Ben. It was her weekend with JR, so when they came back she’d have the toddler in tow.

“Hope you’re prepared for a full house,” Brian accepted the beer that Justin offered as they sat at the table and ate potato chips from the bag. There wasn’t much else to eat that didn’t require extensive preparations.

“Linds will have JR when they get back.”

“Sounds great,” Justin smiled and Brian couldn’t help but return it and it wasn’t but a few minutes later that Brian was pulling Justin back up the stairs where their focus was on nothing else but each other.

The next day was Friday, and though Brian didn’t want to, he knew he had to go into the office. The second wave of ads for Sutton Brewery were scheduled to drop the following week and Brian only had a few days to make sure everything was in order as far as schedules and payments. He couldn’t afford to mess this one up; he couldn’t afford to lose his biggest client.

The alarm, set for 6:30am, went off as usual and Brian hit the snooze button with a loud groan. It felt like he had just gone to sleep. He groaned again as he rolled over to nuzzle against Justin’s warm body but when he found the bed empty and cold he sat up quickly. Had it all been a dream?

As he rose from the bed Brian immediately knew it hadn’t been a dream. His entire body ached from the acrobatics of the night, but the most telling sign that it had all been real was the throbbing ache in his ass. It was painful, yet also oddly comforting. Brian didn’t think he’d be bottoming again for awhile yet still a part of him yearned to feel Justin inside him again.

Donning a pair of sweats, Brian hurried from the bedroom, the scent of coffee and eggs and bacon greeting him as he opened his bedroom door, beckoning him to the kitchen.  

The smells grew stronger as he descended the stairs and approaching the kitchen he could hear the soft whispered voice of Justin, singing something that sounded suspiciously “Broadway”. Brian suppressed a laugh.

“Mornin’ Sunshine,” Brian crooned as he entered the kitchen to see Justin swaying in front of the stove singing what sounded an awful lot like a song from “Evita”. He was amused at the look of horrified embarrassment that briefly crossed Justin’s face.

“Don’t stop singing on my account,” Brian smirked as he quickly closed the distance between them, pressing his body against Justin as the other man stirred the scrambled eggs in the frying pan.

“Smells delicious,” Brian growled, kissing Justin’s neck while simultaneously reaching around to squeeze his cock through the thin material of his sweats.

Justin had come without any of his clothes so he was wearing a pair of Brian’s sweats, which were rolled up at the bottom because they were too long. That simple fact, coupled with him standing in the kitchen, blonde hair a wild mess and his creamy pale skin aglow made Brian crazy with desire.

“I was going to bring this upstairs,” Justin leaned backwards into Brian while reaching behind and lightly swatting Brian’s rear.

“But then I would have missed the concert,” Brian whispered, biting Justin’s earlobe. He moved away then, not trusting himself not to throw Justin onto the island and fuck him right there amidst all the breakfast fixings. But it wouldn’t do for Lindsay to walk in on it, and it really wouldn’t do for Gus to see it either.

“I have to get the car back to my mom,” Justin turned and served up the eggs on two plates that were already loaded with bacon and toast. “She’s showing a house in Altoona this morning.”

Brian wrinkled his nose.

“Altoona?”

“It could make her a shitload on commission,” Justin carried the two plates to the table.

“Well then I wish Mother Taylor the best,” Brian smiled, pouring two cups of coffee before moving to the table to join Justin.

They were just finishing up when Lindsay rolled in, wrapped in a robe and her own blonde hair a wild mess.

“Morning Linds,” Brian called out, grinning when his friend looked over to the table to see Brian, and Justin, smiling back at her.

She grinned knowingly before moving to pour herself some coffee and coming over to the table.

“When I saw the car still here last night I hoped…,” she winked which caused Justin to laugh and Brian to roll his eyes.

“JR still sleeping?” Justin asked.

“Yeah,” Lindsay sipped her coffee, “she’s a late sleeper. It’s just too bad I’m not so great at it. It’d be nice to sleep in once and awhile.”

“I agree,” Brian said, his hand under the table reaching to lightly pinch at Justin’s inner thigh.

“I thought I’d take Gus into Pittsburgh today,” Lindsay said, seeming to not notice Justin squirming under Brian’s touch.

“Doesn’t he have school?” Brian asked, his hand now stroking Justin’s cock through the fabric of the sweat pants. Lindsay shook her head.

