1:10 p.m. – Roberto's Restaurant
"Ah, the busy doctor," Justin called out as Daphne rushed in. "Only ten minutes late this time – a new record," he added dryly as he grinned at her and she slid into the opposite side of the booth with an apologetic smile.
"Hey, you should feel lucky," she retorted facetiously. "I almost didn't get out of the hospital at all. A kid came in with a broken arm at the last minute, and I thought I was going to have to take care of it down in the ER. Fortunately one of the other doctors took pity on me and said he'd do it instead." She frowned. "Must have been because he couldn't hear the patient's heartbeat over my stomach growling!"
Justin snorted. "That I can believe!" He grinned over at her. "I already ordered our usual, by the way – hope that's okay."
She nodded. "Any food is good with me at the moment. I'm starved!"
Justin grinned. "I thought as much," he said a little smugly. He never had to worry about his friend being hungry; that was one more thing they had in common….
Daphne's eyes sparkled animatedly as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "I almost forgot! Did you hear who got moved to a private room this morning?" She twisted one side of her mouth upward innocently, but it wasn't long before Justin saw right through her.
"Yes, I did, Doctor. That's exactly what I wanted to discuss with you."
Daphne's brows rose. "What are you talking about?"
Justin huffed. "You're the doctor who told me to get that room ready immediately, because you knew who the patient would be!" He shook his head incredulously. "You did that on purpose!"
Daphne looked at her friend as if he had been sniffing too much laughing gas. "I have no idea what in the world you're talking about." She was able to maintain a serious expression on her face for several seconds while Justin glared back at her before her face broke out into a wide smile and she laughed.
Justin gasped. "You did! You deliberately told them to move him ahead of time, knowing that I would still be there getting the room ready when he came in, didn't you?"
Daphne grinned at her friend's indignant expression. "Okay, I confess. You got me."
"I knew it! You're trying to play matchmaker again, aren't you? I can't believe you!"
Daphne shrugged at him as their waitress came over and placed their pizza down in front of them; she nodded briefly at them before walking away to leave them alone once more. "Why not? I can tell, Justin Taylor – you've really got it bad for him!"
"I do not!" Justin retorted defensively. "I work at the hospital, remember? It's my job to prepare the rooms for new patients, no matter who the fathers are!" He reached oversome what angrily with his plate to slide a piece of the pizza onto it and chomp down hard on a large bite as he stared over at her in irritation.
"Uh, huh," Daphne responded as she, too, reached over with the spatula and slid a piece of the pizza onto her own plate. "And I suppose that includes finding him a clean change of clothes, too, from the laundry commissary? And a room next door to his son's to sleep in? And an extra lunch tray?" She peered over at him in triumph as her friend's face promptly turned a deep shade of pink in confirmation. "By the way, he's definitely single, you know," she sing-songed as she took a large bite of her pizza and grinned over at him, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
Justin groaned but inside his pulse was quickening over that revelation. He knew Brian wasn't involved with the two mothers, at least in any romantic way, but that still didn't mean a man that gorgeous didn't have someone on the side; it did help to know for sure, though, that he considered himself unattached, at least legally anyway. "And just how do you know that, Doctor?" he asked suspiciously as he suddenly realized how Daphne must have found out.
She smiled. "Oh, we doctors have our ways." She waggled her eyebrows at Justin. "I think someone's a little curious about you, too."
Justin blushed. "And just how did you reach that conclusion? I thought you were a medical doctor, not a psychic."
Daphne took another bite of her pizza. "Don't need to be psychic or have a PhD to see what I see," she stated matter-of-factly. "All I have to do is watch the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is noticing."
Justin averted his eyes away from his friend's intense stare. The darn girl always did have keen observation skills as a doctor; apparently she didn't use them just for clinical purposes, though. Was she correct? Did Brian really have feelings for him, too, or was he just a convenient diversion for him now that his son appeared to be on the mend?
He could never be sure just what Brian's intentions were toward him. One minute he was flirting with him, and the next minute he acted like he was just another employee doing his bidding. He did know one thing, however; the man was just too damn sexy and dangerous for his own good. He had never quite met anyone as forceful and dominating a presence as Brian Kinney, and it scared the shit out of him while exciting him at the same time.
He adopted a nonchalant attitude as he replied in between bites of pepperoni, "Far be it for me to question your powers of observation, Daphne, but I think you're reading a little too much into things here."
But Daphne was not to be swayed. "I guess we'll just have to see, now won't we? I think that boy's going to need a lot of attention in the next week."
