When Friendship Hurts

By Tgray (Theresa)

Chapter 1

Justin heard the keys rattling in the door and re-adjusted the pillow under his head. As if he didn’t have anything
better to do on a Saturday night but lay around watching old Star Trek episodes on the television while Brian was
out doing God knows what with God knows who. Or how many- that was always a good question. Tonight, he was
more irritated than usual, though. It wasn’t like anything was really different, but maybe he wanted to be out there
fucking the city’s population for a change. What was stopping him? Oh yeah…

He watched Brian walk through the door and past him, holding a brown paper bag in one hand, smoking a cigarette
in the other. Justin waited until the bottle was in the cabinet and the beer was in the refrigerator before he finally
said, “Brian?”

Brian twisted the lid off a bottle of beer and took a drink as he ran the finished butt under the faucet, throwing it into
the small kitchen trashcan. He came closer, his eyes shifting to the TV and then back to Justin before he finally
plopped down at the end of the couch, shoving Justin’s bare feet out of the way. “Yeah?”

“Uhm, did you forget something?”

Brian lifted his shoulders and shrugged, patting down his pockets as he gave Justin the patented ‘I have no clue what
you’re talking about’ look. “Don’t think so. Got the usual vices,” he answered, with a grin.

“How about milk? It’s the only fucking thing I asked you to pick up.”

He saw the expression of remembrance and Brian shook his head. “Fuck.”

“Yeah, fuck. Geez, Brian, your mind completely shuts down unless it has to do with alcohol, cigs, or porn, doesn’t
it?”

“Sorry. Must have been distracted or something.” He turned his attention toward the TV, ignoring the parental-like
glare from the other side of the sofa.

Justin sighed the sigh that he always saved just for Brian, one that he seemed to be using more often than not as of
late. “Let me guess. Dark hair, darker eyes…”

Brian grinned, still focused on the screen and took another sip from his bottle. “Couldn’t exactly see his eyes from
where I was standing.”

Why exactly did he think living with Brian would be a good idea? Just because they’d been best friends for the last
five years and because Justin would have never been able to afford an apartment like this on his own. But that meant
putting up with Brian and whatever flavor of the night he happened to be bragging about.

“Michael’s on his way over, by the way.”

And him. Justin couldn’t help the eye roll and definitely didn’t try to hide it. Brian, as always, ignored it and
pretended Justin hadn’t just mumbled, “That’s fucking great” under his breath.

Brian and Michael had been ‘Brian and Michael’ on and off for at least six months. They weren’t ‘together’, because
for as long as he’d known him, Brian didn’t do boyfriends. Michael was more of a fuck-buddy who just happened to
show up several times a week, waltzing in like he owned the place, flaunting their arrangement, getting under
Justin’s skin like a painful splinter every chance he got.

“I guess I’ll be the one going back to the store then.”

Brian had the decency to at least pretend he felt bad, climbing up until he was laying half on the cushion and half on
Justin. He leaned in, met Justin’s lips and kissed him softly before pushing away and moving off the couch. “I’ll
make it up to you…” He slowly crossed Justin’s heart with the tips of his fingers. “I swear.”

Justin nodded. “Like I haven’t heard that one before.”

Brian smiled that charming smile that always managed to get him out of any kind of trouble and slid out of his
black, leather jacket, throwing it over the back of the couch. “Gonna go shower.”

Justin watched him walk the length of the hallway, pulling his shirt over his head before he’d reached the bathroom
door, showing the flex and pull of every taut muscle in his back. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly why
Brian managed to get laid more than any other person in the entire Pittsburgh area.

Clearing the image in his mind, Justin’s attention traveled back to the screen, watching the infamous starship
Captain locking lips with some undiscovered species of female. Why did everyone seem to be getting laid while all
he got were cozy nights alone with the idiot box and a man named Orville Redenbacher?

He tried not to ponder the question for too long for the sake of depressing topics and was thankful for a sharp knock
on the front door, followed by the very unthankful sight of Michael pushing it open and walking through, uninvited.
Neither said a word, looking anywhere but at each other as Michael headed straight for the fridge, snatching a bottle
of beer. Justin kept a subtle eye on him, hating the way he always made himself at home.

“Where’s Brian?” Michael called from the other room.

“Washing the stink off from the other guy he fucked before you got here.”

“Hmm... trying to make me jealous?”

Justin shook his head, watching Michael move across the room to sit right beside him.

“Got your bowl of popcorn and big pile of movies.” Michael reached inside the bag and stole a handful of kernels.
“What, no hot date tonight?”

Justin glared and cuddled the bag closer to his body. A man’s popcorn was a sacred thing and as far as he was
concerned, he already shared way too much with Michael as it was.

“For your information, I wanted to stay home. Unlike some people who have to get fucked every night.” He turned
toward Michael with a serious look, eyeing him up and down. “I say you’re trying to compensate for something.
Something you need to prove. Maybe size… stamina? What do you think?”

Michael glared and answered, “Not trying to prove anything. Guys who ‘can’ get laid do, while those that can’t,” he
threw another handful of popcorn in his mouth and chewed, “spend Saturday nights with Captain Kirk.”

How he hated Michael. “Fuck off.”

Michael’s eyebrow shot up and he grinned. “As much as I love our conversations, that, is a much better idea.”

He kicked off his shoes and socks, tossed them beside the couch and stood up, flipping the top button on his jeans as
he disappeared down the hallway and into the bathroom.

Stupid fucking asshole. Justin slumped down on the cushion and tried to watch the TV for the next few minutes,
distracted by the sounds that were now coming from the shared bathroom. He could only imagine what was going
on in there. He cringed and took that back. He had no inkling of desire to know what Michael and Brian were doing.
In fact, right now would be a really good time to make that run to the corner store.

He had just finished dressing when he heard a large thump outside his bedroom door. He raced over, pulling the
knob quickly as he yelled, “What the fuck are you two…”

He was met by a wet and naked Michael and a ‘barely’ towel-covered Brian, leaning against the wall, making out
like horny teenagers.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake, would you please do that somewhere else?!”

Making no acknowledgment that Justin was even there, Michael’s hand began pulling at the towel and sneaked
underneath, making Brian’s eyes roll back and causing a breathless moan to escape his lips.

Justin shook his head and stormed past them, grabbing his keys from the end table. “Great. Just fucking great.”

He opened the door and yelled back, “This is my fucking apartment too, you know!” before he finally stomped out,
slamming the door behind him.

Chapter 2

Why do I let it get to me? Two days later and Justin was still irritated. He was used to Brian bringing home
anonymous guys and having to listen to the sounds of fucking through the paper-thin walls. While that didn’t bother
him too much, for some reason, Michael did. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something was always off when
Michael was there. Brian was different, and Justin became the third wheel instead of the best friend. Once they’d
had their fill and Michael was gone, Brian would join him in whatever he was doing and pretend again, that he was
the center of the universe. And being the friend he was, he’d always let him do it.

“You’re coming and I won’t take no for an answer,” Brian insisted, stepping behind him to wrap his arms around his
waist. He rested his chin on Justin’s shoulder and turned his head toward him, giving his most sensuous gaze.

“Don’t give me that look, Brian.”

He batted his eyelashes and smiled. “What look would that be?”

“The one you give your tricks before you fuck them.”

Brian pouted a little harder and became a bit more serious. “It always works.” He grinned and lowered his tone, “So
how about it?”

Justin pulled away, giving Brian an uneasy smile and plopped down on the couch. “You have no shame.”

“What the fuck do I care? Now hurry up and get dressed, they’ll be here any minute.”

Justin crossed his arms in front of him, looking very much like a stubborn five year old, and pushed the button on
the remote control. “Not going.”

Brian reached for his hand, trying to pull him off the couch. “Yes, you are.”

Justin pulled back hard, causing Brian to lose his balance, leaving him lying ass-up across his lap. Through their
laughter, they missed the knock at the door and the footsteps that followed afterward.

“Oh! Looks like we came at a bad time, you two lovebirds wanna be alone?”

They both looked up to see their friends staring back at them. “Fuck,” Justin laughed, “Brian, get off.” He pushed,
trying to roll a resisting Brian off his lap, doing more to tangle them as he finally managed to climb out from
underneath.

Brian sat up, still playfully pouting and turned his expression on Emmett. “Will you tell this drama queen he’s
coming with us?”

Emmett’s overdramatic look of devastation caused Justin a second glance. “Not coming with us!? Of course he is,
aren’t you baby?” He sidled up close, taking Justin’s arm in his own. “Now you just go on and get all dolled up.
We’ll wait.”

“You guys go ahead, I’m good, really.”

Ted shook his head and left Blake’s side, a rare event ever since they’d finally admitted to everyone else that they’d
been fucking for months. “What’s wrong with you? It’s Speedo night!”

“Three years and you’ve never missed it,” Emmett interrupted. “And you’re not missing it tonight. Now go shower
before I drag you in there myself.

“Says the sub in the flowery pastels,” chuckled Ted.

Emmett puckered, blowing a kiss in Ted’s direction as he slapped Justin’s ass and scooted him toward the hallway.
“Go.”

“Alright, alright. But this is under protest.” Glancing back at his friends, Justin didn’t fail to notice the victory smirk
on Brian’s lips.

~*~

Same club, same guys, different night. Justin held his beer and watched the crowd, wishing he were anywhere but
here. There were a million other things he could be doing that didn’t involve hard, naked bodies of men that didn’t
want him, unless of course, they were just trying to get to Brian. And that was just about everyone on the dance
floor.

He leaned against the rail, nursing his bottle, wondering why he couldn’t be more like Brian and just not give a fuck.
Watching him out on the dance floor as he went from one hot guy to the next, grinding and rubbing against them,
always managing to be the most sought after person in the club. Justin couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy.
He’d learned a long time ago that while Brian’s lifestyle worked for him, Justin just couldn’t be so carefree and
casual. He’d met, he’d fucked, and he’d felt guilty after. Several repeats and he realized it was always more than sex
for him, even though the general consensus of people who came to these places would be quick to argue.

“Don’t you just look the picture of morbid despair.”

He shifted his eyes as Emmett came up to stand beside him, scooting over to give him a little more room and then
returned to his hawk-like watch over the dance floor.

“Cheer up, sweetie. Your mood is contagious and I for one am here to ogle sweaty, muscled bodies and have a
fabulous time.”

Justin shrugged and tried to change the subject. There was only one body he was ogling and it was neither sweaty,
nor muscled. In fact, he’d say it was perfectly lean and compact, just the right amount of everything. “Where’d
Blake and Ted go?”

“You really have to ask?”

He chuckled and answered, “Somewhere enjoying each other’s company?”

“Well don’t sugarcoat it, honey. They’re off fucking, which by the way is something it looks like you are in serious
need of.”

Justin took another drink. Leave it up to Emmett to know him better than anyone else. “That obvious, huh?”

“It couldn’t be more obvious if you had a neon sign saying ‘please fuck me’ in bold, flashing lights!”

He leaned down, resting his elbows on the rail, cradling his beer and said, “God, I’m pathetic.” Sighing, he exhaled
a deep breath and asked, “It’s just that, do you ever want to not do this anymore?”

“And what exactly would this be?”

“This. The clubs, the guys.”

Emmett grabbed onto him, squeezing his arm so hard he almost yelled out. “Not do guys?! I’d think you’d better sit
down, baby. You’re talking crazy talk.”

Justin smiled and shook his head. “No, I mean the whole club scene. Fucking guys without even knowing their name
first.”

“I don’t need to know their name. Shoe size works alright for me.” Emmett grinned and watched a definite size 12
walk past them. “Mmm, nope. No name needed.”

Justin’s attention shifted from where Emmett was looking back to Brian, and then sighed when he saw him swagger
off the dance floor with a cocky, young stud wrapped tightly around him. When they disappeared beneath the
catwalk, he finally noticed Emmett’s worried stare.

“Or you could know his name, his address and his shoe size but never be willing to take a chance. Are you ever
gonna tell him?”

Justin tried his hardest to play it off, giving his best impression of confusion and asked, “Tell who what?” And if
Emmett’s expression was any indication, the gig was up.

“If you really think it’s a secret, the only one you’re fooling is you. It’s not like he doesn’t already know.”

“Know what? Brian’s my best friend, that’s all.”

“A best friend who you spend your time pining over. If it weren’t for him, you know you’d be having a lot more fun.
He knows you’re not going anywhere, and you let him take advantage of that.”

“He’s not taking advantage. He likes to get laid and I’m just the one guy he’s never found interesting enough to
wanna fuck.” He glanced down, fidgeting with his bottle and mumbled, “Works out well.”

“For who? Brian’s downstairs having his cock sucked and you’re sitting here moping about it. Doesn’t sound like
it’s working out to well to me.”

“I’m not moping,” he pouted, “It’s what he does and I know that. No big deal.”

“Make your excuses and act like it’s all peaches and crème. The next time he breaks your heart, I won’t be… okay,
maybe I will be here to lean on because I’m a softy and don’t like to see my friends upset. Just, don’t let him get to
you and try to cheer up a little, will you?”

Justin nodded and took another gulp of his beer, giving a halfhearted smile as they continued to watch the dance
floor.

“And what’re you two chatting about up here all alone?”

Justin’s smile deflated immediately when Brian’s arms wrapped around his waist.

“Discussing the weather,” Emmett answered flatly.

Brian chuckled, sending a warm breath down the back of Justin’s neck. He pointed below, singling out a couple of
guys. “Hot, hot and getting hotter.” He pushed against Justin hard, making his knees weaken under him. And how
did he always manage to do that? “Let’s dance.”

Justin tried to resist. Really. “Plenty of other guys here for you to dance with, Brian. What about the guy I saw you
with a few minutes ago?”

“Nice mouth, small dick.” The devious tongue snaked out, making Brian’s smirk even sexier. “I came, he went.
Now I wanna dance with you.”

And just like that, Brian had him by the balls, although not the literal ones and led him to the dance floor. He could
see over Brian’s shoulder Emmett’s told-you-so expression, but ignored it as soon as Brian pushed their bodies
together, doing to him what he’d done to countless others while Justin watched. They danced and rubbed, almost
melting together they were so close. Justin bit back a moan

when hands gripped his ass to pull him even tighter and if Brian happened to notice the hardness pressing against his
hip, he didn’t let Justin know about it.

He wanted Brian. God, how he wished he could just taste a little bit of what everyone else was getting. When
Brian’s lips moved over his, Justin closed his eyes, pretending it was real, and not just a kiss between friends.

“See Justin? Told you you’d have a good time. Now aren’t you glad you came?”

And pathetically, he was. As much as he hated to admit it, he’d take Brian however he could get him.

Chapter 3

There was a slight skip in Justin’s step as he walked down the hallway of the apartment complex after a long, boring
day at work. Last night had been good. They’d danced, they’d talked and Brian actually spent the rest of the evening
with him. There were more kisses, better kisses and Justin could have sworn there was a little… something, maybe a
bit of intimacy in the last few. Sure, he’d always kissed him, as a friend, but last night, things felt different, leaving
Justin on cloud nine all night.

He couldn’t wait to get home. He’d been thinking way too much, bad thoughts that had him hard all day. Hoping it
was early enough before Brian got home to have a nice, hot shower, the key was in the door and his body was
tingling with anticipation. Maybe a little lube and one of his favorite toys? That was always good for a fantasy or
two.

Justin slowly pushed the door open and heard voices coming from the living room. Walking inside, his mood went
from cheerful to pissed in a record 3 seconds. Brian had Michael bent over the sofa, balls deep inside his ass. His
sofa! The place where he sat, watched TV, the place where he ate! They hadn’t noticed he was there and as much as
he wanted to, he couldn’t turn away. He had a morbid desire to see Brian’s face, to see his body flex and move as he
pumped in and out of the other man. He needed to see that expression, the sheer look of pleasure that so many others
had seen but that he’d never had the chance to.

He watched, half hidden by the corner of the wall, mesmerized. Justin would have been ashamed to admit it, and as
jealous as he was, he’d fantasized about Brian and Michael. It was hard not to when he was lying against a wall,
night after night listening to them fucking on the other side.

After the initial curiosity had passed, the anger came surging forward again. He wasn’t sure if he was more upset
with Brian, or with himself for allowing his mind to play tricks on him. What was he thinking? That Brian may have
actually felt something for him? He felt like a fool.

He closed the front door loudly, trying to look more pissed than flushed as he made them aware that he was there.
He so couldn’t deal with this right now. “Un-fucking believable. You know, it wouldn’t kill you to lay off for just
one fucking day!”

He walked past them, becoming even more aggravated when they continued as if he wasn’t there. Justin made his
way down the hall and disappeared into his room, slamming the door behind him.

~*~

It wasn’t too long, maybe fifteen minutes later before Brian was knocking on his door, trying to coax him out into
the apartment. Reluctantly, he went, deciding it was time to finally set some friendly ground rules.

“He gone?”

Brian, dressed in only a pair of low riding jeans, grabbed an apple and a knife and plopped onto the sofa. “Yeah.”

Justin waited, sat down on the recliner beside the couch and waited some more. “So that’s it?”

“What’s it?”

“No sorry?! You were fucking him right here on our couch!”

Brian shrugged. “Fucked him lots of times, Justin. Nothing new there.”

“God, Brian. At least if you’re gonna bring someone home, you can keep it to your room. The last thing I wanna see
when I walk through the door is your fucking groupies!”

Brian slowly looked up, turning his eyes toward Justin and raised his eyebrow in question. “Groupies?”

“Yeah, you know, the guys who would pay just to say they sucked you off.”

“Justin…”

“No. Everyone looks at you like you’re some kind of god. I think they actually have you believing it! Just because
you’ve fucked every guy from here to Nova Scotia doesn’t mean you’re superior. You’re shit stinks just like
everyone else’s.”

Brian stared, wide-eyed, listening to the rant, letting Justin speak his peace before finally interrupting. “You done
now?”

“I guess that depends on you.”

“Who I fuck is none of your business.”

“It is when it’s in my fucking apartment!?”

“Funny, I thought it was our apartment.”

Standing up, Justin yelled, “You’re just lucky I’ve put up with the shit I have. Anyone else would have kicked you
out on your fucking ass!”

Brian stood, facing Justin down. “I pay my share of the rent. As a matter of fact, I’d say my 60% to your 40% makes
it mydecision who and where I want to fuck! So get off your high horse, Justin.” He tilted his head and asked, “Or is
that the problem?”

“What?”

“You aren't getting off. I’m getting laid, you’re not and that's what's pissing you off, isn't it.”

“Fuck you! Don’t turn this around on me, Brian.”

“When I say this, Justin, I mean it with the best of intentions.” He moved in closer, narrowing his eyes. “Go find
some tight little twink and fuck the shit out of him.”

Justin shook his head. “Sorry, Brian. One whore’s enough for this apartment.”

Brian took a step back, refusing to fall for the bait. He calmed his voice, trying to ease the situation and asked,
“What exactly is the real problem here? You want me to not bring guys home? Fine. Done. Happy?”

Justin sighed and sat back down in the chair. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to calm down. “I don’t care
who you fuck, Brian. We just need to set some house rules, okay?”

Brian sat down on the couch, leaning back, reaching for his cigarettes that were lying on the table. “We don’t need
any fucking rules. I’ll be more considerate, you stop being such a pain in my fucking ass. Deal?"

