The girls have some confessing to do before their fathers embark on their first, 'real' date. What does Brian have in store for his partner? A surprise offer results.

One Hour Later...

Sitting on the edge of the pool with their legs poking into the water, Katie and Kaylee looked up eagerly as they heard someone opening up the sliding glass doors heading from the house; they both turned to each other and giggled conspiratorially as they noticed their fathers walking over to their side, both of them with damp hair and that 'just-showered' look.

"Girls," Brian greeted their daughters pleasantly as he walked over and plopped down onto the edge of one of the chaise lounges nearby, a mug of coffee in his hand; Justin did the same on one of the other chairs. "What is so entertaining?" he asked in amusement.

"You," both of them said together as if they had rehearsed it. That always made Brian marvel at how they seemed to know what each other was thinking. He had never had any experience before with twins, but he was beginning to understand the uncanny connection that could exist between them just by observing his and Justin's two girls.

"Us?" he asked curiously as he peered over at Justin. "Well, I admit we do seem to be the hot topic around you two lately. Dare I ask what we've done now to warrant such a response?"

"Did you just come out of the shower?" Katie asked pointedly with a grin.

Brian looked at her with a smile. "Why, yes, I did just come...out of the shower, I mean," he added as he looked over at Justin, who, just as he thought, was turning red over his remark. He thrust his tongue into his cheek as he added, "Isn't that what most adults practicing good hygiene do?"

"Daddy, did you just take a shower, too?" Kaylee asked Justin, noticing immediately how their father was blushing and finding it quite revealing. She really didn't need an answer to her question then, but she was enjoying asking it anyway.

"Uh..."

"Well, Sunshine?" Brian asked as if he didn't know the answer. "Don't keep our girls waiting."

Three pairs of eyes bored into his as he sighed. "Well...It is morning, and you know that's the first thing I always do when I get up, Kaylee."

He winced as the two girls erupted into shrieks of giggles over his answer. "Oh, for the..." He turned an even deeper shade of red as he rose from the end of the chaise lounge. "I'm going to go get some coffee and grab some cereal," he mumbled as he turned and hurried back toward the sliding door glass doors, disappearing a few seconds later in record time.

Brian chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. It was nice to have a couple, additional co-conspirators in his camp. "Girls, shame on you. I think you scared him," he teased them as they began to giggle anew. His face dissolved into something more serious as he told them, "We're still going to take things a little more slowly. That's what your father wants...And what I think he needs right now. Maybe it's what we both need," he admitted, realizing a lot of time had passed between them - time they couldn't recover. He smiled at the slight looks of disappointment on their faces. He looked over at Kaylee. "But I think it's safe to say that you can count on moving your things into the bedroom upstairs next to your sister's now."

Kaylee's eyes grew hopeful. "You mean...we're moving back into the house?" Brian's smile grew larger as he nodded. "Really?"

He outright beamed now. "Yes...Really."

Both girls bolted up from their seated positions now to stand up as they yelled in jubilation and gave each other a 'high five.'

"Oh, my God!' Kaylee shrieked. "We did it!" She yelled out before she could stop herself. As soon as she realized what she had said, however, she promptly clamped a hand over her mouth in horror as her sister glared at her.

"You did what?" Brian pressed as Kaylee looked at her sister aghast, regret written all over her face. "What do you mean...YOU did it?" He waited a few seconds for an answer. "Girls?" he prodded when neither one responded.

"Nothing, Dad," Katie backpedaled for her sister. "You know how much we wanted the two of you to get back together, and we're just happy that we're all going to be living back here at Britin again, that's all." She turned to flash her sister a scathing look, a gesture that was not lost on their father.

"I don't buy that, Girls. Maybe you'd better come clean. Just what did you do NOW?"

Katie sighed. "Kaylee...!" she hissed in disgust as she placed her hands on her hips. "I can't tell you anything without you blabbing!"

"I didn't mean to!" her sister wailed.

Brian furrowed his brow, now knowing that obviously something was up. "Just explain to me what's going on," he asked quietly. "Come over here."

The two girls both glanced over anxiously at the back door, seemingly to make sure that their other father wasn't returning, before they walked over to sit on either side of Brian. He placed his hands around their shoulders reassuringly as he told them, "Okay...Spill, girls. What have you been up to? New house rule: We are not going to keep anything from anybody else any longer. It just makes things worse; trust me. Now just tell me what you did."

Katie huffed in frustration. "Aaargh! Kaylee!" She shook her head at her sister before turning to look up into the curious but kindly face of their father as she sighed. "Okay. It's not that much, really..."

Brian smirked. "Well, you're suddenly less talkative than normal for something that's not all that much. Let me be the judge of that."

She nodded. "I assume Daddy told you about the mice at the carriage house?"

Brian nodded. "Yeah...Your father called it a nest of mice, actually. Now what would you know about that?" he wondered as he gave his daughter a you'd better come clean look.

"Well...there weren't actually any mice. At least not in the carriage house."

Brian frowned. "Well, your father said he found mouse droppings all over the place."

Katie smiled just a little smugly. "Yeah, he did. But they came from the mice out in the stable. We just spread a little of the droppings around to make it look like they were there."

Brian's mouth hung open before he shut it, unable to keep from grinning, however, over his daughter's ingenuity. "Oh, shit," he said as the girls giggled in relief over his reaction. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"Uh, Dad...There's more," Kaylee told him, emboldened now that their father seemed to be taking it so well.

Brian's eyebrows lifted. "More?"

Kaylee nodded.

"Well, I'm all ears. What else have you done?"

"Uh...It's about the air conditioning..."

Brian groaned; why were dollar signs suddenly popping up in his head? He instinctively knew that Kaylee wouldn't have the expertise to pull off some sort of 'technical sabotage' with the air conditioning system. But someone else he knew would. He turned to look over at his other daughter, one eyebrow arched in question. "Katherine Marie? Something you want to explain to me, young lady?"

Katie pursed her lips together in exasperation as she peered around her father at Kaylee. "You just can't keep your mouth shut, can you?" she growled. "Do you have to tell everything that you know? You didn't hear our mother saying anything, did you?" Oops. She immediately realized she wasn't much better at withholding information than Kaylee as she gasped over her slip of the tongue.

