That evening, Justin returned to the loft with a brown, paper grocery bag clutched tightly in his right arm. With his left hand, he searched his pocket for the key to the loft, which he used to open the large, metal door. The loft was eerily silent and dark as he stepped inside, sliding the door shut behind him. Supposing that he was alone, he walked into the kitchen and placed the bag onto the counter, reaching into the bag to begin removing the groceries and putting them away in their proper places.

However, he visibly jumped when he heard a noise emitted from the direction of the couch. "Brian?" he inquired as he made his way into the living room. He found the man sitting on the couch, a glass of beam in his lap. Something was obviously wrong. He stepped closer until he was close enough to drop onto the couch beside his lover and observe him. While it was clear that Brian had been drinking, he did not appear drunk. Justin lifted his hand to place it against the other's cheek in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

Annoyed that Justin did not appear to have heard his question, Brian spoke again, "I said, were you not going to say hello?"

Justin resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Brian's question. "I would have, if I had known you were here," he settled for answering instead. "Why are you sitting in the dark?"

"Because, Sunshine, I didn't have you here to light up my life," Brian quipped as he stared straight into Justin's eyes. He turned away, only long enough to set his glass of Beam down on the table, then turned his body back towards the blonde, who was frowning at him. "Aw, lighten up," he murmured as he leaned forward to press his lips against Justin's temple. From there, he began to trail his lips down the pale face.

Justin could tell what Brian was trying to do, and he wouldn't allow it. "Brian," he said firmly as he slid his hands to the larger man's chest and gently pushed him back. His hands remained on the strong chest, but they were now relaxed. "Tell me what's wrong."

Being himself, Brian remarked, "Many things are wrong, Sunshine - world hunger, disease, my unfulfilled sexual appetite." With that, he wrapped his fingers around the hand pressed against his chest and slid it downwards until it was pressing against his crotch.

Angered, Justin quickly pulled his hand away. "Fine, don't tell me," he said abruptly as he stood from the couch. Without another glance towards Brian, he returned to the kitchen and resumed his task of putting away the groceries. Once finished with that task, he continued onto the next one of preparing dinner, which he also insisted on doing in the most noisy way possible. As he took down pots and pans, he purposely clanged them together, and he opened and closed the cabinets spastically. He knew he was being childish; but so was Brian.

As he was in the middle of this loud task, Brian appeared in the kitchen and leaned against the counter, his arms crossed tightly against his chest. "Justin," he said sternly.

"Yes, Brian?" Justin replied in a tone that did little to conceal his anger towards the other man. He stood near the stove, idly stirring the sauce that went with the pasta he was preparing.

Brian sighed. He knew he deserved to be treated this way, and inwardly he wished to take back his earlier actions. Outwardly, he stood from where he was leaning against the counter and moved until he was standing directly behind Justin. He wound his strong arms around the other's slim waist. "Sunshine," he began quietly. "I-I'm sorry."

Justin remained firm in his anger towards Brian. "For?" he asked in a leading manner.

Brian frowned; the blonde was never one to take things easy on him. "For considering my sexual frustration a world issue," he answered in a last attempt to avoid seriousness. When Justin did not appear amused, he tried again. "For not being with open with you."

Finally seeming to be appeased, Justin turned in his arms. "You should be, Brian," he said quietly, his blue eyes looking deep into the pools of hazel. He stepped closer and lifted his arms to wind them around Brian's neck. "I thought our relationship was an honest one."

"It is. But you know me better than anyone, Justin, and you should realize by now that opening up will never come easy for me," Brian said, knowing that it was probably not exactly what Justin wanted to hear, but at least he was being honest. When Justin nodded in answer, he continued speaking before the blond could audibly respond. "How about I help you finish cooking, and over dinner I will tell you everything?"

Justin nodded again, this time in agreement. "Sounds good," he whispered, standing up on his tiptoes to press a gentle, forgiving kiss on Brian's lips.

Thirty minutes later, Brian and Justin were both seated around the dining table with a plate of pasta in front of him. Yes, Brian would have usually refused such a carb-loaded meal, but for Justin he would make an exception. Plus, he was still trying to stay on the blonde's good side.

As he usually did when he cooked a meal, Justin watched Brian as he took the first tentative bite. He raised his eyebrows in silent question, and as usual, Brian replied, "Not bad."

Such a response would usually cause Justin to break into a bright grin, but tonight, he could only manage a slight smile. The two ate in silence for a few moments before Justin, knowing that Brian would not voluntarily start the conversation, simply said, "So?"

Brian's first instinct was to reply with some sarcastic phrase, but he quickly stopped himself before he could do any more damage. Instead, he forced himself to be serious. "I'm selling...everything," he said bluntly.