“Teacher in-service day,” she shrugged. “The first of four.”

“I’m glad my hard earned money is paying for all these teacher day’s off,” Brian grumbled. He didn’t mean it, of course. Gus was as happy as Brian could remember seeing him, and he knew the school, his teacher, and the friends he’d made there were all a big part of that.

Lindsay shook her head and sighed, “Maybe we can all get lunch at the diner?”

Justin nodded, looking to Brian with an amused expression even as his hand wandered south of the border to meet Brian’s, trying to form a barrier to his touch.

“Why the hell not,” Brian grinned.

The morning seemed to drag on, at least for Brian. He was stuck in several tedious meetings for some of Kinnetik’s smaller accounts – but it was still important he be there. He wanted all his clients to feel like they were the biggest and best and most important, even when it was glaringly obvious they weren’t. Thus, after finishing his final morning meeting with the team responsible for the Burghendy Farms Chedder account Brian was ecstatic to get out of the office. Or rather, he was ecstatic to get to see Justin again. He would never admit it to anyone (and he barely admitted it to himself) but though it had only been five hours since they’d parted ways, Brian missed the little twat something fierce.

Their night of raw intimacy had triggered something in Brian. Some version of instinct he’d been certain he’d been born without – namely, the thought of a monogamous relationship. Not marriage, because Brian wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready for that label, but he was ready to be with Justin, and only Justin.

He was the first to arrive at the diner, and was greeted immediately by Debbie.

“Brian,” she snapped her gum and looked him up and down, “I haven’t seen you around here for months.”

“Been busy,” he automatically replied, scanning the diner for an empty booth. Seeing one near the back he started towards it. He could hear Debbie following behind him. Her bangle bracelets clanged together while she popped and snapped her gum.

“Something to drink?” she asked as he settled into the booth, sitting facing the door so he could be bathed in the bright, warm sight of Justin’s face when he appeared.

“Water,” Brian answered, “and Linds and the kids will be joining me. And Justin.”

Debbie’s gum stopped popping for a few full seconds and Brian had to swallow a laugh.

“Okay,” she resumed smacking, “I’ll bring out five waters.”

Brian nodded, not meeting her eyes though he knew she was hovering, staring at him hoping for something more of an explanation.

A few minutes later the door opened and Lindsay came in followed by Gus and Justin, the latter carrying JR. Brian grinned in spite of himself and Justin smiled widely back. Gus ran over to him, crawling into the bench next to Brian and grinning up at him.

“Hey there Sonny-boy,” Brian ruffled the little boy’s hair as Justin set JR into the opposite bench before he slid in next to her. Lindsay placed herself at the end of the table, her chair only slightly impeding the traffic flow to the jukebox, and the bathroom.

The newest busboy, a young, dark-haired kid with several ear and face piercings, set two kids menu’s down on the table. Brian saw him eyeball Justin with very obvious interest before he sauntered away, his hips swaying a little too much to be anything but an open invitation to follow.

Brian raised his eyebrows and looked to Justin. They both laughed, which caused Gus to ask what was so funny, which made them laugh even harder. They were still chuckling with Debbie returned with five waters.

Brian’s laughter faded as he watched Debbie eyeball him and Justin as she set the waters down.

“Hi Gramma!” Gus exclaimed, reaching his arms up for a hug and laughing when Debbie blew a raspberry on his cheek.

“How’s my two favorite kiddos?” she beamed at Gus and JR in turn, apparently momentarily forgetting about the Brian/Justin mystery…

“Why aren’t you in school, Mister?” Debbie asked.

Gus, having received his hug and kiss, had turned his attention to the crayons and puzzles on the placemat. He just shrugged.

“In-service day,” Lindsay smiled up at Debbie.

“Ah,” Deb nodded, her curious gaze returning to Brian and Justin.

“And what’s this about?” She placed on hand on her hip and stood expectantly.

“I’m moving back,” Justin answered and Brian saw a brief flash of concerned surprise cross Debbie’s face before she broke out in a grin.

“Oh that’s wonderful, Sunshine!” she exclaimed quite exuberantly, eliciting more than a few stares from the other patrons in the diner.

Brian couldn’t help but feel a bit of judgment radiating off her, directed at him.

“I didn’t know you were moving back!” Lindsay reached a hand out to Justin, caressing his arm as she grinned. She wasn’t faking her joy at the news. Brian knew that much.