After a long, quiet pause, Justin nodded. It was the best he could hope for.

Chapter 4

Brian stayed true to his word and Justin was definitely happier now that he was keeping most of his tricks away
from the apartment. Well, as happy as he could be given the fact that he still couldn’t tell him how he felt. Friends
were supposed to stay just that… friends. If he actually came out and told Brian how much he wanted him, how he
thought everyday about what it would be like to hold him, touch him and feel him inside, he’d ruin everything they
had. He knew Brian wasn’t interested in him that way, and he’d come to the realization that he needed to finally stop
pining over his best friend. It was one thing to hold onto a secret love, but he’d seen enough movies to know things
like that never turned out well in the end.

“Mr. Taylor, your 9:00 is here.”

He waved at the small, blonde secretary that had peaked her head through the door and readied himself for his day.
“Thank you, Janet.”

He sat up closer to his computer and clicked on the page he’d made for a small, local artist. Work was good; it kept
his mind off his non-existent love life, giving him something else to delve into instead. Ethan Gold had paid a fairly
large sum of money for Justin’s graphic designing expertise and after conversing by phone several times, this was
the first time they were meeting in person. As soon as the dark-haired man in tight blue denim walked through the
door, Justin had a sense this could be something very good for him. Maybe work was exactly what he needed to get
over Brian.

~*~

Whistling as he flipped his keys back and forth in his hand, Justin took the steps two at a time, until he reached the
landing to their apartment. He was going on a date. A real, dinner and drinks kind of date with an interesting guy
who actually wanted to go out with him. Ethan had the looks, the talent and most importantly, a free calendar for the
evening.

“Hey Brian, I’m home so zip it up,” he called, throwing his jacket across the chair as he walked cheerfully into the
apartment.

“Now why the fuck would I want to do that?,” Brian answered with a mischievous smile, coming out of his
bedroom.

Justin chuckled, passed him in the hallway and disappeared into the bathroom. When he came out a few minutes
later with a towel covering his dripping body, he rushed into his room, hearing Brian’s mumblings from the kitchen.
He didn’t stop to listen, more

worried about what he was going to wear and how he was supposed to act. God, he was actually nervous. It’d been
awhile since anyone had shown him any real interest. Throwing on simple jeans and a tight fitting t-shirt, he glanced
at himself in the mirror and smiled. With any luck, maybe it was possible for him to get over Brian.

He looked good, felt good and damn it if he wasn’t going to have the perfect night. His ‘no fucking on the first date’
rule was buried way down on his list of things not to do, and his ‘don’t start babbling like an idiot if he wants to fuck
you’ was pushed high on top. He deserved it, and he wasn’t about to let his conscience ruin it for him.

He stepped out into the living room and waited, silently staring at the sight of tight, faded jeans hugging a perfect…
he mentally slapped himself before he could finish that thought. History. No more pining. Brian’s head was buried
in the refrigerator, although he was still talking as he pulled out various ingredients.

“So what about it?”

“What about what?” Justin asked, crossing his arms in front of him as he shifted his weight to lean against the wall.

Brian pulled himself away and slowly turned around. “Didn’t you hear a word,” he caught one look and stumbled, “I
said?”

Justin tried not to look like he was gloating, but couldn’t deny that he was seriously enjoying the eye-wandering
look he was receiving. “Sorry, must’ve missed it. So what were you saying?”

“I thought it’d be a good night to order take out and watch a movie or two.”

“Oh, hey, that would’ve been great and all, but I won’t be here. I’m going out.”

“Out?”

“Yep. I met someone. A very nice and very hot someone, and I have a date.” He glanced at the clock as he pushed
off the wall. “As a matter of fact, I’m gonna be late if I don’t hurry.” He walked to the door, grabbing his jacket on
the way, not letting Brian get a word in and called back, “Don’t wait up or maybe you should just plan not to be
here. If I’m lucky, I may have company later,” he grinned. They'd made no rules about Justin bringing anyone home.

~*~

“My roommate,” he was interrupted by another scorching kiss, followed by Ethan’s hands roaming the curve of his
lower back, “Oh, mmm don’t stop that. My roommate should be gone or locked in his room or… something.”

“Glad,” another slip slide of their tongues, “to hear it.”Justin shivered when his shirt was pulled free from his jeans
and he felt the flesh on flesh of Ethan’s hand trying to slide inside. “I don’t usually…” bring people home, he tried
to say before he was interrupted.

“Shhh, I don’t wanna know.”

Justin nodded and pulled away long enough to open the door, only to see a dozen or more people lounging around
the trashed room. He shrugged to Ethan and glanced around. “Brian!”

“Right here, Sunshine,” he answered, walking from the hallway, past the sea of people to stand in front of Justin.
“And who do we have here?” He draped his arm around Ethan and bit down, chewing his lower lip. “I’d definitely
remember if I’d seen you around.”

Uh oh. “You’re drunk.”

Brian chuckled and held up his almost empty bottle. “Why don’t you go get your friend here a… what’s your
name?” he asked, letting his hand slide down slowly around Ethan’s waist.

“Ethan. Ethan Gold.”

Brian smiled. “Why don’t you go get Ethan here a drink and I’ll do my best to keep him company.”

The tone in his voice made Justin’s skin crawl and his teeth clenched as he pulled at Brian’s shirt. He knew the
signs. Knew the games Brian played. “We need to talk.” He had to stop this before it started, so he dragged him
down the hall until he had him alone in his room.

“What the fuck is this?!”

Brian pulled Justin in close, grabbing at his hips. “What’s what? Just being friendly.”

“Don’t play with me, Brian. Why are there a million people in our apartment?! You knew I wanted it to myself
tonight!”

Brian leaned in, trying to kiss him, but pouted when Justin pulled away. “Just Blake and Ted. And then someone
else showed up and they brought someone else. You know how it happens. I couldn’t exactly say no, could I?”

“Yes! You could of! You could have told everyone to fuck off and go the fuck home!”

“I didn’t want to.”

Justin shook his head. “Of course not. Not when you had the chance to ruin the first good night I’ve had in forever.”
He mumbled, half out loud, “God, why do I put up with you?”

Brian grabbed Justin’s hand, trying to pull him into the hall. “Because you love me,” he teased. “Now C’mon,
nothing’s ruined, Justin. Have a few drinks, lighten up.”

Justin sighed. Why’d he always let these things happen? Oh, yeah. Because he could never stay mad at Brian. No
matter what he did, or how much he screwed up, Justin always overlooked it. Brian was right, funny the things you
can forget when you love someone.

When they reached the rest of the party, he found Ethan with a beer in hand, sandwiched in the corner between
Emmett, Ted, Blake and another large guy Justin didn’t recognize. With Brian following, he moved up behind him
and slid his arms possessively around Ethan’s waist. “I hope they’re being somewhat decent.”

He glanced back at Justin and smiled. “Well, I think I’ve been filled in on everything there is to know about Justin
Taylor.”

“Oh, great.” He turned to Emmett, who handed him a bottle. “You guys are so dead.”

With grins all around, Emmett grabbed his hand and began pulling. “C’mon, baby. We’re in charge of the bar.” He
was dragged into the kitchen and put in front of the small island section where there was a mixed array of liquor.

“So where’d you find that cutey?”

Justin smiled. “At work. He was one of my accounts.” He poured a shot of tequila and downed it, slamming the
glass on the counter. “He is hot, isn’t he.”

“Not exactly my type, but perfect for a boy such as yourself.”

Justin laughed and tipped another shot. “That’s exactly what I had in mind.”

“Well you have my blessing.” Emmett smiled and nodded. “It’s good to see you talking about someone other than
you-know-who for a change.”

Justin shrugged his shoulders and poured a Rum and coke for someone he didn’t know. Who the hell were these
people? “I’ll always love Brian. I can’t help it. But if I wait for him to want me, I’ll never be happy, not to mention
I’ll never get laid again.”

Emmett chuckled. “Good for you. It’s about time you wake up and start realizing there are way too many studs in
this world to be stuck on one self-absorbed asshole.”

“Yeah, but you’d fuck him, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh, my lord no! Pretend that thought never crossed your pretty red lips. Me and Brian? Oil and water, baby.”

Justin laughed at that and was glad at least one of them had a little bit of resistance when it came to Brian. God
knows he didn’t.

By his third shot of Tequila and the Vodka he’d started sipping, Justin was feeling comfortably numb. Life was
good, life was great and some of what Emmett was saying did make a lot of sense. Especially when there was a
charming, well packaged, completely fuckable man waiting for him in the other room.

“As much as I love our talks, I’d better get back before Ethan thinks I’m trying to ignore him and decides to bolt.”

Emmett held up his glass in a toast and nodded. “I want details tomorrow.”

With another chuckle, Justin left the room and went in search of his date.

“Hey, Blake. Where’d Ethan go?”

“Who?” Blake was three sheets to the wind and hardly helpful.

“Ethan. You know, the guy I was with earlier?”

“oh yeah. I, uh, think he went that way,” he answered, pointing to the other side of the living room.

“Thanks. Be careful going home, okay?”

“I’ll take good care of him,” Ted said, appearing behind Blake, wrapping his arms around him.

Justin smiled and looked at two of his best friends, their attention focused completely on each other. Yeah,
sometimes things did work out.

He waded through the crowd of people, unsteady on his feet, half-lit and wobbly from the alcohol. When he didn’t
see any signs of Ethan, he began to worry. Maybe he did think he was boring and decided to leave. That would be
just Justin’s luck. Blow it before you even get to blow it. He giggled and then forced himself to be serious again.
This was serious. It was a chance to prove that there was a possibility for him to have a normal, non-Brian related
relationship. Dinner was great, the company even better and they’d seemed to hit it off really well. Ethan seemed
just as interested in him if he could take all the kissing and petting as not so subtle signs.

Justin eyed the door at the end of the hall. Sure, that’s what it was. He wouldn’t have just left without saying
anything. He must have disappeared to the bathroom. He decided to wait and leaned against the wall, determined to
kidnap Ethan and push him into his room the moment he stepped through the door. Oh, he was so getting laid.

He waited, two, three, five minutes and nothing. He stepped a little closer, further down the hallway and heard it.
That familiar noise he’d heard all to often. Brian’s door was standing half opened and by the sound of it, the springs

in the bed were getting a full workout. Damn, when had he become so voyeuristic? He had to look, couldn’t help it.
Somehow, knowing Brian, Justin didn’t think he’d mind. In fact, Brian would probably get off on him watching.
And wasn’t that just a disturbing thought.

He rounded the corner, placing his hand on the doorframe and slowly leaned forward until he could make out the
two figures on the bed. The sight of Ethan on all fours, ass in the air while Brian fucked hard and fast into his body,
made Justin see things in a whole new light. He was past the point of anger. Past the point of making a scene. As
always, Brian had gotten exactly what he’d wanted.

Things from now on were going to change for good.

Chapter 5

Justin didn’t blame Ethan, really. But he hadn’t spoken to him since that night, either. Sure, he’d called to apologize
and left a message, but Justin had blown him off. Anyone who’d do something like that, as hypnotic as Brian could
be, wasn’t worth calling back.

And that’s exactly what it seemed like sometimes. Maybe Brian had some kind of power of thrall. Like Dracula,
only without the sharp teeth. It had to be ‘something’ mystical. No one person could possibly be as sexually luring
as he was and not have some hidden secret, some spell that held people powerless to his charms. Well it was about
time he resisted and Justin was ready to tap into some of that magic.

He’d avoided Brian all week, making sure he left early enough in the morning not to see him, and stayed away until
late at night, twice staying overnight to sleep at his office. He could have just left, gotten rid of the apartment and
Brian along with it, but that wasn’t what Justin wanted. Besides, they had a lease and responsibilities.

No, what he wanted was something completely different. Something to maybe make Brian wake up and realize what
was in front of him. But first, he needed to be calm and cool enough not to let Brian know how much he’d hurt him.
He needed him to believe it didn’t matter, because from now on, it didn’t.

When he got the phone call from Ted asking him to join them at the club, Justin felt the first of many butterflies in
his stomach. Tonight was show time, but he was still trying to convince himself he could do this. Hell, people did it
all the time. Brian was living proof! Thankfully, the apartment was already empty by the time Justin showed up. He
rummaged through his dresser drawers and found them, his favorite jeans from two years and probably two sizes
ago. He laid them out and found a snug, defining shirt to match. He showered and changed, working his hair into a
shaggy, unkempt style and nodded into the mirror. Yeah, he could definitely do this.

~*~

Walking into the loud club, Justin felt hot, wanting eyes on him from every direction. All he had to do was look the
part and it was amazing what clothes and a new attitude could do for a person’s moral. Even before he spotted the
gang waiting for him in a far off corner, he’d been slipped names and phone numbers as fingers with small pieces of
paper disappeared inside his jeans. He was playing, definitely on top of his game, smiling and winking, enjoying the
attention until he finally reached his friends. All of his friends, including Brian who was staring, and if Justin had
seen correctly, almost drooling when he approached the table.

“Hey guys. How’s it going?” Purposely, his gaze never made Brian’s.

Emmett’s eyes were as wide as saucers as he stood up, looking Justin over from head to toe and bringing him into a
huge bear hug. “Justin Taylor! Who are you and where have you been hiding this delectable body?!”

Justin grinned and stepped back. “What, just because you didn’t notice before…” he joked. He glanced sideways
and followed Brian’s eyes to his navel and the dark patch of hair trailing downward, disappearing into the top of his
jeans. Yeah, he definitely had his attention.

“So,” he rubbed his hands together, “what’s on the agenda for tonight?”

Emmett sat back down and began nursing his Cosmo, chewing on a handful of nuts that were sitting in a bowl on the
table. “Nada. Pretty dead.”

“Time to change that,” Justin smiled, “I think I feel like dancing.” He grinned and turned around, pushing his way
by himself onto the dance floor. Feeling the eyes following him, he made sure to walk with as much Brian-like
swagger as he could muster. Within seconds, there were two men ground tightly against his body, one in front as the
other pushed firmly against the back. Front guy was rubbing nicely in all the right places, definitely looking for a lot
more than a casual dance. Justin smiled and played along, letting his fingers wander into the other man’s back
pockets, giving him leverage to pull their bodies closer together. Before long, the second prospect behind him
disappeared, neglected by Justin’s lack of attention.

“Haven’t seen you here,” the stranger said, leaning in close to be heard over the music. “I’m Scott.”

“Justin,” he answered, “and I’ve been around.”

“Mmm, I think I would have noticed you before.”

“Crowded place. Easy to miss someone.”

“Not when he’s as gorgeous as you.” Scott moved in, brushing his lips against the side of Justin’s cheek as he
reached between them and palmed Justin’s cock. “I hope you don’t mind someone being so direct with you, but I
don’t like to waste time and I’d really like to get to know you better.”

Justin arched an eyebrow and smiled. “I’m all about meeting new people,” he answered, his tone low and seductive.

“Wanna find a dark, less distracting corner somewhere?”

“Hey Sunshine, this guy bothering you?” Brian’s breath tickled the back of Justin’s neck, making him squirm closer
against Scott to get away.

Justin laughed. “Hardly.”

Brian’s hand slid between them, wrapping around Justin’s waist, his fingers edging underneath the t-shirt as he
spoke to the other man over Justin’s shoulder, “Why don’t you fuck off.”

“Brian,” Justin snapped, pushing the hand off his stomach.

“We need to talk, Justin.”

He softened his voice and smiled at Scott. “If you really wanna get together, let me just take care of this.” He turned
toward Brian, “it really won’t take long.”

Scott reluctantly nodded and stepped back, letting Brian take his place in front of Justin. As soon as they were alone,
Brian started swaying, moving his hips to the music and wrapped his arms casually around Justin’s neck. “Haven’t
seen much of you this week.”

Justin slid forward, joining Brian, moving his hands to rest on the slender hips. “Been working.”

He nodded and let his head tilt slightly. “Figured you were pissed about the other night.”

“What, just because you fucked my date? Nah, I’m over that.”

“Yeah?”

“But I guess it would be nice to know what I missed out on.” Amused, with a touch of sarcasm, he asked, “Was he a
good fuck?” He slid his fingers through the loops in Brian’s jeans and began rubbing small, but firm circles.

“Fabulous.”

He leaned in, letting his lips glide over Brian’s still parted mouth. “I know you weren’t intentionally trying to piss
me off. Friends wouldn’t do that, right?” He let his tongue slide forward, pushing just slightly against Brian’s
bottom lip, enjoying the soft gasp of surprise he received. “Ethan kissed well enough. And that ass… I can just
imagine how good it was.” He smiled slowly, running one hand upward along the curve of Brian’s arm, which was
still wrapped around his neck. “In fact,” he chuckled, “I did imagine it. As fucking pissed as I was, later… I still
jerked off thinking about him after seeing the two of you together.”

Brian didn’t say anything, just stood staring dumbfounded. It was the first time Justin could remember putting Brian
at a loss for words, and it felt really, really good. Almost as good as the hardness he felt beginning to push against
him. This was definitely going just the way he’d planned.

“I really should be getting back. It’s rude to ignore someone you just met.”

Brian let out a troubled breath, pulling Justin back to him, letting his hand drop down to grip the back of Justin’s
neck, where he began playing with the blond stands of hair. “That guy’s trouble, Justin.”

“I guess you know him too then?”

“Nah. Know his type though. He’s just out for a quick fuck.”

Justin rolled his eyes. “And to think I didn’t know that,” he said sarcastically.

Brian looked at him warily. “What exactly are you doing?”

“What do you mean?” Justin asked, rolling his hips forward, rubbing against Brian just enough to see a shimmer of
something… jealousy? “Having a good time.”

“Yeah, looks that way,” he scoffed, eyeing Scott, leaning casually against the wall on the other side of the room,
watching them. “I’m talking about this. The hair, the ‘come fuck me’ get up? You should be careful. You never
know who you’re gonna pick up.”

Justin smiled and kissed Brian again. “It’s sweet that you care. Really," he added. "But I’ve gotta go. Don’t want to
leave Scott waiting.” He stepped back a bit, his eyes sharply following a path down Brian’s body to his obvious
arousal. “And Brian?”

“Yeah?”

He moved forward, allowing his lips to brush against Brian’s ear and whispered, “You might wanna find someone to
take care of that little problem for you.”

He pulled away and sauntered over to the corner where Scott was waiting, leaving Brian alone on the dance floor.

Chapter 6

“Oh, fuck…yes! Harder!”

Justin gripped the sheets underneath him, squeezing them more out of frustration than actual pleasured need. This
guy was… was small too much of an insult? He was trying to enjoy it, down on his hands and knees, fucking back
against the wiener-sized cock, but it just wasn’t enough.

“That’s… it… just a little… harder.” His words fizzled out as Scott screamed and then froze in orgasm, his body
pushed firm against Justin’s ass.

Oh, hell no. This so can’t be happening to me. Justin closed his eyes and shifted, lowering himself onto his stomach
as Scott pulled out and moved over to discard the used condom. God, he was still hard and aching, Scott was done
and his cock hadn’t even been touched. He’d been waiting, hoping for a reach-around… something, but Scott ended
up being a selfish prick that only wanted his ass, and was now already looking for his jeans. This is why he didn’t
fuck strangers. It never ended well and now he’d have to lie about what a good time he had and wait for Scott to
leave so he could jerk himself off. Stupid idiot didn’t even realize he hadn’t come.

