Endeavor
Chapter Six: June

Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us. - Henri Matisse

Michael was about to walk into the diner to meet Ben for lunch when an image in the windows had him paralyzed for a moment. Shaking off the shock, he walked backwards in a daze of disbelief, bumping into Emmett who had the same destination in mind. “Sorry, Em.”

Emmett gave Michael a weary look. “What on earth are you doing walking backwards? Has the heat fried your brain?”

Michael shook his head slowly as his attention was once again on the diners inside. “I sure thought it had. Look.”

Emmett laughed. “That’s Justin.”

“I know who he is, Em,” Michael said. “There, did you see that!”

“Yes. I did.” Emmett smiled grandly.

“I can’t believe Brian would do that,” Michael gasped, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Come on; let’s get inside before they see us staring at them, or before we catch a heat stroke.”

Michael followed Emmett into the diner and they both made their way down to Brian and Justin’s booth.

Justin was laughing and dabbing ice cream away from Brian’s lips. “You should’ve just opened wide,” he teased.

Brian leered at Justin from across the table and Justin gave him the same expression, heightening the tension that wrapped around them every time they were together. They barely noticed the change now.

“Hey!” Michael greeted, feeling like he’d just interrupted them having sex.

“Hey, Mikey.” Brian scooted over. “Em.”

Emmett grinned. “Hi guys. It sure is hot today,” he declared, sitting beside Justin.

“It is,” Justin agreed. “Brian and I skipped lunch and decided to have dessert first.” Justin took a big spoonful of the vanilla ice cream and shoved it into his mouth.

“Correction. You decided to have ice cream.”

“It looks like you had some too,” Michael teased, wiping a smudge of vanilla from Brian’s chin.

Justin’s phone rang and he excused himself to answer it, taking off to the bathroom. As soon as Justin walked away, Brian grabbed the dessert dish and began eating what was left of the sundae.

Emmett and Michael shared a look of wonder.

“You’re eating after him?” Michael couldn’t suppress the shocking question.

Brian shrugged. “You know I could never resist your mother’s sundaes,” he deadpanned.

As if on cue, Debbie appeared beside the table. “Hey baby.” She squeezed Michael’s face and gave him a loud peck on the cheek. “You’re burning up.”

Michael laughed. “That’s because I walked here and it’s almost one hundred degrees, Ma.”

Debbie turned to Emmett. “How are you, sweetie? You were gone before I got up this morning.”

“Miss Skinny Sandra, the gal who is getting married on Saturday, had a malfunction with her dress yesterday. She lost too much weight and it was swallowing her up. I had to go with her to the dress shop this morning and talk the dress tailor into making the ninth alteration.”

“You should’ve just brought her here,” Debbie advised. “I would’ve had her fattened up in no time. What do you two want for lunch?” she asked.

“I think I’ll take a cue from Brian and Justin and have a chocolate sundae and a diet coke,” Emmett replied.

“Same for me,” Michael said.

Debbie gave Brian a stern look. “You’re a bad influence,” she said before walking away.

Michael laughed and asked, “How many times do you think she’s said that to you?”

“More times than we could ever count, Mikey.”

Justin returned to the table and slumped into his seat. “I’m going to kill my mother,” he grumbled.

“What now?” Brian asked. “A problem with the caterers or the florists?”

“Both,” Justin answered. “She forgot to inform them both about the time change for the reception and they’re both booked during that time and don’t think they can make the deliveries with enough time to set everything up.”

“Your mother’s getting married?” Emmett asked.

“Yes,” Justin grumbled, taking the ice cream dish from Brian before he could eat the last few bites.

Debbie returned to the table with Emmett and Michael’s sundaes and drinks. “Here you are, boys. Enjoy 'em’,” she said before rushing off to the kitchen. The diner’s lunch rush had begun and there were now people waiting in line for a table.

“Thanks, Ma,” Michael called after her.

Emmett took a bite of his ice cream. “Who is your mother’s wedding planner, Justin?”

Justin shook his head sadly. “She refused to get one. She swore that she could do it all on her own and didn’t think she needed a wedding planner because it’s her second marriage.”

“Except she isn’t doing it all on her own,” Brian informed. “She fucks up and you’ve been fixing everything.”

Michael perked up at the protective tone Brian was using.

“I know,” Justin stated. “But she’s my mom.”

