Next Morning - Justin & Daphne's Apartment

Daphne sighed.  "Tell me again what drug we were on when we decided to take this place?" she groused as she called out to her friend. The entire apartment - actually the top floor of a chalet duplex situated in the mountains above Pigeon Forge - was completely furnished with chunky, knobby pine furniture.  Of course, the fact that it had come completely furnished at the time they rented it was a definite perk.  It certainly didn't achieve points for tasteful decorating, though, and the mock, white bearskin, oval rug in the center of their living area didn't help any, either. 

"You picked it out, remember?" Justin called back to her from the partially-open bedroom door.  He had graciously allowed Daphne to have the bedroom he was currently using to change in, deciding that as long as he had the living room futon he was satisfied just to have a fairly decent roof over his head.  He opened the door wider and walked out as he added, "Just like you picked this out." 

Daphne's eyes grew wide with delight as she studied her friend's appearance. She had always thought Justin was hot - even though they had never gone past the ‘friends' stage, obviously - but as he stood there in the vintage clothes she had picked out for him earlier, she had to admit she had outdone herself.  "Oh, my God!" she squealed as Justin winced over the volume of her voice.  "You look so amazing in that outfit!  He's not going to be able to keep his hands off you!" 

Justin was wearing a tight pair of washed out Levi's, a vintage, steel gray, 3/4 length, v-neck t-shirt with an abstract sort of design on it, and a pair of black loafers.  The outfit seemed perfectly made for him, accentuating the curvature of his ass and his slender build.  "Daphne..." he replied, embarrassed as she grinned back at him like a fool.  "He has a son, remember?" 

"I don't care!  Remember, I told you!  All little boys have an early bedtime.  You just need to wait for the right opportunity."  She smiled as her eyes swept up and down his body appreciatively.  "That shirt was definitely the right color," she decided, having convinced Justin last night at the store that the green one made his skin look too pale.  "That one really makes your eyes pop."  She nodded.  "You look great, Justin." 

He sighed as he walked over and sat down next to her on the couch.  "Daphne, our ‘date,' as you insist on calling it, is for the 10:00 morning departure. That's a far cry from any child's bedtime." 

"Oh," she replied, disappointed to realize her plan wasn't going to work. She cheered up, however, as she added confidently, "Well, it won't be your last date with him, I'm sure of it."

"Oh, you are, are you?" Justin responded in amusement.  "Well, unless he has short-term memory, that means I'd need another outfit to wear.  Where do you think I would get the money for that?"  He shook his head and sighed.  "Maybe it's just as well..."  He paused.  "Ow!  What was that for?" 

"Stop talking like you're old and gray!  Sheesh!  You will FIND a way, Justin.  Not ALL your clothes are ready for the burn heap, you know."

"Thanks," Justin replied dryly as Daphne grinned impishly back at him.  He glanced over at the clock above the kitchen sink, his heart beginning to race as he realized it was almost time to meet Brian and Gus.  "I'd better get going," he told her, "or I'll wind up being late.  I don't think that would make a good impression on him."  Somehow this man reminded him of someone who needed to be in control of everything, although he seemed way out of his element yesterday when he son began to choke on his food. He had seen the stricken look on his face then.  In a way, it made the man seem more...human, though, and more approachable.  And maybe just a little vulnerable, at least when it came to his son.  He found that he liked a man who seemed to love his child that much, and he had been impressed by the way he had treated him.  He had often found at the restaurant that how a person acted toward him or how he treated his family at the table spoke volumes about his or her character.  One thing he was sure of, though; he was dying to find out more about this man, even if their time together would be fleeting.  Perhaps Daphne was right; he did work too hard. He silently vowed that at least for today, he would let loose a little. 

"Scoot!" she told him as she slapped him on the ass.  He glared at her before she gave him a little push.

"Okay, okay, I'm going!  You're not my mother!"

"Thank God!" she retorted as he rolled his eyes.  Grabbing his key to the chalet, he turned and rushed out the door. 

Disembarking from the green trolley bus about 45 minutes later and standing near the front gate, he looked around, realizing he didn't even know what Brian's vehicle looked like.  Not that it really mattered, though; not in THIS bustling crowd.  He didn't have to worry about it for long, however, as he heard a loud squeal of a whistle nearby, and turned to see a familiar moppet with brown hair running towards him with a blue-and-white engineer's cap perched on his head. Around his neck was the wooden train whistle that he had presented to Gus yesterday; it bobbed up and down rapidly on his denim suspenders as he ran helter-skelter toward him.  A blue-and-white, paisley scarf was tied around his neck that matched his cap, and a blue and white striped shirt completed his outfit. 