Justin nodded. "Yeah….but it's great that he's apparently going to be okay, though; he's seems like a really great kid."
Daphne beamed as her eyes twinkled. "Yes, he is…but I was talking about his father." She deftly ducked as Justin promptly threw a breadstick at her and they both laughed.
"So what's your schedule for next week?" she asked him. "If you want, I can find out what time a certain patient is scheduled for his diagnostic tests so you can be the one to wheel him down to x-ray."
Justin shook his head in amusement. "You never quit, do you?" He picked at the small salad next to his dinner plate as he advised her, "I hate to mess up your matchmaking schedule, Dr. Chanders, but I'm actually working only one shift next week; I may have to carry on as best I can without your manipulations of the schedule to my benefit. Next week is spring break so I decided to work just the 1st shift for a change," he explained. "I've got some art projects I need to focus on."
"But what if Mr. Gorgeous has to go back to work? You'll be on opposite schedules then."
Justin snorted. "Will you quit already? Enough, Daphne!" He appreciated her wanting to help, but her efforts were starting to perturb him just a bit. It was as if she thought he could only attract someone if she helped him. "Let's just drop it, okay?"
Her face fell slightly; she was so intent on matching these two men up; she could intrinsically feel the attraction between them. It wasn't that she didn't think Justin couldn't do it himself – he was beautiful both inside and out, and she knew he had to have his share of admirers. She just wasn't sure how much he would promote himself, though; sometimes he didn't realize how great he was. She would respect his wishes, though, but with a lot of reluctance. "Okay," she said with just a hint of disappointment.
Justin rolled his eyes. "Now don't go getting maudlin on me," he chided her. "I appreciate what you're trying to do. I just don't want you to feel like you need to run interference for me, that's all. I can take care of myself, okay?"
The brunette swirled a piece of breadstick around in some marinara sauce on her plate for a couple of seconds before lifting her gaze to stare back at him ruefully. "Okay," she agreed grudgingly. "But I still think he's an idiot if he doesn't…."
"Daphne," Justin said with just a hint of exasperation as he smiled over at her. "Enough. Let's hurry up and finish up our pizza and maybe we'll have just enough time to hit the ice cream shop down the street before we head back to work."
She grinned over at him. "You know my weak spot," she teased. "You've got a deal."
Monday Morning – 8:00 a.m.
"That's my boy," Lindsey cooed to her son as he sucked on a straw to drink some of his water. "You're doing so well, Sweetheart!" She grinned over at Mel, both women so delighted that Gus was doing better almost by the hour. He was so much more alert now, and his upper body was actually propped up slightly in bed as he slowly sipped some water from a plastic cup. In fact, he was progressing so well the doctor had proclaimed that he was definitely out of the woods now and advised that he could have a soft meal this morning for the first time since he had been brought into the ER a few days ago.
He was doing so much better that Lindsey had been able, with the doctor's help, to convince Brian to finally go home early this morning to his loft and catch some much-needed shuteye. He had indicated when he left that he would be back, probably in the afternoon, to visit with Gus after running over to Kinnetik to check in with them briefly.
"I'm glad I was able to talk Brian into going home for a while," Lindsey told her partner softly. "He was absolutely exhausted."
Mel nodded rather distractedly as she reached over to the side of the bed to retrieve the stuffed kitten that the orderly, Justin, had left for their son yesterday. Since he had first laid eyes on it, their son hadn't let go of it. It now had a name – Fluffy – and it occupied a sacred place in their son's arms at all times. She was glad that the orderly had brought it for him; it had thankfully replaced the stuffed dog that Gus normally slept with at night as a type of security blanket when he was restless, and it had seemed to calm him since he had received it as a gift.
As if in response to her thoughts, the two women turned to see Justin walking in with their son's breakfast tray. Mel wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she saw a slight frown of disappointment on the young man's face as he noticed Brian wasn't there before he replaced it with a warm smile upon seeing their son awake and responsive, sitting up in bed with the kitten clutched firmly in his embrace.
"Hey, Buddy!" Justin called out softly to Gus as he beamed at the now wide-eyed miniature version of his father. "It's so great to see you up and awake!"
"Hi, Justin," Lindsey said with a fond smile and a nod of acknowledgment; in the short time they had met this young man, she had become very impressed with his compassion and willingness to go above and beyond his normal duties as orderly. The kitten he had brought for Gus yesterday had sealed the deal in her estimation of him, but just his overall gentle demeanor with their son had made her very glad that he had been the one who had been assigned to help take care of him.
