All sorts of thoughts were running through Brian's head as he hurried over to Justin's shop in response to his phone call. It was all he could do to abide by Justin's wishes earlier as he waited for him to call, and when he finally did, it was obvious the other man had done something to upset him. If you hurt him, you fucker, there won't be enough space in all of Pittsburgh OR Chicago for you to hide your ass…..
He pulled up in front of the shop, noticing the "closed" sign displayed, even though it was the middle of the day. As he walked up to the door, he cupped his hands over the glass but did not see any movement from inside. He tried the door and found to his slight alarm that, even though the shop was supposed to be closed, it was unlocked. Turning the knob, he entered the quiet first floor shop area, scanning the space for his target, but there was no sign of Justin. "Justin?" he called out softly but there was no response.
He pushed his concern deeper inside, not wanting to jump to conclusions, but his heartbeat began to pick up pace the longer he couldn't find his lover. Frowning at the inexplicable silence, he turned long enough to lock the door back to the shop and walked over to the steps. If Justin wasn't downstairs tending to his business, there would hopefully be only one other place he might be….
From his place upstairs on the second-hand couch, Justin grasped his lower legs with his hands and rocked back and forth slightly, trying to quell the pain and also growing uncertainty he was feeling inside. He knew that it was going to be hard to tell Nico the truth, but he hadn't planned on it being this gut-wrenching. He felt like a knife was twisting inside him - a knife of guilt. Why had he ever let Nico talk him into accepting his ring? No, he couldn't blame Nico, he berated himself; he had had the chance to prevent what had happened today and he hadn't taken it. The event that had precipitated today should never have even happened in the first place. Whatever misguided reason he had had to accept it was irrelevant now; what was important was that he had hurt Nico deeply.
In the process, too, his friend had planted in him seeds of doubt as to exactly what place he held in Brian's heart. Did he even occupy a place there, like Brian already did for him? Or was he just a pleasant, momentary diversion from the asshole fiancé Brian had pretended to be engaged to until he was able to wriggle out from the other man's grasp? Was he just a convenient way to get out of a despicable agreement that Brian had detested? No, Justin refused to believe that – he couldn't believe that, not after how Brian had made love to him last night.
But although he tried hard to convince himself, diffuse swirls of doubt still continued to coalesce inside of him…. He squeezed his hands tightly around his ankles even more, almost trying to inflict physical pain on himself to accompany the mental anguish he was feeling. Well, either way he was about to find out, he realized, because Brian said he was on his way over, and he had to know. Brian had the funds to repair his business and keep it going for some time, thanks to his new account – and his help with the ad graphics. What Brian had to say to him now, then, would be the test of what Brian's true intentions toward him were.
As if in response to his thoughts, he heard soft but deliberate footsteps walking up the stairs. His pulse quickened as he waited anxiously for Brian to ascend to the second floor. Glancing up as the footfalls sounded closer, he watched as the brunet slowly emerged on the landing and turned his head to search for him with a concerned look on his face. His heart skipped a beat as he saw Brian hone in on his whereabouts and saw his face relaxing slightly in what appeared to be relief. He bit his lip and stared at his lover, suddenly finding his determination to be stoic quickly fading as tears welled up in his eyes at the soft smile he was receiving in return.
Brian sighed in relief as he spotted Justin sitting over on the couch, huddled in a virtual ball with his slender hands wrapped around his legs. His brow furrowed as Justin raised his eyes to peer back at him and he noticed the brightness glistening there. Despite his worries that he had been right – the other man had hurt his lover - he forced himself to smile slightly back at the blond in an attempt to reassure him that everything would be okay, but Justin didn't respond in kind; there was definitely extreme sadness and regret written all over his beautiful face. "Justin?" he asked softly. "What happened?" He stood there for a few seconds, suddenly feeling inexplicably unsure of what to do, until Justin released his legs to place them on the floor and simply extended his hands slowly toward him.
Without any further hesitation, Brian quickly walked over and sat down next to Justin to silently wrap his arms firmly around his back and pull him into a tight embrace. Justin molded his slender body against him and sighed as he burrowed his head into Brian's chest and slid his own arms around Brian's back.
