"Daddy!" Gus' adorable voice screeched into Brian's ear.
Brian smiled over the phone as he stared at the layout of sketches scattered across his desk. "Hey Sonny boy, guess what?"
"What?"
"I'm back and I brought you a souvenir," he said.
"What's silver near?"
"It's a gift you bring home as a memory of the place you just visited. I bought you a tee-shirt and cap that says 'The Catskill Mountains'. They have pictures of the mountains on them." Brian explained.
"Cool! Are you coming over today Daddy?" Gus asked.
"Not today Gus. I'll come get you after Soccer practice on Wednesday and we can go to Chucky Cheese's for dinner afterwards," Brian said.
"Oh Wow! Mom! Daddy's taking me to Chucky Cheeses after practice on Wednesday."
Brian heard his son yell to his mother over the phone and cringed. He knew he was going to catch hell from Lins for not consulting with her first, but well, fuck it. He was a selfish prick when it came to his son.
"Daddy, Mom says it's ok but she wants to talk to you," Gus said.
"Ok Gus, I'll see you Wednesday then," Brian said.
"Cool!" 'again with the cool' Brian thought. It seemed to be Gus' favorite word these days.
"Can Justin come too Daddy?" Gus asked suddenly throwing Brian off guard.
"I can ask him if you like. It's up to you Sonny boy," Brian answered cautiously. He didn't want Gus to think he was obligated to ask just because Brian had brought Justin along on their trip to the museum. His son was old enough to know that Justin was special to him simply by the fact that besides family, and a few select friends, Brian NEVER brought a man around Gus. He was happy that Justin and his son got along so well, but he didn't want to force the relationship. He wanted to make clear to his boy that he would always be number one in his heart and his life, a fact that would never change no matter if he was with someone or not.
"Could you Daddy please? Justin is sooo mega cool!" Gus screeched excitedly.
Brian laughed. "Ok, I'll ask. Now put your Mother on the phone."
"K, bye...love you!" Gus said.
"Love you too…."
"Brian?" Lindsey got on the phone. Her voice held a tinge of reproach in it.
Brian sighed. "Save it Lins, I know, I should have told you before making plans with my son but I just got back from assignment and wanted to see him. I didn't think it would be a problem," he said.
"That's not the point…"
"Gee Lins, and you use to be such a smart girl. What part of 'save it', did you not understand?" Brian asked.
Lindsey let out an exasperated breath. "Ohhhh….! You know, you're impossible! Ok, you can take him Wednesday, it's not a problem. It would just be nice…"
"It would be nice if you could give me a break. So drop it, I have something I want to ask you," Brian interrupted her not wanting to waste twenty fucking minutes of listening to her bemoan his disregard for the 'parenting rules'. It was their rules, not his. They should know by now that he wasn't going to conform to their wishes where his son was concerned. Contrary to the munchers beliefs, he perfectly understood the importance of his son having a stable routine in his life, however he was also very cognitive of the need for his son to have some spontaneity in his life as well.
They were like little fucking robots at the Peterson-Marcus household. He knew their schedule; it was a very rare occasion that anal retentive Mel would veer from their carefully orchestrated lives. And if they did, Lins always gave him a heads up way in advance. Which she hadn't last time they spoke, so he knew this Wednesday would be no different than any other fucking Wednesday….Soccer practice after school, then home for dinner which would consist of meatloaf and mashed potatoes… they always had meatloaf and mashed potatoes on Wednesday nights, then in bed by eight for Gus, while the Munchers had their weekly scheduled sex. The way he looked at it; he was doing both his son and his moms a favor. Gus would be treated to a little unexpected adventure with his Dad, and Mel and Lins get a little extra muff diving time. Instead of Lins haranguing him, she should be thanking him.
Lindsey let out an exasperated sigh on the other end of the phone. "Fine. Consider it dropped, this time. Now what is it you want to ask me," she relented.
"You remember Justin, right?" He asked.
"Of course, he dropped Gus off when you got called away on business the day you went to the museum. Gus adores him. He seemed really nice. Even Mel liked him," Lindsey said.
"Arrghh fuck Lins! Now I have to rethink my relationship with him! If Mel likes him, there must be something wrong with him," Brian quipped.
"Relationship?" Lindsey pressed.
Brian groaned. "Easy girl. Get those Lesbian visions of African Lilies and matching Vera Wangs out of your head. We're dating, that's all," he said.
"Dating! Brian you NEVER date! How long have we known each other? Ten years? In all that time I've NEVER known you to date! When did you start dating Justin? And how could I have not known! I mean I know you liked him enough, after all you took him with you and Gus to the museum, and you even trusted him to bring Gus home afterwards when you got called away, but I figured it was because he was Agnes's cousin, and he was working for you. I never imagined you were actually dating him!" Lindsey rambled on excitedly.
Brian mentally cursed. He should have expected this. Once people found out he, Brian Kinney, stud of Liberty Avenue, was actually dating someone, there was bound to be talk and speculation. He sighed in resignation knowing he might as well start getting use to it.
"Calm the fuck down Lins. It's not the apocalypse; you don't see four Henchmen do you? But if you do happen to see them, send them my way, I hear they're one hell of a ride…however, barring some momentous occurrence of those proportions there's no need for you to get alarmed just because I'm fucking someone more than once. I only call it 'dating' so that dickless fags and dykes like you can fit it into your conformist vocabulary. Plus, it will be easier to explain to Gus, and let's face it, that's all I really give a fuck about anyway," Brian said.
Lindsey laughed on the other end of the phone. Brian wasn't expecting that reaction.
"You are so full of shit Brian Kinney. You absolutely give a shit about your family, which of course is uniquely defined by your own standards," she said.
Brian grunted in response. "Can we get back to what I wanted to ask you?" he asked.
"Sure, sorry, I just got carried away. It's very exciting you know," Lindsey said. Brian could hear the joy in her voice as if it was she who was fucking him on a regular basis and rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, Justin is an artist, though he wouldn't describe himself as such. But I'm telling you Lins, he's very talented. I'm looking at some of the sketches he did while we were away and they're fucking amazing. I want you to take a look at them. You're the expert with this shit. Maybe ask Sydney to take a look at them. I think he's got real talent Lins, but I'd like a professional opinion," Brian said.
He knew he was going to catch hell from Justin for taking the sketches from his backpack without his permission when he left his place this morning, but he just couldn't help himself. They had dropped Conrad off at the hospital late last night; more like shoved his ass out the car door at the front entrance, then took off back to Justin's place where Brian had crashed. He got up early, careful not to wake Justin, intending to go back to his loft to clean up for work when he spotted Justin's backpack on the floor on his way out. The zipper was half open and his sketch pad was sticking out. Justin wouldn't let him see any of the drawings he was working on while they were away and Brian was curious as shit. He knew some of the sketches were of him; it was probably why Justin wouldn't let him see them, so he pulled the pad out and high tailed it out of there, taking just enough time to leave him a note saying he went home to change and that he'd see him later at the office before he left.