“What does your mom expect you to do about the flowers and the food? Haul it over to the wedding yourself?” Brian asked.

Justin frowned. “Precisely.”

“You’re a groomsman, you can’t be in both places at once,” Brian reminded him. “I respect your mother but this wedding shit she’s having you do is ridiculous.”

“I know, I know, you’re right. I just…”

“When is the wedding?” Emmett asked, interrupting Justin. He felt the concern Brian had for Justin and knew that if Brian was making a big deal out of it, then Justin really must be in a bad spot.

“It’s the 21st,” Justin replied.

“Of what month?” Emmett asked further.

“This month.”

“Oh my!” Emmett put his hand on his chest. “That doesn’t give me much time at all. But if you want to give me your mother’s phone number I can meet with her and we can discuss my helping her out.”

“Emmett, I really appreciate that but my mother’s budget is already stretched thin. I don’t think she could afford you. But if…”

“There’ll be no charge, sweetie.”

“You don’t have to do that, Emmett. I was going to tell you that I could pay for your services as long as you didn’t tell my mother.”

“There’s no need to do that,” Emmett assured. “The only payment I’ll accept is a dance the next time you and Brian are at Babylon. Here, put your mother’s number in my phone.”

“I can definitely do that,” Justin said, smiling brightly. He handed Emmett back the phone, still giddy with relief. “Thank you.”

“Come on, Sunshine,” Brian said while pushing Michael to get out of the booth. “We’ve got to get back to work before the other boss has our balls.”

Justin dropped a twenty on the table. “It was nice to see you both,” he said politely.

Brian bent down and kissed Michael. “You and the professor should come to Babylon on Saturday."

"We can’t,” Michael said sadly. “We’ve got Jenny again. Next weekend?”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Brian replied. “Em?”

“Oh, I’ll be there, not that you’ll notice since you two will be stuck in that VIP room,” Emmett replied.

Justin looked at Brian in shock. “Emmett doesn’t have an invite?”

“He has one,” Brian told him.

Emmett nodded. “I just don’t prefer elitist cock.”

Justin and Brian laughed and said in unison, “I do.”

Michael waited approximately one half of one half of a second before he started to talk about them. “They both said ‘I do’. I think Brian is in love, Emmett. I can’t believe this! I can’t believe he’s been playing off their relationship as a friendship when all the while…” Michael shook his head. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell me.”

“There’s not much to tell from Brian’s part.” Emmett twisted his spoon around in the ice cream. “Hate to break it to you, but Justin has a boyfriend.”

“So?” Michael said.

“You sound like Brian.”

“Seriously, Em. Don’t tell me you didn’t see what we walked in on. They were practically eye-fucking before we interrupted them.

Emmett grinned. “They were. But Justin has a boyfriend and Brian doesn’t do boyfriends.”

“But I think he would,” Michael said, still astounded. “You saw how worried he was about Justin. I know you did.”

“Worry about his employee being overworked isn’t the same thing as wanting him for a boyfriend.”

“Why do I feel like we’ve traded places?” Michael asked. “You’re the one that’s supposed to be writing out their wedding invitations.”

“I guess all the stress I have planning other people’s weddings has taken its toll,” Emmett said sadly. “I need a break.”

“You need to help me find out what’s really going on with Brian and Justin. When you’re at Babylon with them Saturday night, take notes.”

“Michael, are you asking me to spy on them?”

“Yes I am,” Michael said proudly.

“I’m surprised that you actually want to get Brian together with Justin. You didn’t seem to care too much for him the first time you met him at Babylon.”

“I was just feeling him out,” Michael defended. “I’ve seen him and Brian at the loft together too and when they took Gus in to visit me at the comic book shop a few weeks ago. I know that Brian cares for him and wants to be with him. We’re all happy…”

Emmett gave Michael a look.

“Well, we all have had partners at one time or another. Brian should experience that. I think he is, actually, just without the sex.”

“And we all know sex means absolutely nothing in relationships,” Emmett joked.

“Maybe it’s a good thing for Brian. He isn’t having sex with Justin so he’s building up all the other important stuff in a relationship first.”

“Like straight people do?” Emmett asked horrified.

Michael laughed. “No, like someone who is afraid to let anyone love them. I bet Brian doesn’t even realize what he’s doing yet.”

“And we’re not going to draw his attention to it. Leave them alone, Michael. If they really are hot for each other, well… they’ve gotten this far without any interference, haven’t they?”

