*~Japanese Romance~*

Entering the loft Brian's gaze moved immediately to the floor where Justin was bent lighting the final candle surrounded by pillows and small tray of food and a bottle of wine. As he came closer and shrugged off his jacket, Justin's eyes moved up and caught his gaze.

"What the fuck is that?" Brain questioned more out of surprise than annoyance.

"A picnic," Justin answered in a small voice as he righted himself.

"A picnic," Brian responded absentmindedly.

I went to the store and got a lot of cool expensive stuff," Justin said as he walked over towards him. "Brie, pâté, French -"

The last item on the list was silenced as Brian wrapped his arm around his back and connected their lips. Justin closed his eyes and moaned into his lover's mouth as Brian did when his smooth fingers found their way into his soft, dark hair.

"Now you know I don't eat fat," Brian said bending down to pick up a piece of cheese. "Or carbs after seven."

"I know," Justin said innocently as he entwined their fingers. "But I thought . . . just this once."

"We could dine on the floor?"

Brian fell to the hardwood pulling Justin down with him onto the numerous pillows. The young blond smiled and chuckled softly as he moved to cradle Brian's body across his bent knees.

"This is Pittsburgh not Japan."

"Aw come on," Justin gently pushed as he placed a soft kiss on his neck. "It'll be romantic."

Immediately Justin wished that he could retract his last statement. If there was one other word that turned him off just as much as "love" it was "romance". The nervous teenager held his breath as he rested his chin on his stubborn lover's shoulder and waited to be shot down. When some painfully long moments passed without Brian saying anything, Justin was unable to keep quiet.

"Please?" he breathed against his ear.

Brian slowly swallowed his cheese in his mouth and then looked around the room before he picked up the wine bottle by its neck.

"You got any glasses?"

Justin grinned from ear to ear and immediately reached over Brian's long body to the two wineglasses that he'd placed next to the tray. As Brian pulled himself off Justin's lap in order to fill the crystal ovals with the full-bodied wine, the blond moved to work on the rich, delicate food on the small tray settled amid the pillows careful to avoid the candles. Justin prepared a small quantity and handed Brian a cracker decorated with a thin layer of pâté for his approval.

"It's not bad."

Justin lowered his eyes and smiled in a moment of nostalgia.

It's always better the second day.

"I'm glad you liked it," he responded. "I had to use the money I've saved from working at the diner to get it."

"Good, it'll teach you the value of a dollar," Brian smirked. "Maybe then people will stop calling me your 'sugar daddy'."

"You're not my 'sugar daddy'," Justin said smiling.

"Try telling them that."

"You're just my older lover who gives me money."

Brian looked into Justin's smiling eyes and scooted closer to his smaller form on the floor.

"I just like to take care of what's mine," he whispered. "Don't go around thinking you're special."

"Oh, but I am," Justin said back as he leaned in to kiss him. "That's why I'm still here."

The young man pulled himself closer and finally closed the distance between them. He immediately felt Brian respond but pulled away so that he could press his point.

"I'm only here because you think I'm special."

As tempted as he was to add "and because you love me" Justin resisted. Sometimes he was amazed at what Brian would let him get away with and yet he always felt the need to press it further. It was true however; the only reason Justin was sitting on the floor with Brian at that moment was because of the older man's feelings for him. He allowed him to live with him in his loft despite various bumps and potholes along the way. Who knows? If Brian hadn't yelled his name that night he might be dead. Brian's gaze suddenly moved away and after a moment he cleared his throat and reached for the wine bottle. Despite the full glass next to him, the older man wrapped his long fingers around the bottle neck and brought it to his lips and Justin shut his eyes when he soon after felt his mouth on his as his lover kissed the wine into him. Feeling it slide down his throat Justin lurched forward and roughly pulled Brian to him by the back of his neck. Separating his lips with his tongue Justin fell backwards, pulling Brian down with him. Keeping their lips locked Brian moved the small tray out of the way as he toed his shoes off. The young man pulled his lover's body down on top of his with a seemingly insatiable hunger and slipped his hands down between them to work the buttons of his pants. Smiling, Brian reached behind the blond head and snuffed out a nearly candle with a pinch of his fingers.