He hadn't had a chance to look at the drawings until he got into work. They were so intimate, so….reflective. Is that how he sees me? he thought looking at one particular image. It was of him sleeping…he looked unguarded, beautiful even, yet not conventionally beautiful, it was more of an innocent beauty. Pure. Brian had to laugh, 'pure' was not an adjective he would ever ascribe to himself, yet that was the first impression he got upon looking at the sketch of himself. Brian knew he had the looks most men and women salivated over… sexy, hot, alluring…but he never thought himself beautiful no less innocently beautiful. Yet that was exactly how Justin had depicted him in his drawing. The likeness, his likeness, was almost reverent in nature…as if Justin considered him his own personal 'David'. The thought both frightened and excited Brian in a way that was unfamiliar to him. He didn't know what to think of it.
The truth was being with Justin was confusing as fuck, but in a positive life affirming way. Half the time he was confounded by him, the other half he was lusting after him. Hell who was he kidding, he was always lusting after him. Even when he was infuriated with him he wanted to fuck the shit out of him. Their relationship was one big fucking rollercoaster ride. It was wild and rough, filled with highs and lows, and each time he was tempted to throw his hands up in the air and just get off and go back to his 'simpler' way of life, a time before one blond hurricane stormed into his world, that 'blond' would cast him a smile, or a look, and all reason left him. If Brian were honest with himself, and he always tried to be exceedingly so, he'd have to acknowledge that he never felt more exhilarated than when he was with his blond.
Justin was a free spirit, wild, unpredictable, and unafraid to grab life by the balls. He was fearless in ways Brian didn't know if he were capable of, yet he desperately wanted to find out. It was another reason why Brian had dubbed him his 'Sunshine'. He was a beacon, a shinning light beckoning Brian to follow him into his insanity and fuck all if Brian wasn't sorely tempted to do just that.
"I would love to take a look at them! If he's as talented as you say, I'm sure Sydney will want to showcase him in our upcoming emerging artist exhibit," Lindsey said breaking into Brian's thoughts.
"Great. But first I need to get him to agree Lins, so let's keep this between us for now," Brian said.
"Ok, just let me know when you get his permission," Lindsey said.
"I will, thanks. Give my boy a hug for me." Brian said before ending the call.
He turned his attention back to the drawings before him. He was so engrossed in them that he did not hear his door open. In a flash all the sketches were being swept up from his desk startling him.
"Jus…" Brian started as he gazed up at one very pissed off blond who was glaring down at him, arms filled with the charcoal drawings.
"Shut the fuck up Brian! I can't believe you did this!" He said in a voice that trembled with emotion.
Brian stood from behind his desk cautiously. He never saw Justin this angry, and it wasn't the 'good' anger that usually got his dick hard. This was a 'hurt' anger and Brian immediately felt contrite for causing that wounded, as if he'd been betrayed look, in his blonds' eyes.
"Sunshine…" he said in a much softer, conciliatory voice.
Justin shook his head violently. "No Brian…Don't. These were personal. You had no right…."
"Oh, so I have no right to look at them, but you have every right to draw me without my permission?" Brian countered having made the decision to defend his 'right'; rather than try to apologize for something he wasn't sorry for in the least. In fact, he was secretly pleased and honored that Justin found him a worthy subject to draw.
"Don't you dare turn this on me! You took these without my permission!" Justin practically yelled at him, crushing the drawings to his chest as if protecting them.
Brian folded his arms across his chest and pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek as he studied his blonde. Justin was being very protective of his sketches…or was he protecting something else he wondered.
"What are you really upset about?" he asked.
Justin gaped at him. "Are you fucking serious? You took my drawings without my permission! That's an invasion of my privacy," he said.
"And you drew me without my permission or knowledge. While I was sleeping! Talk about an invasion of privacy. Yet you don't see me freaking out. So let's cut the bullshit and the dramatics. Instead why don't you just tell me what you're really pissed about? You can't possibly think they're not good enough for anyone to see. They're fucking amazing Justin. So amazing, I think you should have a professional look at them. You're very talented," Brian said.
A bit of the anger left Justin's eyes and Brian sighed inwardly in relief.
"Thank you. I'm glad you think I'm talented but I never meant for you, or anyone to see them," Justin said lowering his eyes and his voice.
Brian was puzzled. "But why?" he asked.
Justin turned away from him shyly and shrugged his shoulders. "Never mind, it doesn't matter," he said.
Brian stepped around from his desk and approached Justin. He reached out and put his hand on his shoulder, turning him around to face him. Justin couldn't meet his eyes. Brian was momentarily at a loss for words. It was so out of character for Justin to be acting this way with him. He seemed uneasy, embarrassed….
Fuck! That's it, Brian realized. Justin was embarrassed to have Brian see how he felt about him. And there was no mistaking the emotion etched into each of the images of him. Justin poured his heart out onto those pages and the last thing he wanted was for Brian to see them knowing, or more accurately, believing how Brian felt about such sentimentalities. He couldn't blame him. Normally he'd recoil from such a display of affection, however this was Justin. There was nothing 'normal' about him, or their relationship. Knowing his blond held him in such high regard not only inflated Brian's ego, it inflated his heart with emotions he long thought dead. He pulled Justin to him and rested his chin on top of his head. Justin pressed against him, his arms still clasping the drawings to his chest.
"Does it bother you that I call you Sunshine?" he asked
Justin lifted his head up abruptly, bumping Brian's chin in the process and stepped back from him.
"No!" he protested sharply; his eyes wide with surprise at the question.
"Good. Cause I like calling you Sunshine. And do you know why I call you Sunshine?" Brian asked.
Justin shook his head, "No," he answered wary of where Brian was going with this.
"Because I can't draw," he said.
Justin blinked twice before the implication of Brian's words hit him, when they did he smiled the brightest of Sunshine smiles he'd smiled to date and flung his drawings up into the air right before throwing himself into Brian's arms.
"Oomph!" Brian grunted as he caught his blond. Justin wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him hard, pushing his tongue past Brian's lips and into his mouth. Brian moaned in response as he grabbed a fist full of blond locks and tilted Justin's head to the side to better ravage his mouth. The kiss was hot and forceful and lasted until the incessant buzzing from his intercom finally managed to break through their passionate haze.
Brian pulled away panting and cursed. "Hold that thought," he said then went to answer the annoying call.
"What!" Brian snapped into the com.
"Um, sorry Boss, but it's almost time for the morning meeting. I thought you might want a heads up," Agnes said, her voice sounding nervous over the speaker.
Brian pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand, while he held the intercom button down with his other hand and sighed.
"Thanks Aggy. Tell everyone I'll be ready in ten," he said then released the button. He turned to Justin who was busy picking up his discarded sketches that were now strewn all over the office. Brian went to help him.
"I was serious when I said you should have someone look at these," he said as he picked up the last of the drawings.
Justin turned to look at him. "And I was serious when I said these were personal," he returned, only the anger was now gone from his tone, replaced by a softness that made Brian smile. He reached out and brushed back a loose strand of blond hair that had fallen over Justin's eye.
"The best art always is," he said, "and truth be told, I wouldn't mind having others see me like this," he said with a smirk as he held up the drawing of him sleeping. He was naked in the picture, his cock lying over his thigh. His blond had taken liberties in his interpretation of it's size. The damn thing nearly hung to the floor! It was a bit 'ambitious', though Brian didn't mind. He knew he was blessed in that department, and took full advantage of it. Being King Stud of Liberty Avenue took skill, but having the equipment to back up that skill didn't hurt.
