Brian Kinney walked into his building after an exceptionally long and trying day. Pretty much everything that could go wrong had been totally and irrevocably fucked up. He stretched his neck and arms, thinking of the hot shower followed by the large drink he would need to start to unwind. It seemed no matter how much he stayed in lately he could not overcome the utter exhaustion he was left with at the end of each day. As he lowered his arms, he stopped dead in his tracks, none too pleased to discover a large, worn-out couch blocking the entrance to his stairs and a petite, young, black woman shoving boxes into his elevator, alternating between pushing them and kicking them with her foot in frustration when they wouldn't budge.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he exclaimed powerfully, demanding the woman's attention who jumped more than swung around to face the voice.

"OHMYGOD!" she screamed in one breath. Her alarmed expression seemed to dissipate realizing that there was no immediate threat before she confessed, "You fucking scared the shit out of me!" and placed her hand over her chest in a dramatic fashion.

Brian stood there waiting silently for an answer to his question when a voice called out from the elevator shaft. "Daphne, you okay?"

The voice seemed to bring the woman back to reality along with it a return of some semblance of good manners since she extended her arm and offered her handshake. "Hey, I'm Daphne. Sorry about this, we are moving in. We thought we could get the couch on our own but it's too wide for the lift so my brothers are coming over to help get it up the stairs."

Brian did not hide his irritation. Great a new couple in the neighborhood; this would be the third apartment in his building sold to a fucking hetero couple in the last six months, it felt like an invasion. Next there would be a fucking Gap Kids on the corner. "Listen, how do you suggest I get to my loft?"

Daphne glanced at her still unshaken extended hand and the look of disgust on her new neighbor's face and dropped her arm. "Yyyyeeeaaahhhh" she said drawing out the word while she surveyed the situation, "I guess you will either need to wait for us to empty the elevator or help me move the couch". What an asshole, she thought, as she pushed the button and stepped clear of the elevator to close the gate.

"I don't think so" Brian mumbled approaching the elevator and blocking her efforts knowing the elevator wouldn't move without the gate being closed. Daphne watched in horror as Brian shoved the two large cardboard containers out of the elevator and stood in the now free space inside. "Don't worry I'll send it back down. Toodles" Brian said laughing as he gave a little limp-wristed wave. He pushed the button for the sixth floor and closed the gate leaving Daphne fuming and the impression that her new neighbor was a complete jerk.

Brian groaned as the usually slow elevator began it's ascent in earnest. He normally tuned out the sounds of the old elevator but became concerned as it started making unfamiliar noises he thought equal to a fat man gasping for air after climbing several flights of stairs. For the first time he considered the relative weight of the objects in the elevator plus his own and noticed the maximum weight sign hanging above the permit and after doing some mental calculations concluded he was pushing the posted limit. The gears really seemed to be struggling and somewhere between the second and third floor, it quit trying all together.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Brian cried as he hit the button for the third floor. Don't panic, he reminded himself, as he picked up the red phone to call for help only to hear no dial tone. The panic sensation spread rapidly as he reached for his cell phone in his pants pocket and realized he didn't have it on him. The much need object was carelessly discarded earlier when, among the endless things that had gone wrong today, his cell phone fell out of his pocket into the toilet when some trick roughly pulled his pants down to blow him in one of the stalls. This made worse by the fact that the trick couldn't cover his god damn teeth during said blow job.

"HEY" Brian called loudly, "IS ANYONE THERE?"

Daphne was still seething at the arrogant asshole's impatience when she heard the footsteps on the stairs.

"Daphne, are you okay?" Justin asked as he stood about five steps up on the first flight of stairs behind the offending couch.

"You won't believe this asshole" she steamed as she explained her encounter, "he actually kicked the boxes off the elevator!"

Justin laughed seeing his friend's narrowed, angry eyes and knowing this poor man was in for a world of hurt. Daphne may be tiny but he pitied anyone who pissed her off because she was truly a spitfire and could hold a grudge like no one's business. Passive-aggressive revenge was practically an art form for her.

He climbed over the couch which required some athleticism he didn't really have to help her shove the furniture so that at least there was a small path to the staircase for neighbors.

