I endure one hour of life drawing class followed by two hours of art history lectures. I am only half-listening, my mind still on Brian. My art history professor advances the slide show and the painting captures my attention.

The Kiss is considered Gustav Klimt's most famous painting from his Golden Period which was during 1898 to 1908. The painting shows what love and passion looks like close up since the couple are sitting on a bed. It is also assumed that both of the lovers have lost themselves in their passion and love and it is in a unity that only two people who are truly in love can explain and experience. Many art analysis think that the models in the masterpiece is himself and his companion Emilie Floge. However since Klimt was known for being unfaithful throughout his life, there is no way to really tell if that is who the couple is….

Oh, for fuck's sake. Hundreds of thousands of fucking pieces of art throughout history and this is the one that we are studying today.

Class finally ends and I sling my bag over my shoulder. As I leave the PIFA building, I glance right and left a few times.

To my right is bus stop #93. Bus 93 takes me to Tremont and Liberty, a block from Brian's loft.

To my left is bus stop #28. Bus 28, connects to Bus 10, which in turn takes me to Daphne's apartment.

I sigh heavily and turn to my left. I clear half the distance to the bus stop and my legs lock in place unexplainably. My hand is cramping from the sketching and I rub it gently with my unaffected hand.

The same hand that just a few hours ago had pulled a hurt, broken, Brian up from the ground.

The same hand Brian held as he walked with a hurt, broken, me after the bashing when I was too scared to be in a crowd by myself.

Before my brain and better judgment could stop me, I allow the grasp of the unexplainable pull to move my legs in the only direction they can. The pull back to Brian. I just make it to catch the #93 bus before it pulls away.

On the bus I stare at a picture of Klimt's The Kiss. I read the description of the painting from my lecture notes.

It's considered a one of a kind masterpiece that shows what love should be like at all times. Passion and unity should be a part of a couples relationship. The hands and faces are the only thing that is shown in detail in this painting, this is because their bodies are combined in a great gold swirl of true love and also erotic passion.

I considered the statement and memories of Brian and I together flood my heart and soul with doubts. My chest aches heavy, a fissure forms where I suspect my heart is breaking. When it came to my relationship with Brian, I take a quick inventory:

Erotic passion….check

Unity…..not so much

I slide open the door to the loft, and with great trepidation enter. I once looked at the loft as the Promised Land. A place I was forbidden to enter, a place Brian guarded as closely as he did his own heart. Once I was granted access, it was like Brian was finally letting me in; into his life, into his heart. When he gave me my own key; I felt I had arrived at the proverbial mountain top. Little did I know.

"Hey" he says from the kitchen. Even hung-over, he looked just so. fucking. beautiful.

"Hi" I offer weakly, "feeling better?"

Brian nods. I stand at the doorway as he walks to me. I don't want him to touch me but at the same time, I can't wait to feel his touch. His eyes tell me he is unsure. Unsure what to say, unsure of what to do…to fix us.

I sit my bag down on the floor as he approaches. He grabs me and holds me close to him. We stand there silently. I can't let him go; I can't look at him; I can't move. I just let him hold me. I don't know how to move forward from where we are but I don't know how to walk away either. So I just let him hold me.

Brian lets go first. "Come sit down" he says "Couch or Bed?"

"Couch" I agree as I follow and sit opposite him.

"Justin" he starts, then with a tone and expression more sincere than I have known him to use he offers me "I'm sorry"

"I thought sorry was bullshit" I counter.

"I really thought I could do it" he says, lowering his head in shame "I know you're upset but I think you should know something…." He pauses, swallowing hard.

"What?" I ask "What do you want to say to me? How you are incapable of being faithful. How I should just accept that about you. How it meant nothing. How I shouldn't expect you to put my feelings above your desire for a quick meaningless fuck"

"I didn't fuck him" he explains "at least not yesterday when you saw us. Not since…."

My world turns upside down in my own rage. "Didn't fuck him? Brian, don't play semantics with me. If you didn't fuck him it was only because I interrupted you before you could. I could taste him on you"

"Justin, please listen to me" he pleads. "That guy, his name is Aiden. He's the son of Jack West, head of West Enterprises…." He pauses waiting for me to acknowledge that this fact somehow changes my view.

"Brian, I don't fucking care if he's the head of fucking Coca-Cola. Normal people don't fuck their clients to secure business" I spout indignantly "in fact many would argue that it's actually frowned upon to conduct business that way"

Brian is undeterred by my outburst. "Aiden and I have a history, I worked with him at Vanguard on a campaign. We fucked…a few times. So when he saw me again. He had no way of knowing that my circumstances had…you know, changed"

"No way of knowing?" I counter, "You could have told him asshole. What's wrong with, hey I can't put my dick in your ass anymore cause now I have a FUCKING BOYFRIEND and I only stick my dick in his ass?"

Brian smirked a little, amused at my outburst. "Yeah, come to think of it, that might have been better"

"Brian, this is pointless" I sigh in frustration "I don't want to hear your bullshit justifications, the truth is it could have been anybody. This whole month I have been killing myself trying to be enough for you. The truth is, I will never be enough, will I?"

"Sunshine, this has nothing to do with you being enough for me" he strokes my hair as he spoke gently "Can I just tell you what happened yesterday, please?"

I nod giving approval for him to continue but am afraid of what I am going to hear. Not sure if I am more afraid that it would make a difference in how I was feeling or that it wouldn't.

"When Aiden came into my office and made his, um, expectations clear. I turned him down at first. He didn't give up and he threatened to pull his business. I am counting on that business, Justin. I just hired six people to support that account. Without it, I would have to fire them….anyways...I did think about you, about what we talked about before…"

"Are you saying that I should forgive you because you were thinking about me while you fucked him?" I huffed as I got up to leave, confident this was getting us nowhere fast.

