Christmas Fic Part 3 of 4 and Power Outage Update
Day 5 of the Power Outage
Yep, it is now Day 5 (count em...1...2...3...4...5!) of the Great Power Outage. Luckily, they have now powered up Issaquah completely (although I think there are still rural areas like in the mountains that are still out). There's been talk that they will start to work on the main town areas of Snoqualmie Valley. God only knows when they'll get to the rural areas out here. We rented a 45K generator for the shop. Our two 5500 gens are doing great but we don't want to take the chance with them anymore and we could really use them at home. Luckily the power at the shop should come up first (some people are talking about Thursday).
I can't wait for the power to come on at home so I can use my Comcast hi-speed internet cable. This dial-up shit sucks big time (but it's actually not as bad as most people have made out and thankfully I still have phone service!)
Since I'm still the only restaurant in town, Bigfoot came in for his double bacon cheeseburger, fries and Oreo shake fix again. I told him about dial-up and how I'm getting tired of it. He said he knew and that's why he has a MCI card. He said wireless cards are the only way to go.
Stupid know-it-all-rural-legends.
So anywho, enough about me, here's the next part of my Christmas story. After this, only one more part to go. Oh, and since my time is limited on the laptop and on dialup, I have not responded to any comments sent to me since the outage. I will do so tonight so I would still love to see feedback - good, bad, long-winded quote-filled fb - I love it all and I will respond to it...eventually...but I will respond.
So send me some love - it will brighten my day (and night - which I could use)!
Title: A Christmas Gift for Justin
Rating: R
Part: 3/4
Genre: some angst, some humor (you know me)
Pairing: Brian/Justin; Justin/other (mentorship really)
Summary: Brian seems very interested in two travelers to Pittsburgh.
Timeline: Alternate Season 1
Disclaimers: I do not own Cowlip or the boys and no - I don't know when the fucking power will come back on!
NOTE: This is a Christmas story and even though it's a little strange - it is me after all - it will have a happy ending and is safe to read. Okay? Okay.
Part 1
Part 2
When Brian was younger, he remembered the first time he had strummed his fingers over guitar strings accidentally. Not only did it make a beautiful sound but he could feel the vibration through his fingertips and practically throughout his whole body. It felt alive and from then on out he decided he would learn how to play the musical instrument just so he could feel the music as well as create it.
As he stroked his fingers lightly over Justin's skin, who at that moment was sleeping very peacefully, he relived the same sensations. The boy's skin felt alive and he could feel Justin's responsiveness throughout his own body.
He couldn't for the life of him figure out why they called that feeling electricity when it felt more like music to him - a symphony created only by Brian for the two of them alone.
Brian had been with hundreds of other men (and Brian was quite certain at this point in his life that that was not an exaggeration) and none of them had felt like this. They were simply flesh, lumps of flesh, albeit some of them were nice lumps of flesh - some lean and hard, some soft and light skinned - but all of them were just flesh. Justin wasn't just flesh though. He was warm and vibrant and...
It was then that Brian shook his head clear of such lesbian thoughts and returned his attention to the night before.
The way he had brought a suddenly apprehensive boy home, who had obviously gone in way over his head. The way the same boy had decided to have enough courage to go through with what he had started and stayed despite his reservations.
Brian had watched as feelings of excitement and nervousness warred with each other on the boy's face.
He had never seen anything so erotic or beautiful in his whole life.
He remembered the sounds (and oh what wonderful sounds) that came out of the boy as he discovered what rimming was for the first time. The only thing Justin could say afterwards being, "that was much better than skateboarding and I don't have to wear shin pads!"
Brian had thought that shin pads might not be such a bad idea for all the other activities he had planned for the kid.
He remembered how Justin had prepared himself for what was soon to come, the determined look on his face while he swallowed nervously, Brian watching intently the path Justin's adam apple took.
He remembered how blue Justin's eyes were under his bedroom lights when he entered him for the first time and the shape his mouth made in a combination of pain and pleasure.
He remembered saying he could stay in Justin forever. He had thought he had said that in his head only to discover his mouth betrayed him by saying it aloud.