"Just'n!  I brought my train whistle!"  He gave it a couple toots for emphasis as Justin laughed. 

"I see that!  That's very smart of you," he told him with a smile as Gus beamed.  "You never know when the engineer might need some help, so that whistle might come in very handy."  He couldn't help thinking how adorable the little boy looked.  He was the spitting image of his father, although he suspected Brian would never be caught dead in such an outfit.  He ruffled the little boy's hair affectionately before glancing up as he saw a shadow nearby, locking glances with Brian as he walked toward them.  Sure enough, even though it was a decidedly casual event, Brian was dressed meticulously, from the mirrored shades perched on top of his head, down to his perfectly fitting, black linen, button-down shirt, his designer blue jeans, and a pair of black leather boots.  The man obviously purchased only tailored clothes, because both the shirt and the pants fit him perfectly.  Justin licked his lips nervously, suddenly feeling a bit out of his league as the other man approached.  One look at Brian's sweeping, appreciative gaze of his appearance, however, and he decided that perhaps he had been premature.  He blushed over the intensity of the other man's scrutiny of him as he nodded back at him with a smile. 

"Daddy bought me a camera!" he told Justin excitedly as he reached inside his overall pocket to fish out a small, disposable, one-time model.

Justin smiled as Brian walked over to stand beside them.  "I can see that; that's great," he told him.  "I use a camera all the time to take pictures I can use for my sketches," he explained.  He peered over at Brian, unable to help the flush that spread across his cheeks.  Fuck, the man was not only gorgeous, but just a little intimidating by the intense way he continually stared back at him.  He wished silently that he could figure out what he was thinking, but something told him he could be a very complex man.

"Hey," he responded tentatively as Gus peered up at him curiously, glancing back and forth at him and his father. 

Brian glanced around where they were standing, his mouth hanging open as he shook his head in disbelief.  If he had known yesterday where this train was, he would have never agreed to this. Now, however, he was stuck.  "Did you maybe forget to mention something to me yesterday?" he asked pointedly. 

Justin assumed his most innocent expression.  "I don't think so." 

"Dollywood? Are you fu...are you kidding me?  THIS is where the train ride is? At this country bumpkin fair?" 

"It's better than that," Justin maintained, not quite sure why he was defending Dolly Parton's amusement park.  "It's got other things besides rides and cotton candy." 

Gus's eyes bugged out over the mention of two of his favorite things as he jiggled lightly up and down on his feet.  "Can we go see, Daddy? Do they have bumper cars?" he asked, his face lit up with anticipation. That was one of his favorite rides in all the world. 

Justin smiled.  "Yes. It's called Demolition Derby.  You like bumper cars?" 

Gus nodded his head vigorously as Brian groaned.  The last time he had been talked into riding in a bumper car with Gus he had had a migraine for a fucking week.  "Great," he grumbled, but Gus did not seem to notice his less-than-enthusiastic response.  He sighed.  "Okay, Sonny Boy," he murmured, unable to stay too irritated as he peered down at his child.  He never could stay angry for long with that look of loving adoration on his face.  He smiled.  "We'll do the train ride first, and then do some exploring afterward. Sound good?"  Gus nodded enthusiastically as Brian ruffled the top of his head affectionately before turning to peer over at their companion. 

In the bright wash of sunlight, Justin looked even more beautiful than in the restaurant; his blond hair gleamed, and his blue eyes were markedly accentuated by the color of his form-fitting tee-shirt.  His eyes briefly flicked down and then back up appreciatively as he noticed a pink tint appear on his cheeks.  "You look...different, by the way,..out of your hokey waiter uniform," he couldn't help observing with a smile.

Justin rolled his eyes.  "I hate that outfit!" he revealed.  "I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that anywhere else."

"Oh, I don't know," Brian countered.  "Gus had me looking at all the attractions in town online last night, and I think you'd fit right in at the Hatfield and McCoys Feud Show." 

"Thanks," Justin told him with a mock scowl.  "But I think I'll pass. I'd rather eat hog jowls and possum grits than go to work at THAT place."