Brian snaked his hand under Justin's shirt to softly stroke the slender skin under his touch and gently nuzzled Justin's head under his chin, trying fervently to tell him whatever he needed to know by his actions as he heard the blond sniffle against him a couple of times and sigh mournfully. He closed his eyes, the sound of Justin's pain echoing in his own heart as he continued to hold the other man and wait for him to show him what he needed. This was all so new for him - he certainly had never felt any measure of this at all with Chagall, or with any other man for that matter. He knew he undoubtedly had to be one of the most experienced men when it came to fucking any male within the city limits of Pittsburgh, but when it came to love or expressing his true feelings for Justin, he was the emotional virgin. The feelings that his lover engendered in him thrilled him and also totally terrified him, but he couldn't imagine his life without Justin in it now.
Finally after a few minutes, he felt Justin moving slightly in his arms and noticed his heartbeat had slowed down to a more regular rhythm. He loosened his hold just enough to pull back to gaze down into the mesmerizing blue eyes and whisper, "You want to tell me what happened?" He reached around from Justin's back to place his hand under the pale, slightly trembling chin to hold his gaze before saying in a worried voice, "Did he hurt you?"
Justin's lashes were wet with tears as he stared into the chocolate-brown orbs boring into him. He shook his head. "No, Brian," he whispered. "I hurt him."
Brian couldn't hide his relief that at least the other man hadn't harmed Justin, but there was no hiding the pain that Justin - his sweet, compassionate, well-intentioned but misguided lover – was feeling. And now Justin was paying for his mistake. At least he could be there to help soothe the pain; he had no intention of going anywhere else. "It couldn't be helped, Justin…you had to be honest with him."
Justin inhaled a shaky breath and then blew it out between his lips. "I know….I just wish I hadn't had to do it in the first place."
Brian nodded as he lightly caressed Justin's cheek with the back of his hand. "I know you do…..otherwise you wouldn't be the person that you are, Justin."
Justin gazed into Brian's eyes that were so full of what? Sympathy? Compassion? Understanding? Dare he even say love? Dare he even think that? How could he be sure? Was he just seeing what he wanted to see instead of the actual truth?
"And just what kind of person am I, Brian?" he asked haltingly.
Brian shook his head slightly, not understanding. "What do you mean?"
The blond took a breath before he plunged on, afraid almost to ask the most important question of all, but knowing that he couldn't avoid it. "What kind of person am I to you, Brian?"
Brian stared into the hesitant blue eyes. "To me?" he asked, feeling somewhat awkward all of a sudden at the intense look Justin was giving him.
Justin nodded as his hands splayed over Brian's back and he held onto him, almost like a lifeline.
Brian struggled to say what Justin wanted to hear, what he evidently needed to hear. Just what had Alvarez told him to make him so skittish and unsure of himself? "Justin…..I care about you," he finally whispered tentatively. Fuck - this was so hard for him, such unfamiliar emotional territory, but he also sensed how important it was, not only to Justin but to himself as well.
Justin tried not to get his hopes up at the tender, almost shy expression Brian was giving him and his hesitant words. It was as if Brian Kinney, the normally self-assured, confident, and glib ad executive, was all of a sudden lost for speech. Was it just possible that perhaps Brian really did deeply care about him the way he felt, too? He took another breath before advising Brian awkwardly, his eyes averted just in case, "Nico said you were just using me to get what you wanted - a way to get out from under Chagall's control, or as some temporary amusement." He bit out the last two words like they were burning his tongue as he said them, the distastefulness palpable at the thought that they might be true.
He had barely gotten the words out before he felt Brian's hand firmly grasp his chin once more and actually shake it slightly as his eyes flashed back at him. "Is that what you believe, Justin? Do you?" Brian bristled in insult.
Justin's eyes widened at the fierceness in Brian's voice. "Well, I…." he stumbled out, a little frightened all of a sudden at the anger he saw reflected in the hazel eyes.
