Six Months Later – Brian's Loft - Early Morning
Justin tightened his hold on Brian's body as he felt the brunet trying to disengage himself quietly from his arms in their bed. He was rewarded with a soft chuckle as he nuzzled his face into Brian's chest and inhaled. He loved the way Brian smelled – he was an intoxicating combination of his outrageously expensive cologne, aftershave, deodorant, and just plain Brian. He knew that even if he lost his sight one day, he would always be able to find his lover simply by inhaling his unique scent.
"Justin, what are you doing?" he heard the brunet's amused voice nearby as he slowly opened one eye and peered up at him. "Practicing to be a bloodhound?"
Justin smiled as Brian curled his lips under and grinned back. "Something like that," he admitted sheepishly. He raised himself up in the bed as he finally let Brian go to ask groggily, "Where are you going?" He could tell by the still-darkened room that it wasn't even 6:00 yet; Brian normally didn't leave for Kinnetik until at least 8:00, and that was normally after their typical, early-morning fuck. Besides, it was a Saturday; even Brian normally slept in a little later on a weekend day.
As Brian rose reluctantly from the bed, Justin raised a eyebrow in question and looked at him warily. Brian gazed down at him sitting under the soft glow of the orange overhead lights and marveled at the pale beauty of Justin's skin before apologetically advising, "I have to run up to Chicago on business just for the day. I'll be back this evening." He leaned over to bestow a kiss on the sulking, pouty lips before whispering huskily, "Don't worry, we'll have a doubleheader when I get home tonight."
Justin looked up at him in incredulity. "Brian….tell me you're not running off on business today. " He shook his head, extremely disappointed as he realized he wasn't going to get to spend Saturday with his lover. He had specifically not scheduled any clients himself because Brian had led him to believe he would be putting aside his own work today. Since the large cash infusion he had received six months ago from Swanson Electronics, Brian had been working so many hours in the past six months that Justin was beginning to feel slightly neglected. Oh, he loved the man deeply; he couldn't deny that. And when he and Brian were able to spend some quality time together, it was so special and it made him very happy. But it was also bittersweet, because their private time was constantly battling with Brian's drive to make Kinnetik more and more profitable. It was as if his lover was scared that he would somehow wind up back in the abysmal hole he had found himself in previously when he had been forced to make a deal with the devil otherwise known as Robert Chagall and accept money from him.
At least the pompous asshole hadn't bothered them since Brian had rid himself of the man. Brian had told him he had had the misfortune of running into the guy at some advertising social function promoting the restaurant industry about a month ago, but Chagall had chosen to turn his nose up at Brian and ignore him like he was some pesky fly. Brian had simply found the whole situation thoroughly amusing as well as satisfying. For once, he was on an even playing field with the fucker and it had felt wonderful. Now, though, it appeared that his partner was leaving for yet another business junket and pushing some much-needed personal time aside once more.
"Brian, you promised you would cut back on your hours," he reminded the other man, crossing his hands over his chest as sat up in bed and glared at him. He knew it wasn't a hundred percent fair, and he knew he was acting suspiciously like a child at the moment; he grudgingly had to admit that Brian had worked to make Kinnetik the most successful advertising agency in Pittsburgh now – but he had been looking forward to just the two of them doing nothing but spending private time with each other just for today and it hurt to know it wasn't going to happen.
Brian sighed; he figured that would be Justin's response. And truthfully, he really couldn't blame him. He had been working a lot of extra hours at Kinnetik to keep his business flourishing. But he had a special purpose today for traveling to Chicago and he couldn't tell Justin the real reason. As he looked down at his lover staring back at him with extreme disappointment, he decided he would just have to wait until he came back to explain the real reason why he was going to Chicago, because it really wasn't due to business.
His feelings for Justin had only deepened in the six months they had been seeing each other. And while he wasn't ready to admit it out loud, he knew without a doubt now that he was in love with this fiery blond currently glaring at him. Of course, the fact that Justin felt everything so passionately was one of the reasons why he did love him. And it was also one of the reasons why he felt like he had to do what he was about to do.
He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Justin….." He reached over with the intention of taking his lover's hand, but Justin merely kept his folded defiantly in front of him. "I am sorry," he whispered to him. "It just couldn't be helped. Something came up unexpectedly and I can't put it off." He hated lying to Justin but for the time being he figured it was the best – and safest – approach to take. If things didn't work out positively on this trip and he told his lover the real purpose for his jaunt, he knew Justin would just feel worse afterward. It was best for now, then, that his lover didn't know the actual reason why he felt such a need to fly to Chicago.