Brian couldn't help laughing over his response, reaching to grasp Gus's hand, sensing his little dynamo of a son would run off if he didn't keep track of him.  He tended to be in constant motion, so for him to remain stationary for more than two or three minutes had to be a new record for him. 

"I hope you realize what you've created here," he warned him, as Gus pulled excitedly on his hand toward the gate.  "He's a hard one to keep up with, and I didn't bring his leash with me."  He grinned at Justin's horrified expression.  "I'm kidding," he assured him as his companion nodded in relief.  "But don't think I haven't thought about it."  He shook his head in resignation.  "Okay, let's do it now while I still have the energy.  Train ride first, Gus...and then we'll check out the other attractions, okay?"  He pulled his son's cap down over his eyes playfully as Gus glared up at him; well, at least as much as he could with his eyes obstructed.

"Daddy!  I can't see like this!"  He yanked the cap back up to glare at his father, who merely laughed.  Swooping to pick him up into his arms - opting for the safest, most convenient method of monitoring his whereabouts - he began to walk toward the busy, front gates, glancing back at their instigator.  "Well, come on!  You started this!"

Justin laughed.  "I didn't invite you to come here, remember? It was the other way around." 

"Oh.  Yeah, right.  You just forgot to mention the train ride was at an amusement park, that's all." 

"Oh...yeah...maybe I did," he conceded.

Brian rolled his eyes.  "Convenient," he grumbled good-naturedly.  "Let's go, Warhol.  You can help me supervise in between sketches." 

Justin smiled as he watched the handsome father and son striding toward the front gate, Brian pausing periodically to answer one of Gus's myriad range of questions.  It was amazing to watch how tender Brian was toward his son.  He didn't really know much at all about the man  - other than he was amazing to look at and apparently did not want for money - but to him, merely watching the two interact was enough to tell him that this was a caring man.  He knew, too, that he definitely wanted to learn more about him.  

"Well?  You're going to have to be faster on your feet than that." 

Justin chuckled as he hurried to catch up to them.  "Okay, I'm coming!" he assured him, noticing the two were already through the admission turnstile. And he thought he was fleet of foot in the restaurant; something told him he was going to be dead on his feet by the end of the day, but somehow he thought it would be worth it.

An Hour Later onboard the Dollywood Express...

Brian couldn't help grinning as he heard the ear-piercing squeals coming from his son, who was presently sitting right next to the older, wizened engineer in the locomotive section of the train.  He had discovered upon boarding that Justin actually knew the engineer by name, having ridden so often on the train that he was instantly recognized by him; it had been the blond who had asked the man if Gus could ride up front with him, and to his son's delight, he had agreed, provided that he sat in the seat next to him with his seatbelt on. He had even let him pull on the horn cord to blow the steam engine whistle a couple of times as they had rounded the second curve earlier.  He thought he had never seen his son look so happy as he had looked just then, and Justin had had the foresight to quickly capture the moment on his cellphone.  Now, about thirty minutes later, his son was having the time of his life, the engineer providing him with a running commentary on all the gadgets he had to use to operate the train. He wasn't sure, though, who was having the most fun: his son, the engineer...or him.

He gazed over at his companion, who was furiously sketching at his seat from across the aisle. While he would have preferred they sit together, he had initially been seated next to Gus, and hadn't moved from his place by the window yet, enjoying the cool wind that caressed him through the open area.  Oddly enough, they had wound up being the only two in this particular car, most of the other passengers choosing to sit in the open-air cars in the rear to get a better view of the countryside.  His curiosity, however, finally got the better of him as he rose from his seat and walked a couple of feet over to where Justin was sitting, peering down at the half-finished artwork.  His eyes widened as he instantly recognized the subjects - his son and the elderly engineer - and he was astonished by the quality of the work.  "That's amazing," he couldn't help murmuring aloud as Justin paused what he was doing and glanced up at him.  He had apparently been so caught up in what he had been doing that he hadn't even realized Brian had approached him.

He flushed at the praise as he replied humbly with a smile, "Thanks.  I love to draw candid portraits, and your son and Bud are a natural.  That's the name of the engineer," he explained as Brian nodded.

"Do you mind?" Brian asked, indicating the seat next to him with his hand.

"Not at all," Justin replied, as Brian sat down. 

"Can I take a closer look?" he asked. 

