Brian and Justin were at the loft. Justin was standing in front of the fridge, with the door open. Brian leaned against Justin and slid his hands around Justin's waist. "Whatcha doin?"

"Looking for something to feed you. Have you eaten at all today?"

"Nope. Eatin's for suckers."

Justin surveyed the contents of Brian's fridge. Little bottles of something liquid. Poppers. And ketchup.

Justin giggled. "What's the ketchup for?"

Brian shrugged and backed up (hopping on his good foot).

Justin chastised him. "Use the crutches. You don't want to break anything else do you?"

Brian sighed heavily. "No, Ma." Then he grabbed the crutches, shoved them under his arms, and plunked and swung toward the couch.

Justin followed, still smiling, ketchup bottle now in his hand.

Brian stopped (he'd reached the couch), plopped himself down on it (first sitting on his butt but then lying on his back), and handed Justin the crutches.

"So…the ketchup? What's it for again?"

Brian grinned. "I didn't say. Nice try." Then his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, he replied, "It's for my dick."

Justin wrinkled his nose. "Ewww…"

"Nah. I think … I think it's from the last owner. Or maybe Mikey, Mikey, brought it over … I dunno."

"Alright then. Into the trash it goes." Justin walked back into the kitchen, tossed the ketchup, and then started looking in cupboards.

"Nothing to find, Sunshine. Just give up. Order … order … what … Thai. Yeah, Thai. Menu's in … in the drawer."

Justin guessed that Brian was right, but looked in the cupboards anyway. He was curious. He found plates, bowls, cups, and mugs. A box of extra large lubed condoms. A bottle of chocolate sauce. A jug-like package of basmati rice.

A jug-like package of basmati rice?

Justin burst out laughing. "Okay…I get the condoms and the chocolate sauce…but basmati rice?" Justin swung around and peered at Brian expectantly.

Brian shrugged. "Maybe I got it to go with the peas."

Justin laughed. "What?" But he stopped laughing when he opened the freezer and found … frozen peas (and three bags of bagels minus the one Justin had toasted and had tried to eat). More to himself than anything else, Justin exclaimed softly, "You kept the peas. And the bagels. I figured you'd toss them."

"Waste not, want not … or …some fucking thing."

Justin swung around and stared at Brian for a long moment. So long Brian started to fidget uncomfortably. "What?"

Justin swallowed hard. "Nothing. I was just thinking I could go to the store and get some cream cheese, orange juice, and coffee. You have a coffeemaker, right?"

"Yeah…uh…" Brian waved his hand in the general direction of the kitchen. "In there…somewhere. A lower cupboard … maybe."

"I think I saw a store a few blocks from here."

"Call for Thai. Easier."

"It's only a few blocks. And as you said, waste not, want not."

"I'm full of … full of shit."

Justin chuckled, ending with a sigh. Then he exclaimed brightly, "Plus, those bagels are the best in the city."

"You and your fuckin … bagels." Brian trailed off.

Justin walked over to the couch. Brian, was, as he expected, asleep. Justin's breath caught in his throat. Brian was quite simply … beautiful. Even more so when he was sleeping. He looked so … innocent. Something he most definitely did not seem when awake. Justin slid his hand along Brian's cheek gently and pushed a lock of hair off of his forehead. His chest constricted. Justin removed his hand quickly and shook his head, as though to clear it. Then he grabbed Brian's keys and headed for the corner store he'd seen on the cab ride over.

Brian awoke to the smell of coffee and the feel of something soft and mushy against his lips. He poked his tongue out. Sweet and salty. He opened one eye. Then two. Justin was rubbing a finger covered in something pink against Brian's lips. Brian poked his tongue out further and then licked Justin's finger clean. Strawberry cream cheese.

Justin was kneeling on the floor next to the couch (in between the couch and the coffee table). On the coffee table was, oddly enough, for Brian, two mugs of coffee, two glasses of orange juice, and two little plates, each containing a bagel slathered in cream cheese. Justin handed Brian one half of a bagel.

"Here."

Brian shook his head and declared, a little petulantly, "Don't want."

Justin giggled. "What, are you two?" But then his face got all serious. "You need to eat something, Brian."

"Getting fat."

Justin sighed. "If you're fat, what am I? Obese?"

Brian rolled his eyes. He grabbed the bagel half, bit off a quarter of it, and shoved it back into Justin's hand. "Happy?"

Justin smiled. "Yes. Want some coffee?"

Brian shook his head and stuck his hand back out. "Juice."

"My aren't we bossy? What do you say?"

Brian grinned and wiggled his fingers. "Now."

Justin laughed and handed him a glass. Brian drank the juice in two gulps and handed the glass back. Then he adjusted his body until he was more comfortable.

"Feel better?"

"Actually, yeah."

