Looking for love is a danger zone
Love don't go begging in the danger zone
You won't get nothing from the danger zone
Danger Zone - Rainbow

B.K

"I don't know what you think you're doing,"

As soon as I left Justin to resume his table cleaning duties, Debbie decided to corner me, grab me by the back of my neck, and fling the both of us into a booth located as far away from Justin as we could get. I raise an eyebrow up at her, although I know exactly why she's brought me here. She wants to ream me out for "conversing" with her blind employee. She acts as if I've done something illegal. I yawn and drag my finger along the clean surface of the table. I try to act as bored as possible.

"What, exactly, am I doing, Deb?"

"I told you to leave. Him. Alone. And look at ya'! You act as if you didn't listen to a work I said. Listen to me, you shit, don't fuck him. I could care or less if you go fuck some meaningless trick but you will not, and listen closely, Kinney, you will not fuck him. It doesn't have to do with the fact that he's only seventeen as much as it has to do with the fact that I don't want him gettin' hurt. Incase you haven't realized, he's not aware of your 'no-repeats', 'I don't believe in love – I believe in fucking', one night stand tendencies. I will not allow you to go and break his heart or take advantage of him."

She takes a deep breath. I would have had to too if I had just delivered a speech as long as that and as passionately as she had. I'm quiet for a moment. As much as I hate to admit it, she's fucking right. I also know that if I do "break his heart" as she put it, she'll castrate me with her bare hands. I sigh and rest my chin on the palm of my hand. "What makes you think that, if I fuck him, he'll stick around? That he'll fall in love with me? That'll he'll think we're "something"?" Honestly, the kid is, well, a kid. Don't kids want to fool around? Have a good time with as many people as they possibly can. Maybe that's just me. I don't know. Debbie frowns at me.

"He's seventeen. When's the last time you fucked a seventeen-year-old virgin?"

She got me. Again.

"…Never."

"Yeah, and it better stay that way."

Since when is she so goddamn protective? She isn't even this protective over her own son. I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that Justin's blind. That's very likely. I sigh and wave her off with my hand. "Fine, fine. I won't fuck him but I will hit on him, grope him, and talk to him whenever I want to." The large woman glares at me, picks herself up from the table and huffs away. I smirk after her and then, with a glance in Justin's direction – he's taking off his white apron at the moment and hanging it up behind the counter – I get up from the table and make my way over to where he stands. The counter being the only thing separating us.

"Ready?"

"You were serious?"

He looks…surprised as he says it.

"Yeah, weren't you?"

"Y-yes, but I didn't know you were."

I grin and lean on the counter, my elbows support my weight. "Why wouldn't I be serious? It isn't everyday that I buy blind kids coffee." He rolls his eyes at me and crosses his arms over his chest. "Where are you taking me?" Like I've even though about that. I shrug and, of course, he doesn't see it. "I don't know." He smiles and nods, voice sarcastic when he speaks. "Well, this is bound to be fun then." I chuckle, feeling Debbie's eyes burn holes into my back. I lift myself up off the counter and wait for Justin to walk around and towards me. "I guess it'll be a surprise."

"Everything's a surprise when you're blind."

"Maybe so but," I reach out to grab his wrist. "You'll still come with me despite the fact I don't know where we're going yet?" He doesn't pull his wrist out of my hand so I slide my hand from his wrist and to his hand. I can only imagine what Debbie is thinking right now. 'Why the fuck is Brian fucking Kinney holding someone's hand?' 'Dammit – am I seeing things?' or 'He better get his fucking hands off of him.' He looks at me for a moment, as if deciding on whether or not to go with me since, I guess, holding his hand just changed everything he was thinking, and then he nods.

"Yeah. Sure. Let me just get my coat…"

I had forgotten that it was fucking below zero outside. The fucking joys of the Christmas season. I quickly let go of his hand as he walks back around the counter, walks over to a lone chair, and grabs the black jacket on top of it. I watch as he moves, jacket slipping onto his torso, as normally and probably even more gracefully then any person that I know who can see. I could probably watch him all day. Not that I would. Brian Kinney doesn't watch hot blondes. No, he touches – fucks – hot blondes. Too bad he's off limits. I inwardly sigh at the thought. What Debbie doesn't know won't hurt her. Then again, Justin probably wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut. Plus, do I really want some kid falling in love with me?