"Hi," he said to both women as he carried the tray over to the portable, wheeled hospital table and set it down. "I was so glad when I noticed that this little guy was able to have a soft meal this morning," he said as he smiled over at the doe-eyed child. "Do you think you can eat something, little guy? Are you hungry?" His heart warmed as he saw Gus give him a shy smile and a nod in return.
"He told us his throat's a little sore, so I'm not sure how much he'll be able to get down," Lindsey told him as Justin raised the coverings on the plates to reveal a selection of Cheerio's already covered in milk to soften them up, half of a banana, a couple of slices of French toast with the crust removed, a small pitcher of syrup, and a glass of orange juice.
Justin looked at the two mothers sheepishly as he noticed their looks of amazement over the bounteous supply of food. "It was too late to get an actual order from you for your son," he explained. "So I took the liberty of stocking his plate with some of my own favorites. I figured surely there'd be something there he'd like. Hope you don't mind."
"No," Lindsey told him, smiling. "That was very thoughtful of you." She noticed the young man blush slightly at the compliment. "Actually, you did a great job of guessing what he'd like. He likes all of these things; I'm just not sure how much he'll be able to handle right now."
Justin nodded. "That's understandable. He's still recovering. I wouldn't push him to eat too much the first time – he needs to take it kind of slow at first until he's used to eating more solid food. I've left a menu for lunch on the tray. Normally someone like Gus will be under a soft-foods diet for a while, depending on how he does." He turned to smile once more at the little boy as he said, "Hopefully, Buddy, you'll be able to eat something better tomorrow." The little boy stared at him, seemingly entranced by his rich, almost hypnotic tone of voice; he was a little shy around this virtual stranger, but Justin's soft, soothing voice helped to make him more at ease.
"Gus, Justin is the one who brought you Fluffy," Mel told their son as he looked up at the orderly. "That's the name for his new kitten," she explained as Justin nodded in understanding. "Can you say thank you?" So far, their son had been limited to snips of words here and there. They didn't want to overtax his throat yet, but she felt it important for their son to express his gratitude.
Justin's heart leapt as the little boy whispered out a "thank you" in a tiny, slightly raspy voice.
"You're welcome," he said, beaming. "I'm glad you like him. I'm sure you and Fluffy will be the best of friends, and I know you'll give him a good home." Gus smiled a little more confidently now, almost with pride over Justin's statement, feeling a little more comfortable with his new acquaintance.
Justin knew it was none of his business, but he had to ask anyway. "Uh….I noticed Mr. Kinney isn't here. I hope everything's okay." He tried hard to make his statement sound business-like and detached, but he wasn't quite sure he was being successful from the glance the two women shared at the mention of Brian.
"I persuaded him to go home for a while and catch up on some sleep," Lindsey revealed. "He's also going to check in on his business for a while. He'll probably be back later this afternoon," she told him, smiling knowingly as she saw just the hint of interest flicker in the intense blue eyes as Justin nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm sure he'll return the change of clothes you provided for him, too, by the way, when he comes back." She saw the blond flush at her statement, and wondered just why that would make him uncomfortable.
Justin nodded, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. "I'm not worried about it. I'm just glad everything's okay," he added softly as he glanced once more over at Gus and smiled at him. He was a little surprised to realize that while he was thrilled as well as relieved that Gus would be able to leave soon - probably within a few days - that also meant the boy's father would no longer have any reason to come to the hospital, and that filled him with a profound sense of disappointment.
"Well, we appreciate everything you've done for Gus," Mel told the blond as she reached over to ruffle the child's hair and Lindsey nodded in agreement. "He means the world to us."
Justin nodded. "I can understand why – he's very special. Brian must love him a lot, too, to have spent so much time here with him. I imagine he saved his son's life by getting him here so quickly the other night."
Lindsey silently digested this young man's use of Brian's first name that had come so easily from his lips; she wondered just how much interaction this handsome young man had had with Brian that perhaps she and Mel weren't privy to for him to address Brian so casually. "Yes, I think you're right," she told Justin. "We're very glad he recognized how serious the situation was. And he does love Gus very much," she confirmed, even though Mel audibly uttered a soft snort in response.
Justin's eyebrows rose slightly at the brunette woman's reaction; apparently she and Brian didn't have as good a rapport as he and Lindsey did. He chose wisely not to comment, however, as he reached over to slowly slide the tray table toward Gus. He let out a soft sigh as he heard someone distinctly calling for an "orderly" out in the hallway. Just once, he wished every employee who worked with him would actually use his name rather than his title to summon him. "I've got to go," he said with an apologetic smile. "Someone's looking for me."