“I just decided,” Justin said, “last night.”

“What about New York?” Debbie asked.

“It wasn’t working out,” Justin grinned and Brian was glad to see it was one of his best and brightest. If anything could convince Debbie of the authenticity of Justin’s decision it would be a Sunshine smile.

“Well,” she smiled again too, looking to Brian briefly before addressing Justin once again, “I’m just glad you’ll be back here. Now, what can I get you to eat?”

After ordering, Lindsay barraged Justin with a million questions – and apologized profusely for ever shoving Simon Caswell on him. She hadn’t known he was looking to get out of New York and if she had, she never would have worked so hard to convince Justin to go to New York. She then apologized for ever even butting in. But Justin wouldn’t have it, and he assured her it had been his decision; that no amount of pressure or cajoling from her could have made him go if he hadn’t wanted to on some level.

Brian sat silent, watching Gus, and JR, attempt to color and draw on their placemats. Like Gus, JR was also enamored of coloring and crayons and Brian found it fascinating that she would sit and color quietly for as long as she did – being not even one and half yet. He supposed it was Lindsay’s influence, though maybe she inherited more of Mikey’s calm demeanor and creativity and less of Melanie’s high-strung, wiry attitude.

“Will you be moving in then?” Lindsay asked and that caught Brian’s attention. He looked up to meet Justin’s questioning gaze.

He rolled his eyes at the blonde. Like Brian would make him live somewhere else?

“As soon as possible,” Brian answered. Lindsay’s grin was genuine and full of joy.

“Justin’s gonna live with us?” Gus asked.

“Yeah,” Brian nodded.

“Is that okay?” Justin asked and Gus smiled and nodded.

“Yeah! You can help me get better at painting,” Gus said, “and we can train Sunny to paint, too!”

Brian laughed out loud, shocking his lunch companions – at least based on the wide-eyed expressions they wore as they looked at him.

“I don’t know if dogs are very good painters,” Brian said and Gus just shrugged.

“Maybe Sunny is, though,” he said matter-of-factly and the three adults at the table shared a silent laugh.

“Can’t argue with that,” Lindsay smiled.

Brian returned to work that afternoon in wildly high spirits. He was so fucking happy he couldn’t stand it. Things were finally falling into place, and settling down, and his life was taking shape. He could, for the first time in a very, very long time, see the future path that stretched out ahead of him and he was fucking excited to start down it.

Leaving Kinnetik a few minutes early, Brian stopped by Jennifer’s to pick up Justin. He had his same black duffel that he’d been packing and moving with for the last several years and Brian silently swore to burn the thing when they got back to the house. It was a cursed object – a thing Brian never wanted to see again.

They headed to the loft then, and the door had barely slid closed behind them when Justin was tearing at Brian’s shirt, popping buttons as he tore it off him.

The next couple hours were spent in various positions and in various rooms of the loft. The floor; the sofa; the table; the bed; the shower; the bed again; and the bed one more time. Brian, experiencing a new level of sensation with sex without condoms, could not get enough and it was only after both their stomachs growled in obvious hunger that they stopped.

Taking one more shower they headed to the diner for some food, then Babylon. Justin, who hadn’t been out dancing since the Babylon reopening, told Brian he was excited to get back to the club. Brian too hadn’t been back in awhile though he wasn’t excited at the thought of going back. But, since he was the owner he figured it wouldn’t be a bad thing to put in an appearance even though all he wanted to do was stay in bed (or wherever!) with Justin – fucking over and over and over…

Brian let them in the back door, and after stopping by the office to see if Ted was there (he wasn’t), they headed out to the dance floor. The club was packed, as per usual, at least according to Ted, and the crowd was hot, and excited, and young. Brian, for the first time, felt the age difference between himself and the majority of the guys on the dance floor. There were some older guys around, but the place was definitely a mecca for young twenty-somethings. Brian watched as Justin was leered at by many of the shirtless guys they sauntered past. It amused him because Justin didn’t even notice and when the leering guys saw Brian’s hand in Justin’s, their faces fell. Apparently his reputation still held some currency.

They finally made it to the bar where the bartender, one of a few employees Brian still recognized from before the bombing, smiled and without a word handed him two glasses of Chivas-Regal. He was about to down the scotch when a familiar face and voice inserted itself.