"It was kind of rude to block him" he acknowledged plopping down on the sofa, "It's almost five and lots of people will be getting home soon. Will Marcus and Daniel be here soon?"

She nodded since they had texted they were on their way about ten minutes before. "Thank God I have two muscular brothers. Why didn't we just accept their offer to help us move initially?" laying her head on his shoulder and looking at him, fluttering her eyelids in innocence as she spoke.

"Um, because this is our first 'real' place and you wanted to do it on our own. After all, how many times did they move us in college?" he pushed her head from his shoulder as he quoted her exact words back to her.

"Ha! Practically every year! Thank God we are D-O-N-E with student housing" she joked remembering the various shitholes they had shared while they both attended the Institute of Fine Arts; Justin to study visual arts and her to study photography. Do you remember that place sophomore year with the complete stoners and the non-stop parties?"

"Ughhhhh!" Justin huffed, "You mean Chris and Tony's place?...those guys were so fucking inconsiderate. Constant tricks coming and going at all hours….that place saw more action than the Liberty baths. I think Tony was a hustler too….Gross!"

"Well now we have our first grown-up jobs and a grown-up place of our very own which I'm sure will look sophisticated and elegant with your discerning queer eye and you will lull me to sleep with noises of ecstasy as you entertain your hot, somewhat vocal, boyfriend. I will be in fag hag heaven" she joked, kissing his cheek.

Justin looked sheepish and took a deep breath, "Well, you may have to wait on the second part. Eric and I broke up."

"What? What happened and why didn't you tell me?" she slapped his arm hard leaving a sting.

"Ouch, fuck Daph" he said rubbing his arm. Justin knew Daphne liked Eric since the moment he announced he had finally popped his cherry. Eric was cute and sweet and as completely devoted to Justin as Daphne was. They met freshman year at one of Daphne's hetero-hop parties that Justin tried to avoid like the plague. That night, it was pouring rain and cold and Justin had come home early and went straight to his room groaning to himself that Daphne had apparently been using his bed to collect coats. He was surprised to find Eric in his room and as he was about to kick him out, their eyes met and Justin noticed he was looking at a picture Justin had sketched recently, a nude male. It was pretty obvious what he wanted and Justin was more than ready to give it. They didn't even exchange names before they consummated the heat radiating from both of their bodies. It was new and intense and the emotions carried them through the first few months until they settled into an easy rhythm. However, a few weeks after graduation it was weighing heavily on him that while being with Eric was easy, it was not all that satisfying or passionate any longer. Finally, Justin realized that Eric wanted more just as much as he did and they ripped the proverbial band-aid off and ended it mutually and on good terms. Eric actually thanked him afterward, admitting that he had worried they would end up married before either of them would finally admit there was something missing from their relationship for fear of hurting the other.

"….but he was so sweet and cute" she whined. "You always seemed to be, you know, enjoying him" she added blushing.

"Daph…I did" Justin admitted, "it's just…nevermind, c'mon lets get our stuff off the elevator before your brothers get here."

Justin and Daphne walked up the few flights of stairs to their fifth floor apartment, slowing considerably as they climbed, feeling the aches and pains of their latest move.

"HELP" Brian called out loudly again. He glanced at his watch and groaned loudly…fifteen minutes in this god-forsaken elevator already. He couldn't even sit down properly since the boxes took up all the floor space and he was reluctant to sit on the boxes not knowing what was inside. Surely, he thought to himself, the happy couple would be missing their stuff and come looking for it soon enough.

Brian, unable to stand any longer, picked up one large container about an inch to gauge its weight. It wasn't all that heavy and labeled JT-ART SUPPLIES (STUDIO). Brian shrugged and shoved it out of the way figuring it wouldn't be strong enough to support his weight. Another box labeled JT-PERSONAL peaked his interest. Personal, huh? He laughed thinking of what kinky things the young Miss Daphne and her beau were into in their boudoir. He recognized her considerable spirit and imagined she was into some freaky shit, well freaky for straight people, which probably meant some modestly sized vibrators and a pair of fuzzy handcuffs. He shuttered at the rouge thought. He was just about to break open the box and satisfy his curiosity, which he rationalized, stemmed from considerable boredom and a slight feeling of claustrophobia, when he heard footsteps on the stairs. "HELP" he screamed again rattling the grate to get attention.