"You listen to me, Justin Taylor!" Brian avowed as he almost painfully grasped Justin's chin. He realized what he was doing and immediately lessened his hold but did not relinquish it altogether as he stared into Justin's large, expressive eyes. "I already told you I cared about you, and I do!" His voice softened as he stared intently back at Justin to admit, "More than I ever thought I could. Don't you realize that by now?" He shook his head slightly before he decided to show Justin the only way he knew how and slowly lowered his lips to kiss the waiting mouth of his lover. He felt Justin's mouth quivering slightly with pent-up emotion as his tongue pressed insistently for entrance and he was gradually granted access to his goal.
Justin moaned softly at the masterful touch of Brian's lips and tongue in his mouth; the touch was almost as exhilarating as Brian's words that had flowed from his skillful lips seconds before. More than I ever thought I could…. His heart sang at the sound of those words uttered so fervently and sincerely as Brian's hand moved to the back of Justin's neck to pull him even closer to deepen their kiss.
Several seconds later, breathless and panting heavily from their mutual tongue dueling, Brian tore his lips away to forge a trail of kisses down Justin's cheek and neck as his hands began to impatiently unbutton the blond's shirt.
"Brian," Justin gasped out, one of his hands coming to rest on top of Brian's head as his auburn-haired lover continued his path over to his left nipple to languorously swirl his tongue around the quickly-hardening nub. "Brian….." he struggled to repeat, his mind scrambling to translate coherent thought into words; the sensations Brian was creating inside him, the burning passion the brunet was quickly stoking, made him forget what he was even trying to say.
"What?" Brian whispered, his breath hot against Justin's skin; he felt Justin shiver in response and he relished in the power he possessed over this delightfully sensual, captivating man. He slowly raised his eyes to stare into the gray-blue eyes darkened with desire for him and he had to smile just a little. "You want to engage in some further verbal discussion about how much I care about you? You want me to take the rest of the afternoon telling you that you drive me crazy with want?" To emphasis his point, Brian pulled Justin's hand back around to the front and placed it firmly on top of his aroused cock; even through the linen fabric, there was no mistaking Brian's desire for him as Justin flushed at the knowledge.
He stared into Brian's eyes as he continued huskily, "You want me to spend the next hour convincing you that Nico's claims are full of shit? I will if you want me to," he confirmed to Justin's surprise before he curled his lips under in a suggestive sort of smirk and lifted his hand to begin unbuttoning Justin's pants. "But I'd much rather show you…..wouldn't you?"
Justin swallowed hard at the sexy tone of Brian's words – right now, the man could have been reciting the fucking alphabet and he would have still made him hard. As Brian snaked his long fingers inside Justin's pants and firmly grasped his silky but rock-hard shaft, it was all he could do to simply nod at him before Brian roughly pulled his pants and briefs down and swooped in with his lips to prove just how much he did care.
Within minutes, Brian had managed to dispatch the rest of Justin's clothing and reduce the blond to a quivering mess of sensations; just like with his lips, his hands were roaming lightly everywhere, never stopping for more than a few seconds in the same spot before traveling somewhere else to explore and tease.
"Brian," Justin whispered in exquisite torment shortly afterward as he found himself now lying beneath the brunet long ways on the couch; he could feel the hard buttons of the fabric underneath biting into his skin and squirmed, partly in discomfort but also partly in pleasure as Brian relentlessly continued his sensual onslaught of him, unaware of his discomfort. He finally had to reach down with his hands and place them firmly on either side of Brian's head to get his attention. "Brian," he repeated a little more urgently. Finally, the nearly coal-black, lust-filled eyes slowly raised to gaze into his in silent question.
"I…..," he began, almost feeling shy and embarrassed at the intense look he was receiving; he could feel his face reddening as Brian twisted one side of his mouth up in amusement – or was it self-satisfaction over the obvious desire written on his face as he stumbled over his words. "Not here," he finally managed to gasp out. Brian frowned slightly before he clarified what he meant concisely and quickly – at the moment he was having difficulty stringing more than a few words together. "Bed," he breathed out finally as Brian's eyes lit up in understanding.