“Oh my God! You’re here!” Emmett hopped up and down before pulling Justin into a fierce embrace. The younger man, fortunately for Emmett, had just emptied his glass.

“Hey Em,” Justin laughed as Emmett let him go.

“I heard you were back, and I was so hoping I’d get to see you!” Emmett grinned, glancing sideways at Brian before turning back to Justin.

“I’ve missed your face, baby!’

“I’ve missed you all too,” Justin nodded, inching closer to Brian and inserting himself between him and the bar, nestling into the hollow of his chest. Brian closed his eyes and buried his nose in Justin’s hair, ignoring the loud thumpa-thumpa and wandering hands of the guys around them, focusing all his attentions on Justin.

“How long are you staying?” Emmett’s voice pierced Brian’s reverie and when he opened his eyes he saw Emmett watching them with a look on his face that appeared to be a mixture of jealousy and joy.

“I’m back to stay,” Justin said, pulling Brian’s arm around his chest and holding it tight.

Emmett’s mouth dropped open and his eyes moved between Brian and Justin. Brian could see him tearing up. No doubt the romantic in him was playing out all sorts of scenarios of weddings and babies.

“Oh my God!” Clapping his hands, Emmett launched himself at Brian and Justin, squeezing them all together as he choked back tears. Brian even heard him gasping for air.

“I’m so happy for you,” Emmett pulled back, grinning, “so happy! We must have a party!”

“Fuck that,” Brian finally spoke, shaking his head.

“No more fucking parties,” he said as Justin lightly elbowed him in the gut.

“No more parties?” Another man joined them, one who was quite familiar to both Brian and Justin. One Drew Boyd.

He appeared suddenly beside Emmett, throwing his arm around the other man’s shoulders as he smiled warmly at Brian and Justin.

“You don’t want Emmett to throw you a party?” he shook his head as he pressed a kiss to Emmett’s cheek.

“Drew Boyd,” Brian smirked, his eyes traveling to Emmett’s face. He was fucking beaming. So Auntie Em had taken Brian’s advice after all. Wonders never cease!

“Welcome back,” Brian added with a nod.

“Let’s dance,” Justin tilted his head up to Brian and with a smile to both Emmett and Drew, Brian finally drank his scotch before he let Justin lead him out to the dance floor.

It was like no time had passed. They moved together seamlessly, and without effort, and Brian knew they were the envy of everyone there. It made him hard and they weren’t long for the club after that – returning to the loft where they once again enjoyed each other’s company through the night.

Lindsay had initially been leery of being alone with the kids on Friday night, but on Saturday morning when Brian called her to see how things had gone she had been quick to offer him another night on the town.

So Brian and Justin spent all day Saturday…well…fucking around before they went out to Babylon again that night.

Sunday morning they returned to the house in West Virginia; Britin, as Justin had christened it. It was now his home, too – finally.

To celebrate his homecoming, Lindsay had prepared some steaks and they had a nice day on the back patio, barbequing and watching as Gus and JR ran around, sometimes chasing and sometimes being chased by Sunny.

It was a scene of domesticity that only a few months earlier would have sent Brian running, screaming for the hills. Now, he kind of liked it.

Monday started what was going to be a hectic week for Brian. The second wave of advertising for Sutton Brewery was launching and Brian was suitably stressed about the success of the new campaigns. He and the entirety of Kinnetik spent the day making final plans and confirming the various ads that would be coming out over the next four days. It was a hectic day and when it was done Brian wanted nothing more than to go home and let Justin ease the tension from his body.

When he got home from work that day though, he found Michael at the house, sitting and visiting with Justin and Lindsay while Gus and JR played with some matchbox cars on the coffee table. The scene was quite surreal. But when Justin stood to greet him with a wet, open-mouthed kiss, Brian joined in – retrieving a beer from the kitchen before he sat on the floor with the kids and half-listened to the conversation and played with the kids and the cars.

Michael left with JR about an hour later, after eliciting a promise from Brian and Justin to come over at the end of the week for dinner, when the next issue of Rage was shipped.

“That came for you earlier,” Lindsay, who had just shooed Gus upstairs to get ready for bed, indicated to a large wood crate by the door. Brian had seen it when he’d come in, but with Michael there he hadn’t looked too closely.

“This will interest both of you,” Brian said as he moved towards the crate, Justin and Lindsay following behind. It was the painting of Justin’s that he’d bought, finally delivered.