"Your mother?" Brian immediately said as he sighed. "That would explain a lot. She always WAS your father's little co-conspirator before. Why should it be different now? You two girls had better explain everything to me...Unless you want to explain it to your other father first."

"No!" Katie and Kaylee cried out together, knowing that would be even worse.

"Well?"

"Okay," Katie replied in defeat at last, letting out a deep breath. "Well, first I went online. It's amazing what you can find out online nowadays..."

Fifteen minutes later...

Brian shook his head over his girls' ingenuity. He wanted to be angry with them - and he should be. But he couldn't help thinking about another individual who had portrayed much the same traits several years before when HE was going after something he believed in. Justin isn't the only 'clever, little devil,' he mused as his two girls looked up at him a little apprehensively.

"That's all of it?" he demanded quietly.

Both girls firmly nodded, Kaylee biting her lower lip nervously while Katie merely folded her arms across her chest defiantly in an I did what I had to do type of look.

"I see," Brian told them solemnly as he looked at one girl and then the other, his lips pressed together into a tight line. "Well, then, there's only one thing I can say," he told them as both girls held their breaths, wondering what their punishment would be. After all, they had been told during the 'locked basement' fiasco before not to interfere with their fathers' attempts to reconcile. Obviously they had ignored that directive big time now.

Both girls looked at him expectantly before he couldn't hold it in anymore. He suddenly burst out laughing. "Oh, my God," he deadpanned. "You are just as bad as your father used to be. It's amazing!"

Kaylee and Katie peered over at each other in shock; that was the last thing they expected their father to say. "Daddy used to do these kinds of things, too?" Katie asked in amazement.

Brian nodded. "Well...not exactly. But let's just say he was known to pull a stunt or two when he felt strongly about something, and he didn't let anything - or anyone - stand in his way, either. Let me tell you a story about a man who was running for mayor a long time ago - and what your father did to stand up against him."

He proceeded to tell them about how Justin had waged his propaganda campaign against Stockwell, and about some of the 'slogans' he had come up with. Before he was done, both girls' eyes were big as saucers, in between some fits of giggling over the "Laughing Stock" poster and the thought of their father drawing someone up to look like a clown, in addition to him pasting posters up all over town at night in secret.

"He really did that?" Kaylee asked, not having heard any of this before.

Brian nodded with a grin. "He sure did - and used up a lot of my color ink and paper in the office copy machine, too," he added as the girls laughed, their eyes aglow with mirth. "Your father can be just as stubborn as the two of you are when he needs to be," he told them with a smile. The sound of the sliding glass doors being opened then made all three of them turn their head to peer over at Justin, who was coming back outside, this time with Gus in tow.

"Well, look who decided to get up," Brian deadpanned as Gus glared at him; his son was sporting a wild, bedhead look and wearing a pair of drawstring pajamas as he walked barefooted out to the small group nearby, swinging a pair of flip flops in his hand. "I think we finally have someone who stays in bed later than your father does," Brian declared as Justin walked over and plopped down on the same chaise lounge he had been using earlier. Gus, holding a coffee mug, walked over and sat down at a round, glass-topped patio table, the mug making a loud clunking noise as he placed it down to face them.

"I didn't have to get up early," Gus explained with a shrug. "So I took advantage of it."

Brian nodded in amusement. "Uh, huh. And just what time did you shuffle in last night, Sonny Boy?"

Gus rubbed his eyes. "About two, I guess."

"Eastern or Pacific time?"

"Daaaad," Gus whined like he used to as a little boy, making both Brian and Justin laugh. "I'm not a kid anymore," he reminded him.

"No," Brian said softly, recalling how so many times in the past he would have wished he could have seen his son - and his daughters - growing up. He regretted not having had that opportunity, but he knew there was no going back. At least he would have the chance to partially make it up to his daughters now. And he also knew how much Gus loved him, despite the time they had had to spend apart. "No, you're not," he added as he looked over at his son who had turned into a fine young man, one that he was enormously proud of.

Gus and his father's eyes locked on each other for a moment before Brian cleared his throat. "Girls...I think there's something we need to discuss with your father."

The two girls appeared uneasy as they looked at one another. "Now?" Katie whispered, still fretting over what their father's reaction would be.

Brian nodded as Justin frowned, instantly knowing something was going on. "Yes, now. I told you - no more secrets...Okay?" The two girls reluctantly nodded. "Good. Katie, since you spearheaded this latest scheme, why don't you go first?" he suggested, his voice gentle but commanding.

Katie sighed with a nod as Justin and Gus peered over at her in rapt attention. "Well...It started with the air conditioner," she began.

Justin rubbed his hand through his hair in amazement. He had to hand it to their girls - they WERE creative. "Super glue?" he choked out in the end. "You glued all the windows shut, too?" Kaylee and Katie nodded timidly as he stared at them in shock. He looked over at Brian, who shrugged. Gus wasn't helping, either. He was clearly amused by the whole thing, maybe even proud of them if he read his expression right. "I don't believe this," he muttered with a shake of his head. He looked over at his partner. "This isn't funny, Brian," he told him as he looked back at the girls. "What would have happened if there had been a fire or something? How do you think Kaylee and I would have gotten out?"

"I was in there, too, you know!" Katie told him. "I was down in the cellar. Where do you think the mouse noises came from?"

"The cellar?" Justin felt dizzy. "What cellar?"

Katie nodded. "There's a trap door in the side of the closet that was used back in Prohibition Days to hide booze. That's where I went before you opened the door."

"I don't believe this..."

Brian let out a cross between a snort and a grunt as he grinned. "Well, you have to admit it's pretty funny, Sunshine. I think you should be flattered that they went to all that trouble."

"But if there had been an emergency..."

"I would have thrown a chair out the window," Kaylee told him firmly. "Or maybe one of your sculptures. Let's face it, Daddy; those things are pretty ugly anyway."

"Hey!" Justin protested as Gus and Brian laughed and the girls giggled, knowing they were getting the upper hand. "Aaargh! Girls...Girls..." He didn't even know what to say. Damn it, they were too cute to stay mad at them for long. He sighed. "What are we going to do with you?" he finally lamented as he grudgingly smiled over at them at last in defeat.

Both girls breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Just love us, Daddy," Katie told him as she got up and walked over to plop herself in his lap, putting her arms around her father's waist as she grinned over at him. "Like we love you and Dad. Speaking of which, when are you moving your things back into the house? Dad said you and Kaylee are moving back in!"