He mourned the abrupt loss of Brian's warm, firmly-muscled body lying on top of his as the brunet stood up and gazed down at him appreciatively. Somehow, he had managed to remove all of Justin's clothing while he remained dressed; Brian was still clothed, his shirt unbuttoned and the tails hanging out of his pants the only sign of his dishevelment at the moment. But the swollen, firmly kissed lips, the darkened pupils and the messed up but still oh-so-sexy hair were all signs of what was about to be continued as he held his hand out to give Justin a help up.
Justin took a couple of seconds to admire the exposed, bronze flesh peeking out tantalizingly from behind Brian's shirt before he took the proffered hand and allowed himself to be pulled up from the couch. Now standing in front of his lover, he watched as Brian took his other hand and put it behind his head to press their lips together once more and savor some more of Justin's taste.
As they parted, Brian's eyes took one long sweep down Justin's pale, creamy skin from his chest to his feet, lingering on the blond's thick, impressive cock before he smiled back into the flushed face staring back at him with wide, expressive eyes. Not able to wait any longer – the tightness in his own cock was uncomfortable as hell and could only be cured by one thing – he threw caution to the wind.
Justin squeaked in surprise as Brian abruptly reached down and swept him up into his arms; his skin felt like it was burning where Brian's hands were holding him under his thighs. Brian stole one more kiss from his captive as he began to walk purposefully down the short hallway to Justin's bed and place him with urgent but surprising reverence down on the mattress. As Justin stared entranced at his lover, Brian finally stood by the bed and did what Justin had been wishing for since the man had first shown up – he removed his open shirt, pants, briefs, shoes and socks, finally exposing his glorious body in its entirety to his hungry eyes.
"Now…..where were we?" Brian drawled, his eyebrows waggling as he slowly crept onto the bed and knelt over Justin to peer down at him like some sexy predatory panther. Justin could feel Brian's cock leaking against his belly and his face darkened to an almost beet red shade in response.
"Oh, yeah," Brian huskily answered his own question as he lowered his body so he was lying on top of Justin's. "Right…..about…here." He punctuated each word with a kiss to the soft, full, dark-pink lips as Justin's heart sang at the tender sound of Brian's voice, erasing any residual doubts he had had that this man truly cared deeply for him, perhaps even loved him. For now, he wouldn't press for that sort of commitment; he was content to just lie there at the moment and savor the incredible feelings coursing through his body as Brian continued to worship him with his hands, lips, and words.
The brunet twisted his body to lie next to Justin on his side and gaze at his lover. He reached his hand over to lightly tease the pale flesh of Justin's belly, suddenly wishing to prolong his lover's pleasure as long as possible at the expense of his own. He realized just how important this was – to both of them. By the time he was finished with this blond beauty lying next to him, his skin glistening with sweat and his blue eyes darkened with desire for him, he planned on leaving no doubts about just how he felt about him.
He purposely avoided Justin's cock begging for attention as he lightly stroked his lover's chest up and down with his fingers, playing him like some priceless instrument as he admired the pale, smooth skin that was quivering under his touch. He then proceeded to trail a light path down Justin's arm from his shoulder down to his hand, linking their fingers together as he raised Justin's hand to kiss the knuckles lightly with his lips.
Despite his desperation for Brian to move things along – the aching in his balls and cock was driving him almost insane with desire – Justin found himself fascinated by this tender facet of Brian's lovemaking. His touch was so light, almost reverent, and when the brunet raised his knuckles to kiss them with his lips, he sighed in contentment, extending his fingers for Brian to take each one in his mouth to suck on them before sensually pulling each digit out one by one after thoroughly coating them with his saliva. Justin found the whole process extremely erotic as his body temperature rose to almost impossible heights and his whole body craved for release. He was unable to pull away from the hazel eyes that were threatening to drown him with their intensity, but he had to have this man inside him – now. He would never get enough of Brian's passion and out-and-out raw sexuality.