"Yeah, well something else may not be coming up later," Justin growled. "By all means, don't let me keep you." He silently dismissed Brian turning his torso toward the opposite of the room, exposing the pale flesh of his back to Brian's gaze.
Brian rolled his eyes and shook his head, wondering how in the world he had ever felt a need to become involved with such a drama queen. A beautiful, passionate, creative, and intelligent drama queen, but a drama queen nevertheless. If he wasn't so fucking in love with this man, he would seriously question his sanity at times like this.
He slowly rose silently from the bed in resignation and turned to walk the couple of steps toward the main area of the loft. He turned back to look at Justin, who stole a quick glance his way to make sure he hadn't left yet, and offered him a wistful smile before whispering, "Later," and walking out to the fridge to grab a bottled water before leaving for the airport.
Justin watched Brian walking over to the kitchen and sighed. This relationship stuff was a lot harder than he ever realized. He knew he wasn't the only one still trying to make whatever they had work. He was convinced Brian loved him – it was obvious in the way he reserved a special sort of look just for him, in the way he touched and kissed him, and in the special things he did for him. He was constantly bringing him home the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream he adored (even though his partner always cringed at the high-carb content and never ceased to grumble about it every time he put it away in the freezer), and he would frequently find any art supply he was running low on inexplicably replaced soon afterward without any hint as to where it had come from or how it had gotten there; Justin never said anything about noticing it and Brian never volunteered any information about being the benefactor. And often when he fell asleep on the couch after a long day of coordinating an unusually hectic, grandiose wedding, he would wake up somehow in their bed the next morning, not even realizing when Brian had walked over and gently picked him up to carry him back to the mattress so he wouldn't wake up stiff as a board (at least, not in the areas where he didn't want to be stiff…).
He smiled at that thought; he and Brian certainly didn't have issues in the bedroom, or on the couch, or on the floor pillows, or against one of the loft's pillars, or in the shower…actually, anywhere they found the inclination – and the space – to fuck. Brian was every bit a match for his own passion and stamina when they made love. Just the thought of last night made his skin flush over the recollection. And now this special man was about to walk out the door with him thinking he was a spoiled, ungrateful brat.
He quickly rose from the mattress and hurried out of the bedroom, spotting Brian picking up his keys and heading toward the door. The brunet noticed a movement out of his eye and stopped as he noticed Justin rushing up to him.
"Wait!" Justin said; Brian cocked a well-manicured eyebrow in response.
"What? Is my tie on crooked? Want to tie it even tighter?" He stood there with his hands at his side, the keys making a slight jingling sound as he swung them lightly back and forth in nervous agitation.
Justin walked up to him and stared sheepishly into his eyes. Instead of pulling on his tie, he wrapped his arms around Brian's neck. "No," he whispered. "I'm sorry, Brian," he said apologetically. "I know you wouldn't be leaving today on business if you didn't need to." He played with the back of his partner's soft hair as he gazed into the intense hazel eyes peering down at him intently. "I'm just disappointed we can't spend some time together alone today."
Brian's expression softened at Justin's words; he couldn't help it. From the moment he had first laid eyes on Justin, the man had made him feel things he never thought he could. Now it was even worse – all he had to do was give him that puppy-dog look of contrition and he melted. "You know how important it is that I keep Kinnetik on top of the competition," he reminded his lover as he reached up to cup one pale cheek and stroke it lightly; Justin leaned into his gentle touch automatically. "And you know I wouldn't be going if I didn't have to." And I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't fucking love you so much – TOO much….
"I know," the blond whispered, closing his eyes briefly at the sensation. "I'm…..just going to miss you, that's all." He smiled wryly. "I may have to break down and go visit my mother while you're gone; she's been after me to meet her for lunch for a couple of weeks now." He figured it would be a perfect time with Brian gone, and it would help take his mind off him in the meantime.
Brian smiled. "Sounds like a good idea – wouldn't want to be on Jennifer's bad side." He had actually grown to admire the strong-willed, independent woman who was Justin's mother; in the six months he and Justin had been seeing each other, he had found her to be a very supportive parent to his partner, and he respected her for her willingness to accept their relationship, despite the rather large age difference. She had initially been reticent about the whole situation, but once Brian had proven to her that he was sincere about wanting to be with Justin, she had accepted him completely.
