Fic: Queer as Folk: All's Fair 10/?
Thanks to foreverbm for the banner!
Title: All's Fair
Series: Queer as Folk
Pairing: Brian / Other male character, Justin / Original male character - and some Michael / Ben :D
Timeline: Post-513
Rating: PG13 for this chapter
While in New York, Justin's met someone. Brian decides maybe it's time for him to do the same thing.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
The only reason I had Brian Kinney’s number in my phone was because Justin put it there years ago. He’d told me it was in case of emergencies. I kept it, even when I transferred my numbers to the phone I got last Christmas, but not for that reason. I kept it so someday if I got the guts I could call that asshole up and tell him exactly what I thought of him.
I gripped my cel phone tightly in my hand, scrolling up and down my address book repeatedly. The bright, yellow bathroom light reflected off the tiny mirror above the sink. I sat on the closed toilet lid, my knees pulled up to my chest. Outside I could hear the party going. I recognized voices now and then, and I held my breath each time, praying they’d go away and wouldn’t find me.
I looked like shit. I’d been crying. I was still crying. My mascara running, my face all blotchy and red, I was a mess. I couldn’t go back out there. I couldn’t face them. I could still hear their laughter in my ears.
My eyes stung with fresh tears. I swallowed the lump in my throat. No more crying, Molly. It’s not worth it. It’s not.
My thumb, with its stupid pink nail polish that I’d put on so carefully for the party, hovered over the send button. Brian Kinney. I had no choice. I couldn’t call anyone else.
“Kinney,” his voice said. He sounded tired and grumpy.
I held my breath, ignoring the lurch in my stomach that almost made me puke. I reached for the tiny bathroom trash can and held it between my knees, just in case.
“Hello?” his voice came again. Now he sounded mad.
I shut my eyes tightly. I gripped the phone hard in my hand and took a deep breath. “I need help.”
A short pause, and then, “Molly?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but the doorknob twisted. I jumped, and a sob escaped my throat. The person on the other side knocked on the door loudly. “Hey, hurry up!” the person shouted through the door. I couldn’t go out there. I couldn’t.
“Where are you?” he asked.
I blurted out the address to Keith’s house and heard the music outside begin to blare louder. I could hear more and more voices. The party was growing. I had to get out.
“Please hurry,” I said, wincing and shutting my eyes tightly. So what if it was Brian Kinney? Emergencies call for desperate measures, even dealing with your mortal enemy.
“Should I call an ambulance?” he asked. He actually sounded worried.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh my god, no!” What a drama queen!
I heard him snort, and the line went silent. I shut my phone, took a deep breath, and splashed my face with cold water from the sink. When I looked in the mirror, I looked even worse than I’d expected.
“Of course he doesn’t want you,” I mumbled to my reflection. It sneered back at me. “You’re an ugly, fat nerd.” My reflection’s eyes filled with tears. I splashed my face again, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
“Finally!” some girl that looked at least a year older than me said, shoving past me into the bathroom. I walked down the hallway towards the loud music and shouting voices. I kept my head down, taking short, quick breaths. I could just sneak out. No one had to notice me. No one had to see.
“Hey, there she is! Keith’s new girlfriend!” I heard a voice shout, laughing.
I froze in place, feeling my face turn red. I turned and there stood Andrew next to Keith, their stupid perfect faces split into huge smiles. Everyone in the room turned to stare at us. My heart raced, pounding blood in my ears.
“Stay a little longer, Molly,” Keith said, holding out his arm. “Maybe I’ll get drunk enough and you’ll actually look hot.”
I wanted to say something smart, something cool. I couldn’t think of anything. I lifted my hand, flipping him the bird, and turned and stalked out of the room and towards the front door, ignoring the laughter coming from all around me, and the tears streaming down my face.
The front door slammed shut behind me and I walked down the steps to the sidewalk. I inhaled the cold night air, and then let out a sob so loud I was sure the whole neighborhood would hear it. I just didn’t care anymore. My life was ruined. I paced up the sidewalk. I couldn’t stand in front of Keith’s house. More people were arriving. I had to be alone. My eyes, too blurry with tears to see, blinked rapidly. I stumbled, tripping over a crack in the sidewalk. I gasped sharply, my hands shooting out to catch myself. I landed on my knees and hands hard. Pain shot up through my body. I curled in on myself and wished I was dead.