He remembered falling into an exhausted sleep next to the boy and waking him two more times during the night and introducing Justin to new positions until he woke up this morning, his arms encasing Justin against his chest, watching as the morning sun coming in through the blinds made the boy appear to glow.
Which brought him to here, where he continued to stroke Justin while he slept.
There were some whimpers that came out of Justin's mouth as he slowly woke up. Once the boy was fully awake, Brian would make sure he would be the cause of some more of those wonderful sounds.
"Hello sleepyhead," Brian smirked while he kissed Justin's forehead.
Justin slowly rose up and stretched. "Mmmm...morning." He smiled and reached over to rub his nose against Brian's and kiss him on the chin. He then smiled, bit his top lip and chuckled. "Merry Christmas to me."
"It's not Christmas yet Sunshine and what's so funny?"
"This was one of the things I asked for for Christmas."
"What?" Brian asked with a lift of his eyebrows. "To wake up in a strange man's bed with a bad case of morning breath?"
Justin put his hand over his mouth. "Sorry," and with that Brian laughed and placed a very hungry kiss on and into Justin's mouth. "I meant, well in case you haven't figured it out, I'm a virgin, well I was..."
"Really? I would have never guessed," Brian replied teasingly while Justin playfully shoved him. "So you wrote a letter to Santa and asked to be devirginized? Wow, now that's a letter I'd love to see!" Brian said with his trademark smirk. "I once asked for a nerf gun."
"Shut up!" Justin blushed while smiling. "Anyways, it was a very nice Christmas gift."
Brian looked at Justin while turning away and mumbling, "yeah, it was for me too."
"What was that?" Justin asked.
"Nothing," Brian said realizing that his mouth betrayed him yet again. Changing the subject, Brian turned around abruptly. "What's the other thing?"
"What other thing?"
"The other thing you asked 'Santa' for?" Brian asked.
"Oh...oh...that. It doesn't matter - I won't get it," Justin said and turned away. "Can I have a shower? I need to get back to my hotel soon or Ted'll come looking for me."
"Yeah, it's through there," Brian replied and suddenly the harsh reality of Ted suddenly reared its ugly head.
Well, Brian thought, maybe it's for the best. This way there will be no strings and he could get back to his life - an uncomplicated one that did not include beautiful, young boys with blue eyes and warm skin and...
Nope, not going there.
As Brian heard the shower turn on and Justin gasp, he thought a shared shower might be nice and went into the bathroom. He watched as Justin soaped his body up and let the water cascade over him.
Definitely not going there Brian told himself as his feet told him a different story, leading him into the shower.
Brian snatched the soap away from Justin and started to run the bar over his back, Justin resting his head against the opposing wall.
"Here, let's get your hair washed," Brian said as he reached for his $30 a bottle shampoo. He couldn't wait to see how soft Justin's hair felt after using a product that was worthy of the boy's hair. As he popped open the top, he noticed the oft-ignored directions and smiled to himself, remembering how last night he had commented on the state of his life. Well, he thought, the unpredictable boy certainly put a kink in his plans and broke the monotony. As he lathered Justin's hair, he realized that he was also following suit and was about to say something highly unpredictable himself.
"I'm going over to Debbie's house tonight...," Brian started.
"Is she the lady from the diner?" Justin asked as he looked up.
"Yeah."
"Oh, I like her - she's nice."
"That's because you don't know her that well yet," Brian replied. "So as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I'm going over to Debbie's house tonight to help decorate her tree. Everyone will be there...and I thought you might enjoy it." Brian had found that saying the words had not been so bad. He then looked down at himself.
Yep, his dick was still there.
He then looked up into a stunned face. "You want me...to come to your family's home to help decorate a tree? Really?"
"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to," Brian replied while continuing to wash Justin's hair. He stopped when he saw the beaming smile that lit up Justin's face. Brian silently thought that a tree decorated by Debbie and Emmett put together with millions of sparkly lights and shiny ornaments could not even come close to the way the boy's face had just lit up.
Thankfully, he had not said that out loud.
Brian had been puttering around the loft, trying to get the things done that he reserved for these quiet Saturdays. He found himself continuously checking the clock, waiting for the appropriate time to start getting ready and head to Justin's hotel to pick him up for the night's festivities.
