Breaking Internal Barriers

Chapter 7

By the time Sunday came around, Brian still didn’t know what he was going to do about his situation with Justin.  For the past day and a half, it was the only thing he could think about.  He still couldn’t figure out why he had fucked the blond again, especially after he and Justin had agreed to put the first time behind them.  But Justin had been the one to initiate the act by kissing him.  Could the reason for their impromptu fuck be that Justin just wanted to get laid and Brian was there…ready, willing, and available?  Brian was conveniently convincing himself that that was all it was. 

Not wanting to think about the ordeal a minute more, Brian decided to do one of the things he was best at: his job.  Advertising and sex had always been used as his pain management, but since he didn’t really feel like fucking at the moment (Christ, what was becoming of him?), he decided to get some work done. 

As he booted up his laptop, he began to look through some of his current campaigns and realized all of the ones he had brought home to go over were accounts he had been jointly working on with Justin.  Since seeing Justin’s artwork was causing him to be counter productive to his original plans, he tossed the layouts aside and sighed.  Once his laptop was ready, he began searching through some of his old files from Vanguard.  As he was browsing through, one client in particular caught his eye.  He remembered Clayton Pool, the one homophobic client he had helped almost four years ago around Pride.  Since Brian’s brilliant campaign, Pool beverages had nearly quadrupled their annual sales.  After his company had become so successful, Brian had read in the papers that not only had Mr. Pool given a generous donation to the Gay Marriage Initiative, he had also given a large gift to the Teen Hospice.  Brian knew that he had made a big impact on this man, and he couldn’t be prouder.  When he had tried to contact Mr. Pool to let him know that he would be switching agencies, he had been one of the few that Brian could not get in contact with.  Deciding to try again, Brian searched for the man’s home phone number.  Getting the information rather expediently, Brian dialed the number.

“Hello.”

“Mr. Pool.  This is Brian Kinney...from Vanguard Advertising.”

“Brian!  What a surprise to hear from you.  It’s been quite a while.”

“That it has.  Listen, I tried to get in contact with you a few months ago, but your assistant told me you were out of the country.”

“Yes.  My wife and I decided to spend some quality time in Europe, since we finally had the money to do so.  It was quite nice this time of year.”

“I’m sure it was.  However, the reason I called you back then was to let you know that I was switching agencies.”

“You mean you’re no longer at Vanguard?”

“No sir.  I have moved down to Ft. Lauderdale and am now a partner at Backus Turner International.  Have you heard of them?”

“Of course I have.  They are one of the best advertising agencies in the country.”

“Yes, I agree.  I was hoping you might be interested in switching your advertising business over to BTI.”

“Are you kidding?  I would love to have my business there.  The only reason I stayed with Vanguard these past few years was because you were there.  I want you to continue doing the campaigns for Pool Beverages.”

“I’m glad you’re that confident with my work Mr. Pool.  I remember there was a time when you were quite unhappy with my choice of ideas due to my lifestyle.”

“Well, I guess you can say I have been enlightened by your work Brian, and please…call me Clayton.  I no longer have the same feelings about homosexual people.”

“Glad to hear it Clayton.  I do think your campaign could use a touch up.  Could I meet with you to show you some ideas, as well as have you sign a new contract?”

“Absolutely Brian.  The sooner the better in my opinion.”

“Great.  How about tomorrow afternoon?”

“Well, you certainly are fast.  I’m impressed.”

“That’s why you pay me the big bucks Clayton.  I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon in your office; let’s say around 3:00?”

“You got it.  See you then Brian.”

“Bye.”

Brian hung up the phone and took a deep breath.  Now that he had something to do, he began to feel better about everything.  Leaving on a business trip was exactly what he needed to do in his present situation.  It gave him an excuse to put some space between him and Justin the next few days without being blatantly obvious.  Because of his change of plans, he knew who he needed to call.  Brian picked up the phone once again, this time dialing a more familiar number.

“Hello.”

“Alexandra, its Brian.  I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Brian!  No…you weren’t disturbing me.  Peter was just fixing dinner.  It’s his night to cook.”

“Oh,” Brian chuckled.  “I called to let you know that I won’t be at work for the next few days.  I’m going to go speak with one of my old clients.  He’s willing to switch over to BTI.”

“Well, that’s wonderful.  How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

“Just a couple of days.  I can probably be back in the office by Wednesday.”

“Okay, that doesn’t seem like it will be a problem.  So…how was it this week?  Did everything run smoothly while I was away?”

“It was fine, but hectic.  I never knew how much responsibility you had.”