"Brian!" Justin interrupted his thoughts as he snatched the sketch from him laughing. "I don't think your ego, nor your cock, needs the stroking both are sure to get if anyone sees this!" he said.
"Well then you shouldn't have drawn me so large. I'm big Sunshine, but that cock has to be at least a foot long!" Brian said.
Justin studied his drawing for a moment then smiled seductively at Brian. "That's a bit of an exaggeration; however I see your point. Still…an artist is entitled to take certain liberties with his art," he said saucily.
Brian reached out and pulled him up against his chest. "And I've a few liberties I like to take with you right now…"
'Knock, knock'
Brian cursed. "One minute!" He shouted over Justin's shoulder then turned his attention back to his blonde.
"We'll continue this discussion later," he said then gave him a quick kiss before releasing him to open the door. Justin gathered his drawings and went behind Brian's desk. He pulled open his file drawer and placed the drawings inside before hastily shutting it.
Several smiling faces stood before Brian. "Where's the glass?" he asked.
The smiles faded to be replaced with curious frowns. "What glass?" Cynthia spoke for the group.
"The one you were holding up against the door to better eavesdrop with," Brian returned.
Cynthia made a 'Pssfting' sound and pushed past him into the office. The other employees followed.
"Really Brian, as if we're the least bit interested in your personal life," she admonished, then turned to Justin. "Good morning Justin," she said in a cherry voice as she started arranging chairs in front of Brian's desk to form a semi-circle. Lucas, Ted and Emmett helped, yet kept silent.
Brian raised a brow at her. Something was off here. It was no secret that he had a rep for fucking new employees, and he and Justin had been spending a lot of time together over the past month. They'd have to be blind to not see that they were fucking. Normally, his staff would be ribbing him about his penchant for sexual romps in his office with the hot new guy, but they were being uncharacteristically silent on the matter. And he knew it wasn't because Justin was right there; they've never had an issue with teasing the new guy as well in the past. However, that kind of behavior apparently was no longer considered acceptable. Each of his employees was showing deference to his blond as if such talk was taboo in front of the 'boyfriend'. Brian wanted to scream. Though he shouldn't be surprised at how quickly word had gotten out that he was dating Justin. Fucking family grapevine spread like fire when it came to him. Lins probably called Agnes the moment he hung up with her, who then proceeded to fill everyone else in on his and Justin's new arrangement. He inwardly groaned. This is why he DID NOT do relationships! They complicated everything. He couldn't just fuck a guy more than once without it throwing his whole fucking social circle off kilter. It pissed him off to no extent.
"What? No snarky comments about me fucking the help today Cyn?" Brian asked snidely.
Everyone, except Lucas, gasped and turned sympathetic eyes to Justin. Brian didn't think he could be more infuriated. He was about to tell them to all go fuck themselves, that Justin didn't need their fucking sympathy and he didn't need to be treated like a eunuch just because he was 'dating' someone, when he heard an outraged cry come from his blond. He turned to look at him and knew instantly Justin was up to mischief.
"The Help! Is that how you think of me?" Justin asked giving him an exaggerated 'hurt' puppy look that would have put Mikey's to shame. Brian shot him a warning glance, which of course Justin ignored.
"You told me I was different from all the thousands…" Brian's glare turned into a dubious rise of his eyebrow. "Ok, maybe more like hundreds," Justin corrected, "of other men you fucked over that desk," he said then paused to look longingly at said desk as if he were gazing upon a religious alter of sorts.
"And to think I've given you the best days, um minutes, of my life on that very desk," he said then in a dramatic gesture worthy of an Oscar, flopped down into a chair next to Emmett and placed a hand and over his forehead.
"I guess now you'll fire me too, just like all the others," he opined letting out a long contrived sorrowful sigh.
Brian had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing. His blond was having sport with him, and taking much pleasure from it. Brian mentally listed all the ways he was going to make him pay for it later. Most of which were sexual in nature….Emmett however, being prone to big queen out moments himself, didn't realize Justin was fucking with him.
"Oh no honey, Brian wouldn't dare fire you!" he blurted out placing a sympathetic hand on Justin's shoulder.
"Shut the fuck up Honeycutt, of course I'm not going to fire Justin. He's too fucking good," he said.
"The question is where. In bed or in the field," Cynthia muttered under her breath having caught on immediately to Justin's ploy, much to Brian's pleasure. Now things were getting back to normal.
"Both if you must know little Miss Hypocrite who's been secretly fucking the new guy herself," Brian returned happy to be bantering with his long time friend, and employee. He and Cynthia had a special relationship that he didn't want marred by either's peccadillo's.
Cynthia started to stutter her denial while Lucas turned a bright shade of red.
"Please, there's nothing secret about it. If they're not screaming at each other, they're rutting like animals in her office. It's downright scary the noises coming out of her office. It's gotten so bad most of us have taken to wearing earplugs," Emmett groused. Cynthia turned hostile eyes on him.
"Why you pretentious queen! We are NOT that loud! You're just jealous because 'Drewsie' hasn't returned your calls in two days. Serves you right. That's what you get for fucking the client!" she growled at him.
"Jesus, am I the only one who doesn't fuck while on the job?" Ted chimed in.
"You don't fuck off the job either Theodore," Brian teased.
Ted shot Brian an indignant look.
Shane jumped to Ted's defense. "I'm sure Ted has plenty of sex off the job, he's just very discreet, like me. I don't fuck on the job either. I make sure any relationships I have are kept on the down low," she said with some pride, which Brian was all too happy to dispense of.
"Really? So you wouldn't consider your 'discreet' romance with Hunter fucking 'on the job'?" he inquired knowingly.
Shane shot forward in her chair, surprise written all over her face, "How the fuck did you know?" she asked.
"I'm good at what I do, that's how," Brian said.
Justin made a choking sound in the back of his throat and sat back up in his chair. "Um yeah, I can attest to that. He's very good," he said with a sly grin. Everyone in the room groaned, including Brian.
"Hunter? Who the hell is Hunter! And why don't I know about him? Come on girl, dish," Emmett leaned over towards her, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Can we get down to business already? I think we've had enough discussion about everyone's sex life for the time being, unless you want to call Aggy in and have her give us a full report on her budding romance with Stan," Brian said wanting to avert the conversation away from Shane's secret affair with one of the hustlers she met while undercover on the Kempt case.
He should have never mentioned it but he wanted to impress upon her that she was not as discreet as she would like to believe. She needed to be more careful in the future. Not that he disapproved of what she was doing, it was her business, not his, but she did work for him and he wanted all his employees to be extra cautious when it came to clandestine affairs, be they work related, or not.
"His name is Stephen, and they're doing fabulously," Emmett said turning his attention away from Shane.
"Yeah, fucking boring as hell," Shane said, grateful her boss didn't elaborate on her affair with Hunter. She knew it was stupid to get involved with a hustler. Stupid and dangerous, but she was involved with him and she didn't need shit from her friends about it.
"Ok, boys and girls, enough. Play time is over. I want updates on all open files," Brian said settling in behind his desk.