"He did, did he?" Justin asked as he looked over at Brian who gazed back at him innocently.

"Why wait to tell them?" he countered. "Yeah, I told them - and I also told them there would be no secrets anymore. Between any of us. That IS what you want, right?"

Justin nodded his head in defeat. "Yes, you know it is." He leaned over to give his daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Okay, I'm never one to pass up free help. We can move some of the smaller stuff today...and then I guess we'll need some more help for the larger things."

Katie grinned in triumph over at her sister. "Yes!" she cried out as she pumped her arm in jubilation. "I'll race you, Kaylee!"

"Girls...Kaylee! Remember to take it easy, you just got out of the hospital!" Justin shouted after them as he stood up in alarm, but they took off like a rocket. He looked over at Gus beseechingly. "Gus, will you go make sure they don't overdo it? We'll be right there."

"Sure, Justin," he responded. He grinned over at them. "Don't take too long now."

Brian chortled as his son turned and headed down the trail heading toward the carriage house.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Justin asked his partner as Brian rose to his feet to walk over to join him. "We really shouldn't be rewarding them for what they did."

"No harm done," Brian maintained as he walked closer and slid his arms around Justin's waist, curling his lips under as he told him huskily, "And since it helped to get you back into our bed, I don't have a problem with it at all. And that shower we took a little while ago was quite stimulating as well."

"Brian..." Justin's face flushed over the memory of their lovemaking in the shower earlier. It had been languorous, sensual, and oh, so erotic. Brian had been in no hurry to culminate their encounter, taking an inordinate amount of time to reacquaint himself with every inch of his body as he soaped every part, over and over and over again and kissed him, slowly and deeply. By the time he had finally reached for a condom to put it on and had slid his slick hand between his ass cheeks to prepare him, he was barely able to stand up on his own. God, it had been incredible. Of course, sex with Brian had always been incredible. But after being apart for so long, it seemed even more so now.

Justin's hands automatically slid up Brian's chest as he gazed into his partner's face. His pulse quickened as they came together for another kiss, almost like they were trying to make up for all those years apart. His hands crept further upward to link behind Brian's head as the kiss deepened, their mouths opening to allow each other access. Soft pants escaped between their lips until they finally broke apart, their chests rising and falling.

Brian gently brushed some hair back from Justin's face as Justin smiled. "Ready to head back to the carriage house?" he asked.

Justin nodded. "Yeah...but first, one thing..."

Brian sighed. "You haven't changed your mind."

Justin shook his head to Brian's relief.

"Then what?" he asked softly.

Justin grinned. "I'd like to know when and where we're going."

"I've been wondering that for a while now," Brian quipped before he frowned. "Going where, Sunshine?"

"On our first date."

"Ohhh," Brian replied, his eyes twinkling, secretly knowing what he meant all along. "Well, I guess you'll just have to be surprised, Mr. Taylor, because I'm not telling you. But we have tickets to it for this afternoon."

Justin's eyes sparkled; they really were going out on a date? "We do? Where?"

Brian laughed. "Do you think I'm brain dead? I told you - it's a surprise. But I'll pick you up at 3."

Justin snorted. "Brian, we live in the same house."

Brian grinned as he slowly caressed Justin's back, making his partner shiver over the delicious sensation. "Oh, yeah. That WILL make it a lot easier."

"Just one hint?" Justin pouted as he played with Brian's hair at the back of his neck. "I'll blow you later if you tell me."

Brian smirked. "Well, that IS a very tempting counteroffer. But something tells me you would do that anyway, so the answer is still no." He laughed as Justin smacked him on the chest in retaliation. "Very mature," he teased him as he reached to grab his hand. "Come on; let's get going before you change your mind."

As they walked back toward the carriage house, Brian's laughter could be heard as Justin continued to pepper him with questions about their first date, but he held his ground.

Later that afternoon...

Justin looked at himself in the mirror in the guestroom, feeling rather ridiculous like he was a teenager again. Why was he feeling so nervous? It wasn't like he and Brian didn't know each other already. Could it be because they had never really gone out on a date before? Whatever the reason, his mouth felt like cotton, and his palms were sweaty. He brushed them against his jeans as he heard a noise in the doorway. Turning, he spied Katie standing there, an amused look on her face.

"How do I look?" he asked her as his daughter came walking into the room to stand in front of him. True to his word, Brian hadn't divulged anything more about their 'date,' only that he should dress casually for it. That seemed to dismiss some possibilities like a concert or a play, but it still didn't tell him anything revealing about where they were going. It also made it a little hard to dress appropriately for it, too, so he was doing the best he could. He had chosen a pair of newer, dark-blue jeans and a lightweight, button-down, gray, pinstriped shirt, a gift from his mother last Christmas. He had finished it off with a pair of black loafers.

Katie smiled at him in the mirror as she slipped her arm around her father's waist. "You look beautiful, Daddy," she murmured as Justin beamed back at her, needing that validation.

He turned her in his arms to reply, "Thanks, Katie." He laughed at himself. "I don't know why I feel so nervous," he confessed to her with a bark of laughter. "It's really silly, I know. It's not like we're strangers or anything."

She smiled up at him, the love for him clearly shining in her eyes. "I know why," she told him softly.

He smiled back at her fondly, his hands gently resting on her shoulders. "Why?"

"Because you love him so much, you want to make sure that everything this time is perfect. Just like Dad," she revealed. "He's doing the same thing down the hall."

"He is?" Justin knew Brian had disappeared about thirty minutes ago, telling him he was going to go get dressed in the master bedroom.

"Yeah," Katie told him with a giggle. "Only he's pacing like some peacock, strutting around in front of the mirror. I think he's tried on three different shirts already."

Justin couldn't help giggling back at her as they heard a throat being cleared behind them.

"If you two girls are done gossiping, I'd like to steal my date for a while if you don't mind," Brian told Katie. Kaylee was standing next to Brian, beaming over at her father and sister as they grinned back at her.

"How does he look?" Kaylee asked them. "Oh, wait a minute!" she hastily added as she reached up to fasten a button that had come undone in the middle of her father's shirt. She carefully smoothed down the satiny fabric as he rolled his eyes at her good-naturedly.

"Will you stop that?" he gently chided her as he captured both of her hands in his, although there was a tender smile on his face as he did it. "The next thing I know, you'll be trying to put makeup on me, too."