Alex laughed.  “Amazing, isn’t it?”

Brian smiled.  “Seriously Alexandra, I don’t see how you can say you don’t do anything in this company.  I was more tired last week than I have ever been.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.  Now that we’re equal partners, I’m going to be entrusting you with the agency a lot more.”

“Thanks,” Brian said.

“No problem.  Oh, by the way…did you and Justin sort things out?

 

Brian sighed.  He had managed to forget about the blond for the last few minutes.  Shit… who was he kidding?

“Um yeah, everything’s good.  Listen Alexandra, I have to go.  I’ll see you on Wednesday.”

“Alright.  Good luck Brian, even though you don’t need it.”

“Thanks,” Brian said.  “Bye.”

Brian hung up the phone again and went back to his laptop.  He hadn’t meant to be so short with Alexandra, but he really didn’t want to think about Justin for the next few days.  All he wanted to do was concentrate on his work.  If he was going to present a new layout tomorrow to Clayton, he needed to sit down now and start brainstorming.  He had a feeling the ideas would come to him, as long as he could stop thinking about a certain blond artist long enough to let them.

***************
      

Justin was sitting at the conference table, wondering how he was going to get through the Monday meeting with Brian after what had transpired between them over the weekend. He didn't want Alex to pick up on anything again and become suspicious. Glancing at the clock, he noticed Alex walk in and wondered what was taking Brian so long. He was never this late to a meeting. As she began speaking to the room, Justin realized that Brian wasn't late. According to Alex, he had gone away on an unexpected business trip and wasn't going to be back until Wednesday. Justin had thought that they were going to find a way to work together without letting their personal life interfere. Apparently he was wrong. He knew deep down inside that Brian had run away from what had happened between them instead of dealing with it, which made Justin even more concerned. They had to find a way to work things out before they were both out of a job. He stared at the clock, thankful when the meeting finally ended and he was able to escape back to his office.

Justin was tearing his office apart when Daphne walked in the open door. She could see the frantic look on his face and knew something was up.

"Justin?" When she didn't get a response she called him again. "Justin, are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah. I just can't find the fucking Purina file. I know I had it here Friday before I left, but now it's gone. I've looked everywhere!" Justin exclaimed without stopping his search.

Daphne walked over to his desk and picked up the missing file from the corner. "You mean this?"

Justin sighed in relief. He grabbed the folder out of her hand, anxious to get to work and drown his thought. "Thanks Daph. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get to work."

"Not so fast, Taylor. First, why don't you tell me what has you so upset? I've never seen you like this in the office before, and don’t worry. I've got all day," Daphne said, taking a seat across from Justin.

"Daphne, I don't have time for this. Nothing is wrong. I'm just having one of those days..."

"Are you forgetting who you are talking to? Justin Taylor, I know you better than anyone and I have had enough of these mood swings of yours. One minute you are walking around with that sunshine smile of yours, and the next minute you are biting everyone's head off. Now here you are, freaking out over a lost file that is sitting right on your desk where you left it. Now you can either just tell me what's going on, or I can sit here all day, staring at you until it drives you insane and you crack under pressure," Daphne demanded, tired of playing games.

Justin was taken back by Daphne's outburst, but he knew she was right. He needed to talk to someone about what was going on, and obviously Brian was not that person. He took a deep breath before answering. "Something happened between Brian and I."

"What? What do you mean something happened?"

"We slept together," he explained quietly, unable to look her in the eye.

Daphne could see the anguish in Justin's face and immediately felt bad for her friend. She and Cynthia thought getting them together would be a good idea, but she never thought about how Justin would react to everything. He was used to being in control and sleeping with one of the partner's probably wasn't such a good idea. For someone who lived their life with no regrets, she could see how much the situation was eating away at him and needed to try to make things right.

"Justin, relax. It's not that big a deal. So you slept together. You're both two grown adults. You'll find a way to put it aside and move on. Remember your motto? It's just a fuck. You fuck guys all the time, never the same one twice. It was one night. I hardly think either of you will let one night come between your working relationship."

Justin dropped his head on the desk and mumbled something that Daphne couldn't quite make out. "What was that?"

"I said it was more than one night," Justin admitted, slowly lifting his head and looking her in the eye.

Daphne stared at him in shock. This was more serious than she had thought. Justin had broken the one rule he managed to live by and now she wasn't sure that her involvement was such a good thing. "You mean..."