Justin lifted his brow, his lips curling up into a slight smirk. "Everything, huh?" he asked in disbelief. As much as he loved Brian, he knew the man had too much of a superficial love of material things to sell everything.

Brian, however, remained serious. "Yes, everything. Britin, Babylon, the loft...and Kinnetic."

Observing that Brian appeared serious, Justin's facial expression transformed into one of confusion. "Why would you do that, Brian? Has homelessness become a new trend that you would like to try out? Because if that's the case, you wouldn't last a day."

"No, Sunshine," Brian replied, unable to stop a quiet chuckle from escaping his lips. "I do not plan to be homeless...I plan to be far from it, actually." When Justin's look of confusion did not disappear, he continued, "I had a meeting today with Adam Lyons, from Kennedy & Collins."

Justin thought silently for a few moments until recognition clicked in his brain. "Kennedy & Collins? The advertising agency you planned to leave everyone for, only to be rejected?"

Brian scowled at Justin's use of words. "Yes, that one," he replied dryly. "It turns out that the company has taken a downfall, and they need someone to revive them. They want me to be their savior."

Much to Brian's disappointment, Justin did not appear happy in the slightest. "Don't tell me that you would seriously consider this, Brian. Not after how they rejected you in the past. Besides, what about Kinnetic? It belongs to you, you don't have to listen to anyone! Why would you give that up just to become a lousy partner?"

"Because, Justin," Brian interjected his partner's ranting, "Kennedy & Collins is in New York."

Understanding clicked in Justin's brain, and he began to vehemently shake his head. "No, Brian. Don't be a fool."

"You're not the only thing that New York has to offer me, Justin. Think of all the shopping," Brian insisted, though neither of them believed the argument.

"Stop it, Brian," Justin replied, speaking of more than just Brian's attempt at humor. "You have the world here in Pittsburgh."

Brian was a silent for a few moments, before quietly, almost inaudibly, he answered, "Not all of it."

Before Brian spoke, Justin had been prepared with another point of argument, but his words were quickly forgotten when the other spoke. He opened and closed his mouth for a few times in an attempt to respond, but he could think of nothing to say. Instead, he stood from the table and walked to the kitchen to place his plate in the sink before walking back through the open space of the loft and towards the bathroom. "I'm going to shower," he muttered as he passed Brian.

Brian allowed Justin time to himself before joining him in the bathroom. He observed the pale, naked body standing beneath the shower head, head turned down deep in thought, before he stripped his own clothes off and entered the shower. Justin turned around when he heard the glass door fall open and shut. "Hey," he whispered, seeming calmer than he had fifteen minutes ago.

"Hey," Brian murmured as he slid his arms around Justin's body and pulled the shorter man tighter against him. He leaned down and pressed their lips together softly. The kiss lingered a few moments before Justin slowly pulled back.

"Want me to wash you?" he asked, already reaching for the sponge and bath wash. Brian nodded and allowed himself to be washed, finding relaxation in the gentle way that the other man rubbed the sponge over his skin. Once Justin was finished, he directed Brian under the shower head and rinsed the soap from his body. Brian returned the favor.

Once they were both clean, Justin slid his arms around Brian's neck and stood on his tip toes to place his lips near Brian's ear. "I love you," he whispered.

Brian closed his eyes and nodded his head slightly. "You too," he replied as he turned his head so that their lips met once more.

"I just want you to be happy," Justin murmured against Brian's lips. He pulled back slightly and slid his hands until they were each resting on Brian's cheeks. "And I don't want you to give up your life, not for me."

Brian stayed silent for awhile, so long that Justin had begun to think that he wasn't going to respond at all. However, when he turned to turn the shower water off, Brian grabbed his body and pulled him back. Hesitantly, he whispered, "My life wouldn't mean much without you." Feeling vulnerable now and not wanting to face whatever mushy response Justin would have, Brian released the blonde and exited the shower. He quickly toweled himself off before wrapping the towel around his waist and walking into the bedroom.

Justin stood in the shower a few minutes longer, stunned by Brian's uncharacteristic response. When he finally made his way into the bedroom, he found Brian lying on his back in bed, a cigarette between his lips. Silently, Justin dropped his towel and climbed into bed, lying on his side beside Brian. "Say you did move to New York...where would you live?"

Brian's lips curled up into a smile, and he turned his head to look at Justin. "I thought that maybe the two of us could resume living together...this time in a place that we picked together."

Justin couldn't conceal the grin that spread onto his lips. "That sounds...intriquing," he admitted. He scooted closer to Brian to press a kiss to the man's chest. "We still have a lot to talk about though, Mister. But for now...it can wait," he whispered as he began to move his body on top of Brian's.