The next hour was spent going over each case. Brian was pleased to hear his staff had things well in hand during his absence. Emmett and Shane had successfully wrapped up their cases, and Cynthia and Lucas were making great headway with their investigations. Soon, he thought, he'd be able to hand over the business to Ted and Cynthia. He was getting tired of PI work…tired and bored. After this next case, the one at the High School, he intended to retire and start a new business. He wondered, more liked hoped, if Justin would like to join him in a new venture. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do next, but he knew one thing, he wanted his blond to be part of it.
The thought of Justin going back to his old job in New York did not sit well with him. They hadn't talked about the future which was fine with Brian. He wouldn't know where to begin having that kind of conversation, nor was he sure he wanted to. But he was sure he wanted his blond around for as long as possible. Starting a new venture together seemed like a perfect way to meet that goal.
"Nice work guys. So that leaves us with the High School case. Where are we with that?" Brian asked forging forward.
"Lucas and I decided to do some preliminary work while you were gone and took a ride up there. We snooped around a bit, talked to some people, unofficially of course. What we found out is very disturbing Brian. This case is more serious than we first anticipated. There's a gang of kids that are terrorizing that school and the violence is escalating. The teachers are terrified of these kids. There have been threats and acts of vandalism to their property. No one is talking on the record, but off the record they told us they believe that more students are being raped and tortured in the school then are being reported. To date there's only been 3 reported incidents of gang attacks, and those student's families moved out of the community. The ring leader goes by the name Cujo. His real name is Charles Barker. His father is an active member of the Arian nation. His mother is dead, supposedly killed herself after her husband found out she was fucking around with a black man. There was no evidence to suggest otherwise, but plenty of suspicions. The cops up there in that small town are amateurish at best. I don't think they have one clue as to how to handle a hate crime. For some of them, there is the attitude that it's just 'boys being boys'. To others, it's much more serious and frustrating that they can't stop it. The Captain wanted to call the Feds in, but none of the victims will testify and unless there's a hate related homicide, they won't touch it. So far, all incidents have been limited to the High School, and no one's been killed. Yet. The gay community pretty much keeps to themselves in that town but the gay kids don't have that option; they have to attend school with the homophobes. They use the same lunchroom, gym…well, you get the picture. The school has taken to putting in metal detectors, not because of anything that's happen, but because they feel it's only going to get worse and they don't know how to stop it. Parent groups have been trying to do this outreach program for the gay kids but with no success. No one would dare come out as gay at this point. The whole place is a powder keg waiting to blow, Brian. This Cujo character has at least a dozen kids who follow him. They literally run the school." Cynthia gave her full report, the whole time everyone was listening with rapt attention.
"Well, now we know the situation, what's the plan?" Brian asked.
"Last we talked, it was decided that Justin and I would go undercover as gay students, and you would go undercover as a teacher," Shane said.
Brian leaned back in his chair and bit his lip in concentration. "I think Justin should go in as a straight student. A transfer from juvi, with serious homophonic tendencies. This way he'll have a better chance at infiltrating the gang. They'll think he's tough…cool and more importantly they'll think he shares their view."
"And it doesn't hurt that he's hot too. He'll be very popular," Emmett added. Brian threw him a warning glance.
"You know for a queen you got more testosterones floating around in your head, and dick, than most straight guys! Focus Honeycutt…" Brian said.
"Ok, ok! Geesh…I got it. Justin's goes in as the new kid, transferred from Juvi," Emmett said all business now.
Brian nodded his head, satisfied he had everyone's attention.
"Shane, I want you to be the 'goth' kid from Philly. Keep a low profile but be just weird enough to draw some attention; make friends with the gay kids. You'll know who they are. Whether they're gay or not they'll be marked as such just for being different," Brian huffed out a bitter laugh, "That's high school for you boys and girls, nothing but good times…" he said.
"According to Michael you had a great time in High school. No one dared fuck with the star soccer player, plus you were the coach's pet," Emmett said.
Justin turned anxious eyes to Brian. None of Brian's friends or family, except for Mikey, was aware of Brian's affair with his coach. Though Emmett's statement was innocent enough, Justin wondered, especially after his 'reunion' with his ex flame, how Brian would react to Emmett's comment. He didn't have long to wonder.
"That's because I was fucking the coach," Brian said astonishing himself at the ease in which he made that little fact known. For years he kept it a secret, not wanting anyone to know of his 'weakness', but now apparently, he no longer entertained those feelings. Meeting up with Conrad after all these years certainly did a lot to squelch the lingering resentment he had over the whole affair, but in truth it was Justin who was the real reason Brian wasn't still harboring any unresolved feelings over the man and that was because he was too preoccupied with developing new ones for his blond.
"No fucking way!" Several people in the room voiced the same sentiment. Brian smiled.
"And we're surprised….why?" he asked with a smirk.
"Brian Kinney you are totally the coolest man I know," Emmett said with his own smirk.
Brian laughed. "That's not saying much since every man you associate with is either a flaming queen like yourself or a nerd, which by the way, is precisely how I am going to portray myself. I'm going undercover as the new Chemistry teacher. Shy, clumsy…a total geek," Brian said.
"You are geek? Ha! Now that I'd like to see. And what the fuck do you know about Chemistry?" Cynthia asked.
"I'll have you know I did very well in Chem class. Ask Mikey. It was in Chem class that I concocted that stink bomb that forced the school to shut down for three days because they couldn't get the smell out of the building. Now that was cool. I was pretty much a God for the rest of that year for that pulling off that little prank," Brian boasted.
"Maybe you should go in as the Juvi delinquent," Justin said.
"I would, if I could pass for a high school student, but I can't. You however, are blessed with that youthful appearance. You could do 18, 17 easy, and more importantly, you're trained for combat. You can hold your own against those kids, though you'll be watched constantly and you'll be packing. Plus I'm going to be hiring some outside help on this one for security. It's obvious the local authorities are ill equipped. I want that school foot patrolled by our people. Cynthia, you and Ted take care of setting up surveillance. I want monitors in every nook and cranny of that building, even the bathrooms. I want it on tape every time someone takes a piss, got it? And I want Lucas in the school as well, as the janitor," Brian said turning his attention to Lucas, "Get in with the other janitors, they know everything that goes on in the building, plus you'll have access to all the lockers. I want bugs in each kid associated with this gang's locker. And I don't want anyone to know what we're doing. No warrants needed, understand? I don't want the cops or the teacher in on this. We consult with no one, are we clear?" Brian asked looking around the room for confirmation. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. They all understood that if the authorities couldn't handle the job, it was possible that the reason why was because someone was on the inside helping the kids out…getting rid of evidence, turning a blind eye perhaps. Right now there was no proof of that, but there was also no proof of it not being the case. They would trust no one on this case.
"Good," Brian said. "Now if there are no other questions, I'll get the ball rolling. Cyn, what was the name of that Captain who called you for help?" he asked.
"Reiss," she answered.
"I'll give him a call and set things up. We'll have to trust someone to get an in, and he's our best choice, since he called us. I have a feeling he might have the same suspicions as we do about his own department. It's probably why he called outside P.I.'s for help instead of keeping it in house," Brian said.