“So, can I call you?”

Justin blinked. Okay, this guy was stupid and unbelievable. He slid off the bed and grabbed a pair of sweats from his
top dresser drawer, sliding into them quickly. “Look, I don’t want to sound like an asshole, but I don’t think it’d be a
good idea. I’m really not looking for anything more than one night, okay?”

Scott shrugged, pulling his shirt over his head. “Yeah, sure. No problem. Just thought I’d ask, you know? Be
polite…”

Oh yeah, time for tiny-dick to go. Justin edged his way toward the bedroom door, letting Scott go first and then
followed him out into the living room… right where Brian was sitting.

“Oh, hey. Didn’t know you were home,” Justin said, shamelessly pushing his arm around Scott’s waist.

“Obviously,” Brian snapped, looking Scott over from head to toe, then casually turned his attention back toward the
television.

Justin grinned to himself and walked Scott to the door, stopping before he stepped into the hallway. “I had a real
good time,” he lied, leaning in, capturing Scott’s lips, more for Brian’s benefit than for his own. The guy couldn’t
fuck, but at least he had full, poutable kiss-me lips. That was something at least.

Scott left and Justin eased his way back into the living room, sprawling on the opposite end of the couch, attempting
to hide the semi hard-on he was still sporting beneath the thin sweatpants. He casually rubbed his hand once down
the length, shifting in his seat until he caught Brian’s eyes focused on him.

“So how was your night?” Justin asked, low and breathy in his best bedroom voice.

“It was alright,” he answered, obviously irritated. Brian took the remote in hand and flipped through the channels
until he found a low-budget, eyesore, ‘worse than your grandma’s home movies’ porn flick. He tossed the remote
onto the end table and sat back further into the cushion.

Justin looked from Brian to the TV and then down to the tent that was beginning to pitch a bit higher. You’d think
the overexerted fake moans being heard over the horrible seventies music would be enough to deflate him, but they
only proved to make it worse. Oh, this was bad. Brian and bad porn. He sat up, trying to cover himself discreetly by
cupping his hands in his lap.

A few seconds later, he decided he’d gone to too much trouble to blow this. “Too bad about your night. Guess if
you’d met a stallion like Scott…”

Brian’s neck snapped sideways and Justin almost could have imagined a growl rumbling from his chest. “I warned
you about that loser. You wanna act like a cheap, fucking twat, that’s your business.”

Justin turned on him. “What Brian, are you jealous? You mad because you’ve got some competition?!” He snickered
and shook his head. “Wow, I think I finally found the first guy in Pittsburgh you haven’t fucked! I doubt he’s gotten
too far, if you hurry, you might be able to catch him.”

“Why?” Brian murmured, moving with lightening speed over to Justin’s side of the couch. “When there’s a ripe,
rent boy for hire right here.” He unexpectedly pressed against Justin’s lips and plunged, deep and hard, forcing his
tongue inside.

Justin was about to resist, to fight back because he really was pissed at Brian, or at least his mind kept telling him he
was, but Brian’s mouth was on his, his tongue doing this wonderful thing, making his body completely disagree
with the whole being mad idea. Especially when he heard that sound. Brian was moaning a low, deep rumble of
pleasure while he kissed him. Not a best friend kind of kiss, either. Not even the same as the ones they’d shared at
the club the week before… but a real, true, ‘I want to taste every inch of you’ kind of kiss he’d only fantasized a
million times about.

And then there was a hand. A hand tweaking a bare nipple and Justin had forgotten he was shirtless until his body
started responding, goose bumps pebbling his chest and arms as Brian continued playing with not only one, but both
his nipples. Oh holy Jesus! His body uncontrollably arched forward and a desperate moan was pulled from his lips.

They were still kissing, rough and harsh, but it was the most intimate thing Justin could imagine. This is what he’d
wanted. This is what he’d thought about every time he thought of Brian. Watching Brian with Michael, Brian with
Ethan… Brian with every other person that wasn’t him, didn’t matter because now Brian was acting like he was the
most desirable person in the world.

Justin was panting, gasping for breath when Brian pulled off enough to gaze hungrily down the length of his body.
He saw everything in slow motion as Brian’s hand traveled down, brushing across his abs, teasing the trail of hair
just south of his exposed navel and then finally as it cupped his erection through the material of his pants.

The voice was soft, too soft and luring for the next thing out of his mouth. “You want me to fuck you?”

Justin couldn’t help it. It was out before he could think about what he was saying. “Yes,” he whispered, his voice
soft and unsure, completely void of the confidence he’d shown earlier.

Brian bit his lip and let his gaze rest on Justin’s mouth. ““So, do I pay you now… or after.”

Justin froze, his entire body tensing under Brian’s. With as much force as he could, he shoved, knocking Brian
backward onto the floor, flat on his ass.

“What the fuck!?”

Brian’s eyes narrowed, taunting. “You wanna act like a whore Justin?! That's how people will treat you!”

Justin stood up, stepping over the other man and stormed toward his room. “Fuck you, Brian!” Slamming the door
behind him, he threw himself on his bed and curled the blanket around his body. Yet the fool again.

Chapter 7

Justin groaned, rolled over and looked at the clock. The numbers read 10:30, but then he remembered it was
Saturday, which meant he didn’t have to go to work. Thank God for weekends. Smelling rank, still stinking of
Scott’s cologne from last night, he stumbled into the shower, turning it up as hot as he could take it. Standing in one
place, letting the stream run over his body, he tried hard not to think about Brian, but couldn’t help it when his mind
drifted to what’d happened. He replayed the scene in his head and was pissed all over again. Half of him was saying
to forget it, because it was typical Brian reaction and he should have known to expect something like that from him.
But the other half, the part Justin was listening to, felt like throwing Brian out on his holier-than-thou ass.

~*~

Dressed in Saturday’s finest lounging clothes, which consisted of comfortable jeans and t-shirt, he went to the
kitchen, pulled down the single box of cereal and a bowl. His body tensed when he heard the creak of Brian’s
bedroom door and then footsteps down the hallway. Ignoring it, he went on about his business as he added milk, too
much sugar and sliced bananas to his Cheerios.

“Will saying I’m sorry help at all?”

And here was Brian with the multiple personality disorder.

“You don’t believe in sorry. And I’d stay the fuck away right now if I were you.” He didn’t turn around to face him,
instead, took a towel from the counter and began wiping spilled sugar into the sink.

“I would, but you’re in the kitchen and I’m hungry.”

When Justin didn’t answer and it was clear he was going to be ignored, Brian tried again. “I was a fucking bastard,
okay?”

Justin shook his head. “How about fucking hypocritical prick.”

Brian lowered his head. “I guess I deserve that.”

“You guess?!” He spun around, staring Brian down with angry eyes. “Do you realize how many tricks you fuck in a
week?! In a month?! And you’re gonna call me names?! You really have a lot of fucking nerve.”

“I was pissed. I might not have done it the right way, but I meant what I said.”

“So because I brought home one person… one single guy, I’m a whore. And you, being the friend you are, thought
you’d fuck with me before making me feel like a complete idiot.”

“I wasn’t trying to do that and it wasn’t because you fucked that asshole.”

Justin leaned back on the counter and crossed his arms, stiffening his stance just a bit. “Then what the hell was it all
about, Brian, because I really don’t know what’s going on in that fucked up brain of yours!”

“I was just… looking out for you. When you showed up looking like that… acting that way…” he trailed off, “You
don’t have to do that to get someone, Justin.”

“Oh, yeah, because there’s so many guys lined up, knocking down my door.” Justin rolled his eyes and sighed,
grabbed his breakfast and moved over to sit down at the small, kitchen table. “I’m not you, Brian. I’m not hot, I’m
not exciting. You… you ooze sex! Everything about you! You can have anyone! But for you to fuck every guy you
meet and then give me lectures on morality?”

Brian’s eyes found an interesting spot on the floor and he stayed quiet for a minute. Finally, he looked up solemnly.
“It’s because you’re better than that. You think any of the people I fuck are ever gonna care about me?”

Justin looked down and swallowed. “I’m sure Michael cares.”

Brian laughed at that. “What Michael cares about is himself. Don’t ever read anything into what we do.”

Justin had to do a double take, watching Brian’s distraught expression before he finally asked, “So why do you do
it? If it’s so bad, why don’t you stop?”

Brian shrugged. “Didn’t say it was bad, but it’s just fucking. No more, no less. It’s just an arrangement that works
and no one gets hurt. But you…you deserve more than that.”

Justin simmered, less angry but still hurt. “That’s for me to decide… not you. What I think I deserve is to have a
best friend who doesn’t play games with me. You can do that to everyone else, and I really don’t give a fuck. But
just, don’t do it to me, okay?”

“I wasn’t trying to play games. I was trying to make a point… to protect you from getting into something you’d
probably regret later.”

“I don’t need your protection, Brian. I can take care of myself. I did have a life before you, you know.”

“I’m not saying you can’t,” Brian shrugged and turned around, reaching for a bowl from the cabinet. “It just
surprised me.” He turned back around to face the table again. “Not used to seeing you like that… getting that kind of
attention.”

Justin looked up, his face contorted with a worried expression. “Is it so hard to believe?”

Brian finished making his cereal and then sat down across from Justin. “What’s that?”

“That people would want me that way.”

Brian glanced up, surprised. “What? No, of course not.”

“Well the way you made it sound…”

“Wasn’t what I meant, Justin, and you know it. Hell, the way you were looking last night, I’d have fucked you.”

Justin rolled his eyes, playing off the hurt. “Gee, thanks.”

Brian smiled and began eating. A minute went by in silence, but Justin was still watching him. Quietly, his mouth
opened before he could stop it. “Why haven’t you?”

Brian dropped his spoon into his bowl and glanced curiously at Justin.

“I mean, you’ve fucked everyone else.”

Brian shook his head and answered casually, “Not that you’re not completely tempting, Sunshine, but I think there’s
some unwritten rule about fucking your roommate.”

Justin shrugged and smiled. “Yeah, I guess that wouldn’t be such a good thing,” he agreed. “All kind of things to
think about. Who takes who home? My bed, your bed… too much confusion.”

Brian grinned as he listened to Justin’s babbling. “Never fuck a friend. Changes everything.”

Justin’s eyes fell back on the table. “It’s a good thing that’s never happened then.”

“Fucking right,” Brian answered quickly as he stood up to put his bowl into the sink.

Just as fast as it had started, the conversation ended, leaving Justin with mixed feelings and more confused than
ever. Brian didn’t think of him that way and he’d made it clear he never would.

Chapter 8

“Grab me another beer while you’re in there!” Justin yelled, first cringing and then hiding his eyes when he crashed
into two police cars and an ambulance. “Fuck!”

“Would you stop pissing around and eviscerate ‘em already! That streetwalking slut’s never gonna blow you
anyway. Even if you do have an Uzi.”

Justin cursed at the helicopter hovering dangerously above him and then threw the controller at Brian when the swat
team moved in to take him down.

“Oh, she would! I’d probably be traumatized for life, but…”

Brian smirked as he handed Justin his beer and then brought his own to his lips. “No doubt about that. Although, at
least she’d walk away with a smile.”

God, why’d he have to open his mouth? Just the tone, the way Brian spoke, Justin was sure it was an innuendo, so
he tried to ignore it by opening and guzzling his beer. He tried to ignore it… the sudden image of Brian blowing him
that made it hard to focus on anything else. But he had to, because he wasn’t gonna go there. Brian had said, or what
Justin had interpreted from their conversation was that they were now, and always would be friends. Ones that don’t
fuck.

Justin sighed and moved off the couch, stretching his arms above his head. His shirt had risen just an inch or two
above his jeans and he caught Brian’s gaze wander to his exposed stomach. He leaned side-to-side at the waist and
then felt disappointed when Brian’s eyes darted away just as fast.

“As exciting as it is sitting here watching you scratch your ass all day, I’m up for leaving this fucking apartment,”
Brian said, standing up, tilting his bottle back to finish the last of it.

Yet, more disappointment. Justin had been enjoying spending the day with Brian. They’d watched several movies,
eaten pizza, drank beer and then he managed to talk Brian into every man’s sport… the Playstation 2. It’d been a
long time since they’d sat around together, just wasting a Saturday afternoon and Justin remembered how much he
really enjoyed Brian’s company. It made him nostalgic for their friendship, for the time before the annoying lustful
urges crept into his head. He could go back to that… really he could.

“You up for a night at Woody’s?”

Justin grinned, wide-eyed at the invite. Woody’s was the local pool hall/bar where Justin and Brian had first met a
little over five years earlier. Brian had sharked him in a game, taking all but the last two dollars he’d had in his
pocket. He went back the next night, intent on winning back his cash, and so began a nightly challenge between
them.

“We haven’t been there in forever. What made you think of that place?”

Brian shrugged. “Feel like playin’. Only bar in town that usually has an open table this time of night.”

Okay. Justin could go with that. “Yeah. Just let me take a quick shower, okay?”

~*~

“You cheated!”

“How do you figure that, Sunshine?” Brian asked, twirling his pool cue between his fingers.

“I didn’t win so that means you cheated. I don’t know how, but I’m keeping my eye on you.” As he spoke the last
words, Justin stepped closer, just inches from Brian’s face.

Brian raised his brow and smiled. “It’s not poker, Justin. Not like I’m palming the fucking eight ball, now is it.”

“It’s just you,” he answered, slurring a bit as he poked Brian in the chest with a single finger. “You think you’re all
sly and sneaky, bending over the table, looking all distracting and… sly and sneaky.”

Brian smiled again and wrapped his hand around Justin’s finger, kissing the tip of it before pushing it away. “You’re
drunk, Justin.”

“Won’t work on me. Nope, uh-uh. Not Justin Taylor. Cause I can’t resist you. I mean… can. Can, as in I don’t care
if your muscles flex and your lip does that little twitchy thing before you shoot.”

“Twitchy thing?” Brian asked, slightly amused.

“Yeah, that thing that would make most guys lose, and okay I did, but I’m onto you and it won’t happen again.”
Justin shook his head and then regarded Brian thoughtfully. “And I’m not drunk,” he whined.

Brian chuckled and began to rack another game. “Okay. Whatever you say.”

“That’s right.” Justin chalked his cue and leaned down to break. Taking a little longer than usual since there seemed
to be more than one white ball to choose from, he closed his left eye, trying to concentrate. As he lined up the shot,
Brian disappeared behind him and then Justin felt a breath whisper against his ear and a body push against his
backside. “Need help with that?”

Brian’s hand slid down the length of Justin’s arm, wrapping around his fingers holding the cue. Justin watched as
their fingers entwined and he concentrated on lining up the ball instead of the weight pushing against his ass. He
stroked the cue a couple of times and closed his eyes at the image, opening them again when he felt Brian move
away and realized he’d already taken the shot. He caught Brian in the ribs with an elbow as he quickly turned
around. “Cheating! You cheated again you asshole!”

Brian grinned and moved around him to the opposite side of the table, picking up his own stick to take his shot.
“Didn’t see you tryin’ to stop me,” he smirked. “Besides, you hit the ball, didn’t you?”

Justin tried to compose himself, calming the flip-flops in his stomach. He turned discreetly and shifted, feeling the
other part of him standing up and taking notice of exactly how close Brian was. “So what if I… “ he shook his head,
“It’s still cheating!”

Brian leaned down, eyed the table and sunk two balls in one shot. He smirked as Justin pouted and then moved over
beside him to take the next one. Justin watched as Brian again leaned over the table, catching a perfect view from
behind him and God, could those jeans get any tighter. “Nice ass,” he moaned, absently rubbing up and down his
pool stick.

Brian shot up as he missed the ball and spun around toward Justin. “And you call me a cheater? What was that?!”

Justin’s eyes widened when he realized what his hand was doing and that Brian was watching him do it. He had to
cover, had to say something. “Paybacks a bitch and that was just the tip of the iceberg.”

Brian’s eyebrow rose with his usual smart-ass grin. “So that’s the way we’re gonna play it, huh? Could get very
interesting.” As he talked, he prowled toward Justin, moving in closer. He reached out and grabbed the pool cue
between them, pushing it out of his way. Knowing Justin was on edge, waiting for his next move, he leaned in and
kissed him, teasingly sliding his tongue against surprised lips. “Your turn, Justin.”

Fuck! How the hell was he supposed to shoot pool when his dick had so many better ideas! Justin pushed Brian out
of the way, grunting as he almost lost his balance and grabbed onto the table for support. When Brian gripped his
hips, Justin yelped and batted his hands back. “Hands! Personal space here! And stop doing things to make me lose!
So not gonna happen!”

Brian stepped back with a smile, holding his hands up in surrender. “Look, hands off.”

Justin nodded wearily and bent over, only half concentrating on the game. Just as he had the ball lined up and bent
his elbow back to shoot, he felt something long and hard nudging between his legs. He jumped back, completely
missing his shot. “What the fuck?!”

Brian pulled the cue back and stood innocently smiling at Justin. “What?”

“You!”

“Me what?!”

“You just groped me! With a pool stick!”

Brian burst out in a laugh, reaching out to grab his beer. “You said hands off. Didn’t say anything about my stick.”

And the image of that was so completely wrong. Justin felt the blush spread and knew he was a dark shade of red.
“No hands… and no sticks!” he stuttered, trying not to imagine anything else Brian might come up with. “Just…
play fair!” He turned back around and grabbed the cue ball. “And for that, I get to go again and there’s nothing you
can do about it!”

Brian snickered and took a drink, putting his bottle back down, crossing his arms in front of him. “Anything else,
Sunshine?”

“No.” He leaned down and then right back up again, only half glancing over his shoulder at Brian. “Yeah. No more
kissing! That’s completely and totally cheating! Kissing’s bad!”

He leaned back down as Brian chuckled again and said, “Actually, I’d have to disagree with you on that one.
Nothing like a good tongue on tongue to really get things heated up. Just short of fucking that is.”

That one stopped Justin dead in his tracks, feeling his lips going suddenly dry. “I’m gonna go get another beer.”

“What, no comeback?”

Justin shook his head and quickly turned with his back to Brian, making his way to the bar. He needed something
strong and needed it now. “Jack Daniels, straight up with a beer chaser.”

He returned with his beer and another for Brian but stopped halfway when he saw a tall, dark-haired man standing
next to him, leaning in a little too close for his liking. Brian was smiling, unmistakably flirting and Justin
contemplated leaving right then. He might as well just go home. Brian had found his toy for the night. Just when he
was about to turn, he noticed Brian’s head lift up, searching the crowd.

“Justin! Come here!” he motioned, catching his attention.

When Justin approached them, setting the bottles down on the small table, Brian grabbed him and locked onto his
lips, forcing a long, deep kiss. “Took too long. Steve here was trying to keep me company. Told him I didn’t think
you’d like it too much.” He wrapped his arms around Justin’s waist, and pushed his knee between his legs. “I know
how possessive you can get. Especially after I promised to take you home and fuck you til’ the sun comes up.” Brian
ground his knee against Justin’s crotch, rubbing him through his jeans.

“Brian…” he moaned, pushing into the motion.

“See?” Brian said, turning his eyes toward Steve, “Got my hands full. Now fuck off.”

Steve scoffed and turned his nose up as Brian leaned in to kiss Justin again. “Don’t have to be so rude about it. Just
wanted to buy you a drink.”