Justin hesitated for a moment before he nodded, handing the sketchpad to Brian so he could get a better inspection of his work. The detail and realism were striking, down to the conductor's wrinkled skin, and the slight discoloration of his fingernails.  He shook his head in amazement; why was someone with this type of talent slinging hash instead? 

"Looks like my son and the engineer aren't the only natural ones," he commented, gazing at it a few moments longer before he handed it back to Justin.  "Where did you learn to draw like that?" 

Justin smiled with a shrug. "I've been drawing practically from the moment I was placed in the crib.  My mom always kidded me that I would have been happier with a paintbrush in my hand instead of a pacifier."

"You don't look all that far removed from that time period now," Brian observed wryly.  "Just how old ARE you, anyway?"

"I'm of legal age," Justin responded cryptically, wondering whether it was smart to admit how young he was to this man.  Not that it mattered to him, but he wasn't sure how Brian would feel about it.

Brian nodded.  This young man was a mystery to him - in a lot of ways. He found it frustrating...but also fascinating.  He smirked.  "Well, legal age is more than adequate for what I would have in mind for later," he told him, his eyes boring into the beautiful, expressive face that was rapidly turning an attractive shade of pink. 

Justin cleared his throat and peered down at his partially finished work, his hands trembling slightly over the other man's words.  It wasn't so much what he was saying, but how he was saying it.  It left no doubt in his mind what he wanted from him, and it made him both nervous as well as excited.  Wasn't that the same thing he wanted as well, though?   He HAD promised himself that he was going to ‘let loose,' hadn't he?  He took a deep breath.  "And that would be what?" he dared to say, even though he already knew the answer. 

"You have to ask?" was the husky response as Justin lifted his face to dare to look at his companion.  He shook his head now as almost unconsciously they moved closer to each other, their thighs touching like two hot firebrands rubbing together, and their lips inches apart.  They weren't aware of anyone else in the train car as they stared at each other, spellbound.  That is, until Gus came bursting back toward them, his face glowing with excitement.

"Daddy! Daddy!"  The engineer let loose of his hand as he nodded with a smile at the two men and returned to the locomotive to join the assistant engineer, who was presently guiding the train.

The sexual tension broken between them, Brian cleared his throat as he looked over at his son and smiled.  "How was it, Sonny Boy?" 

"It was great, Daddy!" the little boy shouted as he promptly plopped down in his father's lap.  Justin watched, entranced, as Brian slid his arms around the slender body to hold him in place. His entire face transformed into something distinctly tender and loving as he replied, "I'm glad you got to sit up in the front with the engineer. Was that you sounding the horn earlier?"  His son nodded vigorously as he grinned.  "I thought so.  Well, he's lucky to have someone like you to help him." 

Gus beamed at the attention as he looked over at their companion.  "Let me see!" he begged as he immediately recognized himself and the engineer.  Justin smiled as he turned the sketchbook so Gus could take a better look at the picture.  "That's me!" he cried out in delight.  "And Bud!" 

Justin laughed.  "Yes, it is," he replied.  "I used that photo I took of the two of you earlier, remember?"

Gus nodded.  "I like Bud. He's fun." 

Brian and Justin smiled at each other.  "Well, next time we come back here, Sonny Boy, we'll have to ride the train again, okay?" Brian replied.  His son nodded his head and smiled radiantly at his father as Justin tried hard to keep the smile on his own face; inside, however, he couldn't contain his disappointment in reaction to Brian's words. He silently chided himself; he had only met this man and his son less than a day ago. What difference should it make to him if they were getting ready to leave soon, then?  He knew they had their lives in another place, and he had his...at least what it was. 

Each day he lived in this picturesque but decidedly touristy dominion, he could feel his dream of being an artist slowly slipping away. Did he really want to wind up as some caricature artist in one of those shops a few miles down the road in Gatlinburg, set up in front of a store selling yet another variation of fudge, or some wood carving of a bear that was made in China?  That wasn't being an ‘artist.'  That was living month-to-month while his soul, his passion, slowly died a little bit each day.  At the rate HE was saving up money, it would take at best a few years before he could ever entertain the notion of attending art school. 

No, there had to be a better way.  He sighed.  Sometimes, despite trying to remain upbeat and hopeful, it was hard to see the bigger picture. 

"Justin?"

He let out a deep breath as he peered over at Brian, who had a questioning look on his face. He must have heard him utter the sigh, or seen the look on his face. He noticed Gus staring at him curiously as well.  "Hmm?'