"Brian and I slept together after the dinner that Alex took us to. We were both really drunk and he was going to crash on my couch. I'm not even sure how it happened, but the next thing I knew we were in bed. After that, things got a little awkward between us, but we eventually talked about it and agreed it was a one time thing." Justin stopped, putting his head back on the desk, lost in thought.

"Well, what happened?"

"Oh, I don't know. We ran into each other at the Coliseum the other night. There was a shortage of hot guys that night, so we decided to dance together. The next thing I knew we were going at it in the back room. I can't help it Daph. For some reason, when I'm with Brian all my rules seem to fly out the window and I end up doing something I swore I would never do. Now Brian has gone away on an unexpected business trip. I think he's trying to avoid me, and I can't say I blame him. I don't want to have to face him either. What am I going to do?" Justin rose from his chair and began pacing the room.

Daphne could see the inner demons running through her friend and knew that she has to help him pull himself together. She got up and confronted him, stopping his pacing. "Justin, you need to snap out of this. So, you slept together twice. It's no big deal. You're friends, right? I think you can find a way to get past this. What's that term, fuck buddies? You both obviously enjoy each other, and you know what you want. Just relax and enjoy the ride. As long as you go in knowing where the other stands, I don't see any problem. It's not like either one of you is proposing marriage. How many times have you told me there's no such thing as love, only fucking? You have just found someone you like fucking more than once. It happens sometimes. Eventually you will get tired of it all and move on, until then just have some fun. What's the worst that could happen?"

Justin thought about what Daphne was suggesting. She was right. There's nothing wrong with having a fuck buddy. He and Brian had the same views on love and relationships so there was no need to worry about anything. Brian was just really good at fucking. Why shouldn't they enjoy it while it lasted? After they grew tired of each other, they would just go back to their old ways with their friendship intact. It was the perfect situation. All he had to do was sell Brian on his plan, but he didn't think that would be a problem. The way he took off proves that he was just as worried about the mess they were in as he was. As soon as he returned, Justin would talk to him and suggest what Daphne had offered, then they would be free to have fun without any regrets.

"You're right, Daphne. I don't know why I was so worried. Brian and I are capable of fucking without letting it become a problem in our working relationship. Thanks for talking me through my drama queen moment. I guess even the coolest of fags can have them," Justin teased.

"That's more like it, Justin. Now I better get back to work before my hard ass boss fires me," Daphne replied with a chuckle.

Justin laughed as Daphne walked out, closing the door behind her. After all these years, she still had a way of making him feel better.

Daphne sat down at her desk, unable to forget the way Justin reacted to what was happening between him and Brian. She decided not to call Cynthia and fill her in. The guilt she had for going behind his back was eating at her and she wanted to wait to see what happened when Brian returned before she and Cynthia made anymore plans.

***************

On Wednesday morning Brian walked to his office, acknowledging Cynthia as he passed by.  His plane had been grounded the night before, so he had to wait until that morning to get a flight back home.  Since it was already 10:00, he unlocked his door and dove straight into his work.

Cynthia, wanting to know how Brian’s unplanned trip had gone, decided to go see the man himself.

“Knock, knock,” Cynthia said, gently rapping on Brian’s open door.  “Are you busy?”

Brian looked up and noticed that he had been so preoccupied with his work that he had forgotten to close the door.  Sighing, he said, “I’m trying to put the final touches on these contracts so I can give them to Alexandra.  I meant to do so on the plane, but the fucking thing got grounded, and then I had to do some business on another account, and…”

“Calm down,” Cynthia said.  “You’ll get everything finished…you always do.”

Brian nodded, smiling at his assistant.  He could always count on her to be optimistic for him.

Cynthia continued.  “So, I’m assuming this little unplanned trip went well then.”

Brian shook the contracts.  “It was nothing really.  The signing of the contracts was a mere formality.  I just wanted to get it done with quickly, so I left right away.”

Cynthia nodded.  “Ms. Turner asked me to hand these boards over to you when you came in since she’s going to be in meetings all day.  Justin finished them up yesterday, but she wanted to you to look them over before getting them ready for the presentation later this afternoon.

Although Brian still didn’t want to think about the blond, he didn’t have much of a choice.  He accepted the boards from his assistant and glanced over them quickly, noticing Justin’s brilliant touch.  Just as he was about to hand them back though, something about the boards caught his eye.

“I thought we agreed on black foam core, size 26,” he mumbled.

“What?” Cynthia asked.

Brian held up the boards and pointed to the lettering.  “This might be black foam core, but there is no way this is size 26 font.  The lettering is too small for the rest of the design.  It doesn’t stand out…it blends in too much. We agreed we didn’t want that.”