Retrieving a screw-driver from the garage, Brian pried open the lid and pulled out the packing materials. He couldn’t wait to see the painting in person, even as he felt a little nervous about how Justin would react to finding out Brian had been the one to buy his painting.

“Brian,” Justin’s tone was cautious and Brian just smiled at him, nodding.

“You shit,” Justin punched his arm, not hard, but not entirely playfully either.

“What?” Lindsay was watching them with a confused look on her face.

“He bought one of my paintings,” Justin shook his head as Brian pulled the wrapped canvas from the box, shedding it of its protective layers.

“Is that a bad thing?” Lindsay asked as she moved closer. Brian could hear the excitement in her voice,

“No,” Justin sighed, “I just don’t want my friends to buy all my works. It’s pitying.”

“It’s not pity. I wouldn’t spend my money on your art if I didn’t absolutely love it,” Brian looked at Justin before he removed the last layer of wrapping.

“I bet I know which one this is, too,” Justin shook his head again, a small smile playing on his lips.

Brian pulled the last layer of wrapping off revealing a good sized canvas that depicted a shadowy figure that was unmistakably Brian, even though no facial features were discernible, standing on a street corner at night, under a streetlamp.

“Holy shit,” Lindsay gasped as she stared and Brian too was rendered speechless.

Everything about the painting was perfect. The use of color, the way the streetlight lit the figure, the angle of the perspective, the blurring in the background giving the impression of movement. The photograph the gallery owner had taken did not do it justice. It was a masterpiece and for the first time Brian truly questioned Justin’s decision to leave New York. He was unquestionably talented – he could make a big name for himself if he’d only stick it out…

No. It was Justin’s decision. Brian couldn’t force him to go back.

“Sunshine,” Brian held the painting at arm’s length and stared, “this is -,”

“Awful?”

“Fuck you,” Brian rolled his eyes and looked to Justin.

“It’s…perfect.”

“I agree. It is perfect,” Lindsay echoed and the three of them simply stood there for several minutes staring at it and taking it all in. Not until Gus called out that he was ready for bed did anyone move.

Brian silently handed the canvas to Lindsay before he headed upstairs to put Gus to bed. He thought he heard Lindsay asking Justin something about technique as he went, and he smiled to himself. The lad really was a fucking genius.

Later, when they were in bed, Brian turned to Justin.

“I want you to promise me something,” he started, feeling like a shit even saying anything but knowing he had too. It was the only way he’d feel okay about essentially holding Justin hostage and preventing him from furthering his career.

“Okay,” Justin answered, sounding cautious.

“If you ever feel the need to pursue your art –if you want to go back to New York or go anywhere else – I want you to promise me you’ll go. I need you to promise you won’t deny yourself any opportunity because of me,” Brian rolled to his side and stared into Justin’s face.

“I’m not sure if I can make that promise,” Justin said softly and Brian sighed.

“You have to,” he repeated, wishing he could put into words the importance it held for him. Wishing he could express how desperately he wanted Justin to be happy, even more than he wanted Justin with him. If leaving would make Justin happier than staying, Brian would let him go in a second. It would hurt like a motherfucker, but he’d do it. He wouldn’t expect anything less from himself. Mainly though, he still harbored a fear that Justin would resent him one day. That he’d look upon their life together as a dead-end trap and that was almost more painful to consider than possibly never seeing him again.

“Please,” Brian whispered, the entreaty causing Justin to close his eyes with a soft sigh.

“Okay,” he whispered back, opening his eyes, “I promise.”

The following morning Brian was gone to work before anyone else in the house was out of bed. He lamented leaving Justin in bed, eyes thick with sleep and tucked deep under the covers, only his messy head of blonde hair peeking out.

It was an important day at Kinnetik, the first of many days of new ads running, most of them print ads in the local newspapers and news magazines for the various metropolitan areas that Sutton Brewery was marketing too. Without the HIV to divert his attention Brian was feeling anxious about the new run. He had full confidence in their brilliance; he wouldn’t produce anything but top notch adverts. Still it was nerve-wracking and he didn’t start to relax until the feedback started rolling in.