"Something wrong?"

His lips spread into a half-smile as he shook his head.  "I'm fine.  I...I was just doing some thinking."

"Must have been a pretty heavy subject by the look on your face."  Brian paused, amazing by how much he wanted Justin to be happy.  He didn't even know this man, and yet... "I'm a good listener, if you ever want to talk," he told him.  Oh, my God.  Did he just say that?  He never wanted to just ‘talk' before...

Justin smiled back at him gratefully.  He took a deep breath and let it out.  "But I'm fine; really."  He looked out the window, quickly recognizing where they were in the trip's route.  "We're almost back at the station," he told his companions.  "About five more minutes."

Brian nodded.  "I don't know whether to be relieved by that fact, or be nervous about it," he quipped as he grinned down at his son who was bouncing on his lap.  "At least on the train I could keep a good eye on him." 

Justin chuckled.  "I'm beginning to see what you mean."  He closed up his sketch book and slid it and his pencils into the portfolio he was carrying before slinging it over his head and one shoulder to secure it.  "I'll try to help you keep track of him," he promised with a grin.

Brian nodded as the train's bell clanged and the lumbering vehicle began to slow as it headed toward the train depot.  "I'm going to hold you to that," he told him as the three of them rose from their seats and headed toward one of the open exit doors.

Later that Evening...

"Well, that's one thing about Sonny Boy," Brian mused as he came back into the condo's living room after tucking a thoroughly exhausted Gus into his bed and shutting the door so it was barely ajar; he always brought a nightlight with him so he could plug it in somewhere near his child's room for comfort, and he had found an outlet near the bed where it could be used.  "He's a ball of fire during the day, but since he's so energetic, when he goes to bed he conks out fast - after a few pages from his favorite book, anyway."  The three of them had stopped on the way back to the apartment to grab a few groceries, and Brian had surprised him by actually whipping up a fairly tasty meal of whole wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese, with a tossed Caesar Salad on the side and fresh fruit with light whipped cream for dessert.

Justin raised his eyebrows in question.

"Can't you guess what it is?" he asked him as he sat down next to Justin and reached for the glass of wine he had left sitting on the glass coffee table in front of the couch.

Justin seemed to ponder that question for a few seconds before he grinned.  "The Little Engine that Could?"

Brian grinned back at him as he clinked his glass against Justin's.  "Bingo."  He shook his head.  "That boy has a - pardon the pun - one-track mind when it comes to trains."

Justin chuckled.  "Well, I could think of worse things to be fixated on." 

Brian's smile diminished then to be replaced by something more intense.  "I could easily get fixated on you." 

Justin's eyes grew wide and his face warmed as Brian reached to take his wine glass away from him, placing both of them down onto the coffee table, before he leaned in closer.

"Brian...What...?" 

Did he really have to say anything, however, as his companion's eyes slowly drifted lower to stare down hungrily at his lips?  Justin was mesmerized by the long silkiness of Brian's eyelashes before the brunet lifted his eyes back up to peer into his. Time seemed to go by in slow motion then before, at last, Brian reached over to grip his upper arms and pull him in closer, a second or two before he pressed their lips together for a kiss. 

Brian's lips were warm and gently probing as Justin's eyes filtered closed so he could concentrate on the sensations it was generating in him.  Oh, wow.  This was like no other kiss he had ever had before, and he had been kissed plenty of times. Without even realizing it, he emitted a soft gasp as Brian's tongue swept across his lower lip in silent demand, his arms sliding around Brian's back to pull him closer as the kiss deepened further.

Brian's hands latched onto Justin's face as he angled his head and slid his tongue inside; he almost felt dizzy from the delicious feeling and the taste as he began a more thorough exploration.  Shit, this guy can kiss, he couldn't help thinking as he slowly lowered Justin onto his back so he was lengthwise on the couch.  He decided it was time to get more comfortable as he lay on top of him; he had no intention of this stopping any time soon.  He had never seen the need or desire to kiss someone indefinitely before - it was always a pleasurable, temporary prelude to the ‘main event' - but for once he saw the benefit in it. He could kiss this man forever; that is, if his body wasn't betraying his great desire for him, and screaming for more intimate contact.  He knew that soon he would need to become much more familiar with the rest of his body, or he might very well self-combust. 