“I guess.”

“Then give them time. If they’re meant to be, nothing will stop them from being together.”

“There’s the romantic Emmett Honeycutt I know and love.”
 

*****

Brian waltzed into Justin’s office, a proud smile on his face. “So you finally did it!”

Justin launched into his explanation, “I just couldn’t take it anymore. I gave her three chances to change her attitude. Then today she deliberately went behind my back and changed the color of the foam core and when I asked her about it she had the nerve to tell me that I didn’t have an eye for color.”

Brian chuckled. “Damn.”

“Me?” Justin said standing. “I don’t have a fucking eye for color? She paired fuchsia heels with an orange vest last week.”

“Did you tell her that?” Brian asked, lightly pushing Justin’s shoulders down so he’d sit in his chair.

“Of course I did. And then I fired her.”

“Good for you.” Brian worked to massage the tension from Justin’s shoulders. “The bitch deserved it.”

“Only now I have to find a replacement for Anna. I really don’t want to do that.”

“You can wait a little while. We’re going to be slow next week since Cynthia is taking her vacation.”

Justin dropped his head on his desk. “I need a drink and it’s only four o’clock.”

“Then get up.” Brian slapped Justin’s back and walked toward the door. “We’ll go to Woody’s and celebrate.”

Justin lifted his head. “I’d love to leave early and get drunk but my mother’s wedding rehearsal is tonight.”

Brian paused in the doorway. “I thought those were the day before the wedding, not the week before.”

“The church is booked the day and night before so we’ve got to do it tonight.”

“What time do you have to be there?” Brian asked.

“Seven. It should only last an hour or so.”

“Call me when it’s over and I’ll pick you up from your apartment.”

“I can drive to Woody’s,” Justin informed Brian.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Fine, be at my place at nine. That’ll give me enough time to change.”

“Later,” Brian replied, walking out of Justin’s office.

“Later.”
 

*****

“I needed that,” Eric said, huffing deep breaths. “I’ll be thinking of that the whole time I’m gone.”

Justin wanted more, needed more. Needed something… something different. Fulfilling. But then Eric was rolling out of his bed and gathering the clothes Justin had stripped off him. “You could always go out to a club and get your needs met,” Justin replied. His words had a slice of bitterness to them but Eric didn’t seem to notice.

Eric zipped his pants and gave Justin a soft smile. “I’ll be too busy. But I’ll call you when I get there.”

Justin pulled off the condom, tied it and threw it toward the trash can. “We haven’t had phone sex since…”

“Since I went to see my mother in Cincinnati and she nearly caught me jerking off.”

“Yeah.” Justin tried to smile and tried to laugh because he and Eric always laughed for hours about that, but he couldn’t manage more than a small puff of air passing his lips and a smaller smirk gracing them.

Eric now fully dressed sat beside Justin. “I’ll be back in a couple of weeks,” he said, holding Justin’s hand.

Justin knew that Eric was reasoning that his maudlin attitude was directly caused by the fact that he was leaving. It wasn’t, but he wouldn’t tell him that. “I’ll miss you.” It wasn’t a lie, Justin would miss Eric. He kissed Eric, trying to convey his wants and needs wordlessly but with every soft caress of Eric’s tongue against his demanding one, it became clear that Eric didn’t understand.

“Walk me out?” Eric requested, pulling away from Justin.

Justin sighed deeply as he got out of bed and followed Eric to the front door. “Have fun,” he told Eric.

Eric wrapped his arms around Justin’s naked body, hugged him tight for a few minutes and kissed his cheek. “I will.”

Back in his bed, his toy box open beside him, Justin spread a thin amount of lube on a string of anal beads and then teased a lubed finger into his hole. Too late to turn on a porno, Justin closed his eyes and relaxed, ready for a fantasy to spark in his mind. He pushed the first bead inside as the image of…

“Justin!”

“Fuck!” Justin popped the tiny ball out of his hole and groaned at the ache it left. “Stay out there!” he yelled to Brian.

“I passed Eric as he left,” Brian said, walking down the hall. “I know you’re not with anyone.”

The toy box was barely shut as Brian pushed on Justin’s half-open bedroom door and waltzed inside. “I asked you to stay out there!” Justin yelled, covering himself and the box with his crumpled sheet.