"Well, I'd better get going – flight's leaving in about an hour, and I'm cutting it close as it is." Despite his words, however, the brunet was sorry to be leaving. He really had wanted to spend time alone with Justin today, but he had seen how much guilt and sorrow his partner had been carrying around ever since he and his best friend had parted ways, and he fervently wanted to help resolve the situation. Justin had tried several times to call Nico to just talk, but the man would simply either let the call go to his voicemail or utter a few one- or two-word sentences and then say he had to go. Justin never really said much about his unsuccessful attempts to reconcile with his friend, but Brian could tell – it still upset him greatly and he continued to carry around a great deal of guilt for the way he had misled Nico by accepting his wedding proposal. The man simply wouldn't budge, though; he was apparently even more hardheaded than Justin. Well, he could be, too; it was time to prove just which man was the most persistent.
Justin nodded as he began to disentangle his arms from Brian's neck, hating to see him leave. Brian, however, responded by sliding his own arms around Justin's waist and pulling him in even closer.
"I thought you had to go," Justin pointed out.
"Not before this," Brian murmured softly as he lowered his head to meet Justin's willing lips in a passionate lip lock. The blond sighed in contentment as Brian grabbed the back of his head and angled it for deeper penetration before reluctantly releasing the swollen, flushed lips after several seconds. He nudged Justin's nose, Eskimo-style, with his own before pulling back and leisurely rubbing a couple of fingers across Justin's full lower lip almost as if he were trying to memorize the feel of them before he whispered, "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"
Justin nodded as Brian finally turned and walked over to the heavy loft door to swing it open. The brunet gave him one more soft smile before he pushed the door back and disappeared out of sight. Justin stood there for a few seconds, still relishing in the loving look he had received and the feel of Brian's lips on his, before he sighed a little in disappointment and walked over to the nearby counter to retrieve his cell phone to call his mother.
Chicago – 1:00 p.m.
Brian squinted against the bright sunlight as he stared up at the unit number above the brick row house to verify he had the right location; he hadn't had much trouble determining Nico's address in Chicago. All he had to do was wait until he spent one of his occasional nights at Justin's apartment and then creep out of bed while his lover was still asleep to examine the desk top where Justin kept his stack of mail. Invariably there would be some letter or card addressed to Alvarez that had been marked "return to sender – refused." Justin's attempts to reach the man by mail, phone, and e-mail had all been rebuffed firmly. Well, he had had enough of the man's refusal to even hear Justin out – it was time for a little face-to-face, one-on-one encounter. He just hoped Justin didn't blow up at him when he found out what he was doing. And he hoped the damn thing didn't simply blow up in his own face while he was at it. But he loved Justin, and he knew how much the loss of his friend and the guilt over it had been eating him up, even though he tried not to show it. So for him, he would make the attempt to reconcile them, as much as he disliked the idea. He still didn't trust that the fucker wouldn't try and steal Justin away from him again, but at least now he was confident enough in their love to know the man wouldn't have a chance of succeeding even if he did.
He walked up the short, one-step stoop and rang the buzzer firmly. From the looks of the building's exterior, there appeared to be perhaps a total of four apartments inside – two on each side of the two floors. As he gazed upward to study the building a little more closely, he thought he saw the slight rustling of a sheer curtain on the second floor, but it was gone in an instant.
Several seconds later, however, he heard footsteps sounding on the steps inside and the shadow of someone walking up to the door. As it opened a short time later, he came face-to-face once more with his one-time adversary.
Nico's brows narrowed as he immediately recognized the casually dressed but handsome man staring over at him boldly. He huffed in both surprise and aggravation as he growled through the screen door, "What the fuck are YOU doing here, Kinney?"
Brian twisted his mouth up. "I'm here to see if you need any Girl Scout cookies – it is that time of the year, you know."
Nico set his jaw and snorted. "Right." He shook his head in disbelief that the man he blamed for his and Justin's failed engagement was actually standing on his doorstep. "I don't know what you're doing here, but you've come a long way for nothing. Now get the hell away from my door!" He started to turn away to slam the door in his competitor's face, but unfortunately the other man was too fast for him. Brian had opened the unlocked screen door and latched onto his shoulder before he could even turn around.