Finally breaking off their kiss after practically devouring the man's lips, he raised up onto his knees, staring down at Justin's mussed-up clothes, bruised mouth, flushed face, and overall debauched state.  He was sexy as hell.  Justin stared up mutely into his eyes as he began to slide his hands under the hem of his shirt, intending on pulling it up over his head to savor the skin underneath when he heard a noise and groaned in comprehension. 

"Daddy?  I'm thirsty." 

Reluctantly scrambling from Justin's body, Brian rose from the couch, just in time to see his sleepy-eyed son shuffling out from his bedroom, rubbing his eyes and clutching his favorite stuffed animal:  a Curious George monkey that had been a Christmas gift from him last year. 

Justin hurriedly sat up on the couch just before Gus walked over to stand next to them, pulling his t-shirt down to straighten it out and reaching to grab a sip of his wine to steady himself.  He felt hard; hard as a rock. And one glance over at Brian, and he knew he was feeling the same repressed desire. 

To his credit, though, Brian did not appear either impatient or irritated with Gus as he replied, "You need some water, Sonny Boy?"  Gus nodded as his father walked over to the adjoining kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge.  "Take a seat, and I'll get you a glass.  How come you woke up, Buddy? Did you have a bad dream?" 

Gus shook his head as he continued to tightly hug the stuffed animal.  "No...I woke up and didn't know where I was. I got a little scared. And then I decided I was thirsty." 

Brian hid his smile beneath his left hand as he nodded.  "I see," he told him as he placed a small, plastic cup down in front of his son and poured half the bottle into it before screwing the lid back on and placing it back into the refrigerator.  "Might as well take care of your thirst, too, then."  He glanced over at Justin on the couch, who was silently observing the two of them.  "Everyone needs to quench their thirst sometime."  He smirked as Justin blushed in reaction before turning his attention back to his child, who had managed to already drink over a third of what was in his glass. 

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Sometimes I need to eat, too."

Brian chuckled.  "Are you trying to tell me you're hungry, also?" Gus nodded with a smile as Brian laughed.  "Well, we have some grapes in the fridge."

Gus wrinkled up his nose.  "I was thinking of something else."

Brian exchanged amused smiles with Justin as he replied, "Now I wonder what that could be.  Hmm...Would it be black and white and chocolaty all over?"  Gus nodded and grinned back eagerly at him in delight until Brian shook his head. 

"No, not this late, Buddy. You know what happens when you eat Oreos late at night; all that sugar, and you'll be bouncing off the walls the rest of the night."

"Daddy..."

"No, Gus. I'm not going to budge on that one.  Remember our deal about eating healthy the next couple of days?  You promised.  We can take what's left in the package back home with us, if you want. But no more on this trip...okay?"

Gus pouted, but finally nodded glumly.  "Okay," he grumbled as Brian nodded.  Grabbing a plastic bowl from one of the cupboards, he grabbed a small bunch of green grapes from the crisper drawer of the fridge and handed them to his son.  "There you go; now eat up, Sonny Boy, and then it's back to bed for you."

Ten minutes later - and a quick trip to the bathroom by father and son - and Justin had finished up the rest of his wine.  Brian's words with his son hadn't gone unnoticed by him.  Were they leaving that soon?  He could only surmise that was what he had meant a few minutes ago.

He watched as Brian walked back over and sat down next to him; their intimate encounter from before seemingly disrupted now.  "Brian?"

Brian reached for his own wine glass and took a long sip, holding the glass around the curved bottom as he asked, "Yeah?"

"What you said to Gus earlier...About the cookies....Does that mean that the two of you will be leaving in a couple of days?" He realized he didn't even know where they were from, or anything about him; not really. But for some reason, he felt a pang of disappointment as Brian nodded his head in the affirmative.

"Yeah...I have to be back home by Friday.  Big client meeting."  Justin peered at him curiously as he explained, "I own one of the largest advertising agencies in the Midwest.  And I have joint custody of Gus. He has to return back to Toronto Friday night, anyway, so I would have to be back regardless of the meeting or not." 

"Oh."  Justin's face fell slightly, but he recovered quickly as he nodded back at him with a half-smile.  He placed his glass back down onto the coffee table and, brushing his hands against the denim material, he stood up as Brian frowned up at him.

"Where are you going?" 