Brian wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or anger that made Justin’s cheeks pink. It didn’t really make a difference, his cock reacted the same. “You must be horny if you’re jerking off two seconds after your boyfriend left. He seemed awfully happy so I know you fucked him.” I could smell you on him as I passed him in the hallway, Brian thought.

“Shut up,” Justin moaned, putting his hands over his face. I hate that you make the ache worse, he wanted to say, but wouldn’t.

Brian chuckled and had the nerve to sit down on the messy bed, inches away from Justin. “It’s not like I haven’t seen you get off.”

Justin slammed his hands down on his thighs. “What do you want - to have a circle jerk or something?” he asked angrily.

Or something. “Maybe I should call him back and you can fuck him again.”

I’d rather fuck you. No, Justin didn’t think that. He didn’t. “Brian,” he spoke low, “please.”

Brian felt the heat between them rise. “Please what?”

“Wait for me in the living room while I shower, then you can give me a tour of the baths.”

Brian’s mouth dropped open for a second but he quickly closed it. “You are horny,” he teased, rising to his feet. “Hurry up or I’ll leave without you.”
 

*****

Half of the guests at Jennifer and Tucker’s wedding reception included men and women of the upper-class set. Jennifer had kept ties with them even after she quit attending the Country Club she and Craig had belonged to. Many of these persons owned well-to-do businesses and took advantage of every social event to flaunt their status and further their business ventures.

Brian handed out the last spare business card in his wallet to an older, pristinely dressed woman named “Cathy French.” She was related to the mustard empire of Frenches and used her family money to start a boutique tailor shop. Now, five years later she had three shops in Pittsburgh and many others throughout the United States. Currently, Stitches were in contract with Vangard but that contract was coming to a close in a month and Cathy was shopping around for new representation.

“Thank you, Mr. Kinney. I’ll make sure I have my assistant call your office Monday morning to set up a meeting. I’m very excited to see what ideas you might have for ’Stitches’.”

“Thank you, Ms. French. I look forward to seeing you soon.”

Cathy shook Brian’s hand. “I hope you’ll be asking my ‘nephew’ to escort you in the waltz or tango soon. Jenny says she thinks he’s still a wonderful dancer. I used to attend his ballroom dance competitions religiously,” she divulged.

Brian bit his lip to stop his internal roaring laughter from bubbling out of his mouth.

“You didn’t know he danced?” Cathy asked, cupping her hand over her mouth.

“No, I think Justin was keeping that to himself.”

“Well you tell him that he’d make his Aunt Cathy’s day if he would dance for her,” Cathy advised, patting Brian’s arm.

“I’ll see if I can do that,” Brian replied. He gave the Cathy a smile before walking off, in search of Justin amongst the throngs of elegantly dressed guests.
 

*****

On his way to find Justin, Brian caught sight of Emmett hurrying into the kitchen. As he came out Brian beckoned him over.

Emmett wiped sweat from his brow with a napkin. “What do you want, Brian? I’m in the middle of setting up for cake and desserts. I’ve got a lot to get done within an hour.”

Brian pulled out his wallet and handed Emmett the check he’d written out for him. “Take this.”

Emmett looked at the amount written on the check. “Brian, I told Jennifer that I would do this for free. I don’t need…”

“Take it,” Brian interrupted. “You’ve basically taken over Jennifer’s wedding and I know there’s no way she could’ve pulled off what you have. I also know that this is taking your time away from your other clients and also your free time.”

“But Justin’s my friend; I wouldn’t feel right accepting it. Especially because I’m pretty sure he has no idea about this.”

Brian shrugged off Emmett’s guess. “You deserve to be paid for a job well done,” he said before turning on his heel.

Emmett perked up as Brian walked away from him and sauntered over to Justin. Michael had been right. He kept his eyes on Brian and Justin for a few more minutes, watching their body language, the ease they had with one another and the way they whispered into each other’s ears. Neither he nor Michael had to do a thing, it looked like Brian and Justin were doing it all on their own.

Emmett only hoped that Justin’s boyfriend would be okay once they broke up. There was no way that they would be staying together for long. Emmett had never met the man, but he doubted that he and Justin’s chemistry held a candle to what sizzled between Brian and Justin.
 

*****

“I’m glad to see you doing so well for yourself, Justin.”

“Thanks, Mr. Jeffries.” Justin shook the short bald man’s hand. “It was nice of you to come, my mother was so happy when you sent back the R.S.V.P.”