No. That's not on my agenda.

"I'm ready."

I don't realize he's in front of me until he speaks. It's a good thing he can't see or he would've seen how gone I was into my own little world where no one falls in love with anyone. After all, love is a…stupid thing. Do people really, actually, truly fall in love with someone? If my father really and truly loved my mother and if my parents truly loved me then I don't want any part in the subject called 'love.' Beating your wife and children – if that's love then…love can go straight to hell. I nod. Fuck. I keep forgetting he can't see me. "It's about time." He grins and shoves me lightly in the shoulder. "Now, now, Sunshine, no need to be so violent. I was only kidding."

"Have you figured out where you're taking me yet? Or are you planning on dragging me around Pittsburgh all afternoon so I can freeze my fucking balls off?"

I laugh as the two of us walk out the door and into the shivering Christmas afternoon. There are Christmas decorations everywhere. For once, on Liberty Avenue, there are more un-rainbow colored decorations up then the usual rainbow flags, banners and whatnot up. "You know, anyone else would be dying to be in your position right now." He's silent for a moment and I listen to the silent crunching of our feet as I take him to the nearest coffee shop. "You're that good looking?" I grin over at him as I stuff my hands deeper in my pockets to keep from reaching out and grabbing his hand or touching his hair. His hair looks so…I shake my head and tell my brain to shut the fuck up.

"I'm fucking gorgeous."

"Egoistic much?"

I laugh and "accidentally" bump shoulders with him.

"No, and, just so you know, you're fucking gorgeous."

I watch his face closely. At first he doesn't express anything about what I said. Then his cheeks begin to slowly turn a slightly dark shade of pink. A pink that wasn't from the cold temperature from the weather. "T-thank you." I grin, amused at how timid and shy he sounds. "My pleasure." His cheeks go slightly darker and, I'm damned for eternity for even thinking this, he looks impossibly cute. Anyone would think so with his flushed cheeks, his hair sprinkled with snowflakes, a rainbow scarf wrapped comfortably around his neck and that little smile on his face that I can't read.

"You still haven't told me what you look like, except that you're gorgeous. I don't really know what gorgeous means. So, do explain."

I stay silent for a moment. Isn't this going to sound ridiculous? Me telling him what I look like. It's going to sound like one of those ads for online dating services. I clear my throat. Oh well. I might as well get it over with or he's going to think I'm ugly since I've hesitated so long. "Ok. I'm tall, taller then you," He snorts. "I have brown hair, hazel eyes that are to die for," He laughs and shakes his head. "A gorgeous body, great facial structure, and I like long romantic walks on the beach to end the evening." He laughs, smiling his gorgeous smile up at me, and, this time, he bumps his shoulder into mine.

Accident, I'm sure.

"Can I touch you?"

I blink. Did I hear correctly? "W-what?" His cheeks turned a deep shade of scarlet and he quickly shakes his head, his walking coming to a halt and biting his bottom lip. "No, I mean, that's my way of seeing what you look like. I didn't mean it…s-sexually or anything like that." That's too bad. My cock was getting excited. Maybe he would want to see what the rest of me looked like too. I did say I had a gorgeous body after all. I grin and face him, shoulders shrugging. "Touch away." He smiles slightly and I stand there waiting. I quickly wonder if we should wait until we get into the warmth of the coffee shop that's just a few minutes away before my dick freezes off but I decide against it.

He raises his hands, I wonder why the hell he isn't wearing gloves, and they connect with my chest first. A chant runs through my head: 'Not sexual. Not sexual. Stupid cock. You never listen. Not sexual. Not sexual.' His hands are slow as they make their way to my bare neck, I'm glad I hate scarves, and his skin connects with my bare skin, which goes straight to my overactive cock. His hands are very warm too, soft and warm, as they brush across my throat and move upwards towards my face. I wonder what people passing by think of this scene. I think it's sort of erotic in a way. It's definitely doing a spectacular job of turning me on. I try not to breathe as his fingers dance across my skin.

Hands flat on my cheeks, thumbs brushing over my chin, which does nothing to help me at all, his fingers run along my mouth. Gently running across my lips. I wonder if he does this to all the men he meets. His fingers travel over my eyes for a split second and I quickly close them. I wonder if he's almost done. I'm slightly put out when his hands lift off my face and drop back down at his sides. I'm pleased to see he looks oddly flushed and a little embarrassed. I grin, trying to erase the feeling of his gentle strokes along my face out of my mind. "So? Am I sexy or what?" He smiles. He also looks slightly relieved that I didn't make a comment about the whole touching thing.