Thankfully, it was all positive. There were a few negative voices, there always were, but the majority of those who spoke about the new campaign said only positive things. They took note of the unusual techniques Brian had had his art team try out, and the color pallet that was very different from anything Kinnetik, or anyone else for that matter, was using. Brian was thrilled. He wanted nothing more than for Kinnetik to take charge – to become a leader in setting trends in advertising, not just following behind and copying what everyone else was already doing successfully. He thought maybe they were finally on their way to making that happen.

Brian didn’t stay in the office all afternoon – he left around 4pm, anxious to get home. The release had been successful so there was no reason for him to stay late. He was glad, because ever since Justin had essentially moved in, Brian had been unable to keep his mind from drifting to think of him. He wondered, at least once an hour, what the other man was doing throughout the day. He wondered if he was drawing, or painting, or sleeping, or talking with Lindsay, or any of the other things he could possibly be doing. Brian wished he could be at the house, spending his time with him. So, when four o’clock rolled around, Brian bid his employees good evening, and left.

When Brian walked into the house he could immediately sense a tension in the air. The house was quiet, though Brian could hear the puppy barking out in the backyard.

Dropping his briefcase on the sofa as he passed through the TV room, Brian emerged out the back to find Lindsay and Gus on the lawn, throwing a yellow tennis ball at Sunny, who simply barked at it before chasing it. Justin was at the far end of the patio with an easel set up, painting. His expression was clouded and troubled, which Brian noticed immediately and which gave him pause to wonder and worry about what new roadblocks had been thrown in his path.

“Daddy!” Gus screamed, running towards Brian with a grin.

He ran full bore into Brian, wrapping his arms around his waist in a quick hug before he stepped back and laughed.

“We’re trying to teach Sunny to play fetch,” Gus pointed to the puppy who was running in a circle around the tennis ball, barking and nipping at it. “I don’t think he understands.”

“It doesn’t appear so,” Brian laughed, glancing over to see Justin looking at him with a blank expression. That was when Brian knew something had happened.

“You better keep trying,” Brian said, “he’ll only learn if you keep practicing with him.”

Gus nodded and ran back over to where Lindsay was sitting. She said something to Gus and then the little boy ran towards the puppy, grabbing the tennis ball and throwing it back towards Lindsay. Sunny jumped in place a few times before he started ambling after the ball, which landed near Lindsay’s chair.

Turning back towards Justin, Brian slowly approached.

“Hey,” Brian greeted him, staying a few feet back so as to not intrude on his space. He also wasn’t sure if Justin would want Brian to see what he was working on.

“Hey,” Justin kept his eyes on his work, the brush in his hand thick with a dark blue paint that Justin kept sweeping across the canvas.

“How was your day?” Brian asked, attempting to be playful. When Justin raised his eyes to level a less than amused look at Brian, he knew he’d failed.

“I’ve had better,” Justin answered, dipping his brush in the mug of dark water and rinsing it.

Brian loved to watch Justin paint. He’d only had the opportunity a few times, but it was fascinating to him. Watching the blonde create art, seemingly random strokes of his hand producing amazing images and works of beauty was just…well, it was erotic.

Justin smeared the paintbrush in a bright yellow and starting stabbing at the canvas with a bit more force than Brian thought was likely necessary.

“I met someone today,” Justin said, his eyes still on his work as he pulled the brush away and tilted his head, “Jesse?”

Oh, fuck.

“Oh?” Brian said and though he felt anxious he thought he sounded rather unconcerned.

He really shouldn’t be concerned. He’d done nothing wrong; not really. The fact that Lindsay’s interruption the other day had prevented him from making what would likely have been one of the biggest mistakes of his life, not-withstanding. The point was nothing had happened. So why was Justin seemingly angry?

“He had some lovely things to say about you,” Justin said, still focusing on his painting, and still refusing to look Brian in the eye.

“He congratulated me on the size of your cock, for one thing,” Justin did look at Brian then, and it was obvious that the next words out of Brian’s mouth had better be right, or Justin would be gone. For good.

Brian let the panic that rose in him take hold for just a few seconds before he shoved it aside. He’d done nothing for Justin to be angry about. He’d been the recipient of some not entirely unwelcome advances, and he’d resisted. Though begrudgingly. Still…that had to count for something, right?

“Nothing happened,” Brian finally said to which Justin smiled, though there was no joy in it.

“Okay,” Justin shook his head, his expression indicating he was waiting for a hell of a lot more of an explanation than that.