“I was thrilled when I got the invite in the mail. I just knew your mother would find happiness again. And it looks like you may have found your someone too?” Keith asked.

“Perhaps,” Justin answered, unsure who ‘the someone’ Keith Jefferies referred to was, his date or Eric. Not that either would ever be the ‘someone’ because he wasn’t ever looking and didn’t intend to look.

“You were such a help to your mother and I while we were transitioning your father’s business to me. I was worried that you were giving up the last bit of your childhood, coming to the office every day after school and staying there all day on weekends. Your mother worried that she was ruining your life.”

Justin laughed in retrospect. “That couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“I see that and I’m sure she does too,” Keith assured. “You look happy. Much happier than you were with that boy I last saw you with. What was his name? Arron?”

“Eric,” Justin barely got past his lips before he started laughing uproariously. He tried to quell it, especially when Keith gave him a concerned look, but he couldn’t help himself. “Actually, Keith, Eric and…”

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Brian said, stepping beside Justin.

Justin shook his head at Brian and thanked the gods that he hadn’t been privy to the last five minutes of his and Keith’s conversation. “No, you’re not,” Justin replied. “Brian let me introduce you to Keith Jeffries. Keith this is Brian Kinney, he’s the CEO of Exhibition Advertising Agency.”

“Nice to meet you, Brian.” Keith shook hands with Brian.

“You too,” Brian said.

“Keith bought my father’s electronics company,” Justin explained. “He’s a good friend of the family.”

“You have a good employee in Justin,” Keith said. “I’ve never known anyone his age so smart. You’d be a fool not to keep him.”

Brian smirked. “I’ll keep that in mind, Keith.”

“Justin, I’d better go get these drinks back to Leigh. Come by the office some time and I’ll take you out to lunch.”

“I will,” Justin answered, giving Keith a small wave as he walked off.

“So he was your father’s partner?” Brian asked, grabbing a champagne glass from the bar.

Justin clinked glasses with Brian and took a heavy gulp. “No. He was a good friend of my mothers from college. He owned a small electronics company in Scranton and merged it with Taylor Electronics after he bought it from us. He’s a really nice guy.”

“I’m sure.” Brian hated small talk. “So why haven’t you been using your mother’s connections to drum up business for Exhibition this whole time?”

Justin blanched. “Uhm… you’re the advertising executive, remember? You’re the one that brings in the clients. I help you keep them,” he stated bluntly.

Brian laughed and informed him, “I’m completely out of business cards. I should’ve been crashing country club weddings for years.”

“When my mother was sending out all the invites I really didn’t think half of them would come. She doesn’t even go to the club anymore and I know I haven’t seen most of these people since my father’s funeral.”

“Well lucky for us they all decided to come.”

“For us?” Justin asked, walking with Brian back to their abandoned table.

Brian smiled victoriously as he sat down beside Justin. “Let me put it this way. I’d need Ted to run the numbers to estimate the projected profits Exhibition would likely make from just half of the people who took my card. You will definitely be getting a bonus for each one.”

Justin smiled, though he was pretty happy with his life and didn’t see the need to be excessively rich; he wouldn’t mind an apartment upgrade. “An association fee?”

“Yes. But on one condition,” Brian revealed.

“What’s that?” Justin asked.

Brian stood from his chair and offered his hand to Justin. “Dance with me.”

“Dance?” Justin gasped.

“Yes. Dance. The waltz, the tango, the fucking funky chicken, pick one.”

“With you?” Justin asked slowly. “Why?”

“Because your ‘Aunt’ Cathy urged me to ask you.”

“Since when do you do what other people ask you to do?” Justin asked, standing up but not yet taking Brian’s hand.

“She asked so nicely,” Brian replied. “After basically offering me her multi-million dollar business on a platter the moment her contract with Vangard expires next month.”

Justin sighed as he placed his hand in Brian’s. “Well, when you put it that way, how could I refuse?”

Brian began to escort Justin toward the dance floor where a dozen couples were dancing to a boring instrumental tune. “That’s just what I thought,” Brian told him. “So, which dance is it gonna be?” He stopped them just before the wooden floor of the banquet hall met the white dance floor.

“I’ve seen you dance,” Justin reminded Brian. “I think we should just stick to a basic slow dance or something.”

Brian raised one eyebrow and asked, “Have you no faith in me at all?”

“None,” Justin said honestly but added, “when it comes to dancing.”