"Now listen, you asshole!" Brian hissed as Nico whirled around to glare at him. "I came all the way up here to talk to you and you're damned well going to listen to me!" Nico's eyes flashed in anger as Brian advised him a little more quietly, "Now we can discuss this out in the foyer or in private – the choice is up to you. Now what's it going to be, Alvarez?"
Nico glared at the older man as he heard a door being softly opened nearby. Damn it, he thought, knowing immediately it was his nosy older neighbor, Mr. Crowley. For an 82-year-old man, he had the hearing of an owl at midnight. If something was going on that was even remotely interesting, he would be the first one to know about it.
Faced with an impossible dilemma, therefore, Nico roughly wrenched himself free of Brian's grasp and muttered, "This way," before turning to walk up the steps to the two second-floor apartments, not even sparing so much as a glance back at either Brian or his inquisitive, downstairs neighbor.
As he passed by the diminutive, gray-haired, bespectacled man standing in his open doorway, mouth agape with curiosity, Brian turned on one of his most charming smiles and said, "Plumber. Just here to patch something up," before turning to follow the other man up the stairs.
Nico practically stomped up the steps and made a right-hand turn at the landing to walk over to a solid, wooden door and turn the knob to open it. He thought briefly of trying to slam this door in Brian's face, also, but knew it would be pointless. From what little he knew about this man, it seemed he didn't like to take no for an answer, so he had a feeling his efforts would simply be temporary at best.
"By all means, come on in," he said sarcastically as he glared at Brian's approaching form. Brian smirked at him before proceeding into the rather austere interior of the man's apartment.
It reminded Brian of a budget hotel room, with a narrow hallway branching off into a small, full bathroom on the right and double louvered doors on the left, apparently hiding a washer and dryer unit. Just beyond the bathroom on the right was an open archway that held a compact kitchen. An open serving counter looked out upon a small living room area furnished with a worn-looking couch and a couple of tv trays positioned in front, a forlorn-appearing recliner, and an older television setting upon a large, wooden spool propped on its side and being used as a table. As he walked into the living room and stood there, he observed another, shorter hallway branching off to the left, no doubt leading to the man's smaller-sized bedroom. None of the surroundings surprised him especially; on the contrary, it was pretty much what he had imagined for the digs of yet another fledgling artist. The only signs of the man's actual work, however, were two sculptures resting on a couple of built-in shelves above the frayed couch. One appeared to depict a mother holding a child in her lap, while the other one was some sort of skyline depiction, apparently of downtown Chicago. No matter what the subject matter was, though, Brian was sure of one thing – they lacked the passion, imagination, and creativity of Justin's work by far. These didn't inspire him at all.
"I would say make yourself comfortable, but then you'd get the idea that I actually want you here," Nico retorted as he followed Brian into the living room. Brian merely smiled condescendingly at him before turning to eye the rather worn-out recliner to make sure it was clean; he sat down and looked over at the man agreeably as if they were the best of buddies.
Nico glared at the insinuation of uncleanliness before he walked over and plopped down hard on the couch. "I repeat, Kinney, what the fuck are you doing here? Haven't you caused enough trouble already between Justin and me? Or is that it – you're here to gloat in person."
"Don't have to," Brian responded. "I got what I wanted; I've still got what I wanted."
Nico was at once both resentful and surprised; resentful because this man had managed to take what he treasured the most away from him, while at the same time surprised that Brian and Justin were still together. At least, that was what he was inferring from the cocky man's statement anyway.
"Justin is still with you?" he couldn't help asking to make sure.
"It's called being together, Alvarez – it's a two-way street," Brian confirmed, perturbed at the man's intimation that he was somehow holding Justin against his will. "Justin and I are together because we both want to be. Why? Did you think I'd throw him away like some used condom after the first fuck?"
"Yeah, actually," Nico responded truthfully as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I've seen guys like you before."
"Oh, really? And what exactly is a guy like me?"
"Someone who pursues someone until they get what they want out of them and then moves onto the next prey," Nico said flatly. That, along with the mere fact that he had lost Justin practically before he even had him, was what had caused Nico the most worry about his friend in the first place. Because despite his refusal to talk to Justin, and his rebuffs at his friend's attempts to restore their friendship, he still cared deeply about Justin and didn't want him getting hurt.