"Brian," he throatily whispered, his breathing labored and stilted at the feelings pouring through him as Brian now began to lick the salt off his glistening chest before his mouth began to roam downward. A Brian Kinney blowjob was heavenly, Justin had already discovered that wonder of the world already, but being fucked by him was akin to explosive nirvana. "Brian….." he began again, quickly losing track of what he wanted to say as the brunet neared his target; he could feel his hands now on his thighs, holding him down, and knew once Brian's talented mouth latched onto his cock, he would come within seconds. "I want….." He gasped as he felt Brian's tongue dart slightly in his slit and then start a wet, warm trail down his shaft. "Fuck!" he cried out as Brian chuckled at his discomfiture.
"I'm planning on it," Brian deadpanned as he raised his head to gaze up into the fiery blue eyes. "In my own good time," he advised to Justin's dismay as he inhaled the musky, clean scent of his lover.
"Oh, no you don't!" Justin growled abruptly, all sense of patience gone as his adrenaline kicked in and he reached down to grab Brian by his shoulders to pull him up his body, biting his lip as he felt both of their hard-ons rubbing together as he did. Every fiber of his body was alive with exquisite tendrils of almost unbearable need as Brian slithered up his body slowly and then smiled smugly into the tormented blue eyes.
"I was enjoying myself down there," the brunet proclaimed, curling his lips under at Justin's agitated glare as he lay on top of his "captive." He marveled at how their bodies lined up so perfectly in bed as he gazed down at the flushed, sweaty face of his lover; every angle, every muscled curve of his body seemed to mold perfectly to the more petite one squirming impatiently beneath him. Truth be told, Brian couldn't wait much longer, either – there would be time later to take a more leisurely journey of pleasure all over this wonderfully soft, warm, enticing body lying under him. But for now, his mind couldn't think beyond what his body needed so desperately – a full and unconditional release, an explosive, shared surrender that he only craved from one man.
"Tell me what you want, Justin," he huskily commanded as he placed both of his hands on either side of the flushed, mesmerizing face; the blue eyes were an almost dark-midnight steel with hints of silver now. "Say it," he demanded simply.
Justin's chest heaved up and down in concerted effort as he breathed out, his voice thick with desire and want, "I need you inside me…..please…"
The old Brian that was still entrenched inside of the brunet thought briefly of replying with some cocky, almost conceited comment, but he found with this man he couldn't do that, he wouldn't do that. This was not some mindless, nameless fuck – this was someone special. Someone he could imagine spending a long, long time with, maybe even the rest of his life with. He wasn't ready to voice that thought aloud, though, as he gazed back into Justin's eyes and merely nodded. "How?" he whispered.
Justin swallowed, anticipation growing in his balls, cock, and belly. "Face to face," he breathed out raggedly as he reached his hand beneath the pillow his head was lying on to pull out a condom hidden there, leaving no question what he so desperately desired.
"Glad to see you still have a supply under there," Brian teased gently as he took the package from his lover and ripped it with his teeth. He continued to stare down at the blond as he skillfully took just a few seconds to place the latex on his cock before Justin handed him a small tube of lube that had also been lying in the same hiding spot. He took a few moments to work some around his shaft before reaching down to probe his lover's puckered opening with one finger, and then two. Justin's body arched off the bed at the expected intrusion, his body rising to even impossibly higher heights of sensual torture as Brian worked on preparing him.
"Enough," Justin grunted. "Do it – fuck me, Brian," he urged the other man as he began to pump his body up and down on Brian's fingers in delicious, eager anticipation of having something much larger shortly replacing them.
Brian nodded as he pulled his fingers out and Justin locked his legs tightly around Brian's waist. Brian leaned down long enough to place a deep kiss on the luscious pink lips before he positioned himself and pushed in slightly, hearing the predictable initial hiss of pain from his lover. He stopped to stare into Justin's eyes for a silent signal to proceed; he didn't have long to wait as Justin reached up to grasp one of Brian's hips in encouragement for him to continue and the brunet promptly plunged into the tight, hot, welcoming crevice.
Both men groaned in rapture as Brian pushed in even deeper, impaling himself thoroughly all the way up to his wiry pubic hair. As he began to thrust in and out harder, he knew he had to be leaving marks on Justin's fairer skin with his clenched hands, but he couldn't help it. He felt like if he didn't tightly hold onto him, he would promptly disappear into a haze of pleasurable oblivion as he leaned down once more to tongue-fuck the open mouth, their tongues dueling in time with his strokes as he neared his climax and continually managed to hit that sweet spot that made Justin cry out in ecstasy each time.