“I went to Woody’s a few weeks ago and he cornered me in the bathroom. He propositioned me, stuck his hand down my pants, and then I left,” Brian offered the cliff-notes version of what had happened. He was disheartened to see Justin didn’t believe him.

“Did you fuck him? Or let him blow you?” Justin had put his brush back into the water and was now staring at Brian with his arms crossed.

“No,” he answered plainly.  

“Why not?” Justin shrugged, “He’s fucking hot.”

Brian considered the question, the meaning behind it, and what it was Justin was trying to get him to say.

“Because of you,” Brian finally said. Justin’s eyes widened slightly and Brian felt somewhat vindicated that he’d provided an answer Justin hadn’t been expecting.

“Me?” Justin shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”

Brian sighed, glancing over his shoulder when he heard Gus let out a sharp shriek of laughter. He was on his back, in the grass, Sunny on top of him licking his face. Brian smiled, meeting Lindsay’s somewhat concerned look before turning back to Justin.

“It was you. And it was the test results,” Brian said, and Justin nodded in understanding. Brian knew what his next question would be.

“Would you have fucked him if you hadn’t been waiting for your test results?”

Brian laughed bitterly before he let his head fall back, looking up into the bright blue sky. It was a gorgeous late-September day. It was too nice a day to be dealing with this bullshit.

“Honestly?” Brian returned his gaze to Justin and with a sigh shook his head. “I really don’t know.”

“This is important, Brian,” Justin’s expression transitioned from angry to worried and he moved from behind his easel to stand in front of Brian.

“We’ve been fucking without condoms now for days. There’s no going back from that,” Justin’s eyes were pleading; his voice pleading; his expression pleading; his entire body pleading.

“I know,” Brian lifted his hand and ran his thumb down the line of Justin’s jaw. “I don’t intend to go back from that. I intend for it to be you and I. And just you and I.”

“Can I believe you?” Justin seemed unsure, and Brian felt incredible guilt that he’d ever given Justin any reason to doubt his word.

“Yes,” Brian leaned down and kissed him lightly. “I can’t promise I won’t look, but I can promise you I won’t touch. Or be touched. Unless it’s you, of course.”

Justin rolled his eyes with a smirk, and Brian rolled his lips into his mouth.

“So can I see?” Brian indicated towards the canvas and Justin just shrugged and stepped aside so Brian could move forward.

It was clearly a work in progress, but Brian could recognize it anyway. It was a starry sky as seen through a bedroom window. Arching an eyebrow Brian turned to Justin.

“I already love it,” he smiled and when Justin laughed Brian knew everything was okay once again.

The remainder of the week was more of the same. Early mornings at Kinnetik, and early afternoons at home. The successive days of the campaign release were as successful as the first, and by Friday everyone was over the moon with how well the three different campaigns were being received. Not only had they released a second wave of ads for White Water Pale Ale, but they had also started a new campaign for a Stout beer, as well as a cider beer that hadn’t done too well in Canada, but which Brown Sutton was convinced was right for the States.

Sam, who had been in town for the previous two weeks, had been around the Kinnetik offices off and on through the releases, though he and Brian didn’t share many words outside of the meetings they were both present for.

That Friday afternoon Sam came into Brian’s office just as he was getting ready to head home. It had been a roller-coaster ride of a week, starting out bumpy but seeming to end pretty solidly. He was looking forward to another weekend with Justin, and hoped maybe Lindsay would be willing stay home with Gus again Friday night and Saturday. Brian wanted to take Justin back out again, maybe Woody’s or Babylon, but most importantly, to the loft.

Brian never thought it would come to it, but he was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable doing some of the things he liked and wanted to do to Justin, when Gus was asleep across the hall. The loft was the last “safe” place where Brian could let his sexual kink fly free, and a place he didn’t have to worry about how loud or how boisterous he or Justin were. He was pretty sure Lindsay wouldn’t mind if the Friday/Saturday thing became a routine, but still he was planning to get her some flowers and wine to butter her up before he asked.

“Headed out?” Sam came in then, as Brian was thinking about these things.

“Yes,” he replied, turning off his computer and standing from his desk. “Got plans.”

“With Justin?” Sam asked and Brian nodded.

“I’m glad you two worked your shit out,” Sam smiled and Brian nodded.

“You and me both,” he added, moving out from behind his desk and grabbing his briefcase as he moved towards the door where Sam stood.