Brian was silent for a couple of seconds as he pondered that statement. It certainly didn't apply to his feelings for Justin – he was in it for the long haul with him, of that he had no doubt – but before Justin? Yeah, it would have been a pretty fair assessment of his ability, or lack thereof, to maintain any sort of ongoing, lasting relationship with anyone. That was before a certain blond had come along, though, and turned his world – and his heart – irrevocably upside down forever.
"Well, that may have been true before," Brian found himself admitting, "But it's not now."
Nico snorted, actually beginning to enjoy this almost surreal conversation. "Oh, really?" he said skeptically. "Do tell."
"I care about Justin, Alvarez, whether you believe it or not." He plodded on, despite another distinctive snort being heard from the other man. "I care enough about him, in fact, to secretly haul my ass up here just to talk to you and try and convince you to speak to him, even though frankly I can't stand your guts."
Nico glared at him from the couch. "Well, at last we agree on something, because I can't stand your guts, either." He considered what Brian said before asking curtly, "And just why would you want me to talk to him, Kinney? Aren't you afraid that might just fuck up your tidy little romance?"
Brian smiled sweetly. "Not at all," he responded surprisingly before his face sobered. "I trust Justin – and I believe in our relationship. Enough to put up with you, because right now Justin's feeling guilty about what happened."
Nico couldn't help the lump of emotion that formed in his throat; he wasn't the only one that had been hurt over what had happened. But if he was truthful with himself, now that he had had time to contemplate what had happened, he also realized deep down that Justin probably never had the same depth of feelings for him as he had. And he had missed his best friend over the past few months; he missed telling him about how his career was going. He missed spending time with him, pigging out over junk food. He missed the way Justin always laughed at even his corny jokes. He missed the lighthearted bantering that Justin could give as well as receive. He missed him – period. So which was worse – giving up on the pipe dream of Justin being a potential fiancé/husband, or losing him altogether?
He still couldn't help replying, however, "Well, maybe he should have thought about that before he accepted my ring."
To his shock, Brian admitted, "Maybe he should have. But what's done is done, and he regrets it – a lot. He's tried to talk to you but you've ignored his attempts. Tell me, Alvarez, does it make you feel like a big man to continue punishing him for his mistake?"
"This is really none of your fucking business," Nico countered as the other man's accusation struck a nerve.
"When it involves Justin, it IS my business," Brian retorted sharply. "Now are you going to be a man here and speak to him? Or are you just going to continue to slink around with your tail between your legs and wallow in pity?" Brian stared over at the stubborn man for a few seconds before adding softly, "For whatever reason, he still wants to be friends with you. I won't even pretend to understand why, but he does. And if it makes Justin happy, I'm actually willing to go along with that. But if you're not willing to bury the hatchet and make peace with him, then maybe it's best you just go on ignoring him."
He sighed as he stood up to go; he had said his piece; the rest was up to Alvarez. "Justin said the two of you were friends for a long time; he misses that for some damn reason. Don't let what happened keep you from making amends with him; life's too fucking short." He brushed a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Shit," he muttered. "I can't believe I'm even saying this." He stared into the still-defiant looking eyes of the other man before saying, "Just think about what I said." He turned to go at last. "I'll let myself out."
He could feel the other's man gaze burning into his back as he slowly turned and walked the short distance down the hall to open the door and depart, wondering if his trip had done any good or if it was a total waste of time. In either case, I win, Alvarez – because I have Justin waiting for me back home, he couldn't help thinking as he hurried out to his rental car to make the trip back to the airport.
Pittsburgh – Loft – 7:00 p.m.
As he swung the door back to the loft, Brian was immediately assailed with a wonderful aroma – the distinctive smell of one his favorite meals: Justin's version of chicken cacciatore. He had never quite been able to figure out what his partner put into the sauce to make it unique, but it had just the right blend of spiciness and sweetness to appeal to him, sort of like the man who was currently stirring a large, stainless steel pot with a wooden spoon and smiling at him as he approached.
"Hey, Hot Stuff," he kidded the blonde as he walked up behind him and slid his arms around Justin's chest. "Whatcha got cooking in there?" He could hear Justin's soft chuckle. They went through this same routine every time Justin cooked this meal. But to the blond, it never got old – not when he got this sort of greeting. "Chicken cacciatore," he responded, as if it were a huge secret. He turned his head as Brian leaned down and nuzzled his cheek before bestowing a soft kiss on the side of his neck. "Mmmm," Brian whispered huskily, responding the same way he always did. "Delicious. Just how I like it."