He found that he had not gotten anything done.
He was distracted by the act of remembering, yet again, the next round Justin and he had indulged in in the shower and the way he almost (almost) reluctantly let the boy go back to his hotel so he could check in with his 'keeper.'
And of course, thinking about Ted just brought him down again and furthered his anxiety.
So he looked at the clock once more.
He looked at the clock five minutes later, wondering why on earth time was so slow and then berated himself once again for why it was he felt so anxious and then for being so anxious in the first place.
Just then there was a knock at the loft door. As he slid the heavy door open, he came face to face with Ted.
"Oh, it's you," Brian said. Then he looked behind Ted, "did you bring Justin?"
"No, but thank you, that answers my question." Ted turned to leave.
"Hey, wait! What do you mean by that?" With a look of apprehension, Brian asked his next question. "Isn't Justin with you?"
Ted sighed. "Can I come in?"
Brian nodded his head and stepped aside, as Ted walked past, taking in the view of the loft.
"Nice place. Justin said it was nice. Of course, he wouldn't shut up about you...," Ted started when Brian interrupted him.
"So you've seen Justin since this morning," Brian replied. It was a statement more than a question.
"Yeah, he came back to the hotel this morning. We got into a fight..."
"A fight?" Brian turned an angry glare on Ted. "Did you hurt him?"
"No, of course not," Ted scoffed. "It was more of an argument, with me lecturing and Justin whinging and then screaming and then him more or less leaving in a huff."
Ted looked everywhere but at Brian.
"So what was the argument about?" Brian questioned.
"Well, it was stupid really. Okay," Ted sighed and sat on the bar stool. "He went on and on about you. He wouldn't shut up and he had this...this...glow! I was getting mad so I told him it didn't matter anyways as you would never want to see him again and then he told me that wasn't true because you invited him over for some tree decorating thing," Ted said while he waved his hands pantomiming a tree. "I then told Justin you probably said that just to get him to leave the loft and you would not keep the date. That's when Justin said that you did mean it and that he would go out with you, whether I liked it or not and I said 'not' and then I forbid him to go and then he took off." Ted shook his head. "Things were so much easier before you came along Kinney."
Brian stood staring at the man. So many thoughts were jumping around in his head. One of them was pleased to hear about Justin going on and on about him and the fact that he had been the one to put the glow there. Another was anger at Ted for trying to convince Justin that he was just fucking around with the kid and guilt for being the kind of guy that fostered such ideas. Another was confusion as to exactly what kind of hold Ted had over Justin. And lastly, that apprehension and anxiety he was feeling before were slowly starting to creep their way back in when he realized he didn't know where Justin was.
"So you lost Justin? He's gone because...because of you? He ran away?" Brian asked angrily.
Ted got up off the stool and put his palms up. "Whoa, down boy. I did not say I didn't know where he was - I just came here first to see if he was here."
"First? So you know where he might have gone?"
"Yeah, I figured if he wasn't here, he would be at the other place, so I'll just be going..."
Brian put a hand on Ted's arm. "Other place? Look, I'll give you a little lift to this other place. We'll find Justin together so you don't fuck things up again.
"I fucked things...? Okay, let's get something straight, things were just fine before the Great Brian-fucking-Kinney came along..."
"What's with the Brian-fucking-Kinney? Why do people keep calling me that?" Brian shook his head. "It's so annoying."
Ted sighed. "We were okay...me and Justin...he was fine...and then you...you come along and show him what he's missing..."
Brian looked menacingly at Ted. "Let's go find the kid," and before Ted could protest, Brian glared at the man and with that both Ted and Brian left the loft for the Jeep.
As they were driving, Ted stopped to look at Brian. "I don't get you."
Brian lifted his eyebrows in question. "Elaborate, please."
"Justin said you have these walls that won't let people in. I know you have these walls but for the life of me," and at this Ted snickered to himself, "I can't figure out why Justin doesn't think your walls are inpenetrateable, or for that matter, why you let your walls down in the first place for the kid." Ted looked out the windshield and then looked back to Brian. "I mean, that's not your M.O. - you're all Mr. No regrets, No. Apologies and..."