“I’m headed back to Toronto tonight and I just wanted to say thanks for all the hard work,” Sam held out his hand and Brian shook it.

“It’s what I get paid for,” he added.

“I also want to say again how glad I am for you, and for Justin. That you’re both okay,” Sam smiled and Brian nodded. He’d told Sam the news on the previous Friday about his results, and the following Monday he’d let him know Justin was also negative. The amount of relief Sam had expressed hadn’t been lost on Brian, and a part of him still wondered if things between them had happened exactly as Sam had told him. He had seemed far more worried than Brian would have thought; but maybe that was just his nature. In any case it no longer mattered. Brian and Justin were negative, and Sam was once more returning to Toronto, and to Jake – or so Brian assumed; or so Brian hoped.

There was no need for Brian to think about him outside of work anymore.

Lindsay had been happy to stay home with Gus, and though thankful for the wine Brian brought her she also told him that it was not something he should feel guilty or bad about asking her. Gus was her son, she was his mother. Of course she would stay home with him. She did remind him though, that she would expect equal consideration in the future, and Brian agreed. He wasn’t sure how soon, if ever, Lindsay would be going out and meeting people, but if she did and needed to spend a night or two out, Brian would happily stay home with his kid. That was the deal – and their roles as parents.

Instead of heading to Woody’s, or Babylon, Brian and Justin had dinner with Michael and Ben. The most recent issue of Rage had been shipped out that morning, and the comic was expected at Mikey’s store the following Monday. The issue, Justin explained to Brian as they drove back into Pittsburgh from the house in West Virginia, was a conclusion to the story-arc that involved Rage and the Shadow-Man and the latter’s attempts to take over Gayopolis by hypnotizing the city’s population and exposing them all to a powerful toxin that allowed him to leach their very life force, increasing his power and the threat he posed to the city. Justin refused to tell Brian how it was all resolved, but he was giddy to tell him that it was JT and Dr. Kurschner who saved both their lovers, and Gayopolis, from the clutches of the Shadow-Man.

After they’d had dinner and while Ben and Justin chatted about art and criticism and the downfall of both, Brian stepped into the kitchen to get another beer. He was surprised when he found Michael there, hovering just behind him.

“What,” Brian opened the beer and took a swig as Michael glanced towards the table where their respective partners were deep in conversation.

“Spit it out, Mikey,” Brian said softly. He knew what it was Michael wanted to ask, and he wouldn’t begrudge his friend the right to know – since Brian had admitted his HIV exposure to him. But he also was going to make his friend say the words.

“Are you okay?” Michael said, his voice low. “I mean, I assume you are because Justin’s here but…are you?”

“We’re both fine,” Brian pulled Michael to him, suddenly feeling quite grateful and thankful that even after all the shit between them, that Mikey had his back. That they were still friends; that he still cared enough to ask the important questions.

“Hey, hands off my husband!” Ben’s cheery voice called out from the other side of the tall breakfast bar and Brian arched an eyebrow at him before releasing Michael. The two friends shared an amused look before returning to the table where, beneath the tabletop and from view of the Novotny-Bruckner’s, Brian and Justin’s hands found each other and gripped tight.

“So I think I should go back to New York as soon as possible. This weekend maybe,” Justin was lying in bed and Brian was washing up in the bathroom.

They were back at the loft. After finishing dinner with Michael and Ben they had headed straight there, neither all that interested in going out but rather more interested in each other. Four times in a row, they were now taking a break.

“I need to get the rest of my stuff and I actually have one painting at the apartment that I kind of want to finish.”

“Sure. But I’m coming with you,” Brian stated, matter-of-factly, emerging from the bathroom.

“You don’t have too. And you’re busy. It’ll only be a few days,” Justin shook his head.

Brian crawled into the bed, moving to hover over Justin.

“I don’t care. You’re not going back there alone while that psychopath is still out there,” he pressed a kiss to Justin’s nose before nuzzling his face into the crook of Justin’s neck.

“He was arrested,” Justin murmured, his hands moving slowly up and down Brian’s back.

Brian, who had thought he had been spent for the night, felt a stirring in his crotch and so he lowered his body, moving his hips slightly and rubbing his slowly hardening dick against Justin.

“That was days ago. He could be out now,” Brian said, pressing his lips to Justin’s skin, biting gently. “You’re not going alone so shut your fucking mouth and kiss me.”