"It's late," Justin told him regretfully.  God, he wanted nothing more than to stay and get to know this intriguing man better, both intellectually and physically. But there was something about him that caused him to realize it would be all or nothing with him - and he knew that under the circumstances he could never have that. They lived in two different worlds.  "I'd better get going.  I have the breakfast shift tomorrow..."  He paused.  "But thank you. I had a great time with you and your son - and I really enjoyed tonight." 

Brian rose quickly to his feet as Justin turned to head toward the door.  He wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but he knew he wasn't ready for Justin to leave; not by a long shot. Surprisingly, too, it wasn't just his libido steering his actions. Justin wasn't the only one who didn't want their time together to end. But how practical was that? 

Justin turned to stare into his eyes as he struggled over what to say.  "We...were just starting to get to know each other," he finally told him.  "We WILL be here for two more days," he reminded him. "Gus really likes spending time with you. So do I," he added softly. "We could still use a tour guide to navigate our way around here," he added with a smile.  "There's only so much time to hit all the putt-putt golf courses."  As if that were his life's ambition - but Gus seemed to be intent on becoming a pro golfer one day, even though his swing left a lot to be desired...

"...and there's a ski lift ride in Gatlinburg that goes up to the top of the hill there. Gus has been bugging me like crazy to ride it.  I'm a little afraid of heights," he found himself admitting, surprising even himself in the process. He had never told anyone else that, except for his best friend, Michael, and Michael's mother, Debbie.  "You wouldn't want me to do something foolish if I freak out on it, and wind up falling to my death below, would you?" 

Justin couldn't help rolling his eyes and smiling at the other man as Brian pulled his lips under.  "Are you really afraid of heights, or just shitting me, Brian?"

"Come with us, and you'll find out," he vowed, lifting one eyebrow hopefully.  He was amazed at the moment that he was more interested in pursuing Justin's company tomorrow with his son, rather than fucking him tonight - although he definitely was interested in that as well. He didn't even want to ponder that odd happenstance, but it still astounded him.  He had never felt that way before.  "What do you say? Surely you won't be working nonstop for the next couple of days. When is your shift over tomorrow?" 

Justin hesitated; he knew he was risking further sorrow and disappointment when the two of them left if he got even more attached to them. But on the other hand, he desperately wanted to spend more time with them; father AND son.  "Well, I get off at two."

Brian beamed in triumph as he nodded.  "We'll pick you up tomorrow at two, then.  But don't expect us to eat there," he warned him.  "My stomach isn't THAT strong."

Justin laughed, mulling it over for a moment before nodding in agreement.  "Okay," he told him.   "Two."  He smiled. "But be warned; Gatlinburg isn't exactly a mecca of healthy eating choices, either."  He turned and slowly started heading toward the front door of the condo, Brian following closely behind.

"Surely they have salads or something healthy there," he countered skeptically.

Justin turned as he reached the door, his back against it as he told him with a grin, "Not really. But we'll figure something out."  His smile faded as Brian placed his hands on either side of his head and leaned in toward him.

"Yeah, I think we will," he whispered as he molded his body against Justin's for a proper goodbye kiss.   Oh, God; I could get so addicted to this, he couldn't help thinking as their kiss deepened quickly, and he wrapped his arms around Justin's slim waist. 

It took all of Justin's willpower to finally break off the kiss as he pressed his hands against Brian's chest and gently pulled them apart.  "I have to go," he told him with great reluctance.

"No, you don't," Brian huskily countered.  "Stay here with me. There are two bedrooms."

"Yeah," Justin replied.  "Yours and your son's."  He shook his head to Brian's disappointment.  "I really have to go.  I'll see you tomorrow," he promised him as partial compensation.

Brian sighed as he let go of Justin and reached to slide back the security bolt to open the door.  "Not the answer I was hoping for," he conceded as he held the door for him.  "But I guess I understand."  Truthfully, it would have been awkward for them to have sex with his son in the next room, even if he was enormously attracted to Justin.

Justin nodded as he reached up to impulsively lay his hand against Brian's stubbled cheek.  "Thanks again for tonight, Brian," he told him with a smile before he turned and headed outside into the second floor walkway, quietly closing the door behind him.  Brian stood there, hearing Justin's footsteps echoing softly against the metal of the walkway, before he turned and headed back to his bedroom, wondering if his dreams would cooperate and he would spend the next several hours fantasizing about a certain, beautiful blond.