They broke away, leaving Justin panting for more, trying to reach out for the warm lips. He saw Steve staring and
said, “Are you still here?”

Brian chuckled as Steve stormed off, pulled away from Justin and reached for his beer. “Sorry, Justin. The guy
wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Justin caught his breath and quickly pulled his shirt from his jeans, straightening it in front of him. The room was
spinning, he was harder than a rock and Brian was looking way too good for him to be standing this close. He
stepped back quickly. “I said no kissing!”

Brian shook his head and laughed, watching as Justin tried to hide his discomfort. He stepped forward, closing the
distance Justin was trying to put between them and leaned in, pushing his hand against the bulge. “You say no
kissing, but me, rubbing against you,” his hand began to caress, feeling Justin’s cock twitch under him, “getting you
hard is okay?”

Justin closed his eyes and rocked forward, trying to gain more friction. “You’ve had me hard all night. Can’t help it
when I’m around you.”

Brian moved closer, pulling his hand away, instead, pushing his body against Justin’s. He watched the look on the
other man’s face, the lids closed softly, waiting for whatever was going to happen next. He started to resist, knowing
he should pull away, but did the opposite and kissed him again. They rubbed slowly, forgetting they were standing
in the middle of a bar full of people, grinding together as the kiss became harder, faster and more urgent. Finally,
Brian broke free and pushed Justin gently at the chest, while trying to catch his breath.

“You’re still drunk, Sunshine. You don’t know what you’re doing and I’m not gonna let you do this.”

Justin stumbled back as Brian pushed him, opening his eyes to see Brian staring at him. He reached for Brian’s shirt,
wrapping his fingers around it to pull Brian back to him.

“Okay… drunk, yeah. But that doesn’t have anything to do with this.” He wobbled but held on to Brian for leverage.

“Justin…”

“Just shut up and kiss me,” he growled, yanking Brian forward so he could reach his lips.

Brian managed to hold him back, only long enough to say, “We need to get you home.”

Justin’s entire face brightened as his grin widened cheek to cheek. “Oh, yeah. Home’s good! Home’s real good! You
still promise?”

The eyebrow rose in question. “Promise what?”

“You still gonna fuck me til’ sunrise?”

Brian smiled and sat Justin down at the table. “I shouldn’t drive so I’m gonna call a cab. Stay here and don’t get in
any trouble, okay?”

Chapter 9

Brian impatiently tapped his fingers along the top of the bar, waiting to catch the bartender’s attention so he could
use the phone.

“Come on!”

“Hold your horses, Brian. Got other people ahead of you.”

Brian sighed and continued to tap, turning his back to the bar to see what was happening on the other side of the
room. His eyes narrowed when he noticed a well-built, blond man leaning toward Justin, obviously trying to make a
move. Brian knew the look on Mr. I’m-on-the-Prowl’s face. Hell, he’d invented it. Watching with an intense glare,
he wondered when Woody’s had become such a pick-up place. Sure, he’d met Justin here, but that was by chance
and neither of them had been looking to get laid. Back street bars weren’t typically the fast and happening places
when there were more open clubs and hot spots for men to meet each other.

“Just need to use the phone!” he growled, cursing himself for forgetting his cell. He was also trying to hurry before
Justin became too cozy. In his condition, friendly was an understatement and Brian knew exactly how ‘friendly’
Justin could be when he was drunk.

Joe slapped the phone down in front of him, and with a scowl Brian dialed the number, ordered a cab and was
quickly heading back to get between Justin and the other man.

“Hey, who’s your friend?” He snuggled up beside Justin as close as he could, rubbing a finger down the side of his
arm as he snaked his other hand around his waist.

“Hey, Brian,” he answered with a huge grin, turning slightly toward him. “Do I have a nice smile? Rob says I have a
nice smile. I bet you don’t even look at things like that, do you? I bet you don’t look at anything but a guy’s ass.”

Brian glared at Rob and hugged closer to Justin. “A nice smile? That’s the stupid fucking line you’re using?”

Rob shrugged and looked a bit embarrassed. “Hey man. Sorry, didn’t know you were together. Don’t wanna cause
any trouble.”

“No trouble. We were just leaving,” Brian answered.

Justin turned to him, wrapping his arms fully around his waist, pulling him in close. “You don’t think I have a nice
smile?” he whined, his bottom lip at full pout.

Brian couldn’t resist and leaned in, nipping at the pouting lip. “Why do you think I call you Sunshine?” he
answered, trying to appease him. “Now come on before we miss our ride.”

Justin let go and backed up, watching as Rob walked away and Brian began to move toward the door. “What about
my ass?” he asked, bending his head backward, trying to see behind him.

Brian stopped, turned back around and cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

Justin pouted a little more as his posture slumped in defeat. “Don’t I have a good ass? I’ve tried to get your attention
but you never look at me like you look at all these other guys.”

Brian sighed. Another thing he could count on when Justin had had too much to drink. Excessive openness and
honesty.

Recovering just as quick, Justin eased in closer, sliding his hands inside Brian’s back pockets and began pushing
against him with slow, subtle grinding. “But sometimes… every once in awhile I think maybe, just maybe you might
be interested. But then you go and fuck Michael, or some other guy.”

“Justin, I don’t think we should talk about this here. Let’s go outside and wait for the car.”

~*~

Justin whined and fussed, still complaining that he wanted to talk, until Brian did the only thing he could think of
and distracted him with a kiss before dragging him outside onto the curb. As they waited for the cab to arrive, Brian
held onto him, not sure if it was just to keep with the steady flow of the night’s events, or if it was because he was
afraid Justin would fall over if he left him to stand alone. Either way, Justin pushed against him and moaned not so
subtly when Brian’s hands rubbed slowly down his back, stopping just short of the top of his jeans and then began
another path back up to his neck.

Justin closed his eyes, nuzzling his cheek against Brian’s and said, “I want you. You know that.”

“Justin…”

“No. We’re outside. You said we couldn’t talk in there and now we’re not in there, we’re out here.” He turned his
head to kiss gently against the side of Brian’s neck and whispered, “I want you to fuck me.”

Brian tried but wasn’t very successful in holding back a moan. “We need to get some coffee in you. Don’t really
think we should have a heart to heart with you like this.”

“Like what? Telling you what I want?” Justin pushed his leg between Brian’s, reminiscent of what Brian had done
to him earlier. “What I’ve always wanted?”

“You’re horny out of your mind, Justin. This isn’t what you want.”

“Please,” he moaned, forcing his crotch against Brian’s leg, rubbing up, down, slowly working his erection on the
friction of Brian’s thigh. “Don’t push me away.”

Brian moved his hands back down, squeezing his fingers against Justin’s lower back, lifting his knee just a bit. He
should have stopped it. Deep down, he knew he should have stopped Justin from humping against him, from getting
them both so completely worked up. But the look in Justin’s eyes and the small whimpers of pleasure were too
intense. He wouldn’t let it go too far, but this… this was too good to stop.

He turned his head and found Justin’s lips, beginning a soft, slow kiss. Once started, it quickly became desperate and
needy, ravaging each other’s mouths. It felt like Justin was trying to climb inside him, his tongue was so deep and
wet, moving along his teeth, exploring his mouth until Brian was gasping and panting for air.

“I love the way you kiss.” Justin leaned back in, stealing another before he said, “I’ve seen you with everyone else.
Seen the looks on their faces, like they could come just from feeling your lips.”

With closed eyes, they joined again, dueling for control but both sharing the kiss equally until a car beeped its horn
beside them, pulling them out of the moment.

“Fuck.” Brian blinked as he realized their cab had been waiting for them and reluctantly pulled away from Justin.
Almost as soon as he’d climbed inside and gave directions to their apartment, Justin was pressed up against him
again, his tongue diving back inside Brian’s mouth, determined to finish what the cabbie had interrupted.

With as much control as he could gain, he whispered, “We need to stop, Justin. We shouldn’t be doing this.”

Justin pulled back slightly. His arm stretched out, reaching between Brian’s legs until he had a handful of hard cock
between his fingers. “You’re not acting like you want me to stop.”

And no, he really wasn’t. Brian’s eyes rolled back and he slid further down into the seat, giving better access as
Justin’s fingers began to fumble with the buttons of his jeans. When he looked up again, he found a gaze so intense,
so full of longing, he almost melted when Justin’s fingers wrapped around his cock to pull him out. His eyes
flickered for just a moment, wandered to the rear view mirror where he knew the driver could see everything going
on. All worries about a voyeuristic cab driver disappeared when Justin began slowly stroking his cock.

Up to the tip, circling around and then back down to the base, a twist of the wrist, a gentle squeeze and his hand was
moving back up again. Brian could feel the trickle of wetness sliding down his shaft, gathered by Justin’s hand as it
skillfully massaged him. He needed to feel something, and quickly realized ‘something’ meant Justin so he reached
his hand out to tug on the bottom of the other man’s t-shirt. “That’s so good. Nice and slow...”

Justin scooted down just a bit, directing Brian’s hand to his jeans, urging him to feel the hardness pushing against
his zipper. “Touch me, Brian.”

“You two wanna lay off it back there?”

Justin’s hand froze when he heard the voice from up front. “We were just…”

“Think you can do whatever the fuck you want? I know what you’re doing and you’re not doing it in my cab. Either
zip it up or get the fuck out.”

“Hey! I don’t think…”

Brian wrapped his fingers around Justin’s hand and gently pulled it away. “Shh, Sunshine. Almost home anyway.”

“But…”

“Don’t need to make a scene.” Brian scooted up and tucked himself away, buttoning his jeans before leaning over
for a soft, reassuring kiss.

Justin pouted and leaned his head against the back of the seat. “If we stop, you might not… you won’t want me.”

Brian reached around and placed his hand on the back of Justin’s neck as he leaned their foreheads together. With
his other hand playing softly in Justin’s lap, he knew he’d finally given in. “I want you, Justin. Let’s just go home,
okay?”

Chapter 10

Brian was barely able to toss a couple of green bills in the direction of the cab driver, who mumbled and groaned
even as he took the offered cash, before Justin was clumsily pulling him from the car.

As they hurried up the two flights of stairs to their apartment, Justin leaned on him, burying kisses along Brian’s
neck and collarbone, while Brian’s arm held tight to Justin’s waist. When he fumbled with the key to unlock the
door, he felt hands sliding over his hips, roaming forward to rub his cock through his jeans. Justin was back to
humping again, this time grinding himself against Brian’s backside with his erection pushed firmly against his ass.

Brian finally opened the door and moved them both inside before their neighbors got an eyeful and a free show. He
swung them around and pressed Justin up against the wall, pinning his arms behind him, using the weight of Justin’s
body to keep them there.

“Shouldn’t we sober you up a bit? Wouldn’t want you passing out on me.”

Justin raised his chin, exposing his neck to Brian’s lips, urging him closer with a whimper. “No, please… I don’t
want to wait anymore.”

Brian exhaled. Not able to resist, he latched on and began to suck along the stretched neckline, pulling the blood up
just below the surface as he ground his hips into Justin’s. He felt Justin struggling to free his arms but Brian kept a
firm hold and pushed him harder into the wall. He licked the red welt he’d made and quickly turned his head to
capture Justin’s mouth in a heated kiss.

“You’ve had me so worked up all night, you’re lucky I didn’t bend you over the table and fuck you in the bar.”

Justin hissed and kissed him again. “I would have let you.”

Brian was losing control and he still wasn’t convinced Justin was in the right state of mind to even know what they
were doing. This wasn’t Mikey and one of their Saturday night fucks because they were bored. This wasn’t just
some random guy he could pretend not to know tomorrow. They were best friends, and in the morning, when all was
said and done, Justin would probably hate him for this. But for right now, his body was buzzing and the thought of
how fucking hot they would be together was making him hornier than hell.

He finally let Justin’s hands go, where they immediately wrapped around his waist and then he met the intoxicating
blue eyes. Brian studied him with the most serious look he could manage. “Are you sure, Justin? We do this, that’s
it. No turning back.”

Justin stared back, his eyes glassed over, but the hungry intent in them was completely clear. “Don’t wanna stop.”

Brian nodded and slowly began working his hands beneath Justin’s shirt. When Justin’s breathing quickened at his
touch, he smiled and let his fingers trail a line from the bottom of Justin’s stomach, up to his nipples, touching and
teasing them into tiny peaks. Pulling the shirt all the way up, Brian dropped his head, fastening on one sensitive
nipple, first licking then biting and then moved to the other, pulling lightly with his teeth as he licked and nipped,
hearing loud moans of approval from above him.

With the needy sounds of pleasure driving him crazy, he urged Justin to turn around and quickly pushed him against
the door with his own body cradled against his back. Brian’s hands slid around and began working the button of

Justin’s jeans, spreading the denim material in a matter of seconds. His hands pushed inside, easing his pants down
until they were bunched around Justin’s knees, baring his naked ass. His arms traveled upward, gripping Justin’s
wrists, spreading them above him against the door. “Is this what you want, Justin?”

Before letting him answer, he rested his lips against Justin’s ear, teasing breaths down his neck as he pushed against
him, letting Justin feel how hard he was for him. “You want me to fuck you?”

He moaned and nodded as Brian lifted his shirt over his head, letting it land on the floor beside them. His fingers
traveled down the length of Justin’s arms and kissed a path down his spine, feeling goose bumps scattered across his
skin. “I will, Sunshine. But not yet.”

Justin’s back arched when Brian’s warm lips reached the curve of his lower back. On his knees, he spread the flesh
between his fingers, sliding his tongue down the cleft of Justin’s ass and then continued further to probe the
puckered hole. Justin’s fingers clenched while he worked hard to keep his hands above him, right where Brian had
left them. “Fuck, Brian.”

Brian’s tongue dipped deeper, thrusting and wriggling inside, working Justin up enough to have him begging to be
fucked. He let go with one hand and slid it between Justin’s legs, carefully massaging his scrotum, purposely
ignoring his cock. There’d be plenty of time to explore that area when he was done. He continued rimming him,
until Justin began to thrust back, trying to fuck himself on Brian’s tongue. Brian eased back and pulled his mouth
away, causing a frustrated sigh. He wasn’t about to let things end that quickly.

“Turn around, Justin.”

He reached out and wrapped his fingers tightly around Justin’s hips, helping him twist around. Once they were
facing each other, he glanced up into the eyes staring down at him.

“Please,” Justin begged, threading his fingers through Brian’s hair, trying to pull his head forward. “Please, Brian,
just… oh God...”

Licking his lips, he wrapped his hand around the base of Justin’s cock and took the head into his mouth, putting
pressure on it as he slid his tongue in large circles across the tip. His free hand slid around, and gave Justin’s ass a
squeeze before firmly kneading the flesh, clenching and unclenching as he continued to suck his cock. Brian’s
tongue explored around the ridge of the head and dipped inside the slit, lapping at the fluid easing out, several drops
at a time. He moaned as he swallowed, tasting Justin for the first time.

He felt Justin’s hands over top of his and he heard his breath hitch, followed by a steady moan as Brian licked down
the underside and then engulfed him again. Justin’s grip on his hands tightened and he began rocking his hips,
encouraging his cock each time to slide a little deeper inside his mouth. With a wicked smile, Brian pulled away,
quickly rising up to latch onto Justin’s lips.

“So close,” Justin complained, licking the taste of himself away from his lips.

“Just getting a bit more comfortable.”

He urged Justin to step out of his clothes, which were still balled up around his ankles, and then kissed him again
before leading him to the couch. Justin sat back, watching Brian toss his jacket onto the floor. He waited in
anticipation; his eyes glued as Brian fumbled with his belt and then shimmied out of his jeans, followed by his shirt
before throwing it onto the floor beside them.

Brian was standing there, naked in front of him and it was better than he could have imagined. Justin reached up,
pulling him closer and wrapped his hand around Brian’s cock, stroking it in long, slow movements.

His lips moved closer and he began to lick greedily, with the base of Brian’s cock held tightly in his hand as his
tongue focused on nothing but pleasuring the head. He slid his hand down, letting go of Brian’s cock to fondle his
balls, while taking the entire length as far back in his throat as he could manage. Justin’s mind was spinning,
somewhere between the feeling that this was some alcohol induced fantasy he’d wake up from once he was sober or
the better, slightly tempting thought that he was actually sucking Brian’s dick. He chose to believe the later of the
two when Brian moaned above him and began rocking his hips, sliding slowly in and out of his mouth.

“So warm,” Brian hissed, gripping Justin’s shoulder tightly with one hand while firmly holding onto the back of the
sofa with the other. “Fucking hell, Justin. Could fuck your mouth forever.”

Justin swallowed just a little deeper, humming against Brian’s skin, letting the vibration carry from the tip of his
cock to the base. While his one hand switched back and forth between massaging Brian’s balls and rubbing the area
of skin slightly further back, just above his hole, his other hand worked its way down his own body to stroke his
neglected erection. He managed two or three pulls, helped by the small amount of fluid seeping down his shaft
before he stopped, afraid he’d come before they’d even fucked. Justin let out moan after moan as he sucked
vigorously, trying to pull Brian’s orgasm from him, wanting to taste the flavor he’d been deprived of for far too
long.

“Got a better idea,” Brian said breathlessly, easing himself away from Justin’s grasp. Even as Justin complained and
tried to stop him, he stood up from the couch and urged Justin to lie down. Brian turned his body before quickly
climbing on, straddling Justin’s waist backward. He leaned over, bracing his hands on either side of Justin’s legs
until his ass was in the air and his mouth was hovering over top of a very hard and purple erection. “Much better.”

He felt Justin’s hands wrap around his cock and then came the suction as he was engulfed again between those soft,
warm lips. He swallowed a deep moan and then took Justin’s cock to the back of his throat. He pulled back slightly
when Justin’s hips began rising off the couch, thrusting upward in small, controlled movements.

The sounds between them grew louder, breathless moans and sighs as they urgently pleasured each other. Brian tried
to set the pace, wanting it to last, taking long, slow pulls from top to bottom, scraping subtly with his teeth each time
he worked his way back up. Justin followed, mimicking his technique, but using more tongue than teeth down one
side and up the other. They worked each other for some time, both taking into account every movement, every twist
or lick that brought out a moan from the other.

Finally, when he couldn’t stand it, when the sensation got to be too much and he knew he wouldn’t last much
longer, Brian pulled away.

“Fuck,” Justin exclaimed, licking his lips of Brian’s taste, as he watched Brian digging through the pockets of his
leather coat.

Brian came back, settling his weight between Justin’s legs, letting his lips drop for a full, deep kiss. Tongues played
and flavors mingled while they began to unconsciously rub, their cocks sliding together leaving a slippery trail of
wetness between them.

“Almost came, Justin. Would’ve lost it right then, but that’s not what you want, right?”

Justin’s mouth opened, a deep breath escaping his lips as he shook his head. As much as he wanted to swallow Brian
down, there was something he wanted more. “You know what I want.”

Brian nodded and then sat up onto his knees, ripping open the condom package. “Roll over,” he directed, giving
Justin room to turn underneath him. Justin obeyed and rolled onto his stomach, pushing a pillow down under his
hips. When he closed his eyes for just a moment, he realized he’d sobered quite a bit when the room didn’t spin

around him. He wiggled and shuddered when his cock ground against the pillow, giving just enough friction to help
the steady ache. Brian’s hands began to roam, rubbing firmly over his ass, squeezing and caressing before sliding
outward to rest on his hips.