“Oh.  Well, I’m sure it was an honest mistake.”

“I’m sure,” Brian sighed.  “Fuck.”

“Brian, it can easily be fixed.  Would you like me to get Justin on the phone?”

Brian shook his head, knowing the worst thing right now would be to see the blond.  However, he knew he had to get this fixed right away for the presentation this afternoon.  He knew he would just have to go down to the art department and have someone else fix the board.  Anyone could change a font size.

“No, I’ll go down there myself.”

Cynthia chuckled.  “You?  Go down to the art department?”

“Yeah.  Why not?”

“In all my years working for you, I’ve never known you to go down to the art department voluntarily.  Every time you did go, it was only because Ryder or Vance were on your ass to go see them.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Brian gave a smirk to his assistant and went on his way with the boards.  Walking into the elevator, he waited patiently for the elevator to take him down.  Once he was on the correct floor, he stepped out and began walking down the hallway. 

Justin was sitting in his office working with the door open when he noticed a familiar figure walk by.  Glancing up just in time, he looked at Brian, who simply nodded his way and kept walking.  Surprised that Brian was actually down on this floor, he got up and followed Brian’s path from a distance.  He noticed the man walk into the art department.  Wondering what the man was doing, he looked through the window and saw Brian talking with one of the new members.  After a few minutes, he saw Brian exit the area and head into the restroom.  Justin in turn walked in.

Heading over to the boy that Brian had been speaking to, he said, “Jonathan, I need to speak with you.”

“Mr. Taylor,” the young man said, his face flushed.  “Wow, first Mr. Kinney and now you.”

Justin smiled.  “How are you?”

“I’m fine Mr. Taylor.  I presume you’re the same?”

Justin nodded.  “Jonathan, I need to ask you something.  You said you saw Mr. Kinney correct?”

“Yes.  He just came up to me and handed me these boards, asking me to fix them to font size 26.”

Justin took the boards and looked at the lettering closely, noticing that they were indeed the wrong size.  “You are familiar with the graphics program to fix this, right?”

“Oh yes Mr. Taylor.  I know how.”

Justin smiled.  “I thought you were, but I just wanted to make sure.  I know you’re pretty new around here.”

“I just graduated college last semester,” Jonathan said.

“Well, you’re very good,” Justin said.  “Keep up the good work.”

“Thank you Mr. Taylor.”

“Now, go ahead and fix these up and come over to my office later when you’re done, alright?”

“Yes sir.”

Justin smiled and walked away, heading towards the bathroom in the back that Brian had gone into.  Justin was surprised that he had actually went into the bathroom established for the department, since he had a private one upstairs in his office, but Justin knew time didn’t always allow for such luxuries.  Deciding to finally confront the man, he walked inside, locking the door behind him.

When Brian heard the door open, he turned his head and looked at Justin.  Pulling his zipper up, he said, “I had to piss since my plane landed.”

Justin raised his right eyebrow in disbelief.  “What are you doing here?”

“I told you, I had to piss.”

“I don’t mean in the bathroom.  I meant here in the art department.”

Brian shifted uncomfortably and turned around so he could face Justin.  “I had some work I needed done.”

“Then why didn’t you come to me?”

“Because it was a two minute project that one of your talent less toadies could easily do.”

“Still, you always come to me when there is a problem with one of the boards…especially on ones that I create.”

“Well, I didn’t feel like it.  I don’t need your fucking permission to do anything.”

Justin sighed.  “Is it because you’re avoiding me?”

Brian smirked.  “Avoiding you?  What are we, teenagers?”

“You’re sure acting like one…running away when things between us got confusing.”

“That’s what we do, or have you forgotten?  Brian practically yelled.

Justin stared into Brian’s eyes, looking at the intense hazel color they had become when Brian became upset.

“Shit,” Brian said, running his hand through his hair.  “I thought we were alike.  Remember, we don’t deal with feelings.  We don’t do relationships, we don’t do love, and we never, ever…”

“Fuck anyone twice?” Justin finished.

Brian nodded.

“Then, why did we?”

Brian was silent.  The room was completely still until Justin spoke up.

“We can’t let this hurt the company.  We need to figure something out.”

“What’s there to figure out?  We can just put it behind us like we did before.”

“I don’t think that’s going to work,” Justin said.

“Why not?”

“Because, we agreed the first time and look what happened.”

Brian shrugged and looked towards the floor.  Justin then walked over to the other man, holding his hand out to push Brian to the wall.

“What are you doing?”

“I can’t think of any reason why we should stop fucking.  We both like it and it eases the tension between us.”