He quickly rushed out of the room with a quick goodbye and a smile as the two women turned to look at each other, both with the same, identical expressions on their face.
Mel harrumphed. "Looks like the great stud has roped in another one," she said dryly. "I wonder if he's fu….uh," she looked over at Gus who was listening intently before she continued, "I wonder if he's gotten friendly with our little orderly already." She sighed. "He seems like a really nice guy, too; just once couldn't Brian actually come to a hospital without having to come himself?"
"Mel," Lindsey chided her partner. "You promised to give it a rest," she said softly as she stood up to push the rolling hospital table over toward their son's bed in preparation for helping him eat his breakfast. "Besides, when would he have had time anyway? He's practically been glued to Gus' side since he was brought in."
Mel snorted. "How do we know he was just using the bed next door for sleeping?"
Lindsey shook her head in irritation. "Let's just drop it for now, okay?" she beseeched, nodding her head over toward their son who seemed to be silently soaking in every word they were saying. Even if Gus was their child, he still seemed to be a particularly perceptive one, and the last thing she wanted was for their son to pick up on Brian's 'extra-curricular activities' or her partner's disdain of him.
Mel shrugged. "Okay….for now. But I just wish he'd lay off sometimes; the man's never going to change, though; I know better." She sighed as she stood up and stretched her back. "Do you want some coffee? I think I could use some."
Lindsey nodded coolly at her, a little miffed that Mel just wouldn't let her scorn for Brian go. "Yeah….thanks," she told her partner as Mel reached over to kiss Gus' cheek and smile at him before she walked out of the room toward the vending machines down the hall.
As Lindsey began to help her son eat, she couldn't help silently agreeing with Mel about one thing, though; she hoped that if Brian was involved with Justin, he wasn't just toying with his emotions like he was apt to normally do. This man seemed to deserve so much more, and she would be vastly disappointed in Brian if he was. She knew, though, that ultimately it would be Justin who would have to guard his heart and protect it; she was helpless to prevent what might happen when it came to her friend's inclination to toy with his 'prey.' "Good job, Sweetheart," she murmured with a smile to Gus as he took a small bite of the cereal and swallowed it tentatively. Let's hope you don't grow up to be the same type of detached charmer as your father….
Same Day – 4:00 p.m.
Justin tucked in the last corner of the latest hospital bed that needed to be prepared for an incoming patient and placed the soiled linen in his portable hamper that was attached to his rolling supply cart. He tried to convince himself it was just a lucky coincidence that he had wound up on the same floor of Brian Kinney's son during the last part of the day, but he knew that was a lie. He had been roaming throughout the hospital all day, performing his duties as an orderly, while constantly finding excuses to come down to the 2nd floor to take quick peeks into a certain patient's room as he walked by each time, hoping that another certain brunet would be in there visiting with his son. He had been profoundly disappointed to find that he wasn't there, however. He had even traded duties with another orderly earlier so he would make sure to be the one to deliver Gus' lunch tray to him, hoping that Brian would be there, but again, it was only the two mothers there instead.
He finally couldn't bite his tongue any longer, knowing how devoted Brian seemed toward his son, and had to ask as casually as he could if they had heard from him. Lindsey had given him some sort of amused, almost apologetic smile as she told him that Brian had called a couple of times during the morning to check in on Gus to make sure he was still doing okay; when she had confirmed to him that he was, he had told her he had gotten hung up on some sort of crises at his work but he assured her he would be in later to see his son.
As he slowly rolled the cart toward the open door to the hallway, Justin knew how silly and juvenile he was being about wanting to see Brian. There was just something about him, though, both irritating and fascinating at the same time that drew him in. He vowed, however, that he was not going to let the overly confident, hot-as-fucking-hell man let him know just how much, though. He sighed – he only had one more hour before his shift was over. One more hour to encounter the man who was overly dominating so many of his thoughts lately…..He shook his head in disgust at his daydreaming ruminations. Snap out of it, Taylor! he scolded himself as he walked out into the hallway. Even now, though, he couldn't help craning his head down the hallway to the right where he knew a particular little boy was residing, just hoping that he would catch a glimpse of a certain visitor.
"Orderly!" he suddenly heard one of the older nurses calling to him from the nurses' station a little ways down the hall in the opposite direction. He snorted to himself. Maybe I should petition for a name change…
"Coming, Nurse!" he couldn't help responding in kind with a snicker. Well, two could play that game, he thought with just the hint of a smile as he wheeled the cart down the opposite direction from Gus' room, his attention briefly turned to a more immediate matter.