The sound of a perfectly tuned motor purring towards me made me turn. I lifted my hand to shield my eyes from the headlights. A sleek, dark green Jaguar parked next to me. The window rolled down, and Brian stared out, sunglasses on. “Get in.”
I hesitated, staring at his face, the one I’d seen in so many of my brother’s stupid pictures. I’d only met him a couple of times. He looked different in person. And who wears their sunglasses at night?! What a freak. I stood slowly, ignoring the pain in my bloodied knees. I wiped my scraped palms on my jeans and got in the car. I slammed the door as hard as I could, hoping to damage it.
Brian eyed me for a moment, and I stared out the window. I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to hear whatever stupid thing he’d have to say.
“Buckle up,” he finally said, revving the engine.
I put on my seatbelt, scowling out the window. What an asshole.
“So where to, little lady?” Brian asked, pulling forward and down the dark suburban street. “Mother Taylor’s, I presume.”
I fisted my hands in the slinky fabric of my skirt. “I can’t go home,” I mumbled.
Brian didn’t say anything. I felt my face turn red again.
“I told mom I’m at a friend’s,” I mumbled.
That got a reaction. Brian laughed once, loudly.
I jumped in my seat. “What’s so funny?!”
“Another Taylor said that to me once,” was all he said. I scowled. Justin. “So where are you going?” he asked, glancing at me.
I scowled at his stupid expensive sunglasses, and his stupid expensive suit, and his stupid expensive car, and folded my arms, giving him my best stubborn pout. “You tell me.”
We stopped at a red light. The intersection was empty. The traffic lights swayed in the wind. The temperature was dropping. Brian turned and faced me, lowering his sunglasses. “Care to tell me why you can’t go home?”
I looked away quickly. His eyes were too intense. “No,” I replied. The last thing I needed was to talk to him about my crappy life.
“Well,” Brian mused, driving again once the light turned green. “You can stay at the loft, I guess.” His tone sounded almost amused.
I turned my head to glare at him. “I’m NOT going to have sex with you!” I shouted.
He smirked, tongue in cheek. “Well, that’s a relief.”
I couldn’t help it. I burst into tears again. Even a whore like Brian Kinney didn’t think I was cute.
He didn’t say anything for the rest of the drive. When we finally parked, it was outside a creepy old building and I suddenly wondered where the hell it was he lived. I thought he lived in some fancy place. Justin had talked all about it. So where WERE we? I sat in the car, staring with blurry eyes at the old building, when Brian opened my door for me.
“Come on up,” he said, holding out a hand to help me out of the car.
I swatted it away, unbuckled my seatbelt clumsily, and got out. “This place is a dump,” I said. My voice sounded choked.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” Brian replied. He led me inside, and I suddenly wondered if this was such a good idea. Isn’t this the kind of thing that serial killers do?! I got into the rickety old wooden elevator and clung to the wall of it, staring down. What if we fell?! What if he killed me?!
It didn’t matter, I thought sadly. My life was over anyway.
When the elevator reached the top floor, Brian opened it and led me to a huge metal door. He unlocked it and slid it open, the metal scraping with a loud echo down the elevator shaft. I shuddered and wrapped my arms around myself and followed him.
Once inside, I gasped, staring at the beautiful loft. Everything seemed to shimmer. I stood in the middle of a palace. “Wow,” I whispered.
Brian snorted and shut the door behind us, walking to the fridge. “Hungry?” he asked.
I shook my head, saying nothing. This wasn’t at all what I expected. None of it was. What kind of person was Brian Kinney anyway?!
“Well, make yourself at home,” he said, opening a water bottle and taking a long swig. He walked past me and up the steps into what looked like his bedroom. I stared after him, then walked quickly to the huge sofa. I sat on it, feeling my body sink into the expensive fabric. Even the sofa dad had at his place wasn’t this nice.
A moment later Brian reappeared, wearing only jeans and a black tank top. My eyes widened. He was… beautiful. I guess I’d never really looked at him closely before.
“Here,” he said, holding out a bottle of bactine and a box of bandaids. “That looks like it hurts.”
I flushed and snatched them away from him, spraying the bactine on my knees and hands and putting bandaids over them. “Great,” I muttered, staring down at my bruised legs. “Now I look like a little kid.”
