Lost and Found

Part 4

The night of the concert, Justin showed up in a limo. He walked up and hit the buzzer.

“Yeah.” Brian’s voice sounded funny through the speaker.

“It’s me.”

“Come on up. The door’s unlocked.” He buzzed Justin in, then went back to getting ready. Justin took the stairs and then walked in and looked around. The loft looked different than the last time he was there. The furniture was no longer stark and white. It had been replaced by homey earth tones of browns and reds. Justin liked the changes. The loft actually looked like a place someone lived, instead of a museum.

A few minutes later, Brian came out of the bedroom. He was wearing a completely black tuxedo and had a white scarf draped over his neck. His honey colored hair was about an inch and a half long and was combed neatly and gelled in place. Justin blinked a few times as a sudden memory hit him of Brian walking into the prom.

“You okay?” Brian asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Justin said. “You look great.”

“Thanks.”

“You ready?”

“Yeah.” Brian smiled and, once the loft was locked and the alarm was set, they headed down to the limo. Brian stopped when he got to the sidewalk and noticed the limo.

“You didn’t have to rent a limo…”

“It’s no big deal. The orchestra actually provides it for the families of the performers.” He smiled and Brian relaxed. They rode most of the way to the concert hall in silence. When they were almost there Justin spoke.

“We were planning on going out to dinner after the concert. Would you like to join us?” Brian smiled.

“I’d love to. We can talk about the performance.”

“And in our tuxes we can go to a really nice restaurant.”

“If we go someplace expensive then I’m paying, end of story.” He gave Justin a look that said he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
 

*****

The concert was wonderful. Brian was almost literally on the edge of his seat the entire time. Justin smiled. He’d never seen Brian so excited about anything. At one point in the concert Justin noticed Brian dabbing at the corners of his eyes. He reached over and touched Brian’s arm. The older man gave him a reassuring smile and Justin nodded. The piece was particularly moving. Justin was enjoying the fact that Brian was no longer hiding his emotions. After the concert, Justin led Brian back stage. It wasn’t long before they found Ethan. He was standing next to a tall, well-built man with short, chocolate brown hair. Brian’s heart rate sped up just looking at him. He was gorgeous. Justin led Brian over and smiled.

“Hey guys.” Ethan said. Brian just nodded, unable to take his eyes off the Adonis next to his friend. He was at least two inches taller than Brian.

“Hey.” Justin said and kissed Ethan’s cheek.

“Brian, this is my friend Erik Kelley. Erik, this is Brian Kinney.” Erik looked at Brian with penetrating, bright green eyes.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Brian. Ethan has told me so much about you.” He smiled warmly. Erik had a deep, melodious voice that sent a shiver up and down Brian’s spine and straight to his cock. He held out his hand and Brian took the hand and shook it. Erik had a firm grip and Brian started running through what else those hands could do to various other parts of his body.

“Brian?” Justin asked with a smirk. Brian shook his head to clear it, then blushed.

“Hi….” He cleared his throat, his voice having cracked. “Hi….it’s nice to meet you too.” He smiled and Erik laughed this beautiful silvery laugh and Brian couldn’t help but sigh dreamily. The man was absolutely perfect.

“Erik….Justin, Brian and I were going out to dinner. Would you like to join us?” Ethan asked. Erik looked at him for a moment.

“I’d love to.” He didn’t hesitate to answer and soon had his attention turned back to Brian. Justin and Ethan shared a smile.

“Well, we should get going.” Justin said.

“Oh….oh yeah.” Brian finally managed. He still couldn’t take his eyes off Erik. A few minutes later they had all piled into the back of a limo. Justin and Ethan sitting on one side, Erik and Brian sitting on the other. Justin and Ethan watched as Brian and Erik talked the whole way to the restaurant. When they got to the restaurant, the conversation didn’t cease. They talked about everything from music, to Brian’s job, to politics. They agreed on almost everything. They seemed to have forgotten that Justin and Ethan were even there. Brian paid the check even though the restaurant wasn’t really that expensive and they all got back into the limo, the conversation between the two still continuing. It seemed they were catching up on a lifetime in as small amount of time as possible. They decided to drop Brian off first since Erik didn’t live far from Justin and Ethan. Erik got out of the limo with Brian.

“I had a really great time tonight.” Erik said with a smile.

“Me too.” Brian blushed again and Erik laughed.

“I’d really like to see you again.” Erik said softly. Brian was sure that his mouth dropped open. He tried to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. Finally he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card, handing it to Erik. Erik took the card and slipped it into his pocket. He started to get back into the limo.

“Erik…” He stopped and looked at Brian, his eyes sparkling in the streetlight.

“Yes?”

“I…..um…..call me.” Brian smiled.

“Of course.” Erik got into the limo and they drove off. Brian stood there watching until the limo was out of sight, then went inside, humming to himself and smiling the whole time. That night Brian couldn’t sleep. He simply lay there thinking about Erik. When sleep did finally claim him his dreams were filled with the image of those gorgeous green eyes.
 

*****

On the way home, Ethan and Justin smiled at each other. They noticed that Erik was staring out the window, lost in thought. They remained quiet for a minute, but finally curiosity won out.

“So…what do you think?” Ethan asked.

“You didn’t tell me he was so gorgeous.” Erik commented, still looking out the window.

“It’s hard to describe Brian’s beauty.” Justin said.

“You’re right about that. And he’s so smart. And funny….and sweet…..” Justin tried not to laugh thinking that sweet rarely applied to the old Brian. But this was the new Brian.

“So you like him?” Ethan asked, though he already knew the answer.

“Saying that I like him would be an understatement. But….do you think he likes me?” Erik felt like he was back in junior high.

“Erik, hon, you couldn’t tell? He was struck dumb by the mere sight of you. I think that like is a severe understatement in his case too.” Ethan smirked.

“You think?