"I would not!" Kaylee told him a little defensively. She smirked. "He does smell really good, though," she reported to her sister and father. "Come and see for yourself."

Justin laughed as he put his arm around his daughter to walk over to stand next to Brian. The man, as usual, took his breath away. Today, though, it was apparent that Brian had taken even greater care regarding his appearance. His deep maroon, satin shirt was crisply ironed, and he was wearing a form-fitting pair of black jeans that made his long legs seem even longer, worn over a pair of low-cut, Gucci boots. A leather jacket completed the ensemble. As Justin approached him and his daughter, he let go of Katie as he caught a whiff of his favorite aftershave on Brian, the one that always made him highly aroused. Even now after all these years, Brian apparently still had the memory of an elephant when it came to what he liked. It both unnerved him as well as made him feel extremely flattered.

Brian smirked as he arched an eyebrow at him, knowing exactly what he must be thinking. Both girls watched with rapt attention as their two fathers wound their arms around each and held each other close like newlyweds, their bodies touching. "You didn't answer our daughter's question, Sunshine," Brian murmured, unable to take his gaze away from the expressive, dilated, blue eyes. He saw a pink tint creep into Justin's face in response. "I think you look amazing, too, by the way," he whispered appreciatively, both men temporarily losing sight of their girls being in the same room with them.

Justin's heart pounded as he replied, "So do you. I...You...That cologne...You like to play dirty, don't you?" he muttered finally as Brian grinned.

"Oh, you know me; I love to play dirty," he teased as he whispered in his ear so only he could hear. He leaned down to steal a brief kiss from Justin's lips as he finally turned to smile over at their 'dressing assistants.' "Now if you ladies will excuse us, we have to get going. Gus will be around today to keep an eye on you and make sure you both stay out of trouble. And you're in luck; you already know about his cooking abilities, Katie, so I told him to take you both down to the diner to eat in town for dinner so you don't get food poisoning."

"Thank God!" Katie exclaiming, envisioning a chocolate shake, thick-cut onion rings, and a double-decker hamburger. Kaylee scrunched up her nose in the meantime, wondering if there was anything healthy there.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't worry," she told her sister, guessing why she looked distressed. "I'm sure they'll have some bean sprouts lying around somewhere for you."

"I eat more than that, you know!" Kaylee groused. "Maybe you should try it sometime!"

"Girls!" Brian shook his head in aggravation. "Let it rest, okay?" He looked over at Kaylee. "They have a vegetarian burger and a turkey burger and salads there," he reassured her as she stuck her tongue out at her sister. He sighed as he turned back to Justin. "You think it's safe to leave them here, even with Gus?"

He grinned. "I'm willing to take the chance just to see what sort of date you're taking me on," he decided. "You're not squirming out of it that easily."

Brian grinned as he let go of his partner. He walked over to place a hand on top of each daughter's head. "Lucky for you I have a hot date today, or I'd be tempted to stay here to supervise. Now try and behave for your brother, okay? And if you're good, your father and I might bring you back a souvenir."

"What kind of souvenir?" Katie asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Yeah, Dad, what kind of souvenir?"

Brian grinned as the girls giggled again. "Nice try, Sunshine. Let's go."

Thirty minutes later - after an unsuccessful barrage of pleas for any hints about their destination - Brian finally slowed down on the two-lane highway to turn into a gravel roadway. At last, Justin had an inkling where they were going. A wooden sign at the turnoff point indicated they were heading toward something called Nature's Palette Winery. A thick grove of pine trees blanketed both sides of the road as the gravel crunched under the SUV's tires.

Justin smirked. "I get it. You're going to get me drunk and have your way with me. How original."

Brian snorted. "As if I have to get you drunk for that. You ARE quite entertaining when you get blitzed, though. There's a little more to it than that," he said mysteriously as he stared ahead through his aviator glasses. He glanced over at Justin and grinned as he heard a huff of frustration escape the perfect lips. "You'll find out soon enough, Sunshine. Don't worry."

A few minutes later, the trees gave way to rolling hills of fields. Acres and acres of grapevines were growing on the hillsides in perfect formation like nature's soldiers, as far as the eye could see as they drove another mile before coming to a large building with a wide, gravel parking lot. Brian had to circle around slowly before they wound up parking in a grassy, overflow area. As they emerged from their vehicle, Justin could hear the faint sounds of music coming from the building. "How did you know about this place?" he asked curiously, his eyes soaking in the peaceful surroundings.

"I've actually brought Katie here before," Brian explained.

Justin scrunched up his nose. "To a winery? I'm surprised they would even let children in here."

"They don't normally," his partner explained. "But on certain afternoons they serve grape juice, instead, when the under-18 set is here."

Justin frowned. "Just what kind of place IS this?"

Brian grinned as he grabbed his hand to lead him toward an arched trellis festooned with climbing roses. "You'll see," he told him as he dug inside his jeans pocket to fish out a couple of tickets. "Come on, class starts in five minutes."

As they walked inside, Justin noticed it was a huge, renovated barn of some kind. The exposed ceiling was curved, with open beams running crisscross above them. A sign perched on an easel proclaimed something called "Wine and Watercolors." A few other visitors were milling about, looking at several art pieces hung on the walls, or waiting in line to buy a sip of several wines the winery apparently produced. Small, round tables were interspersed throughout the area with baskets of cheese and crackers, and the far end was open, leading to what appeared to be a patio where the music was originating that they had heard earlier.

"This way," Brian told him as he grabbed his sleeve. "You can ogle later - you're going to be late." He led Justin over to the far open end as they emerged into the bustling side patio. "Over here," he instructed him as he led his partner around to the back where several, tall, maple trees were situated. Right in the middle was a round, wooden platform, similar to a dance floor. Only there weren't dancers there; there were people of all walks of life and ages, perched on stools in front of blank canvases, paint supplies beside each station. A lone, middle-aged female - dressed casually but neatly in a pair of jeans, a lavender-colored tee shirt, and a large, oversized, denim shirt, was quietly speaking with some of the participants.

The blond-haired woman - her hair swept up into a ponytail - smiled in recognition as she looked up and noticed Brian and Justin standing there. "Hello, Mr. Kinney. You're here for class today?" she asked as Brian nodded. Justin's mouth hung open as he watched Brian hand over the two tickets.