Justin laughed as he placed the spoon down in the pot and turned in Brian's arms. "We really should come up with a new comedy routine, Brian," he kidded, smiling fondly up into the twinkling hazel eyes. "I was hoping you'd be back in time for dinner."
"Wouldn't have missed it," the brunet murmured tenderly as he leaned down to pull Justin in his arms more tightly and kiss the tantalizing lips. Justin wound his arms behind Brian's neck, cradling the brunet's head in one hand as they proceeded to reacquaint themselves with each other after their relatively short absence. Even now, after being together for six months, their reunions were always full of passion and made Justin's heart do flip flops in their intensity.
"How was your business trip?" Justin finally managed to breathlessly say as they parted; he turned around at the sound of the liquid bubbling to stir the pot a few times before the sauce burned, noticing Brian had become unexpectedly quiet. He twisted around enough to look the brunet in the eyes and say, "Brian? How did it go?" He frowned as he noticed a strange expression on his partner's face; he could tell his partner was hesitating about something. "It didn't go well?" he ventured.
Brian huffed out a soft puff of breath. He had been thinking about his confrontation with Alvarez all the way home on the plane, debating how much to tell Justin. On the one hand, he didn't like lying to Justin, but on the other hand, he also didn't like seeing him hurt. And he was afraid that if he told Justin the man didn't appear to be budging, it would do just that. Ultimately, though, he had decided on the way home that lying to Justin wasn't the best way to build a solid relationship. And Justin was too important to him to not be totally straight with him, no matter how much it might hurt temporarily.
"Justin….Can you turn that down? I need to talk to you about something." He smiled softly at the blond and held his hand out.
Justin frowned slightly before nodding. "Uh, okay….it's done anyway." He turned the burner off before taking Brian's hand and letting him lead him over to the couch, taking a spot close to him as they faced each other.
Brian didn't let go of his hand as he stared into the puzzled blue eyes. "What is it?" Justin asked worriedly. "Is everything okay?" For a moment, the insecurity from before reared its ugly head and he bit his lip in anxiety, worried that his worst fears were being realized. Had Brian finally gotten tired of him? Was this the moment that he always wished would never happen? Was this the end of what had been the most wonderful time of his life?
Brian's mouth twisted upward affectionately as he hastened to reassure his worried-looking lover. "Everything's fine," he assured him as he began to rub Justin's hand softly, his thumb stroking the soft flesh of his palm. "I'm glad to be home."
Justin sighed in relief. "Then what is it? Your business deal not pan out? Don't worry if it didn't – I know there'll be others," he assured him fervently.
"I didn't go to Chicago for business, Justin," he told the blond gently.
Justin frowned in confusion. "You didn't?"
"No."
"Then why….." Suddenly, somehow, he knew. "Brian….you didn't…..Tell me you didn't go there to talk to Nico!" But Brian didn't have to say a word; it was written all over his face. Justin's eyes flashed with a mixture of horror and incredulity as he snatched his hand away and stood up to face him. "I can't believe you did that!" he cried out. He gestured agitatedly with his hands as he said, "Why, Brian? Why in the fuck would you DO that? Weren't things bad enough between us already? Did you have to go there and rub it in?"
Brian sighed as he stood up and placed his hands on Justin's upper arms in an attempt to mollify him; Justin momentarily struggled against his hold but Brian was too strong for him as he held him firmly in his grasp. "That's not why I went, Justin!" he argued urgently. "I went there to try and talk some sense into the asshole!"
Justin huffed in disbelief. "Talk some sense into him? Brian, he hates you and he blames me for everything that happened! How could you even think he would want to talk to you?"
Brian twisted his lips. "Well, he wasn't the most receptive to it," he admitted wryly as Justin shook his head and stared up at him with a sort of well, duh look. "But I had to try."
"Why?" Justin repeated a little more softly this time.
"Because it's what you wanted," Brian whispered simply.
"What do you mean?" Justin looked into the other man's eyes that were staring down at him with so much emotion. Brian had come a long way in the six months they had known each other as far as opening up to him, but his lover still found it hard to verbalize how he felt. He could always tell, though, that something was deeply affecting his partner simply by looking into his eyes. In those moments, Justin could understand where the expression about the eyes being the window to the soul originated, because those hazel orbs were what laid bare Brian's greatest thoughts to him – to only him. "What do you mean – what I wanted?"