“Well, you are a little kid,” Brian said, sitting on the other end of the sofa.
“I’m thirteen!” I yelled, throwing the box of bandaids at him.
He smirked and caught it easily before putting it on the table. “You Taylors and your propensity for violence.”
I wasn’t sure what propensity meant, but I knew he was being an asshole. “Fuck you,” I said, flipping my hair over my shoulder.
“Is that any way to talk to the man that just saved your ass?”
I looked back at him. His left eyebrow arched, he seemed to stare right into me. I felt myself flush.
“What happened, anyway?” he asked, eyeing me.
I knew how stupid I looked. Not only had I been crying but I’d worn my brand new black skirt, and the pretty lacy top mom had gotten me that showed off my almost-there boobs, which were being accented by the expensive push-up bra mom didn’t know I owned. “Nothing,” I said. I wasn’t going to tell him anything. I kicked off the black pumps I’d picked out so carefully earlier, and duck my toes into the soft cushions of the sofa.
“You look nice,” Brian said. “Big party?”
What a jerk! I turned to scowl at him. “I don’t want to talk about it!”
He shrugged. “Okay.” He reached out a long, muscular arm and picked a magazine from the coffee table and flipped it open. It was the new issue of O.
“You read that? You really ARE gay,” I said, beginning to feel better about myself. Maybe I hadn’t thought of anything clever to say to those jerks at the party, but I could get a little bit of myself back now, at least.
His dark hazel eyes glanced up from the magazine and bore into me again. “I’m an ad-man. I have to keep up on all the big magazines and their advertising space.”
”Oh,” I mumbled. Now I felt stupid. My eyes welled with tears again and I wiped my face on the back of my arm. I hated crying. I hated it.
I felt something cold touch my arm and I jerked away, only to find Brian holding out a new water bottle. I took it, opened it, and took a long drink. When I lowered the bottle I sighed. I could feel the cool water running down my throat into my stomach. I felt calmer.
“Better?” Brian asked.
I clutched the bottle between my hands and stared down into my lap. “It was a party,” I mumbled, not knowing why I was telling him this. Maybe because I didn’t care what he thought of me, and I had to tell someone. “I never… got invited to a party before.”
Brian didn’t say anything, but he put his magazine back and I could feel those eyes staring into me again.
I squeezed my hands around the water bottle tightly, my knuckles turning white. “But it was a joke. They only invited me as a joke.”
“Mm,” Brian said.
I took a deep breath and felt the words bubble up from my stomach and pour out from my lips before I could stop them. “I thought he liked me! How stupid could I be? He’s so hot, and I’m just a stupid mousy nerd. But he…” I squeezed the bottle tighter, my fingertips tingling from the pressure. “He said he wanted me to come,” I inhaled deeply, willing myself to stop, but I couldn’t. “But when I got there, everyone just laughed.” A deep sob rose up from my chest and I knew it was over. I couldn’t stop crying now. “I’m… so… stupid!” I wailed, burying my face in my arms, holding the water bottle so tightly I thought it might burst.
I felt the bottle being taken from my hands, and the sofa shift when Brian stood up and walked away. Of course, I thought. Why would he want to sit here and watch me cry and be all gross and stupid? He wouldn’t. No one would. No one cares.
I sobbed harder, digging my fingers into my arms, holding onto myself tightly. I could hear the laughter from the party. My life was over.
Then I felt something warm and soft being wrapped around me. I lifted my face, tears still streaming from my eyes, and saw the big warm blanket that Brian had put around my body. I pulled it tight around myself and buried my face in it, wiping my tears and snot on what was probably a really expensive piece of cloth.
“Want me to kick their asses?” I heard Brian ask.
I lifted my head again and stared at him, stunned. “What?”
He smirked, his eyes sparkling mischeviously. “Or we can go back. Tell them I’m your date.” He arched an eyebrow. “Show them you’re too good for them, anyway.”
I blinked rapidly, and felt myself stop crying. Why was he being so… nice? How did he know exactly what to say?
“What’s his name?” he asked, turning to face me on the sofa, his left arm stretched out along the back of it.
“Keith,” I mumbled.
“Well, he’s a twat. Don’t worry about him. He’s probably just overcompensating for a small dick.”