"Daphne, do you hear that?" Justin asked as he rounded the corner to the stairs on the third floor.

"Maybe my brothers…." She answered before Justin shushed her and held a finger to his lips.

"No, it's from over there. I think someone's yelling help" he exclaimed moving towards the elevator.

"Hey, are you okay?" Justin asked sliding to his belly to peer into the small sliver of the elevator that was visible to the third floor.

"No! I'm not fucking okay you twat. I'm stuck, can you call 911?" Brian remarked hastily. He was unable to see the person attached to the voice but assumed it was Daphne's boyfriend.

Damn, Daphne was right…He was a rude fucker but since they needed their stuff, he took out his phone and dialed the non-emergency number.

"Hey sis" Marcus Chanders called out while backing up the stairs carrying the large couch on one end; the other supported by his identical twin brother, Daniel. "This is heavy, move it or lose it" Daniel called while navigating the couch around the corner. "Really sis? The 5th floor? This is the last time we help you and Justin move. You're a big shot at the paper now…hire a moving company"

"Thanks guys" she laughed but dismissed their threat as moot since she doubted Justin and her would be leaving any time soon, "…and I'm hardly a big shot. Staff photographer is about as entry-level as it gets." She clarified following them up the stairs to let them into their new place.

What are they having a fucking party out there? Brian closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose hearing the additional voices and hoping like hell one of them was the elevator repair company.

"Hey, is that help? How long is it going to be?" Brian asked to the shadow above still lying on the floor.

"No, um, that's just the guys helping us move the couch; I called the non-emergency number and they said it would be about thirty minutes" Justin informed them.

"Why the fuck would you call the non-emergency number?" Brian fumed, "I said call 911!"

Justin rolled his eyes undetected wishing his stuff wasn't trapped so he could just walk away from this inconsiderate asshole. "Well unless you're in there with a pregnant lady or you have a knife wound you forgot to mention, being stuck in a perfectly safe elevator isn't exactly an emergency, now is it?"

"Listen you little shit! I have had the worst fucking day and thanks to you and your little woman, I don't have any place to sit down in here. I am fucking tired and I now have to piss. So unless you want your art supplies covered in my urine, you will call 911"

"Hey asshole, did you go through my things?" Justin asked incensed by the invasion of privacy.

"…not yet" Brian warned loudly. He also muttered in a low voice that he planned to check out the box that says personal and see what he and the missus are into but Justin couldn't make that part out. Brian huffed under his breath and said a silent prayer of thanks that he still had four cigarettes on him and a lighter. He lit one and took a deep breath, exhaling with smoke rings.

Fucking straight, nosy, asshole! Justin seethed as he caught a whiff of the smoke. "Wait! Are you fucking smoking in there?"

"Yeah, so?"

"You can't smoke!"

"The fuck I can't"

"No you can't, listen my painting are in there for my upcoming exhibit. The smoke will get into the canvases. I'm begging you, please don't smoke" Justin voice was growing desperate as he spoke.

Brian glanced around looking for the paintings and finally located several large crates leaning against the wall. He could see the back side of at least two large canvases through the slats. "Well what's in it for me?" Brian snarled.

"Anything, just please don't" Justin pleaded again, his heart racing fast and breath held as he waited out a long pause.

Justin finally exhaled upon hearing an exasperated Brian sighing heavily, before repeating "Anything?" with an ominous connotation and then finally confirmed he had extinguished his cigarette.

Just as Justin started to say thank you an ear piecing grinding noise reverberated followed by a low hum signaling the elevator's gasp back to life.

"Shit!" Brian exclaimed as he fell slightly forward when the elevator lurched under him. He braced himself against the boxes smashing his hand onto the box containing the personal items he had been so curious about. His fall crushed the top of the box and the tape tore free under the now misshapen, indented cardboard. The elevator stopped firmly on the third floor and Brian was distracted from the contents by his need to free himself from the confined space.