Same Time
Brian couldn't help the broad smile on his face – it had been plastered there from the moment he had entered his son's room about fifteen minutes ago when he had found him sitting up in bed with the IV no longer hooked to him and the typical rosy tint back in his cheeks. His son had smiled back at him in response and it had made Brian's heart soar even higher.
Lindsey and Mel, who had taken advantage of his return to walk down to the cafeteria for an early supper, had told him that their son had eaten part of not only his breakfast but also his lunch. He reached over to tousle his son's hair as he grinned over at the little boy holding his kitten against his chest. "You really like Fluffy, don't you, Sonny Boy?" he murmured as Gus nodded with a smile. "I'm glad he's found a good home. And I'm really glad that you're eating now."
"Ice cream, Daddy," Gus unexpectedly said all of a sudden. "Chock-lit."
Brian laughed softly. "Ice cream?" he repeated as Gus nodded vigorously. "You're wanting some ice cream?" He shook his head in amusement; now that his son was getting better, apparently his appetite was returning, also, and he had apparently realized quickly that a soft-food diet also included one of his favorite foods in the whole world. "Well, I'll see what I can do, okay?" he told his son.
He wondered how best to fulfill his son's request, however; he didn't know if calling the nurse's station was appropriate, but he also knew he didn't want to leave his son's side at the moment, either. His son looked like he was definitely well on the mend, but he wasn't about to leave him alone for even a second. Finally, he decided to hell with it as he reached over to firmly push the call button wrapped around his son's bed railing.
A few seconds later, a tinny, female voice could be heard saying, "Yes?"
"Uh….this is Brian Kinney in Room 211 calling for my son, Gus," he stated. "He's wanting some chocolate ice cream. Any chance I could get a hold of some?" A sudden inspiration occurred to him as he tried to inflect as much charm into his next sentence as he could. "Maybe one of the orderlies could bring him some. I would be very appreciative." He knew there had to be several orderlies employed at the hospital, and the chance was miniscule at best, but he thought maybe it just might work anyway…..
The Kinney charm, however, didn't have quite the effect he was hoping for. A detached-sounding voice politely informed him, "I'm sorry, sir, but it will have to wait until dinner trays are served. We don't have adequate staff at the moment to handle special requests. You can ask the orderly to get your son some when he brings in his dinner tray."
"Well…sorry to have bothered you then," Brian huffed in disappointment before throwing the corded call button down onto Gus' bed as the child's eyes grew large in response. Brian smiled back at him sheepishly, a little embarrassed by his reaction. "Sorry, Buddy….Daddy tried; I don't think they've got anybody who can bring you some right now. I'll make sure you get some soon, though, when the orderly brings in your dinner tray, okay?" He watched as his son's lips curved downward in a slight pout as he gazed at him tenderly. This little boy was definitely his son, he thought in amusement. If I saw that look, I would get it for him, too…... He reached over to lightly rub his son's shoulder comfortingly. "It won't be long, Buddy, before your dinner comes. I'll get you some, don't worry."
Justin couldn't help overhearing the conversation crackling from the patient intercom located at the nurses' station as he approached it to see what the unnamed nurse needed with him. His heart began to pound as he immediately recognized the sultry voice of Brian Kinney filtering out through the scratchy system, asking for some chocolate ice cream, and he couldn't help wincing inwardly at the somewhat impatient voice that responded to him. It was the same nurse who had so unceremoniously called for him earlier.
He bit back what he really wanted to say to the short, 'pleasingly plump' red-headed, 40ish nurse as she turned to acknowledge him. "You needed me for something?" he asked politely, no particular warmth in his voice.
"Yes," the woman said rather sternly. "There's a new patient being wheeled up from the ER to Room 207. I need the patient added to the dinner tray count. You'll be delivering them, I assume?" She eyed him so intently, like he was some sort of production number at a factory, that it made Justin distinctly uncomfortable as well as just a little resentful. He wondered just why this sort of person was even working in a hospital setting….
"Yes," he told her stiffly. "I'll take care of it." The woman gave him a curt nod before dismissing him as she turned back to the paperwork at her desk behind the counter and sat down, now totally ignoring him. Justin shook his head slightly in irritation, thankful that most of the other personnel employed by the hospital were much more respectful and friendly in nature, before he silently turned with his cart to wheel it down the hallway a few steps away until he reached the supply closet. Sliding his ID card into the slot, he opened the door and pushed the cart inside before turning to leave and closing the door firmly behind him.