Brian chuckled.  “Are you serious?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Justin said.  “As long as we keep it between us, who cares?”

“I thought you just said we don’t fuck anyone twice?”

“I usually don’t but who cares?  We make our own rules.  Would you rather we stopped?”

Brian slid Justin’s hand away and moved himself from the wall as he pressed Justin against it.  Putting his mouth next to Justin’s ear, he whispered, “Let’s fuck.”

Justin undid his zipper and let Brian slip the pants from his thin waist.  Brian then undid his zipper and pulled out a condom that he always kept with him in his back pocket.  Tearing the plastic covering with his teeth, he took the contraceptive and sheathed his cock with it.  He then took out his little container of lube and rubbed it all over his cock. 

“Christ, fuck me!” Justin screamed.

“You got it,” Brian said, sticking his cock at Justin’s entrance.  Instead of easing his way into Justin’s ass like he had done every time before, he pushed it in harshly, thrusting quickly from the start.

“Awww…fuck yeah,” Justin said, riding Brian’s cock.  This fuck was all about satisfying need and it was rough, but very enjoyable.

Brian continued to thrust in and out quickly, being anything but gentle.  Justin’s ass was the most perfect one he had seen in years, and it didn’t take him long until he felt his balls constricting and knew he was about to cum.

“Ahhhh….awww…oh god!” Brian yelled as he felt his orgasm coming closer.  Looking down, he noticed Justin was about ready to shoot as well.

“Ohh…OHHH….FUCK,” Justin said as he shot his load all over the bathroom wall.

“YEAH…” Brian said huskily, shooting his load inside the condom in Justin’s ass.  A little out of breath, he fell forward and shifted his weight onto Justin.

“That was hot,” Justin said, moving Brian to the wall so he could go clean himself up.

“Fucking hot,” Brian said, standing up and pulling his pants up.  Looking down at this shirt, he said, “Shit.  I’m going to reek all day now.  And I have a presentation to give this afternoon.”

“Then take a shower,” Justin said.  “You have enough time at lunch to go home and do so.”

Brian smiled and walked over to the sink where Justin was.  “I guess you’re right.  I haven’t been home anyway since I got back, so I might as well.”

Justin nodded and headed for the door.  Before he opened it, he looked back at Brian and looked into the other man’s eyes.  Smiling, he said, “Later.”

Brian looked back and said, “Yeah…definitely later.”

Justin walked back into the art department, a permanent smile fixed on his face.  Greeting people as he walked by, he walked back to the corridors that led to his office.  Before heading into his office, he passed by his assistant and said, “Hey Daph," as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Daphne was startled by Justin's sudden mood change. Looking closely at his face, she noticed he was smiling and exuding some sort of a glow.  Wondering what could have possibly happened; she decided to store the information away in her brain for later and went back to work. 

***************

When Brian got back to his office he called Alex and let her know he was going home to shower before his presentation. Leaving a quick note for Cynthia, who was away from her desk, he headed out and raced home to clean up, making it back in record time. His presentation went great, of course, and he was sitting at his desk thinking about his new situation with Justin when Cynthia walked in.

"Hey Boss," she said cheerfully.

"Hey," he replied, still a little lost in thought.

Cynthia took in the expression on Brian's face and the look in his eyes and immediately recognized the signs. "Your note said you went home to take a shower. It didn't say anything about picking up a trick along the way."

"Not that it's any of your business, Cyn, but I did go home to take a shower. I didn't have a single fuck while I was gone," Brian replied, assuring himself that he wasn't lying. He didn't trick while he was gone. He had his fuck before he left the building. Using all of his willpower he managed to keep the smile off his face.

Cynthia eyed Brian suspiciously. After working for him for all these years, she knew his many faces and was definitely wearing his just fucked face.

"Okay Brian, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what are you hiding? Brian, I've known you for years and aside from Michael, I know you better than anyone else. Why are you denying your latest trick?"

"Cynthia, leave it alone, alright?" Brian said dryly.

Before Cynthia had a chance to answer there was a knock at the door and Justin walked in.

"Hey Cynthia, Brian. I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving early. I have someone coming out to fix my dryer and I have to be there to let him in. Alex already knows about it," Justin said, unable to hold back the grin he'd been walking around with since he and Brian fucked in the bathroom.

"No problem, Justin. I don't think there's anything pressing coming in this afternoon anyway. I might even try to get out on time today," Brian replied with a smile.