"Outta my way" he said as he pushed past Justin, his bladder now stretched beyond any normal limit, "I'm holding you to your promise" he affirmed, turning around to give the mystery man a once over. Baggy jeans, a football jersey, and some very old tennis shoes. Classic breeder wear! Such a shame to cause the kid had a very nice ass, he thought, as he climbed the remaining three flights of stairs to get to his loft.

Justin timidly entered the elevator hoping he wouldn't get stuck but really seeing no other way to get the items to the fifth floor to unload. When the elevator stopped he was surprised to find himself on the sixth floor but soon realized he never pushed the correct button, relying instead of the already selected button the arrogant, but actually quite handsome, neighbor had selected.

Justin peered out of the elevator just as he heard the door close. He chuckled thinking he must have really had to piss to beat the elevator up the three remaining flights. Justin had never been to the sixth floor of the building before, having no reason to go beyond five when they were looking for a place. He was surprised the top floor was only a single loft since all the other floors had two units each. Justin took note of the dimensions of the floor and as he selected the correct button and the elevator began to lower, he found himself curious as to the layout of the sixth floor space. He and Daphne had looked at two units in this building, his mother who was serving as their real estate agent, had told them all the units were two bedrooms and two baths which meant the double unit would be really large. He found himself wondering about the crass owner and believed despite his somewhat curmudgeon personality he probably had a family, children even, to need a space that large. He certainly hoped not, at least he hoped no little rugrats were running around overhead. Justin was really looking forward to peace and quiet after a series of upstairs neighbors that he was certain had elephants as pets judging from the constant stomping noises overhead.

"Daphne" Justin hollared as he arrived to the fifth floor, "Help!"

Daphne and her brothers emerged from their apartment and started hauling boxes out of the elevator. The four of them emptied the load quite quickly and Justin wished they had the benefit of the twins all day. Daphne's older brothers were striking and although he would never admit it, he had always sort of had a crush on Marcus. When he would stay the night at Daphne's house he even timed his bathroom trips to coordinate with accidental run-in's with a shirtless Marcus brushing his teeth or washing his face. The twins, although identical, were nothing alike. Marcus was an athlete, a varsity basketball player, friendly, warm and unfortunately, straight. His brother, Daniel, was shy, bookish even, a lot like Eric as a matter of fact except of course for his appearance and also being straight. Both brothers had light skin, like Daphne, but were tall, almost six feet and muscular with smoldering good looks. Marcus had killer six pack abdominals with a nice V-shaped cut that Justin always imagined would draw the eye downward to an impressive cock but had never had the pleasure of independently validating that particular assumption.

Justin's fantasy was stifled when he heard Daniel groan, "Oh Jesus Christ Justin" followed by a large thud. Justin raced into the back of the apartment to see Daniel covering his eyes with his hand and the contents of his box scattered across the floor. Daphne met him in the room as well and seeing her brother look painfully uncomfortable, burst into side-splitting laughter.

"Sorry Dan" Justin grumbled joining Daphne in laughter although more out of embarrassment than amusement, "I see you found the contents of my naughty drawer but honestly it was marked personal, what did you expect to find?" he grinned as he bent over picking up a large double sided dildo, a purple butt plug, some handcuffs, a leather paddle and a ten inch vibrator bouncing along the hardwood floor stuck in the on position and tossing them back into the box.

Daphne smirked at her brother, "Yeah pervert" Daphne teased, "Why did you open up a box anyway?"

"I didn't see the label and the box was buzzing. I reached my hand in and I realized what it was and just dropped the box. Sorry if I over reacted Justin" he admitted sincerely, still with an adorable look of utter mortification on his face.

"What's the problem here?" Marcus exclaimed standing behind his sister and seeing what the commotion was all about.

"Danny was checking out Justin's sex toys" Daphne laughed.

Marcus surveyed the items Justin had gathered back into the box, "Well Justin, looks like you have a wild side" he smirked, "Maybe you could teach my brother here how to get his freak on. He's so boring with his one woman rule. Him and Michelle probably only do it once a week, missionary style with the lights off…"

"…yeah after they shower first" Daphne added.