"First off, have you been asking around about me? I mean, you've gotta admit, it's a little scary..."
"You would be surprised at exactly how much I know about you, Brian."
Brian bit his lip and looked back at Ted.
"And secondly," Brian sighed, "I don't exactly have the luxury for the walls right now." Brian looked straight ahead while driving. "He's leaving after Christmas and I won't get a chance and...," Brian sighed in frustration again. "Look, if this were a perfect world, Justin would have lived here, in the Pitts. We would have met, I could have played the I'm-not-interested-asshole, he looks like the persistent type..."
"You have no idea," Ted interrupted.
"I could have ignored him just enough, pushed him away just enough, but never completely away..."
"And in a perfect world, you could have danced at Justin's prom with him," Ted laughed.
"Well, now you're just being ridiculous." Brian shook his head clear. "Anyways, I could keep him away just enough to keep bringing him back until I figured out what it was I really wanted...," Brian suddenly stopped himself and looked over at Ted. "And what the fuck are you? A priest?" Brian looked back at the road. "It's like I can't stop telling you this shit..."
"I have that effect on people. I'm the kind of person you can't really lie to. You've heard the expression, 'you can't cheat death?'"
"Yeah, I've heard of that," Brian started before he shook his head. "And just what the fuck does that mean? God," Brian hit the steering wheel. "I hate this cryptic shit. By the way, where are we going," Brian asked and then more urgently, "and are you sure Justin will be there?"
"Oh yeah, I'm sure. In fact, stop the car here." Brian pulled the Jeep over to the curb and got out, following Ted over to a brick wall adorned with graffiti.
"What are we doing here?" Brian asked while looking around and stopped when he took in the graffiti painted on the wall.
Justin had definitely been this way.
Both Ted and Brian took in the painting, crudely painted in white paint. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the person characterized on the wall was Ted.
Brian had to admit that the kid was really good. He had painted Ted wearing a long willowy shroud with a hood - it reminded Brian of a robe found in depictions of the Grim Reaper. There was no mistaking that was what Justin had in mind when he saw the cartoon Ted holding a large, bloody scythe while whacking the head off a person's head. Next to the picture was a caption with cartoon Ted saying, 'I'm not fat, it's the robes.'
Ted kept looking at the picture. "He must be really pissed off at me if he's actually defacing public property. And that fat crack? He knows how I feel about my body. I'm very insecure about it."
Brian kept staring at the picture and then turned to Ted. "What? I don't get it."
"And come on, the scythe? He knows that's just a symbol and he knows how I feel about it. And what's with the guy whose head I just lopped off? See, he's just pushing my buttons now."
"You have buttons...um...buttons about lopping people's head off...?" Brian stepped back from Ted. "Look..."
"Let's go get Justin. I think we all need a long talk."
"No, I think we, as in you and me, need to have a long talk before you get back into that Jeep, but first," and at this, Brian held up his finger and pointed it at Ted, "is Justin safe?"
"Yes, he's safe. He's at his house."
"His...his house?!" Brian practically screamed. "He does live here and he what...ran away with you or something?" Brian then turned and looked directly at Ted, "and why does he say he owes you and that he's yours and why did he draw that," and Brian pointed to the wall, "that fucking picture?"
"You don't ask for much, do you?"
"Now, Ted, I want answers," Brian said, standing with his arms to his sides and sighing, "now."
"Let's just drive to Justin's old house - I'll explain on the way."
"Are his parents there at the house now?" Brian asked slightly wary, getting an uneasy feeling about the whole conversation he was about to have with Ted.
"No, Brian. A nice family lives there now. A mother, a father - who by the way will die of a massive coronary by the ripe old age of 54 - two kids and three dogs."
"Where are his parents living then?" Brian said trying to ignore the comment about the present residents.
Ted sighed. "The house we're going to - Justin's old house - was the site of a triple homicide two years ago."
"Were his parents," Brian breathed in heavily, "were his parents killed?"
"Yes Brian."
"Oh God," and with that Brian sat down against the wall. Then as if suddenly realizing something, he snapped his head up. "Wait a sec. You said triple homicide. Who was the third person?"
"Justin."