Brian smiled. "Yes. I brought someone new today, though. This is my partner, Justin Taylor," he told her without a hint of embarrassment or hesitation in his voice, and perhaps a touch of pride.

She nodded, a flicker of something crossing her face before she smiled and extended her hand out to Justin. "Nice to meet you, Justin," she told him warmly as they shook hands. "My name is Marietta McGhee. I'm the instructor for the course, although I prefer the word 'moderator.' You're the last two we were waiting for, so if you'll take your places over there, then, we'll get started."

Brian smiled as Justin hesitated, reaching over to gently grasp his sleeve again to lead him over to the two remaining spots at the far end. "Have a seat, Picasso," he murmured as he slid into the seat next to Justin.

Justin did as he was told as he looked around to see all the other participants preparing their paints. He stared at Brian in amazement. "You're...You're going to paint with me?" he asked in awe.

Brian shrugged. "As long as you don't tell anyone I can't paint for shit. I don't think we'd better plan on using the finished product to generate any substantial, household income. Maybe yours, though," he said with a smile.

Justin couldn't help smiling back at him in delight as he looked at the small, miniaturized photo clipped to each of their easels, depicting a landscape scene. A glass of dark-colored wine was sitting next to each easel, he noticed, now realizing where the "Wine and Watercolors" came from. He looked up as the woman began to speak.

"Welcome, everyone, to today's session of Wine and Watercolors. This is the perfect place to get to know your inner, artistic self and express your passion. There are no judges here and no pressure, merely pure pleasure. So relax, enjoy the music and the scenery, and let your creative juices take over." She laughed at her joke as the others groaned over her corniness. "Your wine selection today is the newest vintage from our vineyards - a hearty burgundy we call "Ovation." If you enjoy it, don't forget to pick up a bottle later in our gift shop. I'll be walking around during your session to see if you have any questions and to offer any suggestions."

Justin reached to take a sip of his wine, stopping before he did so to clink his glass softly with Brian's. "To us," he whispered as Brian nodded before the two of them took a sip. Soon, both men picked up their brush and, dipping it into their palette, got to work on their creations.

Brian stole frequent glances over at Justin as he worked, more mesmerized by studying Justin than actually painting. It always fascinated him how his lover got so caught up in his work; his tongue would poke out from time to time as his blue eyes darted back and forth between the canvas, the photo, and his paint. His face almost glowed as he worked. When Justin was this absorbed in his work, he was both beautiful as well as sexy as hell - and quite distracting.

Justin was so caught up in his work that the two hours allotted for the class rushed by, and he didn't notice the woman instructor quietly walking up behind him to admire his work. It was clear who the artist in this group was. Justin's work was exquisite, emotional and dramatic. The scene, a landscape depicting the vineyard and surrounding hillside, had been transferred onto the canvas with amazing detail. There was always something that pulled the observer in when studying Justin's works, and this was no exception.

Brian smiled over at his partner, unable to keep the look of admiration off his face. He knew before they started who would command the most attention, and understandably so.

For his part, Justin didn't even notice the woman was behind him until she spoke up quietly, slightly startling him.

"That is amazing," she murmured appreciatively as she studied the impressive painting. Her eyes widened suddenly as she thought back to their introduction earlier and remembered his name. "Oh, my God! I know who you are now! I thought your name sounded familiar to me!"

Everyone's eyes turned to look over at Justin curiously as he felt his face warm. "You...You do?"

She nodded. "Before I moved here, I owned a small gallery at the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago."

Justin's eyes lit up as he smiled. "I know where that is! I had some works on display there."

She nodded. "I know. And they were amazing. I used to walk around that big, old, cavernous space for exercise at lunchtime so I could study all the art work on display; I wound up buying one of your impressionist works. I would have bought every one of them if I had had the money. You are extremely talented," she gushed as he flushed over the attention.

"Thank you," he murmured humbly as he glanced over at Brian, his partner's love and pride showing clearly on his face. He noticed that the woman on the other side of him was taking a not-so-discreet peek at his work as he looked over at her; she smiled a little self-consciously at him over being caught before returning her attention back to her own work.

"So you're here visiting?" she asked politely as the others resumed their painting.

Justin shook his head. "No, I'm actually from Pittsburgh originally. I recently moved back here to be closer to my partner and our other daughter."

She nodded with a smile. "Your hometown always does has a big pull on you, I think, no matter how far you roam," she said as Justin nodded with a smile. "I came back home to help take care of my parents," she explained. She turned her attention back to the young man's painting, observing how Justin had used brushstrokes so expertly to convey movement and fluidity. He clearly had a much sharper grasp of detail and technique than any of the pupils she had ever observed before; perhaps even more than she. Her eyes suddenly lit up as a thought occurred to her. "Mr. Taylor?"

Justin smiled at her, thinking that sounded so 'old.' "Please...Call me Justin."

She nodded. "Justin. When the class is over, could you stay for a few minutes? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Justin frowned slightly in puzzlement - wondering what this woman wanted with him, a virtual stranger - before he nodded. Smiling at him politely, she turned her attention back to the other students.

"Another adoring fan, charmed by the Taylor magic," Brian teased as she walked away out of earshot.

"I wonder what she wants?" Justin mused as he critically studied what he had completed so far.

"Maybe she just wants to talk shop with a fellow artist," Brian suggested.

Justin observed the woman peering over the shoulder of another pupil several feet away and shrugged. "I guess we'll find out." He picked up his glass of wine and thoughtfully took a sip before glancing over at Brian's work. He grinned. Brian was definitely more of an advertising genius than a budding artist, but he had to give him credit for trying. At least he could identify trees and grass.

"Hey, no fair trying to steal my technique for you to use," Brian told him indignantly.

"Oh, pardon, Monsieur," he told him with a French accent as he giggled. Brian grinned at him before they both turned back to finishing their work.

Thirty minutes later, the class had broken up, each participant leaving with their newly painted artwork with a gold-colored, star-shaped sticker emblazoned in the corner, identifying them as a graduate of the "Wine and Watercolors" class at the vineyard.

Marietta smiled over at the two men as she finished up a conversation with one of the other participants, nodding a goodbye at the older, rather portly woman before heading over to where Brian and Justin stood near the side patio entrance.