Brian's body was almost working on automatic now as he picked his pace up, on the brink of riding a tidal wave of pleasure. He knew it would be soon – he could feel it in the rush of heat pouring through him and in his body's response to this fiery, passionate man keeping time with him, stroke for stroke. He reached down to grasp Justin's cock, hearing the blond whimper louder and louder and cry out his name as he began to pump the hard, purplish shaft harder and harder, faster and faster, like an euphoric volcano about to erupt.
"God….Brian," Justin gasped as their sweat-slicked bodies writhed together in unison. He wanted so badly to tell Brian that he now knew he was head-over-heels in love with the gorgeous, incredible man, but he daren't speak what was in his heart for fear of scaring away the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to him. As their climaxes neared, however, he realized there would be time for that later. Yes, he knew now – Brian wasn't planning on going anywhere, and neither was he.
Brian grunted softly as he picked up his pace even faster, his hand possessively sliding up and down, up and down as their bodies ached for release. "Fuck….Justin," he groaned in indescribable pleasure as he felt that old, familiar feeling creeping down his body. "I…..I'm going….."
He didn't have a chance to finish as he saw almost impossibly white lights flash behind his eyes and he came with a tremendous shout, the creamy, sticky white liquid filling the condom up almost instantly. Seconds later as he continued to pump Justin's cock rigorously, his lover too came with an explosive crying of Brian's name as, exhausted, he slowly dropped his legs from around Brian's waist and plopped them down, feet braced on the mattress, his body soaked and glistening with the sweat of their exertion.
Brian collapsed on top of the slender body of his lover and burrowed his face into the groove of Justin's neck; he could hear their furiously-beating hearts seemingly pumping as one as he lay there, thoroughly spent. Finally after a few seconds, he raised his head to stare into Justin's flushed, sweaty face; he smiled gently as he reached to wipe some of the hair away that was plastered to the pale forehead. Justin smiled back at him in return, his chest still heaving but less vigorously now.
Brian couldn't help the almost lesbionic thought that escaped his lips at that moment; he had no power to avoid it as he whispered, "You are so beautiful." He watched as Justin's face lit up with pleasure and a radiant smile appear as he grinned back at him in response before realizing his heavier weight was going to become an issue soon. He gazed back briefly at Justin, almost trying to memorize that moment for all eternity, before he reluctantly pulled out and twisted to the side to tie the condom off and discard it into a small, white trashcan located by the side of the bed.
Fully sated – at least for now – Brian reached to pull Justin into his arms as the blond turned to face him, nestling his body up against the longer frame and placing his head on Brian's chest as his hand reached up to cup the brunet's face lightly and caress it. Brian reached behind him to find the light beige sheet now crumpled up from their lovemaking to pull it over their joined bodies. He knew they were a sticky mess, but at the moment he didn't have the heart – or the inclination – to let this man go just yet.
"Brian?" he heard Justin softly whisper as he pulled his head back to stare down at his lover. "Stay with me?"
Brian's lips turned up into a gentle smile. "Can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be," he said with heartfelt emotion, because it was the truth; he knew that unequivocally now. Lying here with Justin's body pressed against his, feeling his lover's soft, warm hands lying on his chest, felt so good. It felt right. It felt like everything was in place where it should be, like the world was turning right once more.
Justin smiled and sighed contentedly as he burrowed back into Brian's chest and slowly wrapped his arm around Brian's waist as the two lovers closed their eyes and fell asleep in each other's arms.
Monday Morning – Alleghany River Marina
As he leaned against his 'Vette, Brian gazed over at Chagall's ship still docked where it had been the last time he had pursued – and failed – to capture the incredible man that he had grudgingly left back in bed thirty minutes ago. He and Justin had made up for lost time the past couple of days, exploring every conceivable way of fucking, sucking, and rimming known to every queer in Pittsburgh and even some Brian wouldn't have thought were anatomically possible. He smiled – it seems he had underestimated Justin's passion and creative imagination; the blond had worn the great Brian Kinney out, but he wasn't complaining. He had never felt as wonderful in his life as he did right at that moment. There was just one more, unfinished piece of business he had to attend to, though, before he could move on with his life - the life he foresaw now with Justin.
