Lean On Me

Chapter Five
 

Remembering the grocery list that he had in his pocket, Justin made his way to the Big Q. It was the cheapest store that Justin could think of. Passing a gas station, he made his way to the restroom, so he could clean his face up. He didn't want to get kicked out of the Big Q before he was able to get the food.

After shutting and locking the restroom door, Justin looked in the mirror. When he saw his face, he cringed. He knew that he was going to have a couple of bruises. Hopefully they wouldn't be too bad. He didn't want his brothers and sisters scared. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was two in the morning. He hoped they were alright. Sighing, he got a paper towel and dampened it. Gently, but firmly, he started to wipe the blood off of his face. Ten minutes and five paper towels later, Justin figured that he was as presentable as he was going to get. He had a split lip, a small abrasion on his left cheek and he could tell that his right cheek and his left eye were going to have bruises. 'Man, that Tim sure could hit hard,' Justin silently thought as he walked out of the restroom.

After making his way back outside, he started the walk to the Big Q. He had decided that he would go to the store, then straight home. After fifteen minutes of walking, he reached the store. Taking out the grocery list, he walked inside. The Big Q was an 'everything' store. It sold everything from food to car tires for reasonable prices. Since it was so late, the place was practically deserted. There were two cashiers, a man and a woman, and one man stocking canned food on a shelf. The man looked familiar, but Justin couldn't place where he had seen him.

Justin was walking down the aisle for bread when he bumped into a hard body. Justin looked away from the bread and to the person he had bumped into. His blue eyes locked with beautiful hazel ones. Justin was looking at the most beautiful man he had ever seen. "I'm sorry..." he said.

The man shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Just watch where you're going next time." After a slight pause, he asked, "Aren't you the kid that Emmett was talking to earlier, at the diner?"

It suddenly clicked where Brian had seen this man and the man that was stocking the shelves. They were friends of Emmett's. Justin nodded. "Yes. And I'm not a kid."

"Sure," the man smirked. "Name's Brian by the way."

"Justin."
 

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Brian couldn't look away from the blond's blue eyes. It was like he was drowning in them. The blond wasn't his usual type, but there was something about the young man. Something that drew him in. Something that made him want to protect him, without even knowing him. Brian was also surprised that he had offered Justin his name. He never did that. Especially not to men that he wanted to fuck. But he had a feeling that Justin could easily be more than just a fuck.

For the first time since they had been standing there, Brian noticed the bruises and the split lip. It looked like someone had worked Justin over. A primitive urge to protect the blond rose up in Brian.

"You okay?" he found himself asking.

Justin seemed to immediately know what Brian was talking about. "I'm fine. Just had a ... problem earlier." Justin rubbed his hands on his pants. And Brian noticed the clothes that Justin was wearing. He had a sudden idea of how Hunter knew the kid, even though he claimed he didn't.

"I, uh, need to go and get a, uh, buggy. Nice meeting you." Before Brian could say anything, Justin was gone.

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Justin rubbed the back of his neck as he walked to get a buggy. He knew that that had sounded lame, but he could feel the shame rising in him as he noticed the look in the Brian's eyes. The realization of what Justin was. And he couldn't take it. He didn't want to take the chance that he would see disgust in those hazel eyes, so he had said the first thing that had popped into his mind and then he had left. "Now, he probably thinks I'm a complete idiot," Justin mumbled as he got his buggy and made his way to the cereal aisle.

In the canned food aisle, Brian finally found his friend. He had been looking for him all over the place. He wouldn't normally be caught dead in the Big Q, but Michael had called him and needed a ride. He still didn't understand why he hadn't called Ben.

"There you are! Are you ready?"

Michael put the last can of corn on the shelf and stood up. "Yep. Just need to clock out."

"So, why didn't you call the hubby?" Brian asked as he and Michael walked to the office.

"He hasn't been feeling very good and Hunter said he was asleep. So, I didn't want to bother him. I figured you'd still be up, so I called you."

"How considerate of you," Brian snarked. "I've been looking all over this place for you."

"Why didn't you call my cell?"

"I did. It went straight to voicemail."

Michael pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket and looked at it. Sheepishly, he said, "It's dead."

"Try charging it once in a while, Mikey."

After Michael punched out, they headed outside to Brian's jeep. Ten minutes later, they were at the apartment that Michael shared with Ben and their adopted son Hunter.

"Brian, what's the matter with you? You haven't heard a word I've said the whole way!"

Brian gave a small shake of his head. "Just stuff on my mind."

"Like what?"

"Never mind, Mikey. I'll see you later."

Michael wanted to protest, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. "Bye," he said as he got out of the jeep.

Brian just couldn't get Justin off of his mind. Making a decision, he did an illegal u-turn on the practically deserted street, and headed back to the Big Q.

He entered the store and saw Justin checking out. He walked over and waited for the blond to notice him. Justin had just finished paying, when he saw Brian standing beside his buggy.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as they walked out of the store. Justin could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't know that Brian was feeling the same thing.

Tongue in cheek, Brian replied, "Just thought I'd come back and see you."

Justin's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Wanted to be a gentleman and make sure you got home safe?"

"Is that a question or a statement?" teased Justin.

"Statement," Brian answered firmly.

Justin smiled and Brian was almost blinded by it. Justin had a beautiful smile. A smile that Brian had a feeling he would never get tired of seeing.
 

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