I licked my lips, tasting salt, and rubbed my face on the blanket again, trying to hide the smile growing on my face.
“I’m serious,” he drawled, his voice slower, sounding almost teasing. “Can you imagine the looks on their faces?”
I could. I felt myself smile, and giggles rose in my chest. My eyes stopped welling with tears. “They’d look so stupid,” I said, my voice muffled by the blanket. I lifted my head again and lowered my feet to the floor, uncurling. “But it’s not worth it. They’re just jerks.”
Brian grinned, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest. His eyes, so intense and hazel and gorgeous, seemed to light up. “Well, the offer stands,” he said.
I felt myself blush, but I didn’t think he’d be able to tell with how red my face must have been from crying. “Thanks,” I said softly. “Why are you doing this?”
He blinked, then shrugged. “Why not?”
“Because you’re not dating my stupid brother anymore, so why should you care?” I asked. I wrapped the blanket tighter around myself. It felt warm, and good.
The light in Brian’s eyes faded a little and he shrugged. “I like to do a good deed, once in a while.” He hesitated before speaking again. “Have you seen him?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, he came over earlier today to see mom.”
Brian was silent for a long moment. “How is he?” he asked. His voice sounded strange.
I made a face. “Who knows? And who cares? Not me.”
Brian nodded slowly. “You don’t get along.”
I huffed, offended. “He left us for you when I was nine. He barely ever visited! My parents got divorced and were fighting all the time, and he just left me there!”
Brian stared at me, his tongue in his cheek again. “He had to leave.”
“And what about me?! He should have visited! He should have checked on me! He should be the one offering to beat up those jerks! He’s my brother!” I was breathing harder now. But I wasn’t going to cry. Now I was angry.
“So why didn’t you call him tonight?” Brian asked.
I scowled at him. “Because he wouldn’t have come. And even if he did, he’d tell mom.”
“I don’t think so,” he replied.
“Like you know anything! He left you, too!”
Brian’s neck and the tips of his ears flushed for a second. His eyes, sad now, glanced away. Now I felt bad. I’d thought they’d broken up. I thought Brian had moved on and forgotten all about my stupid brother.
Now I knew I was wrong. He wasn’t over him at all.
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“No. It’s true,” he said. He reached for a small wooden box sitting on the coffee table. He opened it and pulled out a joint. “Want some?”
My eyes widened and I stared at the long white rolled paper. “Really?”
He shrugged. “You’re thirteen.”
I nodded eagerly.
He smirked, his lips curling up a little. “Have you smoked weed before?”
“Of course I have!” I said defensively, terrified he’d change his mind. “Well… once.”
He snorted and lit the joint with a small lighter, inhaling deeply before handing it to me. I took it with trembling fingers and brought it to my lips. I flushed when I felt the moisture on the end from his mouth. Indirect kiss, I thought. This would piss Justin off for sure. I inhaled, trying not to pull too hard like my friend Susan had shown me last year when we were hanging out in her basement. Still, it was too much, and I handed the joint back and coughed loudly. My chest and throat burned.
Brian chuckled and grabbed my water bottle, handing it back to me. “Easy there, tiger.”
I chugged down a swig of water and sighed heavily, feeling much lighter than I had before. “Mmmm,” I said.
He snorted and hit the joint again, handing it back. “Lightweight.”
“I am light,” I said, nodding. “I’m thirteen. You probably weigh ten times what I do.”
That got a laugh out of him, and I smiled before hitting the joint again. This time I didn’t cough, and the burn felt less intense. I exhaled a cloud of smoke and handed the joint back, a pleasant buzzing in my head.
“I hated you,” I said, turning my whole body and leaning against the armrest, facing him.
He peered at me with squinty eyes, hitting the joint again.
“You took my brother and ruined all our lives,” I said. Then I frowned. “But now you’re being nice.”
“Justin had to move out,” he repeated. “It’s your asshole father’s fault, not mine.”
I frowned, considering this. “He doesn’t mean to be an asshole,” I said.
Brian chuckled, handing the joint back. “Doesn’t matter what he means. He is one.”
I nodded, smoking the joint once more and handing it back again. “That’s enough,” I mumbled, my voice thick with exhaling smoke. “I’m good.”
“I’d say so,” Brian replied. He finished the joint off, peering at me. “So you hate me, huh?”