Brian knew his ex-fiancé would be here at this time of the day; the man was so blandly predictable that he always spent the weekend trawling the river waters on his yacht, parading around on deck in his white hat and matching white nylon shorts with a drink of scotch in his hand, puffing out his chest like some studly peacock as he tried to attract some ignorant, mindless twink that might happen to pass by on a tourist boat or on some dinky weekend fishing vessel. He always took his ship out for the weekend, returning early Monday morning in time to report to his corporate headquarters to go over his restaurants' menus for the coming week and to meet with his executive staff.
His guess was confirmed as he observed Chagall's luxury car parked by the side of the ship in his customary private parking spot. He really would have preferred not to deal with the conceited blowhard asshole ever again – if it had been up to him, he would have never set eyes on the man at all – but he had one last chore he had to perform, and the reason for his visit would provide him with tremendous satisfaction that would certainly offset any expected unpleasantness.
Walking over to the boarding plank, he began to ascend the gradually sloping, metal plate as he jumped slightly to reach the ship, remembering the last time Justin had been with him. If he hadn't reached out and grabbed him, he would have fallen straight through to the water below. He smiled as he recalled the feeling of first holding Justin in his arms; that feeling persisted even now, but it had grown stronger as their relationship had deepened.
Assuming his former fiancé would be holed up as usual near the stern where his office was located, Brian turned to his right and began to walk down the narrow pathway toward the back of the ship. A few minutes later, he rounded a sloping turn and observed Chagall through the room's windows, seated as expected at his wooden, glass-topped desk, sitting in his high-topped, black leather chair, his cell phone clutched in his hand up to his ear as he discussed something to do with his most lucrative restaurant in Pittsburgh, oddly enough an Amish-type, home-cooking sort of establishment called the Dutch Kettle.
"I don't fucking care whether it's prime or select!" he could hear Chagall snarl. "Just fix it the way the recipe calls for it to be fixed, you got it?" He slapped the phone shut and slammed the top of his laptop down in disgust, shaking his head.
Brian snorted. "Charming as usual," he muttered to himself as he approached the office. Chagall was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't hear the soft footsteps of his former fiancé arriving at his doorway.
"You're not going to welcome me aboard, Robert?" he drawled sarcastically as the older man's head shot up at the sound of his voice.
Chagall's eyes flashed in a mixture of anger and irritation. "What the fuck are you doing on my ship, Brian?" he growled as he glared at his ex-fiancé.
Brian smirked as he leaned against the door jamb. "Now is that any way to greet the man who meant so much to you?"
"Fuck off," was the retort. "You made your feelings for me quite clear the other day. Unless, that is, you've finally come to your senses." Despite his anger over being humiliated the other day, Chagall still secretly wished that he could patch up his differences with Brian. To the other man, it may have been just a convenient business arrangement, but to him it had always been much more. His hopes that their noncommittal relationship could have gradually evolved into something more permanent - and more enjoyable - was still uppermost in his mind as he stared into the defiant hazel eyes and his hopes began to wither away.
Brian snorted. "If you're waiting for me to come running back to you with my tail tucked between my legs, you're in for a hell of a wait, Robert. I came here for another reason."
Chagall stood up, his hands on his hips. "What? To tell me how great it felt to have your dick up our little wedding planner's ass? Was he that good, Brian? Was it worth what you gave up? I hope so, because that's all you're going to have when Kinnetik goes belly up."
"I didn't give up shit, Robert, except for the albatross I had around my neck. And to answer your other questions, yes, as a matter of fact, he is that good and he's definitely worth it."
Brian's use of the present tense wasn't lost on the other man as Chagall glared back at him, painfully cognizant at last that Justin Taylor had succeeded in obtaining what he had been seeking all along but had been unable to capture, something that had been too elusive and out of reach for him to achieve. Something that his ex-fiancé closely guarded over any amount of money – his fragile heart.