TBC
Remember: just hang in there - all will be revealed soon!
Remember what I said about feedback - I'll take it all!!!
Yep, it is now Day 5 (count em...1...2...3...4...5!) of the Great Power Outage. Luckily, they have now powered up Issaquah completely (although I think there are still rural areas like in the mountains that are still out). There's been talk that they will start to work on the main town areas of Snoqualmie Valley. God only knows when they'll get to the rural areas out here. We rented a 45K generator for the shop. Our two 5500 gens are doing great but we don't want to take the chance with them anymore and we could really use them at home. Luckily the power at the shop should come up first (some people are talking about Thursday).
I can't wait for the power to come on at home so I can use my Comcast hi-speed internet cable. This dial-up shit sucks big time (but it's actually not as bad as most people have made out and thankfully I still have phone service!)
Since I'm still the only restaurant in town, Bigfoot came in for his double bacon cheeseburger, fries and Oreo shake fix again. I told him about dial-up and how I'm getting tired of it. He said he knew and that's why he has a MCI card. He said wireless cards are the only way to go.
Stupid know-it-all-rural-legends.
So anywho, enough about me, here's the next part of my Christmas story. After this, only one more part to go. Oh, and since my time is limited on the laptop and on dialup, I have not responded to any comments sent to me since the outage. I will do so tonight so I would still love to see feedback - good, bad, long-winded quote-filled fb - I love it all and I will respond to it...eventually...but I will respond.
So send me some love - it will brighten my day (and night - which I could use)!
Title: A Christmas Gift for Justin
Rating: R
Part: 3/4
Genre: some angst, some humor (you know me)
Pairing: Brian/Justin; Justin/other (mentorship really)
Summary: Brian seems very interested in two travelers to Pittsburgh.
Timeline: Alternate Season 1
Disclaimers: I do not own Cowlip or the boys and no - I don't know when the fucking power will come back on!
NOTE: This is a Christmas story and even though it's a little strange - it is me after all - it will have a happy ending and is safe to read. Okay? Okay.
Part 1
Part 2
When Brian was younger, he remembered the first time he had strummed his fingers over guitar strings accidentally. Not only did it make a beautiful sound but he could feel the vibration through his fingertips and practically throughout his whole body. It felt alive and from then on out he decided he would learn how to play the musical instrument just so he could feel the music as well as create it.
As he stroked his fingers lightly over Justin's skin, who at that moment was sleeping very peacefully, he relived the same sensations. The boy's skin felt alive and he could feel Justin's responsiveness throughout his own body.
He couldn't for the life of him figure out why they called that feeling electricity when it felt more like music to him - a symphony created only by Brian for the two of them alone.
Brian had been with hundreds of other men (and Brian was quite certain at this point in his life that that was not an exaggeration) and none of them had felt like this. They were simply flesh, lumps of flesh, albeit some of them were nice lumps of flesh - some lean and hard, some soft and light skinned - but all of them were just flesh. Justin wasn't just flesh though. He was warm and vibrant and...
It was then that Brian shook his head clear of such lesbian thoughts and returned his attention to the night before.
The way he had brought a suddenly apprehensive boy home, who had obviously gone in way over his head. The way the same boy had decided to have enough courage to go through with what he had started and stayed despite his reservations.
Brian had watched as feelings of excitement and nervousness warred with each other on the boy's face.
He had never seen anything so erotic or beautiful in his whole life.
He remembered the sounds (and oh what wonderful sounds) that came out of the boy as he discovered what rimming was for the first time. The only thing Justin could say afterwards being, "that was much better than skateboarding and I don't have to wear shin pads!"
Brian had thought that shin pads might not be such a bad idea for all the other activities he had planned for the kid.
He remembered how Justin had prepared himself for what was soon to come, the determined look on his face while he swallowed nervously, Brian watching intently the path Justin's adam apple took.
He remembered how blue Justin's eyes were under his bedroom lights when he entered him for the first time and the shape his mouth made in a combination of pain and pleasure.
He remembered saying he could stay in Justin forever. He had thought he had said that in his head only to discover his mouth betrayed him by saying it aloud.
