The couple whirled around the room in one fluid motion, their elegance and graceful movements the recipient of several admiring stares as they kept perfect time with the music. The beautiful blonde's silky hair bounced lightly and shone under the crystal chandelier as they danced to the romantic, waltz tempo of an old-time classic instrumental song, "Fascination," flowing in perfect time with the music.
The banquet room was tastefully decorated in hues of gold, ivory, and maroon, the crystal champagne flutes now half-empty from the recent wedding toast that had been bestowed on the newlyweds a short time ago. Most of the reception guests, having been treated to a gourmet meal and a generous, open cash bar, were now well on their way to inebriated bliss as they animatedly spoke among themselves and waited for the couple to finish their dance so they could join in.
They didn't have long to wait as they watched a young man confidently walk up to the couple and tap the man on the shoulder.
"May I cut in?" he asked politely with a tender, almost playful smile.
Brian released Jennifer with a gallant sweep of his hand. "Of course," he told him.
Justin's grin spread even wider as he clarified, "No…Not her; You." He turned to his mother to hastily add, "No offense."
Jennifer good-naturedly laughed in realization as she watched the two men fall instantly into each other's embrace and practically float away; she shook her head in amusement at them as her new husband – a distinguished-looking, trim widower with salt-and-pepper hair she had first met a year ago as a potential real estate client looking for a new home – walked up to claim his new bride. "May I have the pleasure, Mrs. Forsythe?" he asked Jennifer politely as she nodded with a delighted smile, her eyes gazing up lovingly into the man who had managed to sweep her off her feet almost from the first moment she had laid eyes on him.
He had been such a gentleman to her – opening car doors, helping her on with her coat, scooting out her chair for her at their favorite restaurants; it had been quite a change from what she had been used to with her first marriage with Craig. And she knew she had definitely fallen in love with her new husband about six months later when they had gone out to dinner with her son and Brian and she had introduced them to each other for the first time. The warm, genuine smile he had bestowed upon her son and Brian as he took turns shaking their hands had told her all she needed to know about his character and warmth, and it had instantly made her feel completely at ease as her heart had bubbled over with affection for him. When he had asked her to marry him a few weeks later, she almost felt at the time that Justin was more excited about the news than even she was.
"I'd be delighted," she told him now as she clasped her hands in his and they began to glide around the banquet room in time to the lyrical music; as others promptly joined in, she twisted her neck around to observe her son and Brian doing the same thing, their gazes locked on each other much like they always had been from the first moment she had seen them together. Only then she hadn't quite realized that her son had met his soulmate and so had Brian. William followed her gaze and smiled over at her. "I think I'm not the only one acting like a newlywed tonight," he observed. "They do make a striking couple."
"Yes, they do," she agreed softly as she took a few seconds to exchange a tender smile with her son before she turned her attention back to her husband. "But so do we, Mr. Forsythe; so do we."
"What?" Brian mock groused as he gazed into the familiar, expressive orbs of sapphire blue. If he didn't know better, he would almost think they were laughing at him silently.
One hand grasped firmly in Brian's hand and the other one around his neck, he grinned up at him impishly, almost like a cat that had eaten a canary. "Nothing," he said.
Brian's eyes narrowed. "Bullshit."
Justin's grin broke out into an even wider one as he admitted, "I just never thought I'd see the day when you would be dancing to this kind of old-fashioned, romantic type of waltz."
Brian harrumphed as he smoothly continued to lead Justin around the dance floor as if they occupied one body. As they did so, he couldn't help admiring how Justin's slender frame molded so well to the dark blue tuxedo he was wearing; the subtle, light gray pin striping in the expensive fabric seemed to make Justin's eyes even more intriguing as they peered up at him knowingly, almost smugly. "Well, don't get used to it," he warned him as he abruptly pushed their bodies closer together; he felt Justin gasp softly in reaction as their dicks brushed up against each other through the relatively thin linen fabric.
"I'm just doing it so I can get a good fuck out of you later," he growled in Justin's ear as he gave it a playful nip before pulling back slightly to gaze into the wondrous blue eyes. He curled his lips under as he informed him, "You're pretty hot, you know; otherwise I wouldn't be wasting my time."
Justin actually had the gall to giggle in response as he grinned back at Brian and played with the hair at the back of Brian's neck. "I'm fucking irresistible," he corrected him, "and you know it."
Brian rolled his eyes as they gazed downward to linger on the clasped hands against his chest, his husband's gold wedding band gleaming on Justin's finger under the monstrously-large chandelier hanging above them. "Well, even if you weren't, I guess it's too damn late to back out now," he told him with a smirk.
"Good decision," Justin bantered back as they skillfully dodged an overly-boisterous couple sliding by them. "Because I get really horny when you act romantic."
He squeaked in surprised delight in that adorable way that made Brian's insides melt as the brunet promptly lifted their clasped hands and began to twirl Justin around like a sexy flamenco dancer; he heard Justin giggle again as he abruptly bent him backward in his arms. Justin's head almost touched the floor, but he wasn't concerned as long as he was being held so protectively by the man that he loved.