“Wait here,” Brian ordered and walked over to the DJ.

Justin looked for his mother while he waited and caught her eye. He wanted to make sure that she saw he was at least going to try to dance, even if his dance partner had absolutely no rhythm. She gave him an encouraging smile as Brian walked back to him.

“Ye of little faith,” Brian teased, pulling Justin by the lapels of his suit onto the dance floor as new song began to play.

Justin gasped in mortification. “I can’t believe you chose the tango! Not just anyone can dance the fucking tango.”

“You left it up to me to choose,” Brian said, pulling Justin close to him, hard.

Justin’s breath caught for a moment before he could recover. “This is so inappropriate for my mother’s wedding,” he whined. “She wanted the waltz.”

“I never knew you to be such a prude.” Brian guided their bodies into position and smiled with satisfaction at the look of shock on Justin’s face.
 

*****

Brian and Justin were completely sober when their tongues met for the first time. They were breathless from the ten minute tango, from their rise in body temperature and from their undisguised emotions. Their bodies were in perfect sync for so long that instinct crumbled boundaries and allowed their desire to burst into one another, unrestrained and unhindered by the rules which normally wound tension around them.

The second an applause so loud it drowned out the next music track began, Brian and Justin disengaged from one another and slipped back into reality. Justin excused himself to the bathroom and Brian was waiting for him with more champagne when he emerged minutes later.

They schmoozed with Justin’s family members, ignored the curious and disapproving looks from his family and drank champagne until neither of them could recall what emotions they’d felt when they kissed the other.

They left the reception as two plastered best friends, leaving Brian’s car in the valet parking and taking a cab back to Brian’s place.

“Why did I get off here?” Justin asked as he held onto Brian.

“How should I know?” Brian tried to pull down the gate on the elevator while Justin was attached to his arm but had no luck. He extracted himself and pushed Justin in the corner. “Stay,” he ordered.

Justin pouted but then smiled as he watched Brian try four times to pull the gate down without any luck. He just wasn’t pulling hard enough and for some reason it was very funny to Justin.

“It’s broke!” Brian declared and grabbed Justin’s arm. “We’ll walk.”

Justin looked up the menacing stairwell. “All the way up there?”

Brian sniffed. “Do you wanna sleep here?”

Justin looked at the concrete steps and considered it for a moment until Brian hauled him up the first step. Many drunken minutes later he continued to hold onto Brian’s arm as he waited for Brian to unlock the door of the loft.

“Inside,” Brian grunted, dragging Justin into the loft. He shook Justin off his arm, closed the door and set the alarm.

Justin was so tired and the futons lying on the floor looked like the perfect place to collapse.

After Brian guzzled a bottle of water, took a piss and stripped to his underwear he became acutely aware of Justin’s loud snoring. “We didn’t even smoke pot,” he said aloud.

Justin grunted in answer and put his hand in his hair and heaved a sigh so deep his breath reached Brian’s face.

“One time,” Brian said. “Don’t make a habit out of it.”

Brian took pity on Justin and undressed him. By the time he finished, his own state and the exhaustive process of taking off Justin’s suit with absolutely no help took its toll. Brian fell forward, deciding to rest for just a few minutes beside Justin. At least until he could find the strength to get up and climb into his own bed.
 

*****

Brian’s nose itched and he was having a little trouble breathing. Trying to get air he took a deep breath in through his nose and… and smelled… What was that smell? He moaned. It was good. Whatever it was smelled good and it felt so soft in his fingers, softer than anything he’d ever touc…

Wait.

What the fuck?

Brian opened his eyes and for a moment he was sure he was trapped in a corn field until he got his bearings and realized exactly what was going on. He jerked his face away, but was conscious enough to gently extract the hand he had wrapped in Justin’s hair.

Justin felt someone pulling his hair and someone was moving beside him. He didn’t remember Eric sleeping over last night. No. Eric was gone on a trip to D.C. He’d gone to his mother’s wedding. He went with…

With Brian!

Justin and Brian both turned to look at one another and sat upright yelling in unison, “What the fuck?”

And then, every memory came back to them from the night before. But they didn’t queen out, they didn’t give bullshit apologies and they didn’t build an awkward tension between them. No. They laughed. And laughed and laughed. They laughed while they crawled into Brian’s bed and they laughed until they could do nothing but pass out from exhaustion.

 

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