He remembered falling into an exhausted sleep next to the boy and waking him two more times during the night and introducing Justin to new positions until he woke up this morning, his arms encasing Justin against his chest, watching as the morning sun coming in through the blinds made the boy appear to glow.
Which brought him to here, where he continued to stroke Justin while he slept.
There were some whimpers that came out of Justin's mouth as he slowly woke up. Once the boy was fully awake, Brian would make sure he would be the cause of some more of those wonderful sounds.
"Hello sleepyhead," Brian smirked while he kissed Justin's forehead.
Justin slowly rose up and stretched. "Mmmm...morning." He smiled and reached over to rub his nose against Brian's and kiss him on the chin. He then smiled, bit his top lip and chuckled. "Merry Christmas to me."
"It's not Christmas yet Sunshine and what's so funny?"
"This was one of the things I asked for for Christmas."
"What?" Brian asked with a lift of his eyebrows. "To wake up in a strange man's bed with a bad case of morning breath?"
Justin put his hand over his mouth. "Sorry," and with that Brian laughed and placed a very hungry kiss on and into Justin's mouth. "I meant, well in case you haven't figured it out, I'm a virgin, well I was..."
"Really? I would have never guessed," Brian replied teasingly while Justin playfully shoved him. "So you wrote a letter to Santa and asked to be devirginized? Wow, now that's a letter I'd love to see!" Brian said with his trademark smirk. "I once asked for a nerf gun."
"Shut up!" Justin blushed while smiling. "Anyways, it was a very nice Christmas gift."
Brian looked at Justin while turning away and mumbling, "yeah, it was for me too."
"What was that?" Justin asked.
"Nothing," Brian said realizing that his mouth betrayed him yet again. Changing the subject, Brian turned around abruptly. "What's the other thing?"
"What other thing?"
"The other thing you asked 'Santa' for?" Brian asked.
"Oh...oh...that. It doesn't matter - I won't get it," Justin said and turned away. "Can I have a shower? I need to get back to my hotel soon or Ted'll come looking for me."
"Yeah, it's through there," Brian replied and suddenly the harsh reality of Ted suddenly reared its ugly head.
Well, Brian thought, maybe it's for the best. This way there will be no strings and he could get back to his life - an uncomplicated one that did not include beautiful, young boys with blue eyes and warm skin and...
Nope, not going there.
As Brian heard the shower turn on and Justin gasp, he thought a shared shower might be nice and went into the bathroom. He watched as Justin soaped his body up and let the water cascade over him.
Definitely not going there Brian told himself as his feet told him a different story, leading him into the shower.
Brian snatched the soap away from Justin and started to run the bar over his back, Justin resting his head against the opposing wall.
"Here, let's get your hair washed," Brian said as he reached for his $30 a bottle shampoo. He couldn't wait to see how soft Justin's hair felt after using a product that was worthy of the boy's hair. As he popped open the top, he noticed the oft-ignored directions and smiled to himself, remembering how last night he had commented on the state of his life. Well, he thought, the unpredictable boy certainly put a kink in his plans and broke the monotony. As he lathered Justin's hair, he realized that he was also following suit and was about to say something highly unpredictable himself.
"I'm going over to Debbie's house tonight...," Brian started.
"Is she the lady from the diner?" Justin asked as he looked up.
"Yeah."
"Oh, I like her - she's nice."
"That's because you don't know her that well yet," Brian replied. "So as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I'm going over to Debbie's house tonight to help decorate her tree. Everyone will be there...and I thought you might enjoy it." Brian had found that saying the words had not been so bad. He then looked down at himself.
Yep, his dick was still there.
He then looked up into a stunned face. "You want me...to come to your family's home to help decorate a tree? Really?"
"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to," Brian replied while continuing to wash Justin's hair. He stopped when he saw the beaming smile that lit up Justin's face. Brian silently thought that a tree decorated by Debbie and Emmett put together with millions of sparkly lights and shiny ornaments could not even come close to the way the boy's face had just lit up.
Thankfully, he had not said that out loud.
Brian had been puttering around the loft, trying to get the things done that he reserved for these quiet Saturdays. He found himself continuously checking the clock, waiting for the appropriate time to start getting ready and head to Justin's hotel to pick him up for the night's festivities.