"Sorry," she apologized with a smile as she hurried over to them. "That was Mrs. Evans. She always tries to talk my ear off. I think this is her tenth class so far." She grinned as she stage whispered, "And she's still not improving." Justin and Brian chuckled as she explained to Justin, "I know you're an artist - and a very good one, too - so I was wondering if I could interest you in a proposition."

Justin and Brian exchanged a glance between them as he asked her, "What sort of proposition?"

"Well...I have no idea if you would even be interested in this or not, but the owners here have been inundated with people wanting to sign up for the wine and painting classes. We not only have 'Wine and Watercolors, there're also our 'Painting with Pinot' class on Thursday nights and the new "Juice with Journaling" classes on Saturday afternoons."

Justin laughed over that last part. "Juice with Journaling? What's that?"

She explained, "It's the newest kids' art class the owners created. It's for our junior art students, ages 8 - 17. The children are encouraged to make up an art journal that uses not only words but also visual images to express their emotions, hopes, dreams, and feelings. It's already so popular that it's booked solid for the next six months. The response has been unprecedented."

Justin nodded, his eyes lighting up over the idea. He would have never thought of that. "That sounds very intriguing," he agreed.

"Yeah," Brian told him. "Katie's been driving me nuts to enroll in it. I've promised her to do that; I just haven't gotten around to it. Sounds like a perfect activity for the two of you, though."

Justin smiled in pleasure. "I'd love to do that with her! Can parents participate?" he asked. "I think it's a good idea to cultivate a love of art at an early age. My mom practically thrust a crayon in my hand while I was still in the cradle, and I'm sure that's what fueled my own passion for it."

Marietta considered that idea. "You know, that hasn't been discussed, but I think that's a great idea! I'm glad you like the concept of the class, too...because I'd like to ask if YOU would be willing to be the instructor for it."

"Huh?"

Brian snickered over his partner's lack of speech. "I think she just asked if you wanted to teach the children's class, Mr. Taylor."

Marietta nodded. "It would be such an honor to have an artist of your caliber leading the class. I'm not sure what your current situation is...But would you consider it at least?"

"Teach?" Justin pondered the idea. "I've...I've never really thought about that," he admitted. "But it does sounds intriguing."

Brian clamped a hand on his shoulder as Marietta beamed. "I'm glad you feel that way. The owners are out of town this weekend, but I can have them give you a call. I'm sure they would want to talk to you in person to get to know you a little better, and to give you all the details. Can I give them your name and number, then?"

Justin mulled the idea over. He really didn't need another job in addition to his painting; at least, he didn't in Chicago. Truthfully, he hadn't established himself enough yet back in the Pittsburgh area to rely solely on his income from painting. And the thought of working with children to instill in them a love of art at an early age definitely appealed to him. It wouldn't hurt to speak with the owners if only to get some more information about it. Whether he chose to do it or not, though, he would certainly investigate enrolling Katie in the class. He also owed his daughter a private, one-on-one painting session up in his studio. He finally nodded with a smile. "Yes, I'd like to speak with them."

Marietta's eyes lit up with excitement. "Great! Give me your phone number, and I'll have them call you early next week."

Fifteen Minutes Later...

"What?" Justin asked as he noticed Brian staring at him intently. They were sitting on the back patio at one of the small, round tables, sipping from a bottle of the vineyard's signature Chablis; their hands clasped together over the table. He was feeling a warm buzz now from the wine, and the classical piano and flute music, along with the warm breeze blowing, both relaxed and soothed him.

Brian smiled. "Nothing. I just think that job would be ideal for you. What are your thoughts about it?" he asked as his fingers stroked Justin's hand, causing his partner to shiver slightly. At that moment, it was as if they were all by themselves; they only had eyes for each other.

Justin flushed with pleasure, not only because of the sensations Brian's fingers were creating, but because Brian was actually asking HIM for his opinion, rather than trying to push him into it. That alone made him fall even deeper in love with him. "I want to think about it," he told him as Brian nodded. "But I would love to work with children and encourage them to develop a love of art. I think it would be very rewarding. And to be able to enjoy it with Katie here, too; well, that would be a big incentive."

Brian smiled as he took a sip of his Chablis. "She would love that, Justin," he told his partner softly. "But I agree; I would suggest you wait until you talk to the owners and find out more about it first. You know I'll support you either way."

Justin smiled gratefully. "I know," he told him fervently. "And that means the most of all to me."

Brian tilted his head back enough to drink the remainder in his glass before putting it down. "Well, you can't make a decision today, so I suggest we continue the rest of our date for now."

Justin's face lit up. "There's more?"

Brian grinned as he stood up and tugged on Justin's hand. "Come on and I'll show you."

Fifteen Minutes Later...

"If I didn't know better, Mr. Kinney, I'd say you're trying to get me smashed," Justin mused as they sat side by side on the same side of a wooden table. Brian had led him about 1/8 of a mile down a dirt trail to find a canoe anchored at the lake's edge, furnished not only with oars but also a picnic basket stocked with another bottle of the vineyard's signature wines, a place setting for two with glass goblets, and various crackers, cheeses, and grapes.

After paddling around a curve in the lake and finding a sheltered cove, Brian had beached the canoe on the water's edge near a picnic table set up under a grove of cedar trees, apparently placed there for trips such as these.

Brian grinned. "Well, it IS a vineyard," he commented dryly as Justin rolled his eyes.

"So why aren't you drinking as much as I am?" he asked.

"Duh. I'm the driver, remember? I'm always the driver."

Justin snorted at the double entendre. "So responsible." He polished off the rest of his glass of Sauvignon Blanc. "No more," he told his partner as he pushed the bottle away. "Or I'll be floating back home. Either that, or making a total ass of myself. You're always telling me how crazy I get when I'm smashed. And I always wake up with a bitch of a migraine the next day, too. I don't think getting drunk will make me much of a role model for the girls, either."

Brian grinned as he reached over to play with Justin's hair, letting it feather through his fingers. "Your hair is still so fucking soft," he murmured as Justin blushed. "And I love that I can still make you do that," he admitted, making Justin's face turn an even darker shade of pink.

"Brian..."

Brian's hand curled around the back of his neck as he pulled him closer; it only took a few seconds before their lips met and they fell into a deep, toe-curling kiss, their intermittent breathing only interrupted occasionally by a bird's plaintive cry and the soft lapping of the waves nearby. Hands wrapping around each other's body, they moved closer as Justin's hands fingered the buttons of Brian's shirt. His roaming hands were caught in larger ones, however, before he could get too far.