He doesn't reply, only smiles. I push on.

"What? Do you need to do a deeper examination?"

His eyes widen slightly and then he realizes I'm joking – or am I? – and a smile breaks out onto his face. "No. I'll admit you're…" I answer for him. "Stunning? Gorgeous? Striking?" He, surprisingly, shakes his head and smiles shyly up at me. "Beautiful." Beautiful. I've never really been called beautiful before, at least, not to my face, and I don't exactly mind it. Especially since he looks so…something saying it. I smile and I'm glad he can't see or he'd see how…softly I was smiling at him and that wouldn't be something I want him to see. "That too." He rolls his eyes over at me and swats me again with his hand. This time I reach out and grab it in mine.

"Follow me, Mr. Taylor. The coffee shop awaits."

"Finally, somewhere warm."

I look down at him as we step inside the warm threshold of a coffee shop that I've never been to before. I usually get all my coffee at 'The Liberty Diner' but, for obvious reasons, Justin and I couldn't converse there. Not with Debbie lurking over our shoulders to make sure I didn't fuck him right there on the table that he had just cleaned. Hand still wrapped around his, I lead him over to a table in the far corner. I don't really want to but I let go of his hand to slide in to the booth. He slides into the seat across from mine. The booths here are set up a lot like the ones at 'The Liberty Diner'. "So, what do you want?" He smiles at me from across the table, hands moving up to remove the scarf since the heater was on, and thinks for a second.

"Hot chocolate."

I smirk. How am not surprised? "Alright. I'll be right back." I get up from the booth and up to the counter where a girl stands looking incredibly bored. It's obvious the place doesn't get much business. I offer her a quick smile, eyes reading her nametag real quick (Daphne) and quickly order two hot chocolates. "Thanks." She sighs. "No problem." I take the two hot Styrofoam cups after paying for them back over to our table where Justin's quietly sitting, staring at his hands. Well, not really staring but his gaze his directed at his hands. "Here." I set it down in front of him, his hand slowly slides across the table to look for it without knocking it over and then his fingers curl around the cup. I don't think about what else they could be curling around right now.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

Silence. It's not exactly awkward silence. Plus, he's taking a careful sip of his hot chocolate at the moment anyway so it's not like he can speak anyway. I carefully twirl my cup in my fingers studying the blonde sitting across from me. "I have a question." He looks in my direction, his head tilts slightly to the side. I wish he wouldn't do that. It's hot, his hair falling in his face like that. I wonder if he even knows what he's doing. "What?" I think back to the short conversation between him and Debbie back at the diner, when she had come up to me while I had been asking him to come with me after his shift was over. "Don't worry, Deb. He's great. Not like, well the guys I told you about." That's what he said to her.

I had become extremely curious. I still am.

"What did you mean when we were talking to Debbie earlier? About how I'm not like the guys that you told her about?"

Justin rolled his eyes.

"Oh, nothing. There's just these group of guys I know who like to trip me and push me down the stairs. They think it's fun, that's all."

My eyes widen slightly.

"That's all? You could seriously get hurt. Falling down the stairs isn't exactly a safe sport to engage in, Sunshine. Who else have you told about this?"

"…Just you and Debbie."

I sigh and slide down into my seat. My foot hits his and this time it is accidental. I quickly mutter a 'sorry' so he doesn't think it was on purpose and tap my fingers on the surface of the table. "Who does it?" The blonde quickly shakes his head, shoulders shrugging. "Oh, no one…I don't know." I smile and lean forward in my seat. "Tell me." I hope I sound threatening enough. He shakes his head again. "It's not important. Really. They don't do it that often anymore anyway." I lean forward some more. He senses the proximity change and, in turn, leans back.