"I think you're right, Lucas and I got the same impression when we went up there to talk to him. And I think we can trust the principal too. Her job is on the line because of what's been happening. She can get you and Lucas in as new hires. They've recently had some staff quit because they're scared to work there," Cynthia said.
"Ok then, it's settled. Unless there's anything else, let's get to work. I want this operation set up by the end of the week. Lucas, I want you to be the first in. I'll get you hired by Friday so you can work this weekend on bugging the lockers. Come Monday morning," Brian paused to look down at the file lying on his desk, "Beaver Butler High…God what an awful name…will have four new attendees, me, aka, Mr. Carter, the new Chem teacher, a transfer student from Juvi who goes by the name," Brian looked over at Justin and raised his brow in question. Justin scrunched his face up in thought for a moment. "How about Jake. Jake…Miller," Justin suggested.
Brian nodded his head in approval. "That works, Shane, you will remain Shane. Just Shane, no last name. It's weird enough to attract attention," Brian said.
"Excuse me? Weird?" Shane asked indignantly.
Brian rolled his eyes. "It's a cool name Shane, don't get your feathers ruffled, but not having a last name will pique interest from these kids. And that's what we want," Brian explained then turned to Lucas.
"Lucas, keep it simple, very simple as in I want you to portray yourself as being borderline mentally challenged. I don't want you to present any kind of threat to anyone. Keep a very low profile. Even your name should be low profile, something like…Lennie Small," Brian said.
"As in Lennie the big retarded guy from Of Mice and Men?" he asked.
"Exactly. We can't have our highly educated, affluent resident lawyer, Mr. Lucas Beauregard Manchester the third, applying for a janitors position at the local high school, now can we?" Brian asked tongue in cheek.
Lucas laughed. "I suppose not. But for the record I can't practice law, as of yet. I've been disbarred, as you know, but I'm working on getting my license reinstated. I've found a loop hole in the law," Lucas said.
"I'm not surprised. It's what you do best," Brian said, his words meant as a compliment.
"Well, for this case, what I'll be doing best, is acting the part. I want to get these kids, before they end up killing someone," Lucas said in a serious tone.
"Agreed. If we all do our parts, we'll be able to stop them and bring them to justice. Now if there aren't any more questions…" Brian said but was interrupted by Emmett's loud clearing of his throat. He turned to look at him.
"Um, aren't you forgetting something?" Emmett asked.
"What?" Brian inquired.
"Moi! What's my role?" Emmett asked pouting.
Brian rolled his eyes. I need someone here watching the place. You and Aggy will hold down the fort. If there's a problem, you contact Cynthia or Ted since they'll be working on the outside monitoring. I don't want any one of us on the inside contacted, it might blow our cover," Brian said.
Emmett sighed in disappointment but agreed.
"Let's all be careful on this one, very careful. I don't want anyone making the mistake of confusing these punks for 'kids'. They're dangerous criminals committing hate crimes. Don't ever forget that. And on that note, meeting's over," Brian said.
Everyone got up and filed out of the office, except for Justin. He approached Brian with a frown on his face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, surprising himself at how well he'd come to know the man.
Brian leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. "I got a bad feeling about this case," he said.
Justin went over behind his chair and started rubbing his neck muscles. "You've got a great staff Bri, you know this. We're all well trained and know how to take care of ourselves. And you've taken extra precautions to protect us, leaving nothing to chance. So stop worrying. Everything will be fine," he tried to reassure Brian.
"Yeah…you're probably right," Brian said. "Just," he started to say but let his thought trail off.
Justin stopped rubbing his neck and leaned over to place a soft kiss behind his ear. "Just what?" he whispered softly against his lobe.
Brian reached up behind him and ran his fingers through Justin's hair, "Promise me you'll be extra careful," he said.
"I promise," Justin answered without hesitation.
Brian relaxed a bit knowing his blond would make good on his vow, still…he couldn't shake this feeling that trouble, big trouble lay ahead for them at that school…
Part 2
Four days later Brian was at the café getting his morning double espresso, soy milk, mocha Latte when he got a call from Justin.
"Hey," he said flipping open his cell, a huge smile spreading across his face. His body was still humming from the amazing blowjob his blonde gave him in the shower that morning before running off on some 'mysterious' errand.
"I'll be a little late to work. I've still a few things to do," he said.
"Hmmm…Any of those 'things' involve a salacious act with some hot guy?" Brian teased. Though neither of them, as far as Brian knew, was fucking anyone else, it was an unspoken agreement between them that both were free to do so if they chose. Brian was hoping Justin wouldn't make that choice.
"I've already had a 'salacious' act with a very, very hot guy this morning," Justin purred into the phone.
That purr went straight to Brian's dick.
"Your Latte is ready Mr. Kinney," Tina the waitress said holding out the cup to him.
"Thanks Tina," Brian said reaching into his pocket to pay with his free hand.
"Here, I got it," a male's voice from behind said, followed by a familiar arm reaching past him with a ten dollar bill clasped in its' hand.
"I hope he's hot at least. Buying you coffee deserves at least a once over," Justin said having heard the exchange over on his end of the phone.
Brian could hear the annoyance behind the light teasing in Justin's voice. Though his blonde tried valiantly to cover it up, Brian was too on to him, and he was secretly pleased that his blonde was annoyed that some guy was offering to buy him coffee. He turned to look at said guy before answering Justin and laughed.
"Well if I say he isn't hot, he won't talk to me for a month. It's Mikey," Brian said smiling at his friend.
Justin's voice got softer on the other end. "Oh…tell him I said hi," he said.
Though he and Michael still weren't 'best of buddies', they were forging a grudging respect for each other. He knew Michael still didn't trust him with his best friend; afraid Justin was going to hurt him, and for his part, he felt 'Mikey' had an unhealthy attachment to Brian. But they had one thing in common. They both cared deeply for Brian. So each was working on getting along.
"You got it Sunshine. See you later," Brian said.
"Later."
Brian snapped his cell shut and turned to his best friend, that huge smile still lingering on his face.
"Wow, I haven't seen you look that happy since…" Michael cut himself off.
Brian laughed. "Since when? Conrad? It's ok Mikey, we can say the 'C' word now," Brian teased in a conspiratorial voice.
Michael tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "Mind if we talk for a bit?" he asked.
Brian sighed. "Is this necessary? I need to get to work. We're starting a big case next week," he said.
"Yeah, I heard. I also heard Mark came to see you. Why didn't you tell me?" Michael said and there was no mistaking the hurt in his voice.
"Who the fuck told you?" Brian asked.
"In case you've forgotten, my mom is dating Horvath," Michael said.
Brian cursed and took a sip of his Latte. He then headed over to the small table at the back of the cafe.
"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to do this," Brian said taking a seat at the table. Michael pulled a chair out and sat across from him.
"Didn't want to do what?" he asked.
"This. Getting the third degree on 'how I felt' seeing my ex's boyfriend after all these years. In truth, I wasn't even going to talk to him, but Justin made me," Brian said.
"Justin made you? Since when does anyone make Brian fucking Kinney do anything?" Michael challenged.