Taking a look around as if he were afraid someone was observing him, he turned to his right away from the nurses' station and walked a few feet down to a nearby room that was reserved for extraneous supplies: extra plastic utensils, a coffeemaker and Styrofoam cups, packs of condiments, individually-wrapped packages of crackers, and a full-size refrigerator normally used to hold medical supplies that needed to be refrigerated. He knew, though, that it also held occasional extra inventory such as small cans of juice, sticks of cheese, and most importantly of all, small plastic cups of ice cream.
Looking around left and right before he slid his card into the slot, but feeling ridiculous at the same time – after all, he worked here and was allowed if not expected to enter this room from time to time – he waited somewhat impatiently for the typical click of the door's lock disengaging before he pushed the door open and entered. He walked over to swing the upper compartment door open to the freezer part of the refrigerator and smiled: he spied approximately half a dozen cups of ice cream nestled inside. Reaching in to grab two cups of chocolate ones, he closed the door and pulled out a nearby shelf to secure a wrapped, plastic spoon before he placed all of the items in his white uniform pocket and walked back out.
He took a deep breath of courage before he resumed walking a little farther down the hallway to arrive at Room #211. He paused just out of sight to calm his nerves and plaster a professional-looking mask on his face before he licked his lips nervously and plunged inside.
He was rewarded by the sight of Brian sitting in his normal position by his son's bedside. He was speaking to his son in a low, loving tone of voice that made Justin's own heart melt with its gentleness and tenderness. "And you know what else, Sonny Boy?" he was whispering to him. "As soon as you're all better, we'll go to the fair. They've got horses and pigs and sheep and cows, and all kinds of rides to go on. Would you like that?"
Justin smiled as the little boy beamed back at his father, his eyes shining clearly with love. The blond was absolutely fascinated with this side of the confident, handsome, assertive man. He knew Brian had to love his little boy very much to have constantly stayed by his side while he was recovering, but now that he could actually see the two interacting, he marveled at their close bond.
Gus noticed Justin standing just inside the room and he turned his small head to observe the blond standing there quietly near the door. His son's gaze caught the eye of his father, who turned around in his chair to see the orderly he had been hoping to encounter. He noticed Justin's face redden slightly as their eyes locked onto each other.
"Well, look who's here, Sonny Boy," Brian whispered as he leaned companionably toward his son. "It's our own little personal care assistant." Brian smirked at their visitor, who promptly flushed even deeper at the attention, despite his best effort at not trying to appear affected by the other man. "What brings you to our humble room….orderly?" Brian teased him. Sure enough, he was rewarded with an icy stare as Justin walked closer to them and stood next to the bed.
"I heard that someone was asking for this," he said a little defensively as he glared at Brian and reached inside his pocket to retrieve the two cups of chocolate ice cream he had confiscated from the refrigerator, along with the plastic spoon. Justin noticed the little boy's eyes light up as he recognized the dessert and his little, angelic face broke out into a delighted smile, causing Justin to smile back at him as if they were co-conspirators.
"I thought the nurse said it would have to wait until dinner," Brian pointed out as he stared into the hypnotizing blue eyes.
Justin licked his lips nervously, the tip of a tantalizing pink tongue coming out to take a small swipe across to wet them; the action did not go unnoticed by Brian, whose eyes immediately lowered to study the fullness of his mouth and again wonder just what it would feel like to kiss those lips and use them for various pleasant activities that involved just the two of them…...
Justin rocked slightly on his feet, feeling decidedly awkward to be under such intense scrutiny. He placed the two cups of ice cream down on the portable hospital table as he said, "I happen to overhear the nurse and had a little extra time on my hands, so I thought I'd take care of it for her," he maintained, trying hard to make it sound like just another part of his job. He had a feeling, though, that he was doing a very poor job of convincing Brian of that as the brunet looked at him with what could only be called a knowing smirk.
"I think you just wanted to see me again," Brian told him confidently; he was rewarded with an attractive tint of deep pink appearing on the blond's cheeks. Gotcha…..
Justin did his best to stare back evenly at the older man before retorting, "Don't flatter yourself; I didn't even know you were here. But since you do happen to be here now, you can help him with it then," he told Brian. "I have to go do my job now and get the dinner trays ready." He nodded slightly at Gus before gazing stiffly at Brian and turning silently toward the door to leave.