He found that he had not gotten anything done.
He was distracted by the act of remembering, yet again, the next round Justin and he had indulged in in the shower and the way he almost (almost) reluctantly let the boy go back to his hotel so he could check in with his 'keeper.'
And of course, thinking about Ted just brought him down again and furthered his anxiety.
So he looked at the clock once more.
He looked at the clock five minutes later, wondering why on earth time was so slow and then berated himself once again for why it was he felt so anxious and then for being so anxious in the first place.
Just then there was a knock at the loft door. As he slid the heavy door open, he came face to face with Ted.
"Oh, it's you," Brian said. Then he looked behind Ted, "did you bring Justin?"
"No, but thank you, that answers my question." Ted turned to leave.
"Hey, wait! What do you mean by that?" With a look of apprehension, Brian asked his next question. "Isn't Justin with you?"
Ted sighed. "Can I come in?"
Brian nodded his head and stepped aside, as Ted walked past, taking in the view of the loft.
"Nice place. Justin said it was nice. Of course, he wouldn't shut up about you...," Ted started when Brian interrupted him.
"So you've seen Justin since this morning," Brian replied. It was a statement more than a question.
"Yeah, he came back to the hotel this morning. We got into a fight..."
"A fight?" Brian turned an angry glare on Ted. "Did you hurt him?"
"No, of course not," Ted scoffed. "It was more of an argument, with me lecturing and Justin whinging and then screaming and then him more or less leaving in a huff."
Ted looked everywhere but at Brian.
"So what was the argument about?" Brian questioned.
"Well, it was stupid really. Okay," Ted sighed and sat on the bar stool. "He went on and on about you. He wouldn't shut up and he had this...this...glow! I was getting mad so I told him it didn't matter anyways as you would never want to see him again and then he told me that wasn't true because you invited him over for some tree decorating thing," Ted said while he waved his hands pantomiming a tree. "I then told Justin you probably said that just to get him to leave the loft and you would not keep the date. That's when Justin said that you did mean it and that he would go out with you, whether I liked it or not and I said 'not' and then I forbid him to go and then he took off." Ted shook his head. "Things were so much easier before you came along Kinney."
Brian stood staring at the man. So many thoughts were jumping around in his head. One of them was pleased to hear about Justin going on and on about him and the fact that he had been the one to put the glow there. Another was anger at Ted for trying to convince Justin that he was just fucking around with the kid and guilt for being the kind of guy that fostered such ideas. Another was confusion as to exactly what kind of hold Ted had over Justin. And lastly, that apprehension and anxiety he was feeling before were slowly starting to creep their way back in when he realized he didn't know where Justin was.
"So you lost Justin? He's gone because...because of you? He ran away?" Brian asked angrily.
Ted got up off the stool and put his palms up. "Whoa, down boy. I did not say I didn't know where he was - I just came here first to see if he was here."
"First? So you know where he might have gone?"
"Yeah, I figured if he wasn't here, he would be at the other place, so I'll just be going..."
Brian put a hand on Ted's arm. "Other place? Look, I'll give you a little lift to this other place. We'll find Justin together so you don't fuck things up again.
"I fucked things...? Okay, let's get something straight, things were just fine before the Great Brian-fucking-Kinney came along..."
"What's with the Brian-fucking-Kinney? Why do people keep calling me that?" Brian shook his head. "It's so annoying."
Ted sighed. "We were okay...me and Justin...he was fine...and then you...you come along and show him what he's missing..."
Brian looked menacingly at Ted. "Let's go find the kid," and before Ted could protest, Brian glared at the man and with that both Ted and Brian left the loft for the Jeep.
As they were driving, Ted stopped to look at Brian. "I don't get you."
Brian lifted his eyebrows in question. "Elaborate, please."
"Justin said you have these walls that won't let people in. I know you have these walls but for the life of me," and at this Ted snickered to himself, "I can't figure out why Justin doesn't think your walls are inpenetrateable, or for that matter, why you let your walls down in the first place for the kid." Ted looked out the windshield and then looked back to Brian. "I mean, that's not your M.O. - you're all Mr. No regrets, No. Apologies and..."