Brian’s voice was low and sultry when he said, “Raise up, onto your knees.”

Justin rose up, hoisted his ass in the air with his head on the couch and pushed the pillow that had been under him
forward to rest between his head and the arm of the sofa. Brian leaned down, with his whole body pressed against
Justin’s back and slid his hands down Justin’s arms. “I want you to talk to me while I’m fucking you, tell me how
you like it, what you want.”

Justin’s cock twitched in excitement and he nodded against the pillow as he felt Brian’s lips kissing a trail back
down his back. The weight was gone and he heard the sound of a flip-top before Brian’s hands were on his ass, his
thumbs pressing inward, exploring the crevice between Justin’s cheeks. He felt the side of Brian’s hand nuzzling
between them, rubbing slowly inside his crack, slicked with lube until finally, one finger eased inside. Justin
clenched the pillow between his hands and arched his back as Brian stretched him, enjoying the feel when two, three
and then four fingers entered him and began to move.

Even as he worked to prepare him, sliding in, twisting and scissoring, sliding back slightly and repeating it again,
Brian’s breath was coming in fast pants, his chest rising and falling with anticipation of fucking Justin. When Justin
began to moan steadily, pushing back and clenching around his fingers, Brian pulled out and gripped his cock. He
pumped it a couple of times and then knelt forward, lining up with Justin’s hole. He gripped Justin’s hip with the
other hand and pushed, easing the head of his cock through the tight opening. He heard Justin’s breath hitch so he
stopped, placing his now free hand on the other side of his hip. “Alright?”

All he received was a nod and it was encouragement enough to continue. “Gonna slide in nice and slow, wanna feel
you when I push in.”

Another nod and he could swear Justin had stopped breathing altogether. Brian closed his eyes, squeezed his fingers
into Justin’s skin and pushed inch by inch slowly through the ring of muscle trying to keep him out. Finally, almost
fully encased, the muscle relaxed around him letting him slide all the way in. “So tight,” he moaned, sliding his lips
along Justin’s back.

He prepared to pull back, but Justin stopped him. “Hold on. Just wanna…” He felt Brian move oh so subtly and bit
his lip to keep from an embarrassing squeal. “Just wanna feel you.”

“Gonna feel me plenty here in a minute.”

Justin smiled into the pillow and nodded.

Brian pulled back, easing out until only his head was inside and then slammed back in harder.

“Oh, fuck!” Justin screamed, turning into a low groan.

Brian chuckled and pulled out again slowly. “Couldn’t help it.”

Justin closed his eyes and tried to urge his cock to hold on a little longer as Brian pushed back in, slower this time.
He could already feel the pressure in his balls and he knew one more move like that would have him coming. God,
just having Brian inside him was enough to do that.

Brian stopped when he was embedded all the way, and leaned his body down against Justin’s backside, kissing the
back of his shoulder. “So when you thought about us fucking, is this what you thought it’d be like?”

Justin bit back a moan, but exhaled slowly. “Sometimes.” He took in another sharp breath and said, “Mostly, but
other times, it’d be different.”

Brian nipped at the skin between his teeth. “Different how?” He pulled his hips back, easing out just an inch or two
and then slid back in, pushing forward against Justin’s ass as hard as he could.

“Mmm,” Justin whimpered, arching again. “Sometimes, I’d ride you. Kneel down on your cock and just fuck you
while you laid there.”

“Uh-huh?” Brian whispered, still fucking slowly, an inch at a time.

“Or…” Justin started thrusting, fucking back against Brian, “I’d fuck you.” He felt Brian’s hand slide around his
stomach, over his navel and then down to grip his cock.

“Well, Sunshine... if you play your cards right…”

Justin moaned as Brian began to slowly stroke his cock. “But I didn’t…” another moan when he felt the thumb graze
over his slit, “think you’d ever do that.”

“No?” Brian leaned down, resting his forehead against Justin’s back. His hand was working in time with each thrust
of his hips, barely able to keep them slow and shallow, ready to dive in and fuck Justin senseless. “You’re right. I
wouldn’t bottom for just anyone.”

Justin groaned.

Brian grit his teeth. “Next time, I’ll tell you about some of the things I’ve imagined doing to you.”

“Oh, God, Brian.”

“Can I fuck you now?”

“Like you even need to ask,” he growled, slamming back onto Brian’s cock, urging him to start fucking faster.

“Better hold on.”

Brian rose and grabbed Justin’s hips tightly, letting go of his cock. “Touch yourself. I need both hands to do this
right,” he growled.

Justin’s hand flew underneath him, sliding around to fist his cock, the other still wrapped around the pillow,
strangling it between his fingers.

Brian shoved in, hard, pulling Justin’s hips back at the same time to meet his thrust. He pushed forward, changed the
angle just a bit, pulled out and then slammed back in, hearing Justin’s cry and knowing he’d hit the right spot.

“That’s it, Sunshine. Wanna hear you scream.”

“Fuck!” Justin’s voice carried through the apartment, and he vaguely humored the possibility that the neighbors
could hear them. His hand sped up, urgently stripping his cock, fucking his closed fist as Brian pounded into him.

“That’s right, fuck back on me! Use my cock, Justin!”

Justin swallowed another scream and arched his back as high as he could, his legs threatening to give out from the
intensity of Brian’s hips rocking against him. His body began to shake and he roared into the pillow as he let it go

and his cock began to spurt, leaving the couch cushion soaked beneath him. His ass clenched uncontrollably with his
orgasm, gripping Brian’s cock and then unclenching just as quick, massaging him in rapid bursts.

Brian thrust in one last time as he came, using enough force to push Justin down off his knees and flat onto the sofa.
They lay still finally, for just a few minutes, both sated and happily exhausted at the same time. “Need to get this
thing off me.”

Justin nodded, already sorry when he felt Brian slip out of his body to get rid of the used condom. Brian lifted
himself up and made his way to the bathroom, glancing back once to look at Justin’s body stretched out across the
sofa.

He discarded the rubber, tied it off and threw it into the trashcan and then leaned over the toilet, waiting to fully
soften so he could pee. With one hand holding him against the wall, the other holding his cock, he closed his eyes
and tried not to think of what he’d just done. As incredible as it had been, as much as his cock was begging to go
back and do it again, he felt like a complete ass. Even though the voice in his head had screamed for him not to, he’d
just fucked his best friend.

“What the fuck did you think you were doing?”

He shook his head, finished what he was doing and then went back to the living room. Justin was snoring softly, still
laying stomach down where Brian had left him, and looking completely debauched even as he slept. Deciding to
finish what the rest of this night had

become, Brian ignored the voice again and climbed in behind, spooning up against him as Justin turned on his side
facing the room. He wrapped his arm around him and nuzzled down into his neck. “Justin?”

He heard a mumbled reply and Justin gripped his arm, trying to pull him closer. He realized there wasn’t going to be
any waking him, so he laid there, listening to the calm breathing with a world’s full of confusion swimming around
his head.

“I know what you want, Justin. I’ve known it for a long time.” He pulled his hand back and began nervously
stroking lightly up and down Justin’s arm. “I tried my hardest to be a fucking ass, to make you not want me. Christ,
Justin, I fucked your date and you still forgave me! What else could I have done, huh? Didn’t want to piss you off
like I did, but I saw where all this was leading. Was getting harder and harder to resist.” He chuckled, a half insane
type laugh. “Guess tonight proved that, didn’t it?”

He bent his knee, sliding it forward between Justin’s legs, taking comfort in the warmth pressing against the front of
his body. “But it can’t happen. This thing with us… it’s wrong. It couldn’t be what you want.” He stopped for a
moment, trying to figure out just the right way to say what he was thinking. To tell sleeping Justin just what he felt.
Finally, he sighed and rose up onto his elbow, looking down at Justin’s peaceful expression. “You know me, Justin.
Hell, probably better than I do and you know I’m not exactly famous for keeping my dick to myself. If it was just a
fuck, it’d be one thing, but I know that’s not what you’re looking for. I just know how I am… and the last thing I
wanna do is hurt you. I don’t know if I could change. I care about you, Justin, but what if I couldn’t be what you
want and I made a fucking mess of things? What then?”

Brian tensed when Justin moved, pushing his ass back further, rubbing against Brian at the same time. “You’re not
helping the situation here.” He reached between them, readjusted himself and then forced his body and brain back to
his other train of thought.

“All I’m saying is that I don’t wanna lose you and I think this is a really fucked up thing we did.” He breathed in
Justin’s scent, mixed with the smell of sex and sweat, and then exhaled. “So tomorrow, when we wake up… well, I
just wanted to say sorry now, okay?”

He closed his eyes, laid his head back down and curled himself around Justin, trying to forget about everything
except how incredible the night had been.

Chapter 11

“Justin,” he heard faintly, feeling fingers tickling leisurely along the side of his stomach. “Wake up, Sunshine.”

Justin flinched, groaned softly and looked back, shifting his body toward Brian and gave in to the warm lips that
reached down to meet his. “Morning already?” he asked, stretching lazily.

Brian rolled over, settling his weight on top of Justin and eased his legs open to rest his body between them. He
began a slow, steady glide, rubbing their cocks together, taking advantage of the morning erection pressed against
Justin’s stomach. “Not quite yet. Waited as long as I could, thought about taking care of it myself but the idea of
being inside you sounded much more appealing.”

Justin chuckled and ground upward against Brian. “See? Had me once and now you can’t get enough.”

“Too right.” Brian smiled and closed his lips around Justin’s, working his hips slowly and steadily. “I should never
have waited so long to fuck you.” He shifted, giving his hand room to slide down between them and gripped Justin’s
cock in a tight fist.

Justin arched into him as Brian began to stroke, placing his hands on Brian’s shoulders, trying to pull him down for
another kiss. “You always were kind of slow,” he grinned, playfully nipping at Brian’s lip before easing his tongue
inside.

Brian moaned when Justin began rocking his hips and fucked quicker into his fist. After a few more thrusts, he
leaned closer against Justin’s ear and whispered, “Don’t want you coming yet.” He released Justin’s cock and
watched the blue, dilated eyes close in frustration. “Not until I’m inside you.”

Brian placed his hand on Justin’s hip, pushing him over onto his side away from him and forced his top leg to bend
forward at the knee. He moved closer, molding their bodies together and guided his cock to Justin’s ass.

“Wait,” Justin said, holding him off. “Condom?”

Brian shushed him and placed a kiss on the back of his neck. “It’s okay. We don’t need it.”

Without any argument, Justin reached back, spreading himself, and with a bit of maneuvering from both of them,
Brian slid inside. From the position they were in, he couldn’t go very deep, so he thrust in slow, shallow strokes, the
head of his cock repeatedly spreading the tight outer ring of muscle. His arm wrapped around Justin’s waist, almost
in a protective hold, as he whispered, “Never gonna stop, Justin. Never gonna be anyone else.”

Justin was pushing his ass back, trying to gain deeper penetration, gripping Brian’s fingers tightly in front of him.
“Say it, Brian. Please tell me…” his voice tapered off into a low, guttural moan when Brian finally urged him onto
his knees, allowing his cock to hit the spot several times that sent Justin’s body spiraling into orgasm.

“So fucking hot when you come.” Brian lowered his hand and reached for Justin’s cock, milking the last drops of
fluid as he thrust his hips forward. “I love you, Justin,” he moaned as he pulled out and came, spilling over the
globes of Justin’s ass.

Justin opened his eyes, reaching for the warm body that should have been lying next to him. He groaned when he
felt the sticky residue pooled in the curls at the base of his cock. He turned his head, letting his eyes wander the
outline of the apartment and then listened intently for any sound of movement. There was nothing. Brian was gone

and he was alone which meant… a wet dream? Damn, he hadn’t had one of those since he was a sex-deprived,
horny teenager in the days before he discovered the joys of actual cocksucking.

He sat up, trying not to make more of a mess on the couch than they already had and closed his eyes when the room
spun around him. Fuck, how many hours had it been? 10:00 A.M. and he was still feeling the effects of a few too
many bottles of alcohol. He shook it off and fumbled his way down the hallway toward the bathroom, stopping to
sneak a peek into Brian’s room, just in case. No sign of him anywhere. Where the hell could he have gone?

He adjusted the temperature and stepped into the hot stream, letting the water cascade over his body, not washing,
just standing motionless as he considered what had happened last night. He’d fucked Brian. Or technically, Brian
had fucked him. Either way, fucking occurred and it had been incredible. Bits and pieces were fuzzy, parts of the
evening merging together into one big glob of flirtatious innuendoes, but the important parts, the parts involving
hands and lips and cocks, were crystal clear. So why wasn’t Brian here basking in the afterglow with him?

Was it bad? Was it not the star-spangled fireworks he thought it had been? Did Brian leave to save him the
embarrassment of having to tell him what a lousy fuck he was? His mind reeled with the possibilities. Not one of
them good. Or maybe he just went out for coffee and he was on his way back home right now? Never mind the fact
that the nearest decent coffeehouse was across town several city blocks away, or the fact that Brian generally only
drank juice in the morning. Then again, he wasn’t in the habit of fucking Justin either, and that hadn't stopped him
from doing it. His sore ass could attest to that.

Justin tried to calm down and stop jumping to conclusions and concentrated on washing, shampooing and trying to
make himself feel halfway alive. Maybe breakfast would make him feel better. Yeah, he’d get dressed and fix a big,
hearty helping of pancakes and wait for Brian to return.

When lunchtime rolled around, Justin really began to worry. He’d tried Brian’s cell phone, failing to leave a
message after the third time. If Brian didn’t return his call after the first two, it was obvious he was being ignored.
Okay, maybe it was a little unreasonable to assume the worst, but the idea that Brian would just disappear after
they’d… had sex? Fucked? Well, in all honesty, it hurt. Justin needed a reason, any reason and by now, he was
grasping at straws.

He went to the door and opened it, hoping… checking both ways down the long hallway before grabbing the rolled
up Sunday paper left in front of the door. Grumbling, he threw himself onto the couch, turned on the television for
background noise and delved into the comics. He tried to find humor in meaningless cartoons, but finally gave up
when even Snoopy’s antics failed to crack a smile.

He tried Brian’s cell one last time and then resigned to the fact that he was a complete sexual disappointment and
that Brian was only being nice when he was murmuring all those little words of encouragement to him. What if
Brian never wanted to have anything to do with him again? He’d have to move out, find a new place, and he was
already mentally searching for apartments in his head. He couldn’t stand it if he had to be around his best friend,
constantly afraid that Brian would always be snickering behind his back. Besides, sharing the apartment could be a
little tricky for both of them when there was the awkwardness of bad sex to deal with. Even if it was only a one-
sided opinion.

He hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep until he heard the rattling of keys in the door and the deadbolt being flipped.
The room was bathed in a hazy glow from the sun setting behind the blinds and Justin sat up, ran his hands through
his tussled hair and glanced at the clock on the cable box. He’d slept most of the afternoon and it was 7:00 when
Brian finally stumbled through the door.

Justin was up off the couch, relief fluttering in the pit of his stomach as soon as he saw him. “Jesus, Brian! Where
the hell…”

That’s when he noticed Michael following closely behind him. A little too damn close seeing as his arms were
hooked onto Brian’s waist, pushing him forward with his hips, laughing when Brian almost fell forward off balance.

“Hey, Justin, were you sleeping?” Brian flashed a casual smile and then tilted his head, giving better access for
Michael’s lips to latch onto the side of his neck.

Justin’s leer could have incinerated both men if he’d had superpowers. “What’s he doing here?”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Justin,” Michael pouted. “I promise I’ll play nice,” he bit down on Brian’s shoulder at the
nape of his neck before turning it into a kiss and smiled directly at Justin, “if you will.”

“What the fuck’s going on, Brian?!”

“Mikey’s place is being exterminated. Needed somewhere to go.” Brian’s eyes drifted shut and a small whimper
escaped his lips as Michael ground into him.

“That’s where you’ve been all fucking day?! At Michael’s??”

Brian opened his eyes and stared at Justin. “So?”

Justin began pacing, his arms flailing in front of him as he burst out, “Dammit, Brian!” He stopped and yelled, “You
just fucking left! Didn’t call, leave a note? Nothing! What the hell did you expect me to think?! I’ve been going out
of my fucking mind being worried about you and now you just stroll in here like it’s no big deal and you just had to
show up with him, didn’t you?!”

Brian casually pulled away from Michael’s embrace and sauntered toward Justin. “When the hell did you turn into
my fucking mother? Didn’t realize I had to check in with you.”

“It’s fucking courtesy, Brian!”

“Never been an issue before, has it?”

Justin stepped closer. “Well maybe things are different now.”

“What? Because we fucked? Stop acting like a fucking princess, Justin.”

Justin’s surprised expression turned to fury when he noticed Michael over Brian’s shoulder… grinning.

“What the hell are you laughing at, you prick?”

Michael’s grin faded and he moved up behind Brian again, wrapping his arms around the slim waist. “I think it’s
funny. Brian throws you a bone and instead of just riding it…” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, “and taking it
for what it is, you go all possessive and jealous. You’re just mad because you finally have a taste, but when the
fucking ends and Brian’s done using your ass, he’ll always come back to me.”

“And how’s that feel, Michael? Knowing you’ll always be Brian’s private whore.”

By now, Brian was standing in the middle of both men, holding out his arms in case fists began flying.

“At least he wants to fuck me. Told me you were just a one-time shot.” Michael eyed Justin from head to toe and
smirked. “Guess you just don’t have what it takes to keep someone’s attention.”

Brian spun around quickly. “Michael,” he warned.

Michael didn’t stop, instead, tried pushing his way through Brian. “You’ve been jealous of me for years. I’ve seen
the way you look at Brian, the way you lust after him. Get it through your thick skull, he doesn’t want you! You
were just a mercy fuck!”

“Michael!” Brian snapped again, trying to push him backward, away from Justin.

“Is that what it was, Brian?! Did you feel sorry for me?!” Justin asked with a note of disgust.

Brian turned back around, using his body to hold Michael at bay. He was about to answer, his breath taken away by
the pain in Justin’s eyes when Michael piped in, “Yeah, Justin. Why the hell else do you think he’d fuck you?!”

Brian met Justin’s eyes and felt it the moment when Justin’s world was shattered. He took a deep breath and not
even bothering to look at him said, “Go in the room, Michael.”

“Why? Just because little Justin can’t handle…”

“I said go wait for me in the fucking room!”

Michael stepped back and smirked. “Whatever.” He puckeredtoward Justin, kissing the air and then disappeared
down the hallway into Brian’s room.

When he heard the door close, Brian focused his attention where it needed to be. “Michael didn’t have any right…”

“Shut the fuck up, Brian. Don’t make it worse,” he warned.

“Justin…”

“Fuck you! You’re supposed to be my friend! We don’t play games, remember?! That’s the deal! You have all your
fuck buddies to do that with but me and you… I thought we were supposed to be honest with each other! Last night,
I thought… ”

“What did you think? That we’d wake up and do the boyfriend bit?”

Justin shook his head. “I don’t know, I just thought…” his voice tapered off.

“We had fun and we got off. Contrary to Michael’s point of view, it wasn’t a pity fuck, Justin. We were drunk, we
were horny and we both wanted it, so we fucked. But it doesn’t mean anything’s different, doesn’t mean we start
picking out fucking china patterns.” He let his eyes drop to the floor, quietly saying, “Doesn’t even mean it’ll
happen again.”