“I used to,” I said. I smiled, feeling light and happy. Why had I been so upset? Who cares about those stupid kids at school? Not me. “Maybe not anymore.”
“What about your brother?” he said after exhaling a perfect smoke ring.
I giggled and lifted my leg, kicking at the ring in the air, making it disappear. “That’s cool, how do you do that?”
“Practice,” he replied, swatting my foot out of his face. “What about your brother?”
“I hate him,” I replied, flopping my leg back down. It landed in his lap and I stretched my body out, moaning happily. What a comfy couch. I shifted, pulling the blanket up to cover me, and stuck my other foot in Brian’s lap, too. Very, very comfy.
“Because he left?” he asked, tugging the blanket down a bit to cover my bare feet.
“Yup,” I replied. “And he never visited, or cared ‘bout me.”
Brian stared at me, then stubbed out the last of the joint. “He cares,” he said.
“Nuh uh. He doesn’t even visit me on my birthday anymore.” I knew I was sad about it, but right now I didn’t really care. I smiled, shrugging. “He’s a big stupid jerk!”
Brian grinned at me, looking amused. “Yeah. He is.”
“He just thinks he can walk out and leave and that everyone’ll love him when he comes back for no good reason!” I said, waving my arms in the air to show him exactly how stupid Justin is. My pink fingernails caught in the light and I stared at them. Sparkly.
Brian just watched me, grinning a little.
I dropped my hands to my lap and gave him my best serious expression. “But that’s not how it works. If he wants to be my brother, he can’t just be one when it’s easy for him. And he can’t just move away and not talk to me for months and months and expect me to be nice to him!”
Brian tilted his head, then nodded. “You’re right. But he doesn’t mean it.”
“Doesn’t matter what he means,” I replied, feeling very smart for remembering what Brian had just said about my dad.
He chuckled. “I guess not.”
“’Sides, I’m his sister,” I said, feeling very logical. “It’s a brother’s job to look out for his sister, no matter what! Even if we don’t get along all the time, it’s his JOB. That’s the rule, right?”
Brian’s grin faded. “Not always.”
“Yes it is!” I said, pointing at his face. My fingernails distracted me for a second, but I blinked hard and focused on Brian’s face… his pretty, pretty face. “Brothers have to take care of their sisters, no matter what!”
He stared at me, his eyes piercing into me so intensely. I shifted, feeling a shiver run down my spine. He was hot. He was… so hot. No wonder Justin loved him so much. I’d just been too much of a dumb kid to see it before. He was gorgeous.
“Maybe you’re right,” he mused.
“’Course I’m right. I’m a girl. We’re smarter than boys.” I smiled and wiggled my feet in his lap.
He smirked. “Maybe so.”
“’Of course so!” I said.
He snorted again, loudly. “Okay,” he said.
I licked my lips, tasting my cherry chapstick. “Are you really gay?”
Brian gave me a look that said he thought I was way too high. “I’m not too high,” I clarified helpfully. “I’m serious. Dad says you’re not gay, you’re just a pervert.”
A low, sexy chuckle, and a smirk, and he said, “The two are not mutually exclusive. I can be both.”
“Oh,” I said, pouting.
He smirked. “Why? Changing your mind about the sex?”
I blushed brightly. I could feel my face get hot. “Shut up!” I squeaked.
“Thirteen year old girls are a little out of my league,” he said, smirking at me. “Even cute ones.”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” I said, kicking my feet in his lap and covering my face. Brian said I was cute! Brian said I was cute!! Forget those stupid boys at school, if a hot man like Brian thought I was cute, I must be!
“Hey, careful!” he said, grabbing my ankles.
I giggled harder. “Oops!” I said. “Did I kick your no-no place?”
“My what?” he asked, giving me a confused look.
“Your thing! Boys are sensitive about their things. Weaklings!” I giggled.
He stared at me for a long moment, then covered his face with one hand. His shoulders shook.
I sat up and dove at him, grabbing his arm and pulling his hand from his face. “You’re giggling! You’re giggling!” I shouted.
He laughed, trying to pull away. “I don’t giggle,” he said.
“You totally are!” I said, laughing. His face was close to mine, and I could smell his aftershave, and that man smell that none of the boys at school have. His perfect lips smiled at me.