Brian's gaze fixed on Justin's retreating form as he left and he found himself torn between staying with his son, who was reaching over eagerly toward one of the ice cream cups, or following the blond out to talk to him. He was spared the dilemma when Lindsey and Mel chose just that time to return from the cafeteria. He quickly stood up. "Uh….help Gus out with his ice cream, okay? I'll be right back," he hurriedly told them, before rushing out of the room in search of Justin. He looked to the left and then to the right, just catching a glimpse of shiny blond hair disappearing around a corner of the hallway as he sprinted down the expanse in hopes of catching up with his target before he completely evaded him.
"Justin!" he called out breathlessly as he hurried around the corner and observed the blond getting into an elevator. He watched anxiously for a few seconds, worried that he had missed him, until he noticed the younger man finally stepping back out and peering over at him in what seemed like a mixture of curiosity and irritation.
Secretly relieved that he had been able to catch up to him, he slowed down somewhat as he walked up to him, trying to exude an air of confidence; thankfully, the two of them were relatively alone since the elevator was located at the end of an unused hallway and the row of elevators was apparently reserved for hospital employees only.
Justin let out an exasperated breath and placed his hands on his hips as he glared at the other man. "What?" he huffed out. "Did Gus drop his spoon on the floor and you need me now to go find you another one? Run out of orange soap for your next shower? Or were you still looking for someone to teach you CPR?" He bit his lip in aggravation. "I told you – I have work to do….. Mr. Kinney." He swiveled around to punch the button for the next elevator car and remained standing there rigidly, his back to the other man. He didn't dare turn back around, because somehow he knew that Brian was still there; he could almost feel his eyes boring into the back of him.
Brian stopped for a second or two to observe how the sound of his name on those luscious lips sounded so intriguing to him and made his blood stir with desire. He glanced around to see if anyone was observing them, pleased that no one was around at the moment to notice them. "I still haven't thanked you for taking such good care of my son," he said softly, his voice oddly without any inflection of sarcasm.
"I told you before – I was just doing my job." Justin turned around and punched the 'down' button again, hoping somehow it would make the car arrive faster but knowing it wouldn't.
"Justin…."
The blond closed his eyes briefly, startled momentarily by the other man's use of his first name. He liked the way it sounded on his lips, like some sensual, slow, steady rain after a thunderstorm had dissipated. He couldn't resist turning around finally, his eyes widening as he noticed how close their bodies had become, almost touching now; he could actually feel the other man's breath on his face as Brian silently stared down at him inscrutably, not giving away any hint of his actual feelings.
He sighed in resignation, tired of the game they constantly were playing. He couldn't keep up with the scorecard anymore; just what was Brian's purpose in all of this? "What do you want, Brian?" he murmured wearily as he stood there gazing into the darkening eyes of greenish-gold. God, this man was magnificent, he still couldn't help thinking as he took a moment to study him.
Brian stood there silently for a couple of seconds as he considered that question. Now that Gus was getting better, he had a little more time to concentrate more closely on this captivating man in front of him. Just what did he want with him? Why did he – and Justin – keep making up excuses to see each other under the pretense of it being business? Both of them knew intrinsically that there was more going on than that; the attraction between the two of them was growing stronger by the day. To Brian's surprise, though, he was rapidly realizing that he wasn't just interested in this blond beauty as merely a plaything, though. His feelings were running deeper than that.
Justin waited but there was no reply from Brian. Sighing, he heard the ding behind him from the elevator, signaling the impending arrival of the downward car that would take him to the commissary to retrieve the day's supply of dinner trays, and he knew his time was fast running out, not only now but for good; soon Brian would have no more need to be here. He would disappear from his life as quickly as he had arrived. Once his son was discharged from the hospital, he would no longer have any reason to come back; most likely their paths would never cross again. But why should they? He was a fledgling artist and Brian Kinney was a successful, well-established businessman. There would be no logical reason why he would ever see him again, he realized, and that filled him with an inexplicable sense of loss. He would miss the opportunity to get to know this intriguing man before they even got started.
He shook his head in defeat. "I….I have to go," he told the brunet, unable to keep the reluctance from seeping into his voice as he nodded his head toward the elevator. "They'll be looking for me soon." He turned around as he heard the whoosh of the car doors opening, noticing a man who was apparently a doctor somewhat impatiently waiting for him to enter. He had the trademark stethoscope draped around his neck, but Justin wasn't close enough to read the name inscribed on the badge he was wearing.
Suddenly, he found himself roughly yanked backward, away from the doors and against the nearby wall as he heard Brian say in a commanding tone of voice, "Move on, Doctor Goodbody – he's changed his mind." Justin gasped softly as his own body was shoved intimately up against Brian's; there was no mistaking the brunet's desire for him as Brian deliberately began to grind his hips into his. He placed both of his hands against the wall on either side of Justin's shoulders, effectively making him a prisoner between the wall and his body as his eyes bored into his.