“So it really was just another fuck to you?” Justin asked sharply.

Brian bit his lip, choosing his next words carefully. “It never should have happened. We can’t change it, so we just
have to deal with it.”

“Right,” Justin snapped. “At least we both agree it was a fucking mistake. I was such an idiot.”

“Justin…”

“No.” He held up his hands in defeat. “I’m done, Brian. I’m done with all of this.”

Justin stormed past Brian and into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Chapter 12

Brian stomped angrily into his room, finding Michael lying on his bed, feet crossed with his hands cradled behind
his head. The sight did nothing more than piss him off.

“Who gave you the fucking right?” he demanded, hovering over the foot of the bed, blatantly ignoring Michael’s
nakedness. “What the fuck was all that about?”

“All what?” Michael asked, leisurely running his fingers over his stomach.

Brian was quiet for a minute, trying to get a grip on his anger, and then said, “You were just supposed to walk
through the fucking door. I didn’t tell you to get into a pissing contest with him!”

“So you got a bonus,” Michael answered smugly.

Brian’s fists clenched at his sides, the anger seeping out in waves. “You stupid fuck.”

Michael sat up cautiously, realizing just how upset Brian was and frowned. “I’m not the one who fucked him.”

Brian began pacing back and forth, side to side across the room, anything to keep him from hitting Michael, which
was exactly what he wanted to do. “You need to learn when to keep your mouth shut!”

“And you need to learn to keep your dick to yourself,” Michael bit back.

Brian stopped his pacing and eyed Michael furiously with a raised eyebrow, giving a genuine look of astonishment.
“That right?” He gestured to Michael’s naked body and shrugged. “That’s why you’re bare-assed on my bed?
Because you weren’t expecting me to fuck you?”

“Damn it, Brian!” Michael yelled, sitting up against the headboard. He shook his head and slid to the edge of the
bed, reaching for his clothes. “This doesn’t have anything to do with us!”

“The fuck it doesn’t.”

Michael stood up, pulling his jeans on and turned back around to face Brian. “No. Because I’m not insane enough to
think you could ever be anything more than a good fuck. Justin’s naïve, or he’s just not that smart.”

“And you just had to share your opinion...”

“Well, yeah. If he actually thinks you give a damn about him, he's stupid! Either that, or you must have done one
hell of a head job on him.” Michael walked slowly over to where Brian was standing, trying to stay in a position of
dominance, but deflated slightly once he got there. His arms reached out and his hands locked around the back of
Brian’s neck, surprised when Brian flinched at his touch. “Is that what you did, Brian? Did you make him believe he
meant something?” He paused, and then added, “Did you tell him you love him?”

“Not in the mood for your fucking games, Michael,” Brian spat back, shoving Michael’s hands off his shoulders.

“I’m not playing games and you didn’t answer me.” He glared, watching for any sign of contempt, but when Brian
didn’t answer, Michael stepped back, crossing his arms in front of him. “Unless…” He chewed his lip and then
nodded. “Huh.”

He turned around and walked over to the chair in the corner, grabbing his shirt, sliding his arms through the sleeves.
Once it was buttoned, he spun back around. “You’re an idiot, Brian.”

“What?”

“That’s why you’re so pissed off at me. I hurt poor little Justin’s feelings, assuming you’d just used him like you use
everyone else. But that’s not what happened, is it?”

Brian glared, but remained silent.

Michael shook his head, walking over to the door. “You’re in deep and you don’t know what to do about it! If this is
the way you treat someone you love, I’m pretty damn lucky all I ever was to you was an ass to fuck.”

Brian’s jaw clenched and he was about to argue, but found himself in unfamiliar territory. For once, as much as he
hated to admit it, Michael was right.

“See ya round, Brian.”

Michael disappeared through the door, leaving Brian with nothing but a huge bucket of guilt. It had been ridiculous
to think he could actually let Justin believe it hadn’t meant anything to him. He at least owed him enough to explain
his feelings, even if it didn’t change anything between them. Justin deserved to know why Brian was pushing him
away.

He took a deep breath, gathering the courage to face Justin after the things he’d said and the way he’d treated him.
Leaving his room, he slowly walked down the hall, stopping in front of Justin’s door. It was time to lay it all out in
the open.

He knocked and waited. “Justin, I know you’re pissed but we need to talk.”

There was no answer, so he knocked again, a little louder. “C’mon, Sunshine. I think things’ll be better when you
hear me say what an ass I am.”

Brian listened, worried when he didn’t hear any sound. He tried the knob and turned, pushing the door open to an
empty room. His stomach twisted, knowing right away that he was alone in the apartment. “Great,” he muttered.
Now, when he had the nerve to say the things that needed to be said, Justin wasn’t there to talk to. He was afraid,
given enough time, he’d lose the courage to say it.

He sighed, knowing all that was left for him to do was wait for Justin to come home. Moving into the kitchen, he
opened the refrigerator to grab a beer and saw the note, written in Justin’s handwriting once he closed the door. Not
wanting to read it, but knowing he had to, he sat down at the small table, popped open the can and began.

Brian,

I never thought it would come to this.

Years ago, even when I realized the feelings I had for you were more than what they should have been, I convinced
myself I could handle it. I sat back and watched you fucking with all those other guys, so damn jealous I couldn’t
see straight. And you know what? You never even noticed, and that hurts more than what happened last night ever
could.

So now, I’m sitting here while you’re probably fucking Michael, feeling sorry for myself, wondering what’s wrong
with me. I can’t handle it, Brian. As much as I’ve tried, I can’t handle being around you every single day, wanting
you and hating myself for it.

God, I was so stupid, actually thinking you could care about me. I suppose I could have been anyone. Like you said,
Brian… we were drunk, we were horny and we got off. You know, I’m really sorry you feel that way, but it kind of
put things in perspective for me. I love you. I can say it now because after the fool I made of myself, I guess it’s
really not a secret anymore.

I’ve loved you for such a long time, I was delusional to think that last night would be the start of something more. I
actually forgot for a while that Brian Kinney doesn’t need anything past his own satisfaction. I’ve put up with so
much fucking shit because I had this stupid idea that one day, you’d wake up and see me. Really see me, the way I
see you. I wanted to believe so much that I was more than just a fuck. What happened today proved to me that I’ll
never be good enough for you. I don’t know what it takes, or if you’re even capable of loving someone and I’m done
trying to find out.

I want you out of my life, Brian. I need to give myself a chance to be happy and leaving seems like a good first step
in making that happen. I’ll be back for my things when I figure out exactly where I’m going. I’ll make sure you’re
not here.

Justin

By the way, you were right about one thing. Never fuck your best friend. It does change everything.

Brian read the letter twice through, before calmly folding it up and sliding it into his back pocket. He felt numb, his
entire body slumping forward when he realized what he’d done. Justin was gone. He’d pushed him too far and now
it was too late to fix anything. He sat alone, finishing his beer, contemplating the worst mistake of his life.

Chapter 13

“C’mon, baby. You can’t avoid him forever.”

“I’m not avoiding him, Em. I just don’t want to see him. There’s a difference.”

“Well you can’t stop having fun just because you might run into him. We’re still your friends too you know! We
haven’t seen you at Woody’s or Babylon in months! You haven’t even been to Deb’s!”

“Brandon likes us to spend time alone. He doesn’t need the clubs, or the other guys… or the backroom to be happy.”
He wouldn’t tell Emmett that he was the one making excuses every time Brandon suggested they go out. He just
wasn’t ready for that. Especially when he knew Brian would be there, and the thought of seeing him, even after
several months was too unnerving.

Emmet’s brow rose. “You can’t stop it from happening. They’re going to meet each other eventually. Besides that,
it’s time you stop hiding away in this apartment. You’re too young for that.”

Justin sighed and turned up the volume on the TV. He wasn’t sure which he was more afraid of. Brian meeting
Brandon, or Brandom meeting Brian. Neither prospect seemed appealing. Finally, Emmett yelled over the sound.
“You’re coming to Babylon tonight!”

Justin rolled his eyes and ignored him, knowing he’d be dragged there whether he wanted to go or not. At least if he
did show up, it would be with a hot guy in tow. A boyfriend who really cared about him. All it took was time away
from Brian and he actually found someone interesting enough to fall for. Was it love? No. Far from it. But maybe
someday. There was potential. Justin remembered back to not so long ago when he couldn’t picture wanting anyone
but Brian. Now, the last thing he wanted was for Brian to see him sulking in alone. He was determined to pretend he
was over everything that’d happened. Brian wasn’t the main focus of his life anymore and maybe Emmett was right.
Maybe it was time to get back to his normal routine, which included spending time with his friends.

~*~

They walked in early, Justin figuring they’d have at least an hour before the rest of the gang would show up. He
assumed they were probably finishing up the last couple of rounds at Woody’s. All he knew was that he didn’t want
to come in last, where there were sure to be head turns and whispers about who the new boyfriend was. Brandon
would have loved it, would have thrived on it, but Justin wanted to avoid the attention. This was going to be hard
enough as it was.

He hadn’t seen Brian in four months. Not since the letter. Not since he’d gone back for his things. He’d left a
message telling Brian exactly when he would be there, suggesting he not be home to avoid an awkward situation.
Instead, Brian was there with a trick, adding salt to the open wound, re-affirming Justin’s decision to leave.

“Want a drink?”

Justin nodded, shaking his thoughts of Brian. “Vodka Tonic.”

Brandon smiled and headed off to the bar, kissing him quickly before he went. Justin stood, leaning against the stairs
to the catwalk, enjoying the pulse of the crowd and the familiar shine of lights all around the club. He had missed
this. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Emmett was right. This was where he belonged, with or without Brian.

Dancing, swaying, rubbing up against hot, sweaty bodies… There was a connection whether you ended up with
someone or not. A feeling of belonging.

“Hey.”

Pulled from the nostalgic daydream, Justin cast a glance sideways toward Brandon, still at the bar and then back to
the guy in front of him. “Hey.”

“I’m Rob. And you are?”

Rob’s eyes were darting up and down slowly, taking him in and Justin couldn’t help the slight flush as it crept up his
neck. That brief feeling of desire caused by the attraction of someone unknown. When Rob stepped closer after
Justin didn’t answer, sliding his finger down Justin’s arm, Justin shivered and offered, “Sorry. I’m here with
someone.”

Rob looked around and smiled, letting his tongue slip out to lick his lips. “So are half the guys here.” His hand
trailed down, resting on Justin’s hip, his thumb circling toward his groin. “Doesn’t usually mean anything.”

Justin frowned. “My boyfriend would disagree.”

Rob raised an eyebrow. “Hmmm… that’s a shame.”

Right on cue, Brandon was behind him, gripping his waist. “Is there a problem?”

Rob’s hand dropped and Justin caught the look that passed between them. “No, just making conversation.” With
slight hesitation, he said, “Sorry,” and backed off heading off into the crowd.

Justin ignored the strange feeling in his gut and took his drink. “Just in time. I was about to tell him to fuck off.” He
smiled. “Your way was much smoother.”

Brandon’s eyes shifted to the dance floor. “He was hot,” he purred.

“I guess.”

“You guess?” He chuckled and leaned into Justin’s ear. “He wanted you.”

“So? I’m with you.”

Brandon smiled and kissed his temple. “You know, we haven’t actually discussed this.”

“Discussed what?”

“Other guys.”

Justin spun, facing Brandon, his eyes narrowed. “Other guys?”

“I mean, it’s okay, if you need to go elsewhere.”

“What the fuck? Why would you think I’d want that?!”

“I saw the way you were looking at him. It just… it made me realize that some people do want that freedom to come
and go and since we’ve never talked about it…”

“Jesus, Brandon. We’ve been together for two months. Have I given you any reason to think I’d want to fuck
around?”

“No. But I figured since you wanted to come here…” He shook his head. “Look, Justin. I’ve been in that type of
relationship before. It can be good, as long as you’re honest and both people want the same thing. ”

“That’s not what I want,” he said harshly. “I thought we came here to have a good time, dance… Not pick up other
guys.”

Brandon nodded and smiled. “Good. Me too.”

“You sure?”

He leaned in and kissed him. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

Justin smiled back. “Don’t worry. I’m not into sharing.”

Brandon sighed in relief. “I’m glad. I don’t think I could handle knowing you were fucking someone else.”

“Then why didn’t you just say that?”

“Just testing the waters.”

“Well, don’t. I’m happy being with one person. I don’t need anyone else.”

That’s when Justin turned and saw Brian walking through the crowd toward the bar.

“Fuck! Who’s that?”

His heart dropped, watching Brandon’s interested stare. Everyone always had that reaction to seeing Brian for the
first time. Emmett and Ted, followed by Michael and someone Justin had never seen before followed the path Brian
made a few seconds later.

“That’s Brian,” he answered, gauging the reaction.

Immediately, Brandon’s tone changed. “Your Brian?”

Justin nodded, waiting.

“What the fuck did you ever see in someone like that? Even from here I can tell he’s a conceited asshole.”

Justin didn’t try to hide his smile. It was time to go and make the introductions.

~*~

Justin had just come from taking a piss when he found Brian alone at the bar, the rest of the gang, including
Brandon, having migrated to the dance floor.

“I didn’t fuck Michael.”

He raised his head, looking at Brian with confusion. They’d been there twenty minutes already and besides the
awkward hello when Justin was introducing Brandon to everyone, they hadn’t spoken. In fact, Brian had shrugged it
off, completely uninterested.

“What?”

Brian downed a shot and answered, “That day. After we fucked.”

Justin was annoyed that it sounded so casual. And that Brian was bringing it up at all. Until now, all he’d wanted to
do was forget ‘that day’. But he asked anyway, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Brian casually turned and looked at him. Really looked at him, long enough that Justin could tell he was drunk and
probably more than a little high. It was probably the only reason he was talking about it at all.

“When I went to Mikey’s, I didn’t fuck him.”

Justin feigned disinterest and tried to hide any expression his eyes might have given away. “So?”

“I wanted you to know I’m not that much of a shit.” Brian shrugged and motioned the bartender for another drink. “I
just, wanted to tell you that.”

Justin blinked. “Okay.”

“Okay.”

Brian grabbed the bottle in front of him and turned around, scanning the dance floor and just like that, Justin realized
the conversation was over. He finished his own beer quickly and threw a tip in the bartender’s jar, moving away to
disappear into the swarm of bodies. He found Brandon and slid close, wrapping his arms around him. He felt just a
hint of guilt that he was happy, if only because he knew Brian was watching them.

Chapter 14

Justin couldn’t help but notice when Brian came stumbling out of the backroom looking disheveled and well fucked.
He refused to let it bother him. Why should it? Brian was just being Brian and besides that, he was with Brandon.
That meant he was definitely over anything he might have felt before.

Except that he wasn’t. He’d known it the moment he saw him walk into the club. That unmistakable pull in his
stomach, the irresistible need to be near him. He hated himself for being so gullible. For giving up the anger as soon
as they were in the same room together. But it was also then that he realized he hadn’t been angry in a long time.
Not really.

The truth was, he was embarrassed. He had wanted so much to believe that Brian felt the same way about their
relationship, so he had openly admitted how he felt about him. When he found out Brian didn’t feel the same, he’d
hidden behind the pretense of anger. It was easier than facing the humiliation of knowing his naivety ruined
everything in a single night. Justin had offered himself… no, had thrown himself at Brian and then blamed him the
next day for not wanting more than just a fuck. Somehow, in the mess of all his crazy, mixed up emotions, he had
forgotten who Brian Kinney was.

And now, here he was, back to the old routine… and along with it, all of his old feelings. Brian was high, or drunk,
leaning on he and Ted for support like the last four months had never happened. Maybe it was the three drinks Justin
had consumed, because he knew he should have minded more than he did. It was familiar. Except, there was
Brandon, so things weren’t the same. Justin pulled Brian’s arm off of his shoulder and turned to his boyfriend with
an apologetic smile, pulling him away from everyone else. “Sorry. He’s just… old habits I guess.”

“How many times did he hit the backroom?”

Justin frowned and shrugged. “I wasn’t counting.”

“I wasn’t either, but I know it was a few. It’s like he’s fucking royalty or something.”

“Around here, he is. Uhm, did I not warn you about the infamous Brian Kinney appeal?”

“I thought you were exaggerating!” Brandon shook his head and Justin could almost see something, maybe envy?
“He can really have anyone?”

“He can really have anyone.” Even me. Although, Justin had yet to let Brandon in on the secret of he and Brian’s
one time fuck, choosing only to say they’d had a falling out as friends sometimes do.

He felt the hands on his shoulders and then heard Brian’s voice against his cheek. “What are you two boys being so
secretive about?”

Justin turned his head over his shoulder to Brian’s sarcastic smirk and drug induced half- cast lids. “Jesus, Brian.
What’d you take?”

Brian shrugged and grinned, turning to Brandon. “You don’t mind if I steal your boyfriend for a while, do you?”

Fuck. Justin glanced to Brandon, then Brian and back to Brandon again, who finally answered, “Go. I need to take a
leak anyway so I’ll just meet you out there when I’m done.” He leaned in, placed a small peck on Justin’s lips and
moved past them, heading around the bar.

Before he knew it, Brian was grabbing his hand and dragging him through the crowd, clearing a spot in the middle
of the floor. Pulling out a vial, he took a bump and smiled when Justin only hesitated a moment and then did the
same.

The music was pounding, the room was spinning and Brian’s hands were wrapped around his shoulders, their
foreheads leaning against each other. Justin felt giddy from the small hit he’d taken, or maybe it was just being with
Brian after so long. His lips were settled into a large smile and Brian was laughing at his inability to make it stop.
When he realized Brian was staring at him, he tried to compose himself.

“What?”

Brian was smiling back. “You’re tweaked.”

Justin’s lip curled and he began laughing again. “This feels good.”

Another slow smile from Brian. “It always did.”

Brian’s hand dug into his pocket until he pulled out a tab of E. He slid it between his lips and moved in close,
waiting. Justin’s eyes flickered toward the tab resting on his tongue and then back up, debating… before leaning in,
lingering just a bit and then letting his own tongue scoop it into his mouth. He closed his eyes while letting it
dissolve and then grinned as he slid his arms tighter around Brian’s waist. They moved closer as they swayed and
Justin forgot everything else but the feel of Brian’s steady breathing against his ear. They were silent for a few
minutes, letting the music wash over them, the beat carrying their rhythm. Justin grinned. Everything was vibrant.
The roughness of Brian’s shirt as he gripped the material between his fingers, the smell of his skin as he nuzzled into
his neck. Each time he moved, his cock pressed against a hard thigh and his entire body was tingling with the energy
of tension between them. His mind was cloudy, but somewhere on the edge of conscious thought, he knew he wasn’t
supposed to be doing this. The only trouble was, it felt too amazingly good to stop.

“You didn’t have to disappear.”

He was startled, just a bit and blinked, looking up at Brian. He glanced left and then right and tried to figure out
what they were talking about.

“Moving out was enough. You didn’t have to avoid me.”

That’s what they were talking about. “I’m feeling too good and we’re good. Don’t ruin it.”

He really didn’t want to talk about it. He was pretty sure the subject would take away his buzz and it’d been so long
since he’d allowed himself the pleasure of chemically induced euphoria. He giggled at that. And then said it out
loud.

“Euphoria.” He laughed again.