Justin smiled brightly. Then he looked down for a second. When he looked back up, his expression was grave. "So…what were you talking about earlier? In the hospital? You said something about …" Justin's voice broke. "… dreams … and …"

Brian shook his head. "Rather talk about your ass."

Justin couldn't stifle a giggle. "What?"

"Your ass."

Justin just blinked.

Brian swung his arms out, grinned, and then drawled, "Shall I compare your ass to a summer's day?"

Justin hid behind a pillow, still giggling, but louder now.

"It's lovely and more temp'rate…"

Justin let out a muffled "Oh my fucking God!" (his face was still buried in the pillow)

Brian started slurring even more. "Way more temp'rate. Ser'sly…it's hot. All round ba firm … soft. Love touchin it … specially when I'm fuckin you hard. Love lickin it … biting it … sliding my tongue in betw…"

Suddenly Justin emerged from beneath the pillow. Brian looked over at him. He'd stopped talking mid-word. His mouth was still open slightly. And his eyes were half filled with amusement, half with seriousness. Justin couldn't take the sight. He immediately squeezed his eyes shut and started giggling again. But they shot open again when Brian slid his hands down the back of Justin's pants.

"No underwear … naughty Sunshine."

Justin started panting and muttered softly, "Fuck."

Brian grinned. "Yeah. Zactly." He caressed Justin's ass a bit more and then squeezed it. He groaned in complaint when Justin reached behind him and removed Brian's hands. Brian looked on in horror as Justin stood and then moved to sit in a chair. On the opposite side of the coffee table.

"Wha? Why?"

"I want to talk about what you said at the hospital."

"Pfft!" Brian crooked a finger at Justin and waggled his eyebrows. "Com'ere. I wanna stick my tongue, and something else, in your ass."

Justin looked down and blushed a pretty pink.

"Well, I wanna talk."

Brian frowned. He really looked at Justin then. He was wearing a lightweight blue v-neck cashmere sweater. It matched his eyes. And black pants that, when Justin got up for more coffee, Brian noted, really accentuated his ass. And no underwear.

He'd dressed that way for the snuggler.

And now he was rebuffing Brian's advances.

Brian's frown deepened.

Well Brian wasn't going to take this lying down. Though he was, in fact, currently lying down. He sat up and removed his shirt. Then when Justin neared the couch again, refilled mug in hand, he tossed it right at Justin. Justin sidestepped the flying garment. It landed on the floor. Laughter bubbling up through his voice, Justin asked, "What are you doing, Brian?"

Brian shrugged. "Hot."

Justin resisted the urge to agree, "Yeah you are." Instead, he headed back to the chair opposite Brian. Brian frowned. Only for a second though. Then he said, "I'm hungry. Can't reach." He even grunted a little and tried to try (reaching).

Justin stopped and spun around. "Oh…here." Brian grinned when Justin was back on the floor in between the table and the couch. Well, when Justin wasn't looking. When he was, Brian tried to appear waif-y. Justin attempted to hand Brian the half of the bagel he'd eaten part of, but Brian just leaned forward. Justin smiled as he slid part of it into Brian's mouth. Brian took a huge bite purposely so as to get cream cheese on his face and then chewed dutifully.

Justin bit his lip, trying to stifle a million-watt smile. "You have … a little something …over there."

Brian didn't respond. Not in words. Instead he tilted his head and stuck his cheek forward.

Justin colored slightly and looked around. "Um … I … don't have a napkin."

Brian didn't budge.

Justin turned a deeper shade of pink as he muttered, "Um … okay" and then licked the cream cheese off of Brian's cheek.

The second Justin started to pull back Brian turned his head and kissed Justin's lips. That stopped Justin's retreat. He let himself be kissed (just a brush of the lips at that point) and then stared at Brian afterward.

Brian took that as a sign to press, so he kissed Justin again, this time pushing his tongue inside Justin's mouth. Slowly. Justin moaned so softly it was barely audible and started kissing Brian back. And moaned again. This time, a moan that seemed to be wrenched from deep within him, and not of his own accord.

Brian slid his hands along the curve of Justin's neck and then threaded his fingers into Justin's hair, pulling him closer and pushing his tongue deeper into Justin's mouth. A minute and then two slid by.

Brian had kissed them both to the point of panting and dick hardening when Justin dropped the piece of bagel he was still holding. He broke away and looked down. "Fuck. My pants." Then he jumped up and ran into the kitchen.

But of course, it was just an excuse. When Justin reached the sink, he slid his hands over the edge and looked down. Trying desperately to regulate his breathing, slow his heartbeat, and will his dick to soften. Whatever he might say or do, Brian was in no condition to fuck. And Justin had promised Daphne he wouldn't. And…she was right. Justin knew that. Allowing Brian to pull him in and push him away at the drop of a hat, on a whim, was stupid. Brian would never value him if he didn't value himself. Justin had resolved not to settle for anything less than all of Brian, and he meant to keep that resolution. Even if it killed him.

And it very well might.

TBC…