Brian sighed exasperatedly. "He didn't exactly make me, but he would have gone to talk to Mark on his own if I didn't, and I was not about to let that happen so I went to talk to the man myself," he said
Michael made a disapproving face. "He had no right to go against your wishes and go talk to Mark. What did Mark want anyway?" Michael asked.
Brian put his coffee down on the table and faced his best friend.
"First, what rights Justin has or doesn't have when it concerns me, is none of your business. And second, Mark wanted me to find Conrad. The man had gotten himself lost, and I found him. I brought him back to Mark, end of story," he said.
Michael couldn't have looked more shocked if Brian had told him he suddenly liked pussy.
"Wait, are you telling me that Mark had the nerve to ask you to go find his lover! The one he stole from you? Jesus fucking Christ! Why the fuck would you agree to do that for him? After all they did to you! Oh wait, don't tell me…did Justin make you do that too?" Michael said with a little too much venom in his voice for Brian's liking.
"Jesus Mikey, when did you turn into such a cunty fag? What exactly is it you don't like about Justin?" Brian asked.
Michael had the good sense to look embarrassed. "It's not that I don't like him…"
"Bullshit. You don't like him and I want to know why," Brian said again, this time there was steel determination in his voice. He wanted an answer.
Michael's face turned red, he leaned over and gritted out between clenched teeth, "Because as bad as it was with Conrad, it'll be worse with this kid! He's cocky and arrogant and has the power to do to you what Conrad could never do," Michael said.
"Oh? And what is it you think he can do to me?" Brian asked.
"Break your heart. Conrad hurt you, well, more like he hurt your pride. He bruised your ego but he never broke your heart Brian. Though for you it was akin to breaking your heart but you never really loved him. Love overrides pride, ego, and all that superficial shit. That's how I know you didn't love Conrad. You never even entertained the thought of trying to win him back. You had too much pride, something you value above all else, yet you're quick to swallow that pride for Justin," Michael said.
Brian gaped at him. "What the fuck are you talking about?" he asked.
"Mark? Going to find Conrad? You would have never done that before Justin came into your life. You would have told Mark to go fuck himself, especially after the way he treated you in high school. You never forgave him. Your pride wouldn't have let you," Michael said and Brian wondered if it was Michael who never forgave Conrad.
"Mikey…what's past is past, we're not in high school anymore. You might be right; if it weren't for Justin I may never have consented to helping Mark, but is that a bad thing? Because of Justin's persistence, I found Conrad and was able to have closure with him. I've forgiven him Mikey, why can't you?" Brian asked reaching over to grab his friends' hand.
Michael turned his head away, trying to hide the tears that were forming.
"Because he took you away from me. We were so close before you and Conrad got together. Then, it was like you abandoned me," Michael said still unable to look at Brian.
Pain sliced through Brian's heart because he knew Mikey was right. All through high school he was too obsessed with his 'coach' to pay much attention to his best friend, yet when the shit hit the fan and he was left standing alone, it was Mikey who came and picked up the pieces for him.
"Mikey, listen to me. Are you listening?" Brian said pulling on Michaels hands so he had to turn to face him.
Michael looked at him, blinking away tears. "Yeah, I'm listening."
"I'm not going to say I'm sorry, because sorry's bullshit, but I will say thank you. Thank you for being the best friend a guy could ever have. You're right, I was shitty to you when I was with Conrad, and I've no excuse other than like always, I let my dick do my thinking," Brian paused to smile at this best friend. Michael let out a little laugh.
"Yeah, well, I think we're all guilty of that from time to time," Michael said.
"True, some more guilty than others. But I want you to know something…My relationship with Justin is nothing like my relationship with Conrad was. I'm not that young or stupid anymore. Justin is not going to come between us, I won't let that happen. The truth is, Conrad never got between us either; that was my doing. He actually encouraged me to hang with kids my own age, but you know me. Stubborn as fuck. My 'pride', as you so eloquently put it, got in the way of my relationship with Conrad and my ability to forgive him all these years. But I finally let it go and I forgave him. And you need to forgive him too. I know I was a mess when Conrad left me, and I know that it hurt you to see me that way. You were my rock back then, still are. You're like a fucking pit bull when it comes to protecting me, and I love you for it, but Mikey, there are some things you can't protect me from. Nor, should you. This is my life. And just like I support your decision to be with a man who is HIV positive, even though my stomach churns every time I think about how dangerous your situation is, both emotionally, and God forbid physically should there be an accident…." Brian paused as the words stuck in his throat. He just couldn't think of his friend getting infected. He took a deep breath and continued.
"My point is, we can't control each other's life; all we can do is be supportive of each others' decisions. Whether we agree with them or not. Is Justin going to hurt me? Maybe, I don't know, but what I do know is that caring for someone isn't supposed to be pain free. It' supposed to hurt and feel fucking amazing and everything in between. That's the beauty of it. You say I never really loved Conrad, well maybe not, but I cared a lot about him and the truth is I never felt more alive than I did during my time with him, that is, not until Justin came along. He makes me 'feel' Mikey. Sometimes it scares the shit out of me and I want to run, but I don't, and you know why? Because I'm more afraid of waking up one day when I'm old and gray, well, God willing NEVER gray…God and a bottle of dye," Brian digressed and Michael laughed.
"Always the narcissist," he said teasingly.
Brian blinked, trying to remember where he left off. "As I was saying, I don't want to find myself looking back on my life one day and asking myself, 'what if'," Brian said.
Michael gave Brian one of his 'doleful' looks. "So I have lost my childhood friend, haven't I? Brian fucking Kinney….all grown up. Who would have 'thunk' it," he said with a wistful smile.
Brian laughed. "Certainly not me! But you haven't lost your 'boyhood' friend Mikey. There will always be nights of pizza, pot and reminiscing about our youth way into our dotage." Brian said.
Michael smiled at him. "Promise?" he asked.
"Promise," Brian said.
Part 3
"Well Mr. Miller, does it meet your satisfaction?" The man asked.
Justin looked into the full length mirror in the dingy shop and smiled. He was Jake Miller now, gone was Justin Taylor.
"Perfect," he said.
He rotated his shoulders and tilted his head from side to side several times, cracking his neck muscles and clenching his fist in the process. 'Yes, perfect, he thought then turned to the artist.
"Thanks Pete. I'll be sure to recommend you," Justin said before sauntering out onto the street.
Several eyes turned to stare at him; all with the same expression then quickly averted their gaze and hurriedly walked away in the opposite direction. Justin kept his features schooled and headed towards the car he just bought that morning from a Junkie he had met while on the Kempt case. The guy needed the money to feed his habit and Justin needed the car. It fit his cover perfectly. Normally Justin would have felt guilty for aiding in the man's addiction by giving him the money but he was under no delusions that anything he did would stop the man from doing the drugs. The guy would have just found someone else to buy his car, and probably get a lot less money for it than what Justin paid, him forcing him to sell his body on the streets for drugs just that much quicker. In his view, he was doing the guy a favor. Giving him a few days reprieve form his ultimate destiny. Years on the force taught him that there was simply no help for some people….
He opened the car door and smiled at the loud scraping sound it made.