Brian tried not to, but smiled slightly. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Justin laughed harder and said it again, letting it drag off his tongue, exaggerating every syllable. “Eu-phoor-i-aaa.”

Brian’s hand lifted his chin and Justin’s smile grew even wider. “Your smile's just like Sunshine.”

Justin giggled again. “You’re so fucking stoned.”

Brian leaned down, pulling Justin’s head against his chest, running his fingers lightly through the strands of blond
hair. “Yeah, and so are you. C’mon, let’s get you some water.”

Justin’s head lulled a little and then his lips rubbed against Brian’s chest. “I don’t want water, I wanna dance.” He
pulled back and spun around twice, spreading his arms out beside him, barely staying upright.

Brian grabbed him and pulled him close. “You need to stay hydrated. Did I not teach you anything?”

Justin smirked. “Is that rhetorical? Cause I can think of a couple things…” His fingers trailed Brian’s chest, stopping
just short of the waistband at the top of his jeans. “But I bet you never think about fucking me, do you?”

Brian removed Justin’s hand, keeping a tight grip on it. “Your boyfriend is probably looking for you.”

Justin glanced backward toward the bar and then turned back at Brian, moving in close, whispering into his ear, “He
wants you.”

Brian shook his head. Everyone wanted him. Why would he be surprised?

Justin licked his lips and reached up to Brian’s ear again. “He wants the Brian Kinney experience. Or, he just wants
to be you.” He tilted his head, pondering. “I can’t tell which.”

Brian smirked. “Good thing you’re around to keep him honest.”

“Don’t fuck with him, Brian." For someone high on Brian's trail mix with an E chaser, Justin knew when to mean
business. "I'm serious. He’s the first good thing that’s happened to me in a really long time.”

Brian’s expression became neutral, his lips rolling together, and Justin almost suspected he might have been
considering some of their history. Unless he was reading more into it, he’d swear he could see a hint of regret.
Maybe Brian Kinney did have a heart.

Or maybe it was just the drugs.

When he pulled him off the dance floor and ordered two bottles of water from the bar, Justin failed to notice the
frown as Brian watched Brandon slink toward them from the direction of the backroom.

Chapter 15

“I don’t suppose Justin knows you’re here.”

Brandon glanced up, obviously surprised to see Brian leaning casually against Babylon’s bar, staring accusingly at
him. He shrugged and downed a shot. “We don’t keep tabs. We’re not married.”

Brian cringed. It sounded too much like something he would have said. In the past two weeks, he’d been hearing
more and more about the new guy on Liberty Avenue. Horny men and gossiping queens couldn’t keep their mouths
shut about Brandon Keyes. It seemed since he’d discovered Babylon, his reputation was being firmly established as
the best new fuck in town and Brian was fairly certain Justin was in the dark about his boyfriend’s escapades.

“I don’t think he’d appreciate finding out you’re fucking half of Pittsburgh.”

Brandon laughed. “Since when do you give a shit, Kinney? You and Justin go months without even talking and all
of a sudden you’re his best friend again?”

“Whatever my relationship with Justin is, it’s none of your business.”

“You don’t have a relationship with Justin.” Brandon smirked and then motioned the bartender.

Brian grit his teeth, trying to remain calm. “He’s more than just a piece of ass. He deserves to be treated better.”

“Yeah. His cock’s something to admire, too. But you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?”

Brian didn’t answer, and Brandon seemed all too happy to explain. “I know you fucked him. I also know how you
fucked with his head afterward, too.”

Brian’s eyebrow rose as his tongue slid against the inside of his cheek, trying not to fall for the bait.

“Or don’t you remember how informative Justin is when he’s high.”

Brian still managed to say nothing.

“All I had to do was ask and he filled me in on all the grizzly details. How you fucked him, and then told him he was
no more than just another trick. He was in love with you, did you know that? He was in love with you and you
crushed him. And you have the right to stand here and judge me about how I’m treating him? I don’t fucking think
so.”

Brandon picked up the shot the bartender had been placed in front of him, finished it off and slammed it down onto
the bar before he turned and sauntered off in the other direction.

Watching him leave, Brian forced himself to calm down, proud of the control he’d kept during the conversation. It
was time to contemplate his next course of action. No matter what he had to do or how long it took, he was getting
Justin away from that asshole and back where he belonged.

But where was that exactly? Back with him? Living together as friends? Given the circumstances, Brian didn’t see
that as a possibility. No, it’d have to be more. He’d have to be willing to give more if Justin would just give him a
chance to prove his intentions, even if he had no fucking clue right now what those intentions were. Whatever he
was planning, he’d have to take it one step at a time.

~*~

First step- Friendship

Sitting alone inside the Liberty diner, Brian waited for Justin to come in for his morning cup of coffee. He was
pretty sure this routine hadn’t changed. He’d been coming here most mornings for the past two years and with any
luck, that didn’t change when the new beau came into the picture.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, Justin walked in, immediately spotting Brian in the corner booth he usually
occupied. Brian caught the quick smile before the mask took over and Justin’s face became neutral.

“What are you doing here?”

“This is a diner, isn’t it?”

Justin glanced around. “Yeah, but...”

“I was hungry.”

Laughing slightly, he slid into the booth across from Brian, pushing his messenger bag off his shoulder. “You’d
starve before you’d eat anything from here.”

Brian gave in. “Okay, so I came to see you.”

Justin hesitated. “Why?”

“Do I have to have a reason?”

“There does typically tend to be one, yes. Especially since we’re barely on speaking terms.”

Brian sighed. Heavily. “I came to say that it’s fucking ridiculous for us to not be able to get past one fucked up
night.”

“Is that what you think it was? One fucked up night?”

“Well wasn’t it?”

“I bet you think that’s why I moved out, too, don’t you?”

Brian shrugged. “The two did coincide.”

Justin shook his head and then pushed his face into his hands, clearly agitated. He ran his fingers through his hair
and then looked up at Brian. “No. I moved out because you’re a fucking son of a bitch.”

“But you knew that, even before we fucked.”

“Well, after that night, I stopped trying to make excuses for it. You acted like a fucking prick.”

Brian’s gaze fell on his coffee cup, his hands fidgeting with the handle until he could figure out what to say. He
really couldn’t deny it, and that was what was making this so hard. “I had to.”

“Had to?”

Brian nodded after a moment. “I didn’t know what to do, Justin. It was easier to let you be pissed off. I didn’t think
you would actually leave.”

“Easier than what? What was so hard that you had to bring fucking Michael into it?! And you told him!
Everything!”

“I know,” Brian answered softly. “I shouldn’t have.”

“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have?! Do you know how humiliated I was?! How that made me feel?!”

“I’m sorry.”

Justin’s head shot up quickly. “What?”

“I said I’m sorry.”

Confused, he replied, “Brian Kinney doesn’t do sorry.”

“Since when did you ever listen to my bullshit? Look, Justin… I didn’t know what to do when I woke up and you
were lying there. All I kept thinking was that I was going to fuck things up between us. You could never be just a
trick, and you know that.”

“You made me feel like one.”

“That’s why I’m saying I’m sorry.”

Justin thought about it for a moment and then said, “I don’t know if we’ll ever be friends like that again.”

“I’m willing to work at it, if there’s a chance.”

Brian never ceased to amaze him. “I’ve gotta go.” Justin stood up, wrapping his scarf around his neck. “I’ll see you,
okay?”

“Later.”

Things didn’t go as bad as Brian thought they would. At least Justin was open to the idea of reconciling. For now, it
was all he could ask for.

Chapter 16

“So where is Bradley this morning?”

Justin rolled his eyes. “You know it’s Brandon.”

“Ahh, Brandon,” Brian repeated slowly, “the boyfriend.”

“Asleep. Which is where I should be. Christ, Brian. Eight o’clock on a Sunday morning?” He rubbed his eyes and
stifled a yawn. “Fuck.”

“If you would stop hitting the club every night…” Brian seemed amused, even though they both knew Justin hadn’t
been out anywhere since his first night back at Babylon four weeks ago.

Justin gave him a ‘what the fuck’ look and then rubbed his chin, feeling the remnants of the stubble he hadn’t had
time to shave. Brian had called him late the previous evening asking if he’d meet him at the diner. So here they sat,
Justin barely awake, Brian uncharacteristically fresh for a weekend morning.

In the past month since Brian had been trying to mend their friendship, they’d actually shared several mornings at
the diner. First by accident, both showing up at the same time and awkwardly easing into conversation, then by
choice, always keeping the topic light and neutral. After the first meeting, Justin was feeling a lot more at ease about
where they were headed. He wouldn’t say they were friends, exactly, but little by little he was beginning to forget
how much their friendship had hurt. They say time heals all wounds. In this case, Justin would probably agree.

“So what was so important it couldn’t wait until a respectable hour?”

Brian nodded for the waitress to refill his coffee cup. “I hear you’re in the market for your own place.”

“Yeah. I think Em and I have finally decided his apartment is only big enough for one person,” he smiled. “Besides,
it’s time for me to go out on my own. It’s not like I can’t afford it. I’ve just gotta stop relying on other people always
being around to help out.”

“Well, my place… the apartment is going to be available next week. I thought you might be interested.”

“You’re moving?” He hadn’t meant to sound so anxious, but the thought of Brian leaving…

“I’m buying a loft on Tremont.”

“A loft?”

“On Tremont.”

Justin shook his head. “I heard you, I just… isn’t that a little pricey?”

“I landed a huge fucking account that’s guaranteed to make me partner. I can afford it.”

Justin smiled. “I’m glad for you. You deserve it.”

“Fucking right I deserve it. Ryder’s just afraid I’m gonna take over the fucking company. If he’s not careful, I will.”

They both smiled. It was probably true.

“So what about it? Should I hold onto the lease?”

“Yeah,” Justin nodded, “I think I’d like that.”

“Well then I guess it’ll work out for both of us.”

“And Emmett. He’ll be happy.”

Brian sighed dramatically. “Or he might be disappointed. No more listening to you and Bradley fucking at all hours
of the night,” he goaded. “Whatever will he do for entertainment now?”

“It’s Brandon, and I’m sure Emett’ll be just fine.”

Brian took a sip from his cup and slowly sat it down on the saucer. “So, how is the not so better half anyway?
Everything all happy happy in queer land?”

“Don’t be sarcastic.”

“I was just wondering how things were going for you, that’s all.”

Justin stared for a moment, trying to figure out if he was actually seriously interested or not, and then finally said,
“Things are okay. He’s been working a lot of late hours so I haven’t been able to see much of him the last couple of
weeks.”

Brian’s thoughts drifted to Babylon. Brandon definitely hadn’t been making himself scarce there. “So what does he
do?”

“He manages a restaurant downtown. You know that ritzy place… uhm, Catatelli’s?”

“Yeah, I know it.”

“All of a sudden they have him working all these weird hours. It seems like he’s always busy during the day and
then he’s not available at night either. It’s been kinda hard.”

Brian’s brow rose. “You ever consider he may be unavailable for other reasons?”

For a moment, Justin was confused until he realized what Brian was suggesting. “What? No, of course not.”

“I’m just saying, how well do you really know this guy? He hasn’t been around for too long.”

“Long enough to know I can trust him,” he answered, clearly annoyed.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Not everyone’s like you, Brian. Some people can be happy being with just one person.”

“Yes. Some people can,” he fired back, assuming now wasn’t the best time to bring up Brandon’s hobby of fucking.
“But not everyone wants to. Are you sure he’s into monogamy?”

“Not everyone has to prove something by fucking five guys a week.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t care about what I do and pay more attention to what your boyfriend is doing.”

Justin’s eyes found the table. “I don’t care what you do,” he said softly, and then looked up again. “We’re happy,
okay? Can you just leave it alone?”

Brian held up his hands in retreat. As much as he wanted to blow Brandon’s cover, hurting Justin wasn’t something
he was willing to do in the process. There had definitely been more than enough of that to go around already. Maybe
the subtle hints would be enough to get Justin’s mind wandering. “Not another word.”

“Good.”

“Why don’t you meet us at Babylon Saturday night? Just because the boyfriend’s too busy to play doesn’t mean you
have to sulk at home alone.”

Justin shrugged. It would be nice to have a little fun. Especially since it looked like he’d be spending most of the
weekend moving. “Yeah, okay. I think I can get out for a while. 9:00?”

Brian nodded, throwing a twenty down on the table before sliding out of the booth. “Later.”

~*~

“You really lecture about homosexual content in comic books?”

Ben nodded at Justin. “Well, it’s not all I teach. But it’s a small part of this semester’s curriculum… yeah.”

“And that’s how you and Michael met?” Justin still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that he and Brian were
no longer fucking and that Michael was now hot and heavy with a college professor.

“He spoke to my class, and the rest as they say is history.”

“Wow. I never thought I’d see the day when he would…” he stopped.

Ben took a sip from his bottle. “When he would what?”

Justin shook his head, glancing toward Brian and Michael dancing out on the floor. “Nothing.”

Ben followed his gaze. “If you were going to mention his fixation on Brian, I already know all about their history.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. He told me they’d been fucking for a couple of years.”

Justin shook his head. “And that doesn’t bother you?”

Ben shrugged. “Why should it? Whatever they were doing, it was over a couple of months before I met him.
Michael didn’t tell me why, but I don’t have any intention of stirring anything up about Brian.”

That was interesting. He’d assumed Brian would never give up having Michael at his beck and call whenever a trick
disappointed him.

“Speaking of which, I think I’d better go wrangle Michael away and take him home. They look like they’ve had
enough fun for one evening,” he said, smiling.

Justin nodded and watched as Ben retrieved Michael and then as Brian made his way back to him at the bar. Two
Beams, a beer and a bump later, Brian was past wasted and was tugging on his shirt, pulling Justin out onto the
dance floor. He leaned into him, his chin resting against Justin’s shoulder, his eyes fluttering closed.

“We need to get you home, Brian.”

“It’s early. I haven’t fucked anyone yet.”

“It’s 2:30 and you’ve been to the backroom twice.”

Brian snorted. “Mediocre blowjobs. No one in this Burg knows how to give good head anymore.”

Justin sighed and began pulling Brian through the crowd, stopping when they made it outside. “Where’d you park
the jeep?”

Brian pulled out a tab and placed it on his tongue, offering another to Justin, who refused. “No and you’ve had
enough, where’s the jeep?”

Brian shook his head and moved close, putting his arms around Justin, sliding against his hip. “Never enough.”

He was trying to stay annoyed, but fuck if it didn’t feel good. Too good in fact. Brian shifted, moving in front of him
and pushed his hand between them, rubbing against Justin’s cock. “Come home with me.”

“I am taking you home.”

“No,” Brian breathed against his neck, working the button and then reaching for the zipper, trying to move his hand
inside. “I want to fuck you.”

Justin pushed his hand away. “Stop, Brian. You’re so fucked up, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Brian smiled and glanced down. “I think I was making you hard.”

Justin ignored him and asked sternly, hoping Brian wouldn’t notice the shakiness in his voice, “Where’s the fucking
jeep?”

Brian shrugged, handed Justin the keys and started walking down the street, leaving Justin to follow. He relied on
the alarm and began pushing the button, happy when the lights blinked. Finally maneuvering Brian into the
passenger side, he leaned his head on the wheel. “If I get you to Tremont, think you can safely find your place?”

Brian grinned and leaned closer. “Top floor, Sunshine. Only the best for Pittsburgh’s finest Ad man.”

Justin started the ignition and tried to ignore Brian’s eyes staring at him. He shifted in his seat, self-conscious of the
bulge, hoping it wasn’t as noticeable as it felt, but knew that it was just wishful thinking. Of course Brian saw it.
And knew he was the cause.

The tab of E appeared again and Brian’s index fingers slowly began rubbing Justin’s lip, trying to get him to open
up. “You know you want it. You love the way it makes you feel.”

“I’m dropping you off and then I’m going home. I’ll bring the jeep back tomorrow.”

Brian’s voice was suddenly in his ear. “Just a half. And you can stay for a little while.”

Justin sighed and Brian smiled, biting the tab and giving Justin half. Before they made it to the loft, Justin was
already smiling, giving in to the E, doing the bump Brian held up to him, and only half aware they were already
turning onto Tremont. Brian reached across to unfasten Justin’s seat belt and lingered, their lips barely touching
before he pulled away and fumbled from the jeep.

Chapter 17

“This is fucking amazing!”

Justin was spinning around in the center of the loft, taking in the appliances, the fixtures, the furniture… the bed.
“Jesus, Brian!” The bed that was raised on a platform, clearly the centerpiece of the entire loft. It was so typically
Brian, but Justin couldn’t seem to peel his eyes away.

“You should see the blue lights,” he whispered, his breath raising goose bumps on the back of Justin’s neck. His arm
snaked around Justin’s waist, holding him close. “Fucking fabulous.”

Justin slowly turned, facing him. “Everything about this place is.”

“It’s what I’ve always wanted.”

“I know.”

He licked his lips slowly and Justin couldn’t help watching. Brian fished another tablet from his pocket and held it
up. “Only one left.”

Justin shook his head. “I shouldn’t.” He knew this was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea. He was already tweaked,
he was horny and he was with Brian. Definitely a dangerous combination. Especially when the look on Brian’s face
was pure predator.

Brian moved closer, leaning their foreheads together, the E resting on his tongue. Justin closed his eyes, gave in and
Brian passed it, pushing it slowly inside his mouth. Instead of pulling away, his tongue ran along Justin’s lips until
Justin moaned and opened up to him.

He couldn’t resist it. The feel of Brian’s body against his and the warmth of his tongue sliding against his teeth, his
gums… exploring every part of his mouth. He knew most of what he was feeling was from the trip. He wasn’t naïve
enough to believe the E wasn’t affecting them, but there was another part, the part that knew it was more than the
drug. The part that was making him feel like he would never feel closer to anyone than he did right now. Brian was
everything he wanted, everything he needed and he had to have more of him. Or maybe it was just the E. The little
bit from earlier. What he’d just taken wouldn’t kick in for a little while but he knew when it did… He was so
fucked.

Brian’s fingers were sliding along his back, beneath his shirt, pushing slowly into the top of his jeans and Justin was
squirming, arching, trying to make room for his hands to fit.

“Brian?”

“Hmm?”

“Shouldn’t we talk about this?”

A warm tongue slid down his neck, reaching his collarbone, nipping lightly against his skin and it almost… almost
made him give up on conversation, but he was determined. He needed to know how Brian felt almost as much as he
needed this physical connection to him.

“Please Brian.”

Brian pulled away, breathing rapidly and kissed his lips again before he turned around and walked into the kitchen.
Justin watched, confused, until he saw him pull two bottles of water from the refrigerator and turn off the light. His
pulse raced when the loft went completely dark, but Brian’s hand was on his hip, pushing him, guiding him up the
steps until he felt the bed against his knees and then everything became bathed in blue. Vibrant, living color
revealing Brian on his knees on the bed in front of him and it was the sexiest sight he’d ever seen. Again, Justin
blamed it on the E. Even if he knew it wasn't true.

“I should go home.”

Brian’s brow rose as he handed Justin one of the bottles and lay back against a pillow. Without thought, Justin slid
up beside him, opening the cap and downed half the water.

“Why do you want to go? I thought you wanted to talk.”

Justin smiled. “I don’t want to, but I should. This is probably the worst place I could be right now.”