Brian fidgeted slightly under Justin's intense scrutiny. "I…I knew how upset you've been about not being able to make amends with Alvarez," he explained. "I thought if I went up there and talked to him, I could make him realize how foolish he was being and maybe talk him into trying to clear the air with you."
Justin stared at him in shock. "But you can't stand him," he reminded him softly.
Brian grinned ironically. "Well, the feeling's still mutual, I can assure you," he quipped. "He won't be taking over as president of my fan club anytime soon."
Justin couldn't help smiling a little at that remark. "No, I guess not," he agreed, shaking his head in amazement. "I still can't believe you did that," he chided. "What were you thinking, Brian? And why didn't you just tell me the truth about where you were going?"
Brian huffed. "Come on, Justin," he scolded him. "Would you have let me go if I had told you ahead of time?"
"Could I have stopped you?" the blond countered as Brian shook his head no in response. "I didn't think so," he answered. He had stopped trying to pull away from Brian's arms now as he softly repeated, "I still can't believe you did that. You had to know he wouldn't want to talk to you, Brian. He probably felt like you were rubbing salt in the wound."
Brian grimaced slightly. "Maybe. But I had to try; I was tired of you carrying around all that guilt over what happened."
Justin stared into his lover's face as he felt tears welling up in his eyes. "You did that for me?"
Brian averted his eyes self-consciously as he mumbled, "Yeah….didn't do any good, though. That man is even more stubborn than I am. I don't think it helped much," he admitted, raising his eyes to meet the thoughtful, blue ones. "I guess I should have told you the truth."
Justin gazed into his eyes and shook his head. "No…..you're right," he admitted. "I would have told you not to go and you would have gone anyway. And I would have been royally pissed at you all the time you were gone. This way I only got pissed after you got back."
Brian curled his lips under. "I'm not sure if that's better or not." His face sobered as he softly said, his voice filled with sincere regret, "I'm sorry I couldn't talk any sense into him."
"You really mean that," Justin said, amazed. "You were willing to go up there and confront him for me, even after everything that's happened."
Brian stared at him as it was the most logical thing in the world. "Of course I was," he whispered as he lightly stroked Justin's forearms. And then Justin's heart began to beat furiously as Brian unexpectedly said in a voice that was barely audible, "I love you."
He was rewarded with a brilliant smile that made his own heart beat in unison with his partner's as Justin replied softly, "And I love you."
Brian smiled tenderly back at him, relieved that things were back to normal. "How about we hold off on dinner for a while, then?" he drawled huskily. "I haven't had a proper 'welcome home' yet."
Justin licked his lips and smiled. "I think that can be arranged."
Mid-Morning – Next Day
Sunday…..Justin's favorite day of the week. It was normally the one day when he and Brian could sleep in and just relish being in each other's company with no work getting in the way. And today, the day after Brian had finally admitted out loud what he had been saying all along with his touch, his body, and his eyes – that he loved him - was the most special Sunday of all. As he lay on his side in Brian's arms, the brunet spooned up against his back, he smiled. Last night had been wonderful – from the moment Brian had declared his love for him, to the tender way Brian had made love to him afterward, and all the way up to their dinner together and the ice cream he had managed to feed Brian later. Yes, Sundays and chocolate chip cookie dough were definitely his favorites indulgences – after being loved by Brian Kinney.
The hard-on he was already sporting began to stand even more briskly at attention as he sensed his lover stir and soon felt a pair of warm, wet lips suddenly beginning a trail from his bare shoulder, down his arm and then over to his back to begin a sensuous journey down his spine. He gasped as Brian tightened his hold on his body and began to lick a circular path on one ass cheek and then the other before nestling his nose in his crack and inhaling. The exhale of a hot breath on his skin made Justin shiver in anticipation.
"Brian…." he panted out as he felt the brunet chuckle softly at his almost pleading voice before he gently urged him to roll over onto his stomach so he could get a better chance at his desired target – the winking, puckered hole staring so saucily back at him. "Mmmm….Up for a little breakfast?" he heard Brian sexily whisper in his ear as he trembled once more.