Aware of his failure and finally resigned that this man would never belong to him, he wearily asked, "Then what do you want, Brian? Did you come here to gloat?"
Brian's lips turned up at the corner. "Partly," he admitted. "But I mainly came here for this." He reached inside his jacket pocket to draw out a folded, rectangular light-blue piece of paper and walked over to hand it to the other man. Robert stared into the indecipherable hazel eyes for a couple of seconds in puzzlement as he took the proffered document and unfolded it. His eyes widened in shock as he realized what it was.
"It's a cashier's check for the full amount you loaned me, plus the ten percent interest that we had agreed upon."
Chagall shook his head in stunned amazement. "How? How did you come up with this?"
"I just signed a new client – a big new client. One that will keep me well above water for a long time to come. So you see, dear Robert, your services are no longer needed. You'll just have to find another piece of eye candy somewhere else."
Chagall pursed his lips tightly together, his face drawn with anger. "He helped you with this, didn't he?" He knew Taylor was a talented artist – he had seen numerous examples of his work lying around his shop and had seen his amazing ability to put his party ideas down on paper so they could be easily understood. Somehow he just knew the blond had something to do with Brian's success in obtaining this lucrative client that had pulled his ass out of the fire.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, he did," Brian admitted. "But not for the reasons you might think. He did it simply because I asked him to."
Chagall huffed. "Sure he did, Brian. That devious little fucker had you in his sights from the moment he first laid eyes on you. I should have found someone else to handle our wedding and then we'd still be on track to get married."
Brian's eyes flashed in fury. He leaned in closer to Chagall, who instinctively shrunk back from the angry, darkened eyes and the vein on Brian's neck that was sticking out. "You are so deluded, you asshole. Believe me, if I hadn't met Justin I still wouldn't have married you, even if I had wound up out on the street. I would have gone to work for another agency if I had had to, just to avoid the absurdity of marrying you." He laughed derisively as he added, "Don't overestimate your worth, Robert. But then again, you always did."
He turned to leave as Chagall stood there with his mouth hanging open, his eyes hooded with resentment that some young upstart could march in and take what he had been claiming as his own. "You'll be sorry, Brian. You'll get tired of your little precious blond twink and come running back to me yet!"
Brian twirled around before he had taken even a couple of steps and rose to his full height, his breath hot on Chagall's face as he warned, his voice deadly quiet as he poked one long finger in his ex-fiancé's chest, "No, you'll be the sorry one if you go anywhere near him. And if I hear of anything you've said or done – anything – to ruin his business or his reputation, I'll make damned sure that I ruin yours! You understand me, Robert? Remember what I told you before – when I say something, I mean it. You don't want to fuck around with me, because trust me – you'll lose every time."
He stared silently into the other man's nervous face for a couple more seconds before he finally did turn to go. As he reached the doorway, he turned around to stare one last time at the spiteful face of the man he had foolishly chosen to become entangled with and he almost felt pity for him. He shook his head. "Justin gave me back something that you never could, Robert. My fucking pride and my self-worth. Maybe you should try and find some of that yourself. Might do wonders for you. Until then, I'm sure there's some desperate fucker out there who will do whatever you want for the right price. It just won't be me."
As he headed back toward the front of the ship, for the first time in a long time Brian felt like he was back where he belonged; he felt on top of the world and on top of his game. He smiled as he walked down the plank and out to his car, intent on returning to the man who had been responsible for making him feel this way.
As Brian started up the car and drove off with nary a glance behind him, Robert watched quietly from the railing outside his office, knowing somehow it would be the last time the two of them would ever meet. As Brian's car disappeared out of sight, the caustic, piercing words he had spoken to his ex-fiance reverberated in his mind but Chagall refused to hear them.
"To hell with your advice, Brian," he spoke aloud softly. "I don't need you. I don't need anyone." With a soft huff of arrogance, he turned and walked back into his office to resume his work, alone.
A/N: TBC in the epilogue.:)