Brian moved to his side and leaned back on his elbow, his fingers slowly rubbing up and down the length of Justin’s
arm.

“I can’t think of any place better.”

“I don’t want to be your Saturday night trick.”

“I would have fucked you and thrown you out by now.”

Justin smiled and laid his head down on the pillow, staring at Brian staring back at him. “Are you going to?”

“What, fuck you?”

Justin nodded. “And throw me out.”

Brian bit his lip. Justin could almost imagine the sound of the clock ticking as Brian decided how to answer. Tick
tock, tick tock… “That depends. If I fuck you, you’ll probably never speak to me again.”

Justin snorted. “How do you know I’d let you anyway? You’re assuming a lot.”

Brian’s lips covered his again, hard and wet and taking him over completely. Minutes passed and they were
breathless, panting… pulling at each other with a forceful grip before they finally broke apart.

“You’d let me because your cock’s pressed against my leg,” he rubbed a knee slowly against Justin’s noticeable
erection, “your nipples are hard,” his finger reached across, barely rubbing the nub through his t-shirt, “your face is
flushed, your pupils are so fucking dilated you can’t see straight and you know your boyfriend is probably out
fucking half of Pittsburgh right now.”

“He’s not.”

“You wouldn’t be here with me otherwise.”

“I’m here because you were too fucked up to make it home yourself.”

“I’m not as fucked up as you think, and you stayed because you wanted to. And you know I’m right about him.”

Justin sighed in defeat. “John knew his name.”

Brian’s brow rose.

“John, the bartender at Babylon.”

He nodded and decided to let Justin talk.

“He asked me where Brandon was tonight. Said he hadn’t seen him in a couple of days.” He shrugged and
unconsciously threaded his fingers with Brian’s, resting their hands on Brian’s hip. “I didn’t think he’d been there
except the one time with me, but I guess he’s a regular now.” He glanced up at Brian. “I knew he’d been fucking
around. He’s been showing up at Em’s smelling like sex and come and then he’d get pissed if I didn’t want to fuck
him. I just… I wanted you to think he was great. That we were great.”

Brian leaned in, whispering against Justin’s ear. “Why do you think I got you tweaked on E?”

“Huh?”

Brian snorted and pulled Justin against him, wrapping an arm around his waist. “I knew it was the only way to get
you to talk. We’ve been playing this fucking game of Sunshine’s perfect life for the past month. I wanted to know
what was really going on.”

Justin’s head curved into Brian’s chest and he closed his eyes. “I’m that pathetic?”

“No. He’s the one who’s pathetic. If he can’t realize what a good thing he has…”

Justin turned, shocked. “Coming from you?”

Brian closed his eyes and sighed. “I fucked up, Justin. I knew what I had with you, but I couldn’t pretend to be
something I’m not. You know that better than anyone.”

Justin rolled over, pushing himself halfway on top of Brian’s chest, staring down at him. “But couldn’t you just for
once be honest with me? Tell me what you think we had. Yeah, I know you. I know you fuck a lot of guys and I
know that isn’t gonna change. But what about me? What was it about that night that turned you into such an
asshole?”

Brian shrugged and tried to look away, but Justin wasn’t about to let that happen. “You got me here. You wanted me
to talk. Well, Mr. Kinney, this goes both ways. I’m lying here, in your bed when up until recently, I never thought
I’d talk to you again. I deserve to know what you’re thinking besides how much you want to fuck me.”

Brian stared incredulously.

“Well?”

“Justin…” he closed his eyes in frustration.

“It’s called communication, Brian. God, you can fuck a million guys, you can do just about anything with a
complete stranger, but you can’t talk to me?”

He waited. He wasn’t going to say anything else until Brian did, even if he had to wait all night. Luckily, it didn’t
take that long.

“I didn’t know how to feel about what happened.”

Justin shifted, laying his head down on Brian’s chest, curling his fingers through the dark hair behind his ear.

“So you decided the best course of action was to piss me off?”

Brian’s voice softened. “It wasn’t just a fuck.”

“I knew that. Even the next day when you kept trying to tell me it was, I already knew it. I just didn’t know what to
think, with Michael being there and the way you were acting…”

“I was afraid of what you wanted. What you expected.”

Justin exhaled sharply. “I didn’t expect anything, Brian. I told you how I felt about you, not that you didn’t already
know. Just because I said it out loud didn’t mean I expected monogamy or marriage. I know those two words aren’t
part of your vocabulary. But I fucking wanted to think I at least meant something to you!”

“You did.” Brian looked down, trying to meet Justin’s eyes. “You do.”

“I had no intention of trying to change you.”

“I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to if you asked.”

“Would you have tried?”

Brian shrugged. “I would have failed.”

“But you would have tried.”

Brian took a breath. “I would have tried.”

Justin nodded and closed his eyes. That said more to him than any other words could have. “We really did fuck up,
didn’t we?”

“But we’re fixing it. Right?”

Justin yawned and settled in closer, pulling the blankets over them. Fully clothed, lying in Brian’s bed with his arms
wrapped around him, Justin hadn’t been happier in months. “We should get some sleep.”

It was quiet. Justin reached up, turning off the blue lights, leaving only the slightest amount of moonlight shining
through the window.

“I’d never fucked anyone I cared about. It was different.” Brian turned his body so they were facing and pulled
Justin closer, kissing him softly. “It was better.”

“It always is.”

Justin rolled over, spooning himself against Brian. When he felt Brian’s breath against his neck and his arm snake
around his waist, he couldn’t stop the smile. This time, it wasn’t from the E.

Chapter 18

Justin slid off his clothes and back into bed, sitting up against the headboard, staring at Brian, lying beside him. He
probably shouldn’t have done that last hit of E. Especially now that he was wide-awake while Brian snored softly
under the sheet. He’d already taken three trips around the interior of the loft, opening cabinets, snooping through
drawers, memorizing every detail. This was Brian’s place, but Justin wanted to know it, become familiar with it…
he wanted to feel like he belonged here. Turning on the computer, he checked his mail, surfed the net, rummaged
through Brian’s saved bookmarks… mostly porn, and now he was horny and restless. There was only one way to
take care of his problem. Well, only one way he intended to take care of it.

He watched as Brian shifted, rolling onto his back and exhaled in his sleep. Justin slid down, leaning on his elbow
and slowly pulled at the sheet, pushing it to the foot of the bed. His fingers carefully walked from Brian’s neck down
to the button at the center of his chest. Pushing it through, he unbuttoned it, moving in to kiss the exposed skin. The
second and third buttons followed, his fingers spreading the shirt open wider, leaving a larger area for Justin to
explore. When his tongue pressed firmly against a nipple and began to lick, Brian’s back arched. Justin smiled and
continued across to the other, licking, nipping…working it to a hardened peak. He wasn’t sure if Brian was awake,
exactly, but he was definitely receptive to Justin’s idea. He scooted up, pushing his leg across Brian’s and lowered
his head, pressing their lips together. The moan beneath him gave him the encouragement he needed to delve
further, closing his eyes and pushing his tongue inside. His hand roamed Brian’s stomach, caressing the bare skin as
he opened the denim shirt the rest of the way. When his lids opened, he was staring down at Brian looking up at him
with one sleepy eye open.

“It’s about time,” he whispered, sweeping his tongue across Brian’s lips again.

“What are you doing?”

“Waiting for you to wake up and fuck me.”

Brian’s eyes shifted down Justin’s naked body and he grinned. “Being a bit presumptuous, aren’t you?”

He shook his head. “I prefer the term ‘positive thinking’.”

“Ahh.”

Justin swiped his tongue against Brian’s lip again.

“Or maybe... determined.”

“Hmmm.”

“And most definitely horny.”

Brian cocked an eyebrow and tried to suppress a grin.

“And since it was your bright idea to share your drugs, which you were kind enough to make sure I had more than
my fair share of, I thought it only reasonable that you be the one to help rectify my current situation.”

Brian nodded in contemplation. “Seems you’ve thoroughly thought this through.”

“Oh yes. I have it all planned out.”

Justin bounced, sliding his leg over Brian, settling himself on top of Brian’s body. “First,” he started, peppering
kisses along Brian’s throat, “I thought I’d suck you off, in case there’s any question about your cock’s role in this
obviously well rounded, well thought out solution.” More kisses as he traveled south over his pecs, down his
stomach, mouth and fingers caressing every exposed area along his path. “And then… when you’re on the edge,
hard and wet, I’ll rim your ass until you’re begging me to let you come.”

Brian moaned and moved his hands to Justin’s hair, guiding him down as he reached the top of his jeans. It didn’t
take long before they were off, rumpled in a pile on the floor next to the bed and Justin was settled comfortably
between Brian’s legs. His tongue flicked over the head and then trailed a wet path down the shaft to his balls.

“Mmm… I think you’ve got the idea,” he said, impressed by how visibly hard Brian’s cock was. “But I’m not going
to let you come with my tongue in your ass.”

He glanced up through his lashes, catching Brian’s eager reaction. He smiled and pulled the head into his mouth,
sucking vigorously, using his tongue to probe the leaking slit and then reluctantly slid off again.

“No. I won’t let you come like that. When I’m swallowing you down and I feel you begin to throb, when I know
you’re almost there, almost to the point where you’re going to explode, I’m going to climb on top of your beautiful
cock and ride you until you can’t breathe.”

Brian gasped when Justin ran his teeth lightly down his length, teasing him with pained pleasure.

“Would you like that, Brian? Think you can fuck me so hard… so fucking deep I’ll still be feeling your cock inside
my ass tomorrow?”

“Justin,” he moaned.

Justin swallowed him down, gripping the base of his cock in his hand, squeezing steadily while he sucked and licked
the shaft. Brian’s fingers in his hair tightened and he winced, pulling back just a bit until Brian realized and eased
his grip.

“You really do have a great cock, Brian.”

He moved his body up slightly, hovering… licking his lips before relaxing his throat and taking the entire thing to
the root. He eased off, sliding his tongue along the vein and then circled the head before pulling him deep inside
again. Brian’s hips thrust forward, his back arched and his head pushed back against the pillow.

Justin reached for his balls, taking them firmly in his hand and massaged them together, sliding his finger beneath to
Brian’s perineum, rubbing back and forth until Brian’s legs began to twitch.

He smiled and diverted his attention from the hot, hard cock to the area beneath it. He flattened his tongue and
swiped a path firmly along Brian’s scrotum, lapping at his balls, sucking first one and then the other into his mouth.
Brian’s hand reached for his cock and Justin shook his head. He knew he was too close and warned him to stay
away.

He smiled against Brian’s skin. “No changing the itinerary. First rimming, then fucking… then coming.”

Brian snorted but Justin caught the small upturn of his lip before he hid it. Continuing on, his fingers brushed lightly
against the outside of Brian’s thighs before he gripped his legs and pushed them back, allowing him better access.
He shifted positions, laying flat on his stomach, mostly for comfort, but also to give his own cock a little pressure
from the mattress. He’d warned Brian, but he was also silently willing his own hard-on to cooperate. There would be
no pre-fuck ejaculation on his end either. Or so he hoped.

Moving closer, he went to work, lathering Brian with spit, sliding his tongue around the smooth perineal area. It
only entered his mind for a moment, that Brian kept his cock and balls shaved bare, but chose to leave a bushy mass
of pubic hair on top. Strange, but somehow endearing all the same. He let his eyes wander, locking onto the hazel
ones staring down at him until he could no longer see Brian’s eyes, the position forcing him to break the contact
when he made contact with Brian’s hole. Skimming over it, his tongue swiped a path down his crack and then back
up with a little more friction. Finally settling on the one spot to guaranteed to drive Brian wild, he lapped at the
wrinkled skin and then pushed his tongue inside. Justin heard a long, steady moan and felt extremely satisfied he
was the cause of it. Anyone who made Brian Kinney make sounds like that had to be sufficiently assured they were
doing something right.

Justin set a rhythm and fucked his hole in earnest, almost losing his own raging battle not to come when Brian’s
hands began clawing at the mattress beside him, frantically trying to find something to hold on to. He was thrashing,
pushing his ass down, begging to be fucked, trying to force Justin’s tongue deeper and deeper inside him. Justin was
half tempted to replace his tongue with his cock and wondered if Brian would beg just as nicely for that. If he
weren’t so hungry to have Brian inside his own body, he probably would have tried.

“Either get up here and let me fuck you, or let me come, Justin.”

The sound of Brian’s desperate voice brought his attention back and he felt Brian’s balls tightening. Oh yeah… he
wanted Brian’s cock. He eased Brian’s legs down and moved up to straddle him, reaching for a condom from the
table by the bed. Nice setup. Condoms, lube… handy. He wondered how many guys Brian had fucked here already
in the week since he’d moved in. Fuck it.

He quickly ripped the wrapper, sliding the rubber onto Brian’s dick, spreading some lube with his hand. Quick but
arousing strokes until Brian’s fingernails dug into his skin, pushing Justin’s hand away to replace it with his own,
aiming his cock straight up to the ceiling. Justin couldn’t have asked for a better invitation. He rose onto his knees,
guided his hole to Brian’s cock and slid down in three rocking thrusts.

“Oh fuck, Justin.”

And he did. He squeezed and rocked, working the head with the tightest of his muscles before taking him deeper and
deeper and deeper. Hard and fast, fucking himself on what he could only describe as the perfect cock. He reached
back, fondling Brian’s balls, causing Brian to grip his hips and rock him to help keep the momentum going.

Justin leaned his head back and opened his mouth. Without a word, Brian knew just what to do. Justin shuddered as
one of Brian’s hands roughly squeezed his hip while the other wrapped around his cock, coaxing him to climax.
With his ass filled full of overpowering sensations, his balls began to pulse and he shot, hot and wet across Brian’s
chest. Brian continued to jerk him until he was screaming, too sensitive to take it anymore.

“Ride me, Justin. Fuck me… make me come.”

Through the haze of his orgasm, Justin ground his hips, pushing his ass down as hard as he could around Brian’s
cock. He rocked forward, then back, pulled up and then thrust down again, repeating the same motion until Brian’s
breath became labored and sporadic. Hands gripped Justin, forcing him to stay still and he watched Brian’s face as
he began to come. Nothing could have been more breathtaking. One way or another, somehow or another, this is
what he wanted. He wanted Brian.

~*~

He was having a dream. A fucking loud dream full of bells and whistles and show tunes? Brian pulled the pillow
tight around his head and tried to block it out. The bed dipped beside him and he heard an unmistakable string of

profanity gradually fading until he realized it was Justin heading away from the bedroom. He pushed the pillow over
slightly, cautiously opening a single eye to watch and listen as Justin paced back and forth, talking on his cell. He
could only assume it was the boyfriend by the tone of the conversation. The boyfriend who was obviously pissed
about Justin being here with him.

Justin’s voice rose and Brian saw the impending doom coming even before Justin barked the words “it’s over” into
the phone. It was about time he kicked the loser to the curb.

He tried not to look too smug when Justin finally came back, opting to close his eyes instead and feign sleep. Justin
climbed up beside him and playfully plucked the back of his head. “Don’t even try it.” Lying back on his own side
of the bed, he sighed. “He thinks we fucked.”

Brian discarded the pillow and rolled over, rubbing his fingers over the sore spot on his head, cocking an eyebrow in
Justin’s direction.

“I mean, I know we did, but for him to get pissed at me for fucking someone else after the countless number of
tricks he’s had?!”

“Did you ask him where he was all night? Why he wasn’t at Babylon… with you?”

Justin shook his head. “It’s not worth it. I don’t give a shit where he was.” His head turned sideways toward Brian.
“I told him it’s over.”

Brian nodded.

“I don’t know why I was staying with him anyway.”

“I’ve heard he has a big cock.”

“Brian!”

He rose up on his elbow, facing Justin. “He doesn’t?”

Justin snorted.

“You knew he was fucking around and you didn’t tell me.”

“You would have somehow turned it around and ended up pissed at me. I wasn’t the right person to shed that bit of
information.”

“Yeah, I guess so. It was easier to defend him than admit to anyone that I was being stupid.”

Brian reached out, curling a blond strand between his fingers. “You weren’t.”

“Yeah, I was. I was hiding behind Brandon instead of doing what I really wanted to do.”

“Which was?”

Justin answered softly. “To fix things with you. To see if we could make something that would work for both of us.”

Brian sighed. “Do you think that’s possible? I’m not that much different than he is.”

Justin shrugged. “At least you don’t lie to me about it.” He pushed Brian down onto his back and leaned over him,
rubbing his fingers in small circles over his chest. “Look, I know how you are. I know what you need to make you
feel good about yourself.”

“Justin…”

“Shhh. If it takes other guys, then that’s what I have to deal with. And then maybe someday, I’ll be able to convince
you that you don’t need all those nameless fucks. I’m going to start giving myself credit for making Brian Kinney do
things he never would have done before.”

“You think so?”

Justin snorted. “In fact, I’m surprised you haven’t bolted by now. Don’t you have some imaginary place to be or
some other fucked up excuse for leaving?”

Brian tightened his hold, pretending to think about it. Justin was getting nervous.

“Nothing comes to mind.”

Relieved, he asked, “So you’re okay with this?”

Brian pushed him over, rolling his body half on top, sliding his hands through Justin’s hair. “I won’t make promises
we both know I can’t keep.”

Justin bit his lip and nodded.

“But I’m also not going to pass this off as something less than what it is.”

“Okay. So, what exactly do you think this is that we’re doing? In your opinion.”

Brian rolled his lips in, contemplating. “Well, I’d say we’re in a non-conventional… relationship… of sorts.”

Justin chuckled. “Have you ever even used that word?”

“Don’t bet your ass on it.”

He received a smile back and then Justin continued to probe. “So… what would you say is involved in this non-
conventional relationship sort of thing we have?”

“Ahhh.” Brian combed through the blond strands of hair again. “It’s on to the rules now.”

Justin shook his head. “Not rules, just something to define our non-defined, non-conventional relationship status.”

Brian shook his head, all the while smiling and dropping his forehead down to Justin’s. “Sounds like a nice way of
saying rules.”

Justin ignored the comment and said, “I don’t want to be what Michael was. I’m not interested in being anyone’s
fuck buddy.”

Brian’s head lifted. “You’re not.”

“And I’d like to be the only one you fuck here. I want something that’s just ours. Something I don’t have to share
with anyone else.”

“So no tricks at the loft.”

Justin nodded.

Brian agreed.

“Same goes for me, by the way. If I want to fuck someone, I’m going to... but not at my place. And I won’t flaunt it.
That’s the only thing I want you to promise. Even if I know you’re tricking, I don’t want to see it.”

Brian quietly thought about it. “I’ll do better than that. Whether we’re at Babylon, Woody’s, the street on Liberty
Ave… when I’m with you, I’m only with you. No cruising… no tricks. If I have an itch, I’ll find another way to
scratch it.”

Justin smiled. “Until you realize there’s no one better than me and you decide to forego all other dicks because they
just can’t measure up.”

Brian laughed and nipped at Justin’s lower lip. “Twat.”

Justin caught him before he could pull away and forced a tender kiss.

“You are important to me, Justin and I want you to know that.”

“We’ll make it work, Brian.”

“I’ll fuck up.”

“I’m not perfect either. We’ll deal with it.”

“Just don’t give up on me, okay?”

Justin shook his head. “Not a chance, Mr. Kinney. Not a chance.”

THE END