Brian walked into the diner a few weeks later. Sunshine was sitting at the gang's normal booth, alone. He was surrounded by papers and looked busy. Brian sat down anyway.
"Shouldn't you be in class, Sunshine?" he asked, drawing the man's attention. Out of habit, they both glanced at the clock.
"Why do you know my schedule?" Justin asked, looking back down at his papers. There was a pause before Brian answered.
"With an ass like yours I'm sure everyone on Liberty Avenue knows your schedule." They both smirked. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm on spring break, Sola." Brian nodded. He had know that, just failed to remember it applied to his Sunsh- to Sunshine.
"Why aren't you partying or at least doing… this at Debbie's then?" Sunshine grimaced.
"Because it's her day off so she'll be home. And she'll insist on helping me out. But I can't let her."
"Ass. A real man knows when to ask for help." Sunshine glared.
"I assure you I am a real man. If I need help I'll ask for it." Brian grabbed a paper off a stack and scanned through it. He whistled in awe.
"PIFA more expensive than you planned?" Sunshine shook his head wearily.
"They turned down my second semester financial aid because my dad pointed out his salary to them. I don't think I'll be able to afford it unless I take up go go dancing at Babylon." He laughed wryly. "But I'd like to avoid that." Brian nodded.
"Me too." He thought for a moment. "What are you studying?"
"I'm majoring in Graphic Art." Brian smiled.
"The company I work for hires freelance artists when our department can't get their heads out of their asses long enough to come up with a decent idea. If they like what you do you could get a job offer, and it pays a heck of a lot more than working at the diner." Sunshine shook his head.
"I still won't be able to afford it." Brian bit his thumb for a few minutes.
"Let me help you." Sunshine snorted. "Really." Brian insisted. Justin finally focused on Brian fully. "We'll have to have something in writing, of course. We'll discuss rates of interest…" Justin smiled. "But…" Brian smiled back. "I have on more condition."
"I'm not going to fuck you."
"Sunshine, is that really what you think of me?" Brian affected a hurt look. Sunshine thought about it for a few minutes.
"No. You just think about fucking most of the time. Not all of it." Brian laughed.
"I'll give you that one, Sunshine. But my condition is this-" Brian lowered his voice so Sunshine had to lean forward to catch what he said. "seal it with a kiss." Justin looked thoughtful.
"I'll think about it." Sunshine started gathering up his papers. "And get back to you." Brian scowled but nodded. Sunshine stood. "I'll see you later, Sola." He ran his hand through Brian's hair as he passed by. Brian tried to deny that he liked it. But he couldn't. Somehow the blonde twink had gotten under Brian's skin. A while later Mikey and Ted came in the diner, both holding a piece of paper.
"I just wish I had something to keep it in until I got home." Ted was saying as they sat across from Brian.
"What Theodore? Your dick?" Ted rolled his eyes at the younger man.
"No, Brian. Sunshine drew me portrait. Michael too." Michael held his own picture up to his face.
"What do you think?" Brian glanced at the picture.
"Your nose isn't nearly that big." Mikey frowned and put the picture back, but Brian kept stealing glances at both pictures. They were both perfect. Mikey looked kind and had a freedom Brian had never seen in his friend before- in the picture he wasn't in love with someone who could never love him back. Ted's picture showed him as confident, looking off to the side of the picture. His worries couldn't bring him down. Nothing could. "When did the enigmatic Sunshine bestow upon you these gifts?" Ted answered.
"We passed him on the street a few minutes ago."
Brian went to see Lindsay that afternoon. He walked in without knocking and picked his son up from his playpen.
"Hey, Sonnyboy." He murmured, sitting on the couch. "How's my boy?" Lindsay came down the stairs, followed by someone Brian didn't bother to look at.
"Jesus, Brian! If you're not going to knock, at least let us know you're here." She cried, hand flying to her chest. Brian glanced up from his son, smiling. He froze when his eyes fell on the other person in the room.
"Sunshine. Are you stalking me?" Justin grinned.
"Don't flatter yourself." He advised, tossing a stuffed animal at the other man's head.
"I like him. He can stay." Mel told Mel as she entered the room. She ruffled Justin's long hair. "Good boy."
"You two know each other?" Lindsay asked, sitting on the couch next to Brian. Justin smiled and sat on the ground, subtly pulling his sketch pad from the coffee table.
"I work at the Liberty Diner." He explained, quickly flipping to an open page.
"What are you-" Justin cut Mel off with a headshake, gesturing to Brian, who was looking at his son with the expression of utmost admiration and love. He quickly began sketching, looking between his pad and Brian quickly. A few minutes later, Brian refocused on the room.
"Did someone say 'let's not talk about sex' again?" He asked, handing Gus off to Lindsay.
"No, Bri." Brian glanced at Sunshine, who was still drawing in his pad, though he couldn't see what.
"What's Sunshine doing here anyway?" Lindsay smiled, glad to be able to answer truthfully.
"The LGBT center's art show is coming up and Justin has some art on display. We met there and he and Gus really hit it off. I invited his back here for tea." As if it had been waiting for it's cue, the teapot began whistling. Mel stood.
"I've got it." She assured Linds, who stood to help anyway. They both left the room.
"Slumming with munchers, Sunshine?" Justin laughed.
"They're cute. So is Gus. He looks like his dad." Justin glanced up from his drawing and winked.
"Have you considered my offer?" Brian asked as the munchers walked back in.
"Hey!" Mel slapped his arm. "No seducing Justin in my house."
"Not that offer." Brian muttered. "This is getting entirely too domestic for me. Try not to turn him straight." Brian kissed Lindsay's cheek and left.
The next time Brian saw Sunshine was at Babylon a few days after Mel and Linds' house. Sunshine was dancing with some trick, probably about ready to head to the backroom. But Justin turned from the trick and stalked towards Brian instead. He reached up and grabbed his neck, pulling Brian down to crush their lips together. For several minutes their tongues danced. Justin pulled away and Brian quirked and eyebrow. Justin got on his toes to whisper in Brian's ear.
"Sealed with a kiss." Brian grinned.
"Well shit. I should have said you had to let me fuck you." Justin laughed, throwing his head back.
"Sorry, Sola. I don't do repeats." Justin walked back to his trick and lead him to the back room. Brian was dumbfounded. When had he fucked Sunshine and why didn't he remember it?