'Perfect…'
He slid in and slammed the door shut, jarring all the windows in the car, even the ones with the tape across the cracks and wondered how long those would hold up. He turned the ignition and breathed a sigh of relief as the motor groaned to life. He'd have to have a mechanic look on the inside just to make sure it would last him for the next several months. He had no idea how long this case would take. One look in the hanging rearview mirror, another thing he'd have to fix, though a little duct tape would do the job there, and he was off to work. He wondered, with devilish mischief, what kind of reception he would get there.
Hopefully all his work would pay off and he'd get exactly the reaction he was going for…well except for Brian…he pondered, with a tight not in his stomach, on how his lover would react. He knew Brian would totally understand and approve of his guise, but would he be attracted to him? He knew he was going to freak when he saw what he did to his body, but Justin never did anything half assed. If he was going to play this part, he was going to 'live' it. Kids' lives were at stake. He would have to become the thug he'd be portraying, and that included in and out of that school.
He was like a method actor when it came to undercover work. Once, only once, did he let his cover slip and it nearly got him killed. It was a hard lesson learned, but one he learned well. When undercover, Justin played the part to the hilt, 24/7. How he was going to make Brian want him, 'Jake Miller', was going to be challenge because he wasn't going to be 'Justin Taylor' again until this case was over….
Part 4
"Hey Boss! Good news, Stephen popped the question last night!" Agnes blurted out, shoving her hand in front of Brian's face showing off her engagement ring the moment he walked through the door.
Brian backed up a bit, startled by Agnes's enthusiastic reception and glance at the ring, a slight snarl curing his lips.
"He should have popped more cash down on a decent ring. Please tell me you're not going to quit now and stay home to 'pop' out a few kids, while he goes off and 'pops' some young girls cherry because your love hole will be all stretched out from pushing out those puppies," Brian said.
Agnes gasped in outrage and hit his arm. "You are so mean!" she said.
"And you are delusional Aggy. I've never lied to you, have I?" Brian asked. Agnes looked at him warily, she didn't think she was going to like what he had to say, but she knew one thing. Brian was never purposely hurtful, and he was always honest.
"No, you haven't," she said.
Brian sighed, hating to have to do this, but he refused to let someone he cared about get into a situation without knowing the whole truth first. Normally, he would NEVER get involved in someone else's affair's of the heart…hell he had enough trouble dealing with his own relationship, but he couldn't let a friend make a serious decision like this without disclosing what he knew.
"Aggy, I didn't want to tell you because quite frankly, I didn't think this relationship would last. I thought he'd move on by now, but if he's asked you to marry him, then you should know a few things first," he said.
Agnes frowned at him. "What are you talking about? Just say it Brian," Agnes said using his name. The only time Agnes ever used Brian's name was when she was mad at him, and she was currently furious at him and on the verge of tears.
Brian pulled her into his office and shut the door.
"Take a seat," he instructed as he shrugged out of his coat and sat behind his desk. Agnes reluctantly sat down and waited for his explanation.
"I did a background check on Stephen," Brian said without preamble. Agnes eyes went wide.
"You had no right!" she screeched. Brian cringed.
"You're right, I had no right. But I had a bad feeling about him so I had him checked out. Aggy, his real name is Andrew Panella. He did some time for petty theft. I didn't tell you because it was a long time ago and the man did his time. He moved, and changed his name for a fresh start, and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, plus you really liked him. However, before you consider marrying this man, you should know about his past. I assuming he hasn't told has he?" Brian asked.
Agnes was no longer on the verge of tears, she was now crying, letting them flow freely down her face.
"No..ooo.." she stammered.
Brian got up from behind his desk and pulled her up by her shoulders. Holding her at arms length he shook her slightly to get her attention.
"Aggy, listen to me…are you listening?" he asked bending a bit at his knees so his eyes were leveled with hers.
Agnes hiccupped and nodded her head indicating she was.
"Ask him about it. That's all. I'm not saying he's a bad guy. Actually, apart from his stint in jail, for the past several years he has been a model citizen. So he may very well have changed. It is possible; I just don't want you going into this thing blind," Brian said.
"Buu..ttt…he should have told me! How can you keep something like that from the woman you supposedly love?" she asked forlornly.
It tore at Brian's insides to see her like this.
"Maybe because he does love you, and was afraid that if you knew about his past, he'd lose you. Now I'm not making excuses for him not fully disclosing his past to you. He had an obligation to do so, especially if he was going to ask you to marry him. There is no excuse, however, that doesn't mean he doesn't love you. It just means he has a lot more work to do, in my opinion, to win your love and trust back at this point because if I'm right, and I think I am, he's lost at least one of them. Having said that, if you love him Agnes, and you really believe he loves you, then maybe it's worth the work it will take for you to gain his trust again. Start over," Brian said.
Agnes wiped her eyes and looked at her Boss as if she were looking at a stranger. "When did you start believing in love and relationships?" she asked truly perplexed.
Brian released her and laughed.
"I'm not sure that I do. In fact, I'm the last person who should be giving relationship advice. However, I just recently learned that you can forgive someone you once cared for, for hurting you. I'm just passing some of that wisdom on," he said then went to take his seat again behind his desk.
He was about to dismiss Agnes when he heard a loud shriek emanate from outside the office.
"What the fuck!" he exclaimed.
He bolted from behind his desk and rushed out to the reception area. Agnes was on his heels. What he saw there made him stop dead in his tracks. He didn't bother to look to Emmett, who was the one who shrieked, for an explanation. What he was looking at needed no explanation for his reaction. If he weren't so shocked, he would have 'shrieked' himself. And Brian Kinney NEVER shrieked!
Shane was just rounding the corner, having heard the offensive noise from the bathroom, and came to a screeching halting at the sight that greeted her.
"Jesus fucking Christ!" she yelled.
Cynthia and Lucas were right behind Shane, also having heard Emmett's 'shriek', and their reaction was similar, only their response came out more as a horrified gasp.
Agnes couldn't see what all the commotion was about as her vision was blocked by her boss's frame in the doorway. She squeezed past him and saw what was causing all the fuss. To her credit she did not shriek, yell or gasp. She simply fainted. Luckily Brian was there to catch her. He turned scalding eyes to Justin, who was responsible for his staff's hysterics.
"In my office. Now!" he barked.
Justin's heart dropped to his stomach. He knew his appearance would cause a reaction like this, well he didn't think it would be 'this' dramatic, but it wasn't surprising. The one thing he was hoping for however was a calmer, more reasonable reaction from his lover.
'So much for that dream…' he thought then went to face the lion in his den.
Part 5
Several LONG minutes later, Brian reentered his office to find a very anxious blond, well what use to be blond, waiting for him. He now had a military hair cut that was so close to his scalp, you had to look close to see it's color. And that was the least offensive change to his person. He had what appeared to be a bone pierced through his eyebrow and a crucifix hanging from his left ear. God only knew what other piercings he'd find on his body if he should inspect further, which he fully intended to do later on. Then there were the tattoos…Brian had to collect himself before he addressed those. He slowly circled this 'new' version of his blonde, scanning his body from head to toe, with a blank expression on his face. Justin squirmed under his scrutiny.
"Is Agnes ok?" Justin asked.