Justin laughed at Daphne's casting shade over Daniel's bride-to-be, she made no qualms about her feeling over her soon to be sister-in-law with Justin. Daphne thought she was an uptight, stuck-up princess who only liked her brother because he was a successful businessman. She made this assessment shortly after their first meeting when Michelle remarked that Daphne "didn't really have the full black woman experience" since she was light-skinned, from a well-to-do family and dated white men on occasion. She had not so subtly been punishing her ever since by using every gift-giving occasion to buy something black-enough for Michelle from brightly colored head scarves, a book about the women of the Serengeti, and, her personal favorite, a truly horrendous painting featuring the last supper with a black Jesus. All the gifts wildly outside of Michelle's personal taste and style which was actually quite waspy.

"Knock it off" Daniel remarked to his siblings, "I think we're done here. Enjoy your new place sis. See ya Justin."

Daphne followed behind Daniel leaving Justin and Marcus alone surrounded by a box full of sex toys. Justin was very uncomfortable but was impressed that Marcus seemed at ease.

"Hey Justin" he asked uncharacteristically shyly, "Can I ask you something?"

Justin nodded, "Sure"

"Do you, um, use these or are they for, you know, for, um, for Eric?" he spit out.

Justin grinned because he found it amusing when straight men were curious about what gay men did in the bedroom, "Why do you want to know?"

"I just don't get it. You're such a cool guy. I just don't see the appeal of…"

"…having something up your ass" Justin remarked finishing Marcus's thought.

"Yeah" he visibly shuttered at the thought.

"Well to answer your question honestly some of the toys, like the handcuffs, were bought for Eric. He liked to be dominated once in a while and I tried to make him happy. Some of the items I use on myself since Eric never had an interest in fucking me"

Justin paused to let the information set in, "Do you have any more questions?" he asked looking sincerely at Marcus.

"So you mean you were together for four years and never fucked?" Marcus spouted in disbelief.

"No" Justin laughed, "I fucked him all the time. He just didn't want to fuck me so we would use other ways to stimulate my prostate. It feels incredible actually"

Marcus shook his head and Justin try to suppress his enjoyment of seeing Marcus attempt to shake the images free of his mind. "Dude, I had a girl stick a finger in my ass once and I nearly flew out of the bed. I think God made me straight for a reason" he laughed, patting Justin on the back and catching up to his siblings.

Justin sat back on his still unmade bed and thought about Eric and the last four years. He hadn't really thought about it before but Eric's unwillingness to top was a growing problem in their relationship more so over the last year which is why he had amassed a growing collection of dildo's and toys. Justin had lost his virginity to Eric when he fucked him on a pile of coats in his apartment. Soon after, they were hot and heavy, but Justin became, as a matter of habit, always the top. After about six months, he finally got really drunk, and practically begged Eric to try fucking him. He even offered to do it raw since they were both virgins when they met and had only ever been with each other. Eric got really upset which Justin initially thought was from the bare-backing offer but it turned out, after they sobered up and really talked, that Eric just had no desire to try it the other way. Justin ended up apologizing and making love to him to calm him down and reassure him that it wasn't a big deal and he never asked Eric to top again.

Daphne saw her brothers out and skipped down the hallway of their new place with child-like delight, she took a running start and landed next to Justin on his mattress, giggling like they always did.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked an unusually reflective Justin.

"I was thinking about Eric" he admitted.

"Regrets?" she asked, stroking his hair.

Justin thought for a minute and shook his head no, "It was the right thing to do"

"Are you sure? He was a great guy" she questioned.

"Yeah, Daphne I know you liked Eric and he is a great guy but you know I needed more."

"…he wouldn't budge at all?" she asked, "I mean you have a great ass. Why wouldn't he?"

"Daphne" he sighed, "you know it's not like that. Some gay men are just very much one way or the other. Some gay men don't like anal sex at all."

"What a waste!" Daphne teased, "I would suggest we go out tonight and find someone to tap that ass but we have like a million boxes to unpack"

"Yeah, let's find the sheets first and then start on the kitchen" he remarked getting up and pulling her up off the bed.

"Hey Daphne" he called as she left the room, "I'm really glad we bought this place. If we can't live with the men of our dreams; I'm glad we get to live together."

"Me too, Jus. I love you."