As Justin instinctively curled his leg around Brian's body to support himself and Brian brought him back upright into his arms, his smile of delight slowly transformed into some other type of expression that Brian couldn't quite decipher. "What?" he asked softly in puzzled concern as the music slowly died out and Justin simply stood there, fixed to the spot. The D.J. spoke into the microphone to announce the band would be taking a five-minute break as the other couples, including his mother and new husband, slowly filtered off the dance floor, but Justin still didn't move. "What is it?" Brian repeated as he slid his arms around the slender body in support as he gazed into the beautiful blue eyes he had willingly lost himself in countless times over the past several years. "Justin?"
Justin swallowed hard as he slowly lifted his eyes to look into Brian's and found himself transformed back to another place and time. "My God," Justin breathed out at last as he stared at his handsome husband who was wearing a charcoal gray tux, matching vest, and black silk shirt; a lighter shade of gray had been used for the ascot that was loosely tied around his neck.
"I didn't know," he whispered in wonder as he looked at Brian almost as if he were seeing him for the first time; tears began to well up in his eyes as he stood there and stared into his husband's worried face, totally oblivious to the curious stares they were receiving from the other guests as well as his mother and her new husband who had returned to their places at the bride and groom's table and were observing them curiously. His hand traveled from Brian's neck to the silk tie as he lightly fingered it, a wealth of memories flooding through him:
Brian and he commanding the dance floor as everyone watched them in rapt attention, their eyes only for each other. Brian standing back to front with him as he seductively removed his lover's black tux jacket to have it fall from his muscled shoulders, only to throw it playfully over at Daphne. Brian spinning him around on the polished wooden floor, the spotlight shining on them from above much like tonight as all eyes were on them and only them. Brian firmly but gently bending him backward as he dominated sexily over him, only to take his breath away when he swept him back up into his strong, lean arms as they stared into each other eyes. Brian lifting his body up in the air and twirling him around before kissing him deeply, passionately. Brian smiling down at him tenderly and yes, - lovingly – as they stood at his Jeep afterward before he made some comment about it all being "ridiculously romantic" before he gently pressed his lips to his, once and then once more, before threading his long fingers through the silk scarf that he had bestowed on him like some mark of ownership. His face clouded over briefly as he thought about what transpired immediately afterward, but even that horror could take away from the wondrous feeling that permeated every pore of his body as he relived every magical moment of their night together – the night that he now knew Brian began to realize that he, too, was falling in love with him.
Noticing her son's expression, Jennifer wanted urgently to rush over to him to make sure he was all right, but she forced herself to remain seated; her son was a grown man now and was more than capable of taking care of himself. Besides, she knew if anyone could help her son with whatever he was upset about, it would be Brian. But the look on his face told her that something significant had just happened.
"Jennifer?" she heard William softly calling next to her. "You think he's okay?"
She smiled at his thoughtfulness as well as his compassion as she turned her attention away from her son. "Something seems to be bothering him," she admitted. "But I know Brian will take care of whatever it is."
William nodded as he took her hand in his. "In that case, Mrs. Forsythe, I think we have a cake that needs cutting." She nodded as the two of them stood up to go in search of their wedding caterer to prepare for the last part of their glorious evening of celebration.
Brian slid his arms back around to the front to grasp Justin gently but firmly by the shoulders. "What didn't you know, Justin?" he asked him softly as he searched for the answer in his eyes. "What's going on?"
He was relieved but confused when he saw the beginning of a smile breaking out on Justin's face through his tears as he explained, "I didn't realize that you loved me even back then."
Brian frowned as he shook his head slightly at the mysterious statement. "Back when?"
Justin inhaled a breath and let it out before he replied, "When we danced together. Daphne was right; we were incredible together that night."
Brian gazed down into Justin's eyes, hoping against hope that he was understanding what he thought his husband was telling him. He couldn't mean that night after Pride when they had danced; Daphne hadn't been there. The only time that Daphne had been any type of statement like that was when they had danced at his prom…
"Justin? You mean…?"
Justin's eyes misted over as he nodded through tears of happiness. "Yes," he breathed out in wonder and gratitude that finally, finally, after all these years of wondering and guessing he actually remembered. "Yes," he told Brian softly as his face broke out into a radiant smile of happiness. "I remember everything." He promptly launched himself into Brian's arms as he hugged him tightly and bounced up and down slightly on his feet in exhilaration. "I remember!" he cried out in ecstatic delight.
Brian's arms tightened around him as he nuzzled his cheek against his in amazement. He had long ago given up all hope that this day would ever come. He had no idea how it happened, and in a way it made him a little nervous to have his feelings exposed so openly about that night, but he didn't care. What mattered was that the person he loved more than anything was here in his arms, alive and well, and that they would have many more dances in their lives to come.
After several seconds, they finally pulled back to gaze lovingly into each other's eyes; nearby the small band slowly began to lightly strum their instruments as a warm-up exercise, preparing to return once more to their playing as Brian leaned down to kiss his soulmate and whisper in his ear, "Don't go away; I have a special request to make for the band's next song."
As he gave Justin one more quick kiss on the lips, Justin smiled as he temporarily walked away. A few minutes later, they found themselves again the center of attention as they began to dance once more. The tune Brian requested was an old, hokey, corny one, but to Justin it was the sweetest tune of all.