Cynthia looked from Brian to Justin then back again before everything suddenly became crystal clear. She was sure it wasn't a coincidence that both men looked completely happy and at ease with each other. "Bingo," she mumbled softly.

"What was that, Cyn?" Brian asked, unable to hear what she said.

"Huh? Oh...nothing. I better get back to my desk. Let me know if you need anything," she covered before walking out of the office, closing the door behind her.

Justin watched her retreating figure, waiting for the door to close before he address Brian.

“I see you made it home to shower before the meeting.”

“Yeah, I got back with ten minutes to spare,” Brian chuckled. “Unfortunately Cynthia knows me too well and still managed to figure out that something was up.”

“She did? What did she say?” Justin asked, suddenly concerned that they might have been caught.

“Relax. I didn’t see her until after I got back so she thinks that I picked up a trick on my way home,” Brian assured him.

“Thank God. The last thing we need is to have anyone know what happened earlier. I guess we’re going to have to be more careful where we fuck,” Justin said suggestively.

“I guess so,” Brian replied with a smile.

"Well, I better get going. I'll talk to you later," Justin said as he headed towards the door.

"Later," Brian replied, watching Justin walk out.

It took some time but eventually Brian was able to stop thinking about his and Justin's situation and focus on work. An hour later, Alex appeared at his door with a smile on her face.

"Hey Partner, how's it going?"

"It's going. What's up?" Brian asked, putting aside the copy he was working on.

"I just thought I'd check in and see what you were up to. I'm getting ready to head out for the day. Peter and I have a family thing tonight and I want to have time to go home and relax before having to spend an evening surrounded by my in-laws," Alex laughed.

"I don't blame you there. Did you get a chance to read over the Poole contract? I gave it to Steven when I got back."

"I scanned it briefly. Everything seemed to be in order, but then again, I never had any doubt. You really have been an asset to the company since you came on board," Alex replied sincerely.

"Thanks Alex," Brian said, before being interrupted by Cynthia knocking on the door.

"Alex, Peter is on line one for you."

"Thanks Cynthia," Alex replied, reaching for the phone. "Hey Babe, where are you?"

Brian watched Alex talking on the phone and could tell by her voice that her plans for relaxing were being changed. When she hung up, he couldn't help but tease her.

"I guess you aren't going to be relaxing after all."

"Not likely. Peter had a blow out on his way home from work. There was some minimum damage to the car so I have to go pick him up. Damn! I was supposed to drop some boards off at Justin's on my way home," Alex said, thinking out loud.

"I'll drop them off for you if you want. I'm planning on leaving a little early myself," Brian offered.

"Thanks, Brian. That would be great and save me a lot of time. I'll have Steven bring them up to you. I'd better get going. Peter's about an hour away and we're going to be running late as it is. I'll see you in the morning," Alex said as she headed out the door.

Brian couldn't help but smile at the thought of seeing the blond again, but instantly chastised himself for those thoughts. He needed to keep some distance between them if their new agreement was going to work. An hour later, Brian found himself knocking on Justin's door.

"Brian!" Justin exclaimed, startled to find Brian standing at his door.

"Hey. Alex had a change of plans and had to go pick Peter up, so I offered to drop the boards off to you," Brian explained as he walked inside.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, Peter had a blow out and apparently it caused some rim damage so his car had to be towed to the shop."

"Oh, that stinks. Well, I was just getting ready to throw a steak on the grill. Would you like to stay for dinner?" Justin asked, wondering if it was a good idea, but pushing those thoughts aside. He'd decided to just do what felt good with Brian and not worry about the rest. They were two grown men who knew what they wanted and wouldn't let anything get in the way.

Brian immediately had a feeling that he should refuse the invite and head home, and was shocked when he heard himself accept. Forty minutes later they were standing out on the deck, cooking their steaks and drinking a beer.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this weather down here," Brian said as he looked out across the city.

"I guess you miss Pittsburgh?"

"A little, which really surprises me. I spent my whole adult life wishing I could get out and now that I have, I sometimes wish I was still there," Brian replied.

"I'm not surprised at all. You seem to have wonderful friends back home, not to mention your son. It's only natural that you would miss them," Justin said, taking a deep breath before continuing, "and somewhere back there you have family, too."

"Not anymore. I haven't spoken to my family in a long time, and I really don't want to talk about them. Those steaks should almost be done by now," Brian said, changing the subject.

Justin saw the clouds that crossed Brian's face at the mention of his family and knew he stepped over the line, so he was happy for the change of subject. He shut off the grill and put the steaks on the platter before following Brian inside. The conversation turned to work and they ate their dinner while talking about the new accounts BTI acquired. After they were done, Justin put the dishes in the dishwasher while Brian looked around at the artwork on the walls.