"First off, have you been asking around about me? I mean, you've gotta admit, it's a little scary..."
"You would be surprised at exactly how much I know about you, Brian."
Brian bit his lip and looked back at Ted.
"And secondly," Brian sighed, "I don't exactly have the luxury for the walls right now." Brian looked straight ahead while driving. "He's leaving after Christmas and I won't get a chance and...," Brian sighed in frustration again. "Look, if this were a perfect world, Justin would have lived here, in the Pitts. We would have met, I could have played the I'm-not-interested-asshole, he looks like the persistent type..."
"You have no idea," Ted interrupted.
"I could have ignored him just enough, pushed him away just enough, but never completely away..."
"And in a perfect world, you could have danced at Justin's prom with him," Ted laughed.
"Well, now you're just being ridiculous." Brian shook his head clear. "Anyways, I could keep him away just enough to keep bringing him back until I figured out what it was I really wanted...," Brian suddenly stopped himself and looked over at Ted. "And what the fuck are you? A priest?" Brian looked back at the road. "It's like I can't stop telling you this shit..."
"I have that effect on people. I'm the kind of person you can't really lie to. You've heard the expression, 'you can't cheat death?'"
"Yeah, I've heard of that," Brian started before he shook his head. "And just what the fuck does that mean? God," Brian hit the steering wheel. "I hate this cryptic shit. By the way, where are we going," Brian asked and then more urgently, "and are you sure Justin will be there?"
"Oh yeah, I'm sure. In fact, stop the car here." Brian pulled the Jeep over to the curb and got out, following Ted over to a brick wall adorned with graffiti.
"What are we doing here?" Brian asked while looking around and stopped when he took in the graffiti painted on the wall.
Justin had definitely been this way.
Both Ted and Brian took in the painting, crudely painted in white paint. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the person characterized on the wall was Ted.
Brian had to admit that the kid was really good. He had painted Ted wearing a long willowy shroud with a hood - it reminded Brian of a robe found in depictions of the Grim Reaper. There was no mistaking that was what Justin had in mind when he saw the cartoon Ted holding a large, bloody scythe while whacking the head off a person's head. Next to the picture was a caption with cartoon Ted saying, 'I'm not fat, it's the robes.'
Ted kept looking at the picture. "He must be really pissed off at me if he's actually defacing public property. And that fat crack? He knows how I feel about my body. I'm very insecure about it."
Brian kept staring at the picture and then turned to Ted. "What? I don't get it."
"And come on, the scythe? He knows that's just a symbol and he knows how I feel about it. And what's with the guy whose head I just lopped off? See, he's just pushing my buttons now."
"You have buttons...um...buttons about lopping people's head off...?" Brian stepped back from Ted. "Look..."
"Let's go get Justin. I think we all need a long talk."
"No, I think we, as in you and me, need to have a long talk before you get back into that Jeep, but first," and at this, Brian held up his finger and pointed it at Ted, "is Justin safe?"
"Yes, he's safe. He's at his house."
"His...his house?!" Brian practically screamed. "He does live here and he what...ran away with you or something?" Brian then turned and looked directly at Ted, "and why does he say he owes you and that he's yours and why did he draw that," and Brian pointed to the wall, "that fucking picture?"
"You don't ask for much, do you?"
"Now, Ted, I want answers," Brian said, standing with his arms to his sides and sighing, "now."
"Let's just drive to Justin's old house - I'll explain on the way."
"Are his parents there at the house now?" Brian asked slightly wary, getting an uneasy feeling about the whole conversation he was about to have with Ted.
"No, Brian. A nice family lives there now. A mother, a father - who by the way will die of a massive coronary by the ripe old age of 54 - two kids and three dogs."
"Where are his parents living then?" Brian said trying to ignore the comment about the present residents.
Ted sighed. "The house we're going to - Justin's old house - was the site of a triple homicide two years ago."
"Were his parents," Brian breathed in heavily, "were his parents killed?"
"Yes Brian."
"Oh God," and with that Brian sat down against the wall. Then as if suddenly realizing something, he snapped his head up. "Wait a sec. You said triple homicide. Who was the third person?"
"Justin."
TBC
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