"Justin..." Brian breathed out as they broke apart to get some air. His description last night of them being two smoldering fires was certainly accurate; his eyes were darkened with desire and his body was screaming to possess his beautiful partner. But he couldn't, he wouldn't do that, at least not now.

"What?" Justin asked breathlessly, his hands held firmly in Brian's.

"I know where this is going, Sunshine, and I need to put the brakes on it right now."

Justin looked at him in astonishment; his eyes slightly glazed over. "I couldn't have heard that right. What happened to not being able to keep our hands off each other?"

Brian sighed as he held his partner's hands in his. "Believe me, it still applies." Trusting that Justin wouldn't attempt anything else, he let go of his hands to brush one of his own through his hair in agitation as he stood up to create some space between them. He noticed his partner's eyes closely following him, silently asking for an explanation. "Even if I wanted to - and fuck, I want to - there's an important piece of equipment we're missing."

Justin frowned before he realized what Brian was saying. "Wait a minute. You're telling me that you didn't bring a...?"

"Yes!" Brian said, bristling slightly as his eyes flashed. "That's exactly what I'm saying!"

Even in his half-drunken state, the ramification of those words registered in Justin's head as he slowly stood up. He shook his head in amazement. "You really meant what you said earlier," he murmured in awe. "About getting to know each other again..."

Brian nodded. "Yeah, I did. What better way to prove it to you?" he asked softly.

Justin nodded solemnly as he walked closer. "But even first dates kiss," he pointed out helpfully.

Brian grinned. "Yeah...But probably not like WE do."

Justin smiled. "Well, we've kind of had a lot of practice with it. But I can always use some more practice."

Brian gazed into his face; as always it was a strong but beautiful face. But right now, with the sun's rays glinting off the water and reflecting in the soft, blue eyes, God, he was breathtaking. He certainly took his breath way. "Well...maybe just a little more practice," he murmured as he swept the lithe body back up into his embrace, Justin's hands sliding up his chest to come to rest on his shoulders. All it took was one shy-like smile from his partner and his lips came crashing back down onto the wine-scented ones, his tongue creeping inside to deepen the kiss.

Later that Evening...

"Sunshine?" Brian asked, his partner's head lying cozily on his shoulder. He decided he liked the bucket seat of his SUV, much better by far than the seats in the 'Vette.

"Hmmm?" Justin slightly turned his head to peer up at him, Brian's right arm around his waist as he leaned into him. They had just stopped at an old-fashioned ice cream stand where you stood outside at the window to order, Brian ordering some low-fat, soft-serve, vanilla yogurt while Justin indulged in a double scoop, hot-fudge sundae replete with whipped cream, two cherries, and double nut topping. Brian polished off his cup of yogurt in record speed as they leaned against the building, giving him plenty of time to watch his partner tease him as he slowly ate his sundae, his murmurs of appreciation sounding precariously like when he was close to climaxing and his tongue periodically flicking out to capture some errant whipped cream and making him extremely aroused, so much so that he wound up having to borrow a key to the shop's bathroom that hung on a giant chunk of wood so he could jerk off to relieve himself, a fact that had made Justin both innately proud as well as just a little smug afterward.

"What about the girls?" he asked.

"The girls? I'm sure they're fine."

"No," Brian clarified. "Not that. I told them we would bring them home a souvenir of our date."

Justin lifted his head to smile over at his partner, touched that he was worried about that. "It's in the backseat," he told him.

Brian frowned. "When did that happen?"

Justin explained, "I visited the gift shop while you were returning the picnic basket and signing off on returning the canoe. I found a small, beaded purse with an art motif on it for Kaylee, and a book about drawing animals for Katie. You think that will be okay?"

Brian smiled as he glanced over at his partner before returning his eyes to the road. "I'm sure it will be more than okay," he told him as Justin smiled back at him before placing his head back on his shoulder.

They rode on for a couple more minutes in the darkness, only the headlights from the SUV illuminating the darkness, before Justin spoke up again. "Brian?"

Brian smiled. "I thought you might have fallen asleep on me, Sunshine," he admitted. "What is it?"

"Thanks," was the soft response as Justin snuggled a little deeper into his side.

"For what? My charming repartee today? My illustrious artistic skills, so aptly demonstrated during Wine and Watercolors?"

"No," Justin said with a smile as he lifted his head, Brian glancing over at him briefly as their eyes met in the dim illumination of the dashboard. "For today. I really had a good time." He leaned up to place a kiss on Brian's cheek, Brian feeling his breath washing lightly over his skin as he turned his attention back to the road, feeling his face warm for some reason.

"I had a good time, too," Brian murmured.

"So where are we going on our next date?" Justin asked sleepily as Brian chuckled.

"Pretty sure of yourself, huh?" he told him. "You know typically the date needs to put out at least a little in order to get asked out again."

Justin snorted. "I was trying earlier, remember?" He boldly reached over to squeeze his lover's cock as Brian grunted; the blood quickly rushing to parts southward as Justin began to stroke it through the fabric.

"Cut that out," he chided him as he reached down quickly to remove his hand and place it on his thigh instead before returning to the steering wheel. "You caused enough trouble earlier at the ice cream shop."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Justin said mischievously as he began to slowly rub Brian's thigh in an up-and-down motion.

Brian moaned almost involuntarily as he stated, "Justin...If you don't want me to get into a wreck out here in this Godforsaken backcountry, you need to remove your hand from my leg right now."

Justin laughed. "No...Not unless you pull over right now so I can take care of your not-so-little problem. I happen to want another date."

Brian quirked one side of his mouth up. "Well, since it would be doing you a favor and you asked so politely..." He decreased his speed, searching for a good spot, when lo and behold, he actually noticed the sign for an old-fashioned rest area, the kind with just a wooden shack for a restroom and a small, gravel parking lot with a couple of weather-beaten picnic tables. Only the lone streetlight above illuminated the lonely-looking spot as they approached it a mile down the road, the crunch of the gravel sounding absurdly loud in the quiet of the countryside as Brian veered off the road and came to a stop.