“Did you do all of these?” Brian asked, as he took the glass of Beam that Justin offered.

“Yeah. It’s my favorite past time. Drawing helps me relax and forget my problems. What about you? What do you do to relax?”

“Fucking has always worked for me,” Brian replied with a chuckle.

“Ah, my second favorite past time,” Justin laughed back.

Justin looked at Brian then and knew what he wanted. He spent the whole meal trying to tell himself that they could spend the evening together without ending up in bed, but he was kidding himself. As much as he enjoyed their quick fuck in the bathroom, Justin wanted more. He just didn’t know if Brian would agree to what it was that he wanted.

Brian could feel Justin staring at him and knew what was going through his mind. He had the same thoughts ever since Justin opened the door for him over an hour ago. He put his glass down and walked over to the blond, grabbing him by the neck and pulling him in for a deep kiss. In a matter of minutes, they were pulling at each other’s clothes as they stumbled their way towards the bedroom. Once they were both naked Justin pushed Brian down on the bed and crawled his way up his body, bringing their mouths together again. He kissed him gently at first, slowly running his tongue along Brian’s lips, seeking entry. Once he got his wish, he thrust his tongue inside, reveling in the taste that was waiting for him. He continued to devour Brian’s mouth while using his hands to explore the rest of his body. He could hear Brian moan in pleasure as he stroked his cock and balls. Pulling back, Justin began to kiss and suck a trail from Brian’s jaw down to his groin, stopping once he came into contact with his leaking cock. He engulfed it quickly, taking it all the way in until his felt the tip hit the back of his throat, causing Brian to groan in pleasure. He worked the shaft for a few moments, bringing Brian closer to the edge before releasing him and looking up into his lust filled eyes.

“I want to fuck you,” Justin whispered, desire evident in his voice.

Brian heard Justin’s request and knew he couldn’t resist him anything. He hadn’t bottomed since he was a teenager, but knew that he could trust Justin with anything. Not wanting to explore his feelings at that moment, he pushed his thoughts away as he replied, “just take it easy. It’s been awhile for me, too.”

Justin felt his heart skip a beat at Brian’s submission and immediately rolled him over to get better access to his perfect ass. Starting at Brian's head, Justin slowly worked his way down, kissing a trail of flesh from his neck all the way down to the sweet hole waiting for attention. He pulled Brian's cheeks apart and blew lightly, watching the exposed hole twitch in anticipation before running his tongue around the rim. Brian's whole body jerked in response, causing Justin's leaking cock to become incredibly harder. Without giving thought to the feelings that were coursing through his mind, Justin dove in, preparing the entrance for what was coming. He could hear Brian moaning at his ministrations and knew that he wasn't the only one who was close to completion.

Justin spent a few more minutes on his task before pulling back and reaching for the lube and condoms he kept in his nightstand. He sheathed his cock and coated it with lube before slowly sliding one of his lubed fingers inside Brian's wet hole, enjoying the sounds that he was eliciting. After giving Brian time to adjust to the intrusion, Justin began a steady rhythm, sliding in and out, adding first a second finger, than a third. Once he was sure that Brian was ready, he removed his fingers, and positioned himself at his hole, wasting no time in sliding inside. The feeling of being inside Brian's tight hole almost sent Justin over the edge, and he needed to stop moving and take a deep breath to calm himself down. Once he was sure he could continue, Justin began to thrust himself deeper and deeper inside Brian's ass, relishing the feel of being surrounded by the tight channel.

Brian was lost in the incredible sensations that Justin was creating. It had been so long since he rolled over for anyone that he forgot how satisfying it could be. Justin was amazing and knew exactly which angle to use, causing Brian to move closer and closer to the edge. He knew it wasn't going to take much more to push him over the edge.

"Justin..."

Hearing Brian moan his name caused Justin's balls to tighten, and he picked up the pace, reaching around to pull on Brian's leaking cock. With a few pulls, Brian came with such force, causing his muscles to tighten around Justin throwing him over the edge into ecstasy. He collapsed on top of Brian in complete exhaustion, his breathing labored and his head spinning. After a few moments, he pulled out and rolled off Brian’s limp form, stretching out along side of him. Neither one of them said anything for awhile, until Justin broke the silence.

“Wow!”

“Yeah, wow,” Brian replied with a chuckle.

“That was great.”

“Amazing,” Brian confirmed, kissing Justin’s cheek before asking the question that had been plaguing his mind all day. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay with this?”

