I own nothing. AU.
Justin closed his
eyes, blocking out the blank page in front of him. He smiled
slightly as the sun filtered into Ethan's cheerfully modest
apartment. Justin leaned his head back and suddenly he caught a
scent. Brian. He turned his head, eyes flying open. He hadn't
heard anyone come in but maybe, he thought, he had dozed off in the
sun.
But no one was there. An unexpected lump formed in his
throat. He swallowed back tears. But he was happy with Ethan,
wasn't he? He had been so sure of it, until he caught that smell.
That one simple scent that left him yearning for the man he had left.
Days melded into weeks and Justin knew he was going crazy. He could smell him, everywhere. Just a whiff, a hint, but he was so sure that he had to turn to check.
Those little flashbacks to his former partner triggered other things. Dreams. Intense, intimate, erotic dreams. And then his drawings. He couldn't help himself. Where he had started to draw Ethan, trying to convince himself he still loved him, would be Brian in all his unclothed glory. Or sometimes asleep on the couch. Or smiling.
After one month of Brian lingering on his mind, creeping in when his focus faded, Justin found himself at the loft. When the door opened that haunting smell washed over him. Brian stared at him.
"Why are you here?" He asked, in a tone Justin couldn't place. Justin took a step forward and hugged him, inhaling his scent. Justin didn't answer. Brian hugged him back with one arm and lead him in, closing the door behind them.