Justin turned his head to stare into the determined hazel eyes, quickly darkening with lust. He knew there was love there as well, though, and that made his pulse race with excitement as he smiled up at Brian and whispered one word: "Yes."
Brian smiled back at him tenderly and nodded, reaching over to the nearby night stand to grab a small bottle of lube and an ever-present, large-sized condom. "I was hoping you'd say that," he murmured as he quickly tore the top of the package and deftly placed the latex over his rock-steel cock. He slathered some of the cold liquid on his shaft before reaching down to bestow the same action on Justin's hole; he chuckled at the expected shiver he received at his ministrations. His fingers sufficiently greased, he began to poke first one, then another finger inside the quivering hole as Justin bucked up in response and hissed at the sensation. "So tight," Brian murmured in awe. "So fucking tight."
Justin's breathing quickened at the sexy tone of Brian's voice and his cock began to ache with neglect. "Brian…..I need you," he pleaded. "Please…." he urgently intoned.
"You got it," he responded immediately, reaching down to kiss the full lips deeply and giving them a lick before lining his cock up with Justin's hole and pushing in slightly. He heard the typical groan of pleasure/pain as he waited for Justin to adjust; after a few seconds, the blond reached back to place his hand on Brian's leg as a silent signal to continue and Brian pressed in even harder. Once he was completely entrenched in the hot, wet cavern, they began to rock together in unison, beginning their journey toward ecstasy once more, each man meeting thrust for thrust.
Groans of pleasure were intermixed with the urgent, almost violent slapping of Brian's body against the slender frame of his lover as they continued their ascent toward climax. "God, Justin, so tight," Brian exclaimed in rapture as he felt the familiar tightening of his own body and he knew he wouldn't last very long this time. Justin managed to rise from the bed enough for Brian to firmly grasp his own silky/hard cock and begin to urgently pump it; a few talented strokes of his long-fingered hand was all it took as they came virtually together and both men collapsed on the mattress with Brian lying on top of his partner, gasping from exertion.
He cradled his arm around Justin's head as he simply lay there, relishing the feel of the sweat-slick, pale body beneath him. After several seconds, he reluctantly moved off his partner enough to tie the condom and discard it in the nearby trash container; he pulled several tissues from the box lying on the nightstand to turn Justin over and gently wipe the come off his lover's body.
The blue eyes stared back at him affectionately. "That was amazing," he huffed out breathlessly, smiling over at the brunet in contentment.
Brian couldn't help grinning back at him like some foolish schoolgirl. "Yeah, it was fucking amazing as usual," he agreed, reaching over to kiss Justin's shoulder briefly. He was lying on his back next to his lover, still grinning dumbly. He never thought he could be so happy, and now that he had told Justin he loved him, he was still alive; the earth hadn't fallen in or swallowed him up. In fact, it felt pretty damn good to finally admit it. And the smile he had received had made it even better.
He reached to clasp Justin's warm hand in his as the two stared at each other tenderly, content at the moment just to lie there in each other's company as their hearts slowly subsided to a more normal rhythm.
Their quiet time of companionship, however, was unceremoniously interrupted by a knocking on the loft door. Brian growled, perturbed. "What the fuck! What good does it do to have security?" he snarled. Most of the time, no one could arrive at his door without being given permission to enter the building; lately, however, one of the newer tenants had actually been leaving the door ajar while he finished moving in the last of his things, and it was driving Brian crazy.
He looked over at Justin apologetically and sighed before releasing his lover's hand and rising in irritation to sit on the edge of the bed. Jamming his long legs into a nearby pair of jeans that were previously discarded on the floor last night, he stood up to plod barefoot down the steps of the bedroom and over to the loft's heavy door. As he swung it open, he was greeted by a not-so-welcome sight – the object of his confrontation yesterday. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well, if isn't Mr. High and Mighty," he proclaimed sarcastically, as he placed one upraised hand on the doorjamb above his head and stared at Nico. "What the fuck do you want?" he growled, providing the other man with a perfect imitation of the same exact comment Nico had made to him yesterday.
Nico huffed and rolled his eyes as he surveyed the tousled, crumpled appearance of his adversary. Swallowing hard, he realized what he had just interrupted. He wasn't exactly surprised to realize that, but it still made it difficult to accept, even now. "What do you think, Kinney?" he managed to say evenly. "I came to talk to Justin."
TBC - Yes, one more go-round - LOL!