"Justin, fuck….wait" he pulls me back down "I told you I didn't fuck him, I wasn't going to fuck him"

"Then what…" I demand

He looks exasperated, "You said my dick was yours" he shouts "I couldn't let these people lose their job. So I…." he paused, looking completely gutted.

"WHAT? For God's sake…just spit it out already!" I insist

"I said I would…" he looked down, a hint of red on his cheeks revealing embarrassment "I gave him a blow job, okay"

"Huh?" I asked totally dismayed.

He shrugs off the embarrassment, presses his lips together and explains "I figured if I just sucked him off, then I wouldn't be breaking our arrangement, not technically anyways and these people would keep their jobs, and he would be happy enough. I thought it was the only way" he finally looks me in the eyes.

"So you didn't even cum, you just sucked him?" I clarify, laughing slightly at the thought of Brian dropping to his knees to give a blow job in his office.

He shook his head confirming my assertion, a half smile on his face.

"…and you actually thought about me and my feelings before you decided to blow him?" I ask unsure if I was supposed to be touched or outraged anymore.

"Justin, I really fucked up" he admits "…but I was trying to do the right thing. I just don't have much practical experience at it."

I burst out laughing uncontrollably at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"What's so funny?" he asks, irritated by my response to what I am sure he considers a genuine apology.

"I just…" I choke out in between laughing fits "I just…. can't believe….only you could….only you could make a convincing case…. for giving a blow job…. as the only option…. to save people's jobs"

Brian joins me in burst into laughter. We laugh for a good while and I start to remember the good times again and after a few minutes I feel the familiar pull again, this time it overcomes my lips as I lean over and place them where they belong- on Brian's waiting mouth.

The kiss starts slow at first, Brian lets me warm up to him, forgiving him at my own pace. He places his hand on the back of my neck and his fingertips send chills down my spine; electrifying the urgency as our tongues dance together playfully. He breaks our kiss for a second as his lips seek out the curvature of my neck.

"You're always enough" he whispers in my ear as he continues running his tongue over my neck.

His eyes fill with lust as he takes hold of my shirt hem, edging it over my head. He removes his own shirt as the momentum of desire builds between us. Item after item of clothing shed in rapid succession until we are flesh on flesh. He moans into my navel as he traces a path over my stomach and up my torso, taking my nipples, first right, then left into his mouth, sucking them to tautness. Guiding his head back up to my lips by a fistful of his hair, I pull him back onto me as I recline onto the couch, letting his body blanket mine fully. I feel the heaviness of his engorged cock push against my own, grinding my hips up slightly generating some pressure and heat as we rub together.

"Justin" I melt hearing him whisper my name so lovingly. "I want you" he says

"I want you too" I murmur back into his ear.

"I want you…only you" he whispers, caressing my hair and looking into my eyes.

He guides my legs to his shoulders as he pulls a stashed condom from under the couch cushion. I breath in and out slowly relaxing into the pressure of his entry. He fills me completely taking control as we rise to the height of ecstasy together. His thrusts into me are well-orchestrated with firm strokes over my cock and deep, mind-altering kisses. He pulls me over the edge with him; panting, moaning, and grasping each other tightly as we climax together.

Yep definitely have erotic passion covered, I thought to myself as my heart rate and breathing returns to normal.

Brian lies on top of me as we recover. I run my hands up and down his back and his fingers wrap around stands of my sweat moistened hair. The uncomfortable position soon wears on me and I shift under him prompting him to stand up. He pulls me up and walks us over to the bed.

I notice the briefcase I bought him was back in the package sitting on the dresser. I look at Brian asking silently for an explanation.

"I can't keep it" he says finally "You can't afford it and I don't deserve it anyways".

"I can afford it" I protest "and I want you to have it".

I climb into our bed and motion for him to follow me. He doesn't protest further.

"I love it" he offers after a few moments of quiet contemplation.

"I'm glad" I smile reassuringly up at him, giving him a kiss. "Brian, there's one more thing I need to ask you".

He nods, "Yes, I'll go" he offers without giving me a chance to ask my question.

"Huh?"

"You're going to ask me if I will go with you to the Poconos this weekend right?" he says smiling.

"Wait" I said, searching his face for clues, "How did you know that?"

"Sunshine, first I know how your mind works. I know you weren't going to let a month go by unacknowledged. Second, you did the research on my computer." Brian chuckles at my predictability.

"It's not too….lesbianic?" I ask cautiously

"No, for once I think we are in complete agreement" he responds.

"Complete agreement?" I smirk "So would you say we are in unity?"

"Yeah, Mr. I-got-a-1500-on-my-SAT's agreement and unity are synonyms last time I checked" Brian looks at me funny knowing he was missing the joke.

I laughed and kissed him, "Well maybe there's hope for us yet"


A/N:

First, thanks for all the support of this story. I am glad you are enjoying it. Please keep reviewing...

Second, I would love to hear your thoughts...does Justin forgive Brian too easily for this indiscretion? I considered dragging it out over a few chapters but I didn't want to torture you with too much angst. Personally I like a stronger Justin not doormat/weak Justin which alot of fanfics portray him as but I consider to be OOC with the series. I don't think Brian would be so drawn to Justin if he were not a challenge for him.

Lastly, coming soon in the next chapter...Will Justin and Brian get their weekend away? Will it be ridiculously romantic or another obstacle to overcome?

By the way I know virtually nothing about art history. Discussion of The Kiss was taken verbatim from blog/2011/07/gustav-klimt-the-kiss-painting-depict-love-and-passion. All credit belongs to the unlisted author of that blog