Then the door to the loft opened. “Brian?” a voice called out.
I froze, my jaw dropped. I whipped my head around and stared at the man entering Brian’s loft. “What’s my teacher doing here?!” I shrieked.
“Molly?” Tucker asked, closing the door and walking over. He looked at Brian, then back at me. “What the hell is going on?”
Brian gave him a very serious look. “I saved her life.”
“Yep!” I said cheerfully. “What are you doing here? I totally turned in my homework,” I told Tucker.
He gave me an odd look, then frowned at Brian. “Are you high?”
“Usually,” Brian replied, reaching for his wooden box again.
“Is she high?!” Tucker asked, walking around the sofa to give me a once-over.
“It’s my second time!” I said, beaming at him.
“Why the hell are you getting my students high?!” Tucker yelled, pushing the box out of Brian’s way.
“I thought you taught her last year,” Brian said, frowning in confusion.
“And this year,” I said helpfully. “My school’s cheap, not enough English teachers!”
“Oh,” Brian said. “Okay.”
“Not okay!” Tucker said, gaping at us. What was his problem? We were just having fun.
“You don’t date my mom anymore, so you don’t get to tell me what to do!” I said, sticking my tongue out at him.
“That’s right,” Brian said.
“No, it’s not right!” Tucker shouted. “She’s thirteen! Do you have any idea-“
“Calm down, teach,” Brian said, his voice lower. He reached for Tucker and smirked. His eyes were dark now. I licked my lips, staring at him. “C’mere and join in the fun.”
Tucker too a quick step back. “Molly, I’m taking YOU home to your mother! And Brian… fuck, I can’t believe you. This is so illegal-“
Brian waved his hand at Tucker dismissively. “Don’t care, don’t care.”
“I’m not going,” I said, smiling widely. “If you tell mom on me, I’ll tell on you, too!”
Tucker folded his arms and frowned at me. “And what exactly would you tell, Molly?”
“That you’re dating Briiiiiiaaaaaaaan,” I said, singing the last word. “I’m gonna tell on youuuu!”
Tucker’s face went white, then red. “You can’t-“
I giggled, pulling out my phone. “I’ll call her right now!”
“No, I- I…” Tucker sighed heavily. “Fine.”
I smiled and shoved my phone back into my pocket. “Kay.”
Tucker turned and frowned at Brian. “You shouldn’t give drugs to children.”
“It’s not a drug, it’s pot. She had a bad night. Give the kid a break,” Brian said, rolling his eyes.
I rolled my eyes, too, wondering if I looked as cool as Brian when I did it. “And I’m not a kid. I’m thirteen.”
Tucker groaned. “I can’t fucking believe you.”
“So don’t believe me,” Brian mumbled, reaching for the box again.
“Are you going to give her more?!” Tucker shouted. I winced, covering my ears. Why was he so loud?
“No, I’m not going to give her more,” Brian said, his voice sounding very ‘duh.’ “But I’m a grown man, and I’m allowed to have a little pot if I want.”
“No, you’re not! It’s illegal!” Tucker said.
“Not what you said last time I smoked you up,” Brian mumbled, snatching the box off the table.
I laughed, pointing at Tucker. “Haha! I knew it!” I didn’t know what I’d known. It just seemed like the thing to say.
“Fuck you, Brian,” Tucker growled. “First you cancel our trip, and now I catch you giving one of my students drugs! I can’t believe you!”
“I can’t believe me either,” Brian said, smiling. He lit the second joint and inhaled deeply.
“You’re pretty amazing,” I said, nodding.
“I think so,” Brian said. He blew smoke up into Tucker’s face.
Tucker coughed, waving the smoke away with a hand. “Fine. You know what? Don’t call me again if this is what it’s going to be like.” He turned and stomped towards the door. It slid shut loudly behind him.
“Ooooh somebody’s maaaaaaad,” I said, flopping onto my back on the sofa. I’d turned around at some point, and now my head was in Brian’s lap. “He’s a stick in the mud,” I said.
Brian wasn’t laughing anymore. He stared back at the door, then shrugged and hit the joint again. His left hand was free, and he stroked it through my hair. I shut my eyes and let out a long sigh. That felt nice. It felt really, really nice.
Pot smoke floated through the air, and my body, all warm and buzzing under the blanket, sank slowly into sleep.