"C'mon, Sunshine, tell me. I won't do anything." Too much, anyway. He rolls his eyes. "You're such a liar." I raise an eyebrow. "So are you. We're even. Now spill." He sighs. "It's not anyone you know." I grin. "So what's the problem with telling me then? If I don't know them then I don't know where to find them." The blonde sighs and I know I've won the round. That I've talked him into telling me. "Chris Hobbs, Cody something, and a few boys I don't know the names of. Chris is the captain of the football team and Cody is just a…lackey I guess. I think they get off on torturing people with disabilities. So, since my mother freaked out when I came home everyday with a new set of bruises or scrapes she took me out of school and insisted that I do home schooling. So, now, I spend more time then I want to with my mom."

I smile.

"I thought all gay boys wanted to hang out with their moms."

He snorts. "Did you?"

"No. My mom was never around to begin with. Same with my dad. I was a lone ranger."

"Are you serious? You didn't have anyone?"

He actually sounds concerned for my well being. It was kind of swee- No. It was not sweet. It wasn't anything. He was just concerned. That's it. I chuckle and lean back comfortably into my seat. "I had Michael, he's my best-friend, and Debbie too. I spent many nights at her house way back when. It's no big deal, not having my parents around. It was better when they weren't around."

Justin tilts his head to the side again. Fuck him.

"How come?"

"Let's just say that my dad got off on becoming very hands on with his children when heavily intoxicated and my mom, well, she didn't really give a shit."

The blonde didn't reply. He just sat there, looking slightly dumbstruck at my words. I shrug even though he can't see me and take a long sip of my hot chocolate. The heat burning my throat but I don't care. I shrug again. "Anyway, like I said, it's no big deal."

J.T

I can't believe he acts as if it's nothing. His family being abusive and uncaring. Unloving. At least I had one parent who cared about me. He didn't have any. I wanted to reach out and touch him - hell, I've wanted to reach out and touch him since the first time I did when we were outside – and maybe comfort him. But his voice had taken on sort of a hard edge. It was more icy then before, harder, and uncomfortable. Angry too. It was a given that he still hadn't exactly gotten over it. I don't think anyone can get over something like that. Abuse – physical and emotional abuse. I'm surprised he isn't fucked up now.

"I-I-but it is a big deal."

It's not my place to say though.

"I'm sorry."

I listen as he shifts in his seat, as his fingers do something with his cup of hot liquid, and as he chuckles. It's not a happy chuckle though. It's cynical and unhappy. "So, what about your family?" I can tell by his voice that he's eager to change the subject. I quickly give him a brief, or maybe not so brief since I talk forever, overview of my family. How my dad isn't really a part of my life anymore and how my mom basically supports me in everything I do. I tell him about the accident. I don't mind talking about it. It's not a big deal. It was just an accident. He listens intently without muttering a single word the entire time I'm talking. I suddenly stop, feeling like I've talked way too much. "Sorry, I talk a lot."

He laughs again. This time it's amused and I'm relieved.

"I've noticed."

I roll my eyes even though I know he's joking.

"Though, I don't mind."

"What time is it?"

Pause.

"Four."

Holy fuck. My shift ended at two. That means we've been here for three hours. "Are you fucking serious?" Another pause, a laugh. "Yeah, I am." I quickly stand up out of the booth and suddenly his hand is around my wrist. "What's wrong?" I smile and reach around for my scarf and hurry to wrap it around my neck again. "I promised my mom I'd be home by four-thirty. It takes like thirty minutes from the diner to get back to my house. Debbie's supposed to drop me off." I smile at him, prepared to thank him for the hot chocolate and the great conversation but he cuts me off. "I can drive you home." I hesitate and then nod.

"Ok. Sure."

The whole walk, this one is a lot quicker then the walk to the coffee shop, is silent. I'm too busy being really aware of Brian's hand around mine again. I wonder if he's holding my hand because he doesn't want me to run in to something or if it's because he just wants to touch me. I hope it's because he just wants to touch me because, honestly, I really want him to continue holding my hand. Before I know it we're at the diner and then Debbie's suddenly there. "There ya are! I've been waitin' for ya." Brian immediately speaks up and tells her he's giving me a ride home. "Actually, I need to talk to Justin before he goes anywhere. I called your mother and told her you'd be late."

I sigh, slightly disappointed and turn to Brian.

"Well…thanks for the hot chocolate."

"Anytime."

"I had a great time."

God, I sound so stupid. He doesn't seem to mind.

"Me too."

"I'll see you…later."

He let's go of my hand and I listen as he walks away, further and further away.

"Sunshine, we need to talk."

She doesn't sound happy.