"Perverts," he heard the man mutter as the employee punched the 'closed door' button and the doors slid shut, leaving the two men alone once more.
Justin flushed at the intense look in Brian's eyes – the glinting orbs of gold and green were almost on fire, almost matching the heat that was rushing through his body as the other man leaned in until they were almost touching nose to nose. He felt as if he was paralyzed as Brian whispered, "You asked me a question and I didn't get to answer it yet."
Justin swallowed hard at the almost predatory look in Brian's eyes; all of a sudden, he completely forgot exactly what he had asked him. "I did?" he asked dumbly as Brian smirked.
"Yeah, you did," the brunet whispered softly, his breath warm and enveloping. "You asked me what I wanted."
Justin let out a shaky breath; he could feel Brian's arousal – his desire for him – hard and unyielding between his legs and it made his own body flush with the knowledge. For a fleeting moment, he thought about the need for a quick-acting thermometer so he could take his temperature, but if he had one to use he knew his reading would be off the charts right now. "Oh," was the only word he managed to utter; he cursed himself silently for his lack of eloquence. He frantically tried to inhale some steadying air, trying desperately to find his voice again. Finally, he managed to reply with a surprisingly degree of steadiness, "So what do you want?"
His heart leapt into his throat at the single word growled back at him that he had been hoping he would hear. "You."
He barely had a chance to even consider a rational, intelligent rejoinder before Brian promptly smashed his lips against his and ground his body even further into his own. He moaned through his mouth in response as Brian's tongue poked out to demand entrance. He hesitated for just a second, knowing how this would look if they were caught by a bystander, before he opened his mouth anyway and Brian plunged inside; his tongue seemed to be like some sexy serpent as it began to promptly lap and flick over every part of his mouth; his roof, his teeth, his own tongue, everywhere as the kiss kept going on and on…..
The ding of another elevator car arriving jolted the two men from their hazy bubble of desire a few minutes later. Realizing where he was, Justin pushed back against Brian to break the kiss and create a safer space between them, frantically trying to regain some oxygen back into his body as his breathing rushed out of him in a ragged series of shallow pants. He knew if his lips looked as ravaged as Brian's did, there would be question what the two had been doing if they were seen together; his mouth was still tingling from the rush of emotion that had surged through him at the first touch of Brian's hands and lips against his. He frantically breathed in heavily through his open mouth, trying fervently to calm his fluttering heart. No man had ever made him feel the way he felt right now; this man was like a master musician and he was his pliable, willing instrument.
He knew in seconds he would have to go; his time had long past expired for when he was expected downstairs. "I really have to go," he whispered out raggedly, but Brian's hands remained where he was, pinning him within his sensuous prison. "Brian…..I can't stay here."
Brian knew he had to let Justin go, but now that he had had a taste of him, he didn't want to. He had been right about those lips; they were divine. They molded perfectly against his as if they had been made for him and they made his body thrum with pleasure. He wondered idly if there was an empty supply closet somewhere nearby – anywhere – because he couldn't wait to find out just how many other kinds of pleasure this man's body could provide for him. He knew now that one taste wasn't going to be nearly enough, and he was not a very patient man when it came to something he wanted, and he wanted this man badly.
Not wanting Justin to know how much power he had over him, however, he reluctantly pulled back to gaze down into the lust-filled, steel-blue eyes. "Wouldn't want to keep the hospital's finest from performing his duties," he replied huskily with a slight smile as he dropped his hands to his side and moved slightly back to allow Justin enough room to move away. "I'm sure I'm not the only hungry one around here that needs his appetite satisfied." He was rewarded with a dark-pink flush to Justin's cheeks in response as the blond backed away from him toward the arriving elevator.
The elevator doors slid open just then and Justin miraculously found the car empty. Thanking the fates for not forcing him to try and appear detached when his heart was pounding in response to Brian's double entendre, he quickly rushed into the car and turned around to face the brunet, who was staring at him intensely with a sly smile on his face.
"Later…..Justin," Brian whispered just before the doors silently slid shut and the blond found himself alone with just his still-fluttering heart and his jumbled thoughts in turmoil. What have I unleashed? he couldn't help thinking as the elevator slowly trudged downward and he leaned back against the far mirrored wall for support. He couldn't prevent the sudden, slight smile that appeared on his lips, however, as he reached up with his fingers to touch his mouth that was still burning from his and Brian's kiss. His last thought before the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened was the hope that a certain brunet was currently feeling the same thing.