“Brian, I told you before, we’re two grown men who don’t believe in love and relationships. This gives us the best of both worlds. We each have a convenient fuck without the bullshit that goes along with it. Are you going to be okay with everything?” Justin asked, pushing away the slight doubts that were trying to surface.

“Me? Yeah, sure. No Problem. I was just worried about you,” Brian replied, ignoring the nagging voice that kept telling him that what they were doing was wrong.

“Well, I guess there’s no problem then. I’m going to take a shower. Care to join me? I have a really small hot water heater and I would hate to leave you with cold water,” Justin teased, trying to ease the slight tension between them.

“I guess I’d better. I hate cold showers,” Brian replied with a smirk.

They took their shower, making sure to take extra care of all the right places, neither one of them noticing the water turn cold. Once they were out, Brian reached for his clothes before Justin stopped him.

“Why don’t you just spend the night? It’s easier than driving all the way home. You can stop for clean clothes on your way to the office in the morning.”

Brian looked at Justin while thinking about his suggestion. It really did make sense. It was already late and he had to get to the office early for a meeting. It seemed easier to just stay the night. “Yeah, I guess that would be easier. I just hope you don’t keep me up all night with your snoring,“ Brian joked.

“I don’t snore!” Justin exclaimed.

“You sure about that?”

Justin opened his mouth to reply, but then decided against it, not knowing if Brian was telling the truth.

Brian noticed the hurt expression on Justin’s face and could keep from laughing out loud. “Relax, Justin. I was just kidding.”

“I knew that,” Justin replied, smiling.

“Twat. Now let’s get to bed. I have an early morning meeting and I wouldn’t want to show up with bags under my eyes. I’d have to tell Alex that her Art Director kept me up all night.”

“Oh sure, blame me. There’s a spare toothbrush under the sink,” Justin said before being interrupted by the ringing of the phone. He watched Brian walk away before answering.

“Hello?”

“Hi honey. I’m sorry to call so late. You weren’t asleep yet, were you?” Jennifer asked with concern.

“No Mom. I’m still up. Is everything alright?”

“Of course, honey. I just wanted to remind you that you agreed to come over for dinner on Sunday. I haven’t seen you much lately and I miss you,” Jennifer explained.

“Shit! I forgot,” Justin replied, watching Brian come out of the bathroom. He gave him a look to let him know to keep quiet. The last thing he wanted to do was explain who Brian was to his mother. “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t forget again. I’ll be there at 5:00.”

“Great! Is there anyone you want to bring?”

“Subtle, Mom. No, I’m not seeing anyone. I’ll be coming alone,” Justin replied with a small smile. Some things never changed, and his mother wishing he would settle down was one of them.

“I was just asking, Justin. You know you’re always welcome to bring someone with you,” she assured him.

“I know, Mom. Listen, I have to go now. I’ll see you on Sunday.”

“Alright. Good night, Honey. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Mom. Good night,” Justin replied before hanging up the phone.

“Everything alright?” Brian asked as he climbed into bed.

“Yeah. My mother won’t give up hoping that I’ll meet a nice man and settle down,” Justin explained as he climbed into bed, too.

“She’s just trying to look out for you. You should be happy that she cares,” Brian said, keeping his emotions out of his voice. After all this time, he still couldn’t figure out what he did to deserve his parents wrath other than being born.

“I guess, but sometimes I just want her to mind her own business,” Justin said, reaching over to set the alarm. “Good night, Brian.”

“Good night, Justin.”

Brian and Justin woke up the next morning in each other’s arms, having moved together sometime in the night. Ignoring the scene, they got out of bed and got ready with Brian leaving early to head home. On the ride his thoughts went back to the night before and he couldn’t help but smile. Even though it was a little awkward between them for a few minutes, they seemed to enjoy themselves and their new situation. He had to admit that their friendship was going to be convenient. Now on the nights when he was to tired to go out tricking, he still had some place to go to get his needs met. Maybe Justin’s suggestion was a good one after all. Only time would tell.

Justin's thoughts kept going over the situation he and Brian had agreed upon. It sounded like a good idea when Daphne had suggested it, but now he was beginning to wonder. Waking up and Brian's arms caused him to feel things he never felt before and it left him feeling out of sorts. Chalking it up to waking up with someone in his bed, which rarely happened before, he pushed it all to the back of his mind and tried focusing on the day ahead of him. Whatever happened between him and Brian happened. It was too late to turn back now, and truthfully, he didn't even want to.

End of part 7

4/13/04

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