Both men unbuckled their seatbelts in record time; approximately one minute later, Justin had unfastened Brian's pants and opened the fly to retrieve the treasure he was seeking. Lying flat on the front seat, half sitting against the doorframe due to his lanky build, Brian clutched the soft, blond hair as Justin's talented mouth went to work, one hand curled around the base of his cock as he braced his other one on Brian's chest, palm down.

He moaned loudly as Justin's tongue swirled around his head and then licked the underside, his lips hot and moist. No one made him feel the way that Justin did! Never had and never will. How he had missed him all those years! "Justin," he breathed out, his voice raspy and deep as his lover's head bobbed up and down on his dick. "Feels so good..."

A vibrating hum escaped Justin's lips as Brian's arousal quickly headed toward its peak. It wasn't quite as mind-blowing as one of their fucks would be, but it was amazing nonetheless. His grip tightened in Justin's hair as his partner picked up his tempo, causing Brian to quickly topple over the edge soon afterward. His face contorting, his body tensed and his balls tightened as he promptly shot his load down his partner's throat.

Justin milked every last drop from his partner's dick before sliding his lips off with a slurping sound, crawling up his lover's body to share a taste with him, his own cock lying heavy and full between them, still painfully trapped within the denim.

"Let me take care of you now," Brian urged huskily as they broke apart after several seconds. Justin nodded as they reversed positions so Brian wound up settled between Justin's legs. He lifted his eyes to bore into his partner's in the soft glow of the interior before he popped the buttons on Justin's jeans and slid them midway down the pale legs, sliding his hands slowly up his lover's thighs as he felt the slightly fuzzy skin. As he gripped Justin's cock and went to work, his felt his partner's hands grip his head in almost a death vise as he began to whimper in reaction. Brian spent the next several minutes alternating between suckling and teasing the dark-colored head to near climax and back until Justin threatened to forcibly pull some of his hair from his head. Deciding he rather liked his still-thick mop of auburn hair, Brian decided to oblige him, speeding up his ministrations until he felt his lover's body tensing beneath him and heard Justin yell out his name before his body arched up slightly from the seat and he exploded under him, shooting a copious amount down his throat. He had just swallowed the last drop - and licked Justin clean for good measure - when he heard a rapping sound on the window, followed by an unexpected beam of light. "Open up!"

"Oh, no," he heard Justin groan in disbelief as he hurriedly slid his partner's briefs and jeans up his legs and managed somehow to button one of the buttons before rising to slide his own pants back on. Another rapping noise sounded from behind him as he sat up in the seat and swiveled around to face their visitor. "Shit."

Brian plastered a smile on his face as he turned the key in the ignition to 'accessory' and slid down the window halfway. "Evening, Officer," he greeted the policeman with a polite smile. "Nice night for a drive, isn't it?"

"License and registration?" the man demanded gruffly. Brian rolled his eyes, but nevertheless reached inside his pants pocket to find his wallet and slide out his driver's license.

Justin's face warmed in embarrassment as he noticed the older man staring over at him. "You too, Son."

Justin peered over at him in disbelief. Was he ever going to look his age? He reached inside his own pants pocket to retrieve his wallet and handed over his license to Brian, who passed both of them out the window. The highway patrolman studied both driver's licenses for several seconds before handing them back.

"You from out of state?" he asked Justin as he shined the flashlight in his face, making Justin squint.

He nodded. "I just moved back from Chicago."

The policeman nodded, his lips pressed together. "Well, they may do this sort of thing at rest stops in the big city, young man, but out here we don't cater too kindly to this sort of scurrilous activity."

Brian huffed as he twisted around to face his partner. "I told you, didn't I? But no, you couldn't wait until we got home, could you?" He turned around to look back at the policeman with an apologetic shrug. "Kids! They're so impatient. I apologize for his behavior, Officer." Justin rolled his eyes and bit his lip, forcing himself to remain silent.

"Your fun's over," the highway patrolman stated flatly, not amused as he handed their driver's licenses back to Brian. "You have 60 seconds to get out of here before I have you both arrested for lewd conduct. Now don't let me see you back here again, or I won't be so lenient next time."

Justin waited just long enough for the cop to finally turn around and head back toward his patrol car and for Brian to slide the window back up before he peered over at his partner, who shrugged.

"Another date down the drain," Brian lamented sadly as he shook his head. "Fucker could have at least left his handcuffs." He curled his lips under as he peered over at his slightly agitated partner, lifting his eyebrows impishly.

Justin shook his head in amusement. "You are...I don't even have the words, Brian," he told him in resignation before he couldn't help breaking out in a smile as Brian returned the gesture before he burst out laughing. "Let's not tell the girls about this part of the date, okay?"

"I think that would be wise," Brian agreed. He glanced over at the patrol car several feet away, still idling as the cop apparently waited to make sure they weren't going to loiter. "I think we'd better continue this elsewhere," he decided, "Before we have to call Gus from the hoosegow - or whatever the fuck they call it around here."

Justin laughed. "You really HAVE been countrified, haven't you?"

He shrugged. "When in Rome..." He shook his head as he looked over at the cop, who waved his flashlight at him in a clear, 'get-out-of-here' gesture. He sighed as he turned the motor over and it rumbled to life. "This almost rivals when we tried to fuck in the back of that truck..."

Justin grinned as Brian put the SUV into gear and slowly headed out, back toward the highway. As they turned onto the road again, he breathed a sigh of relief as the patrol car turned in the opposite direction. "Ah...Those were the good old days."

Brian peered over at him. "Would you go back?" he asked unexpectedly.

Justin frowned. "Go back where?"

Brian looked ahead, unwilling to meet his partner's gaze. "To before all this happened? To before the girls? To before...Before I fucked it all up? Your life would have certainly been a lot less complicated."

Justin eyed him in shock. "Of course not," he reassured him softly. "I can't imagine my life without the girls in it...and you." He reached over to caress Brian's cheek with the back of his hand. "I love you...warts and all," he told him as Brian glared at him over the 'warts' part. "And I'm certainly not perfect, either. Besides, my life might have been less complicated...But it would have been a lot more unfulfilled, too. You're stuck with me, Brian Kinney, whether you like it or not."

Brian reached over to grab Justin's hand in his. "I like being stuck with you," he whispered back hoarsely, choked with emotion. Justin slid over and leaned into his side once more as they headed back home to their girls.

As always, thanks to my beta, Boriqua522.;) You're the best.;)