As soon as she fainted he rushed to her side but Brian told him it would be best if he were out of sight when she came too. He had to agree, everyone needed to get use to his new appearance.
"She's fine. I explained to her that 'this'," Brian gesticulated his hand up and down Justin's body, "was only temporary. I don't like lying Justin, please tell me that 'this' is only temporary," Brian demanded.
Justin rolled his eyes. "Oh for God sakes, of course it's only temporary!" he said.
Brian raised his brow. "Those tattoos look pretty permanent to me," he said.
"They're not, I swear. It's real dye, but a special kind. The artist assured me that they'll fade after six months." Justin said.
"Six months!"
Justin winced at Brian's outburst.
"I wanted them to be authentic." he said in lieu of an explanation, though no explanation was needed.
Anyone familiar with hate groups, as Brian was, would recognize their meaning. There were two lightening bolts, an Aryan nation symbol worn by most skinheads, tattooed on his upper arm and the words 'Protect the Brotherhood' tattooed written underneath it. His other arm was riddled with similar racist tattoos.
"Well you succeeded there Sunshine. What else do you have pierced or tattooed?" Brian asked, more like accused.
"Nothing! I swear I know this isn't what you expected …"
"NO it wasn't what I expected! I was expecting something like the guise you wore on the Kempt case where you were playing a hustler! That character was street smart, tough and cynical. His attire was that of any 'punk' kid. But 'this'…" Brian once again gesticulated his hand over Justin's body, "is…is….monstrous! You're going undercover at a fucking High School! Not a prison!" he said with his disgust in his voice.
Justin gaped at him.
"I'm supposed to be a kid out of Juvi! What did I go there for? Knocking over mailboxes? I thought we agreed that these kids were dangerous. Hard core. They already attacked two kids, almost killed one, and those are just the ones we know about! Do you think if I went in as some tough punk that would gain me entrance? Brian, I don't want to just be some cool kid they may allow in the 'gang', I want to get close to the leader, and his white supremacist father. If we bring them down, the rest will fall like dominos. But the only way I can do that is if they both believe I share their beliefs. Well, these tattoos are a pretty good indicator. And I was thinking that my 'crime', the one that sent me to Juvi, should assault and battery. My cover story is that I was sent to Juvi for bashing a gay kid at another high school," Justin said.
Brian sucked in his breath shocked. "Justin no…"
Justin's eyes turned soft, which was in total contrast to the rest of his appearance.
"Bri…it's ok. I can do this. This is not some therapeutic exercise for me, I promise you," he said.
"This is insane! And too dangerous. Justin, I can't allow you to do this. If they even suspect what you're up to they'll kill you. Do you understand that? I won't be able to protect you if they bring you deep into their inner circle," Brian said and Justin could hear the fear, the deep fear in his voice and his heart clenched. He walked over to him and cautiously put his hand on his arm. Brian's whole body was tense, but his eyes never left Justin's.
"Yes you will. You'll find a way," he said putting more faith into his lover than Brian was able to have in himself.
Brian shook his head venomously.
"No, Justin I can't promise that I can," he started to object but Justin cut him off by placing a finger over his lips.
"Yes, you can, and you will. I know you Brian, you'll find a way to keep me safe, plus I promise that if I even get a whiff that they might be suspicious of me, I'll high tail it out of there. We HAVE to do this, no matter how dangerous, kids lives are at stake," Justin said.
Brian's face grew taunt and his eyes glazed up. Justin thought he was withholding tears of anger and fear.
"I'm bugging the Barker house, and I'm planting a female mole inside. I know an agent; use to work for Horvath's. White, blond female. She works for the feds now. I want her getting close to Cujo's father; keep an eye on him and report back to us. I'll call in a favor from Horvath. God knows he owes me, he'll be able to get her on this case," Brian said, his mind whirling with idea's to keep his blonde safe.
Justin smiled and reached up to kiss him. Brian closed his eyes and let himself be swept away into the security of his blonds kiss. When he opened his eyes, reality came crashing back in on him and he stepped back. Justin mistook Brian's retreat for rejection and pain sliced through him. He was afraid of this, that Brian wouldn't be attracted to him as he was now. He turned away from him as tears of anger, and pain filled his eyes.
"Maybe its best if we put our relationship on hold until this case is over," he said, his back to Brian.
"I think that's a good idea. We can't have anyone suspecting we're lovers," Brian said.
Justin's heart plummeted.
"Fine," he said squaring his shoulders.
"I'll leave tonight. Ted set up a foster home for me to stay at; it's his aunt and uncles house actually. The less contact we have the better," Justin said then went to leave. Brian was on him so quick; Justin didn't know what hit him.
"Why the fuck are you pissed?" he asked turning Justin around and slamming him up against the door.
Justin glared at him.
"It's ok, I get it! You can't stand the sight of me. So I'll leave tonight and next week we'll be two fucking strangers on assignment. It all works out very nicely," Justin snarled sarcastically.
"Why you little spiteful drama queen. Is that what you think? That I'm not attracted to you?" he asked.
"How superficial do you think I am….no, wait a minute, don't answer that," Brian said.
The comment did much to alleviate the tension between them and they both started laughing.
"Well I wouldn't blame you if you weren't attracted to me, I mean like this," Justin said once his laughter subsided.
Brian sighed and pulled his bottom lip in as he studied his 'thuggish' blond.
"Do I like this 'look'? No. Do I still want to fuck the shit out of you? Oh hell yes. No haircut, piercing or tattoos is ever going to change that. Under all, 'this'," Brian said rubbing his hand over Justin's stubbly scalp, "actually, this is kind of hot," he said as continued to massage his head. Justin hummed contently liking the feel of Brian's hand on his scalp.
"You were saying," Justin practically purred.
Brian laughed and leaned in to give his blond a hot passionate kiss, telling him exactly how much he desired him.
"I was saying," he said in a breathless voice one he came up for air, "that you could change everything outwardly about you, but you're still my hot, impetuous, over protective, best blow job giver ever, 'boyfriend'. And that's not going to change." Brian said.
Justin was so relieved at Brian's words that he graced him with a smile so bright, that in a flash, all the 'trimmings' that Justin donned for this case suddenly faded away and the 'old' Justin, the one Brian knew and lov…um, cared for so well, was all that Brian saw standing before him.
"There's my Sunshine," he said kissing him once again, only this time more deeply, and more passionately.
Part 6
They spent the weekend together fucking like their lives depended on it. Each was very aware of the dangers that lay ahead for them and they used their time together as a shield from what was to come, and just let themselves be in the moment - A moment that would end all too soon.
They parted at 3 o'clock on Monday morning. Brian was reluctant to let Justin go. Up until the end he wanted to call the whole thing off but neither Justin, nor his conscious, would let him. All he could do was take every precaution, keep as close to Justin as possible, and have faith in his staff, his blond and himself. The two former parties wasn't an issue for him. He had tremendous faith in his staff and his blond, it was the latter that worried him.
….you're a worthless piece of shit, a bum. You ruined my life! You'll ruin everything you ever touch! You should have never been born!'….his fathers' words rang in his head.
Words he hadn't thought of for years. And for the first time, in a long time he wondered, as he watched Justin drive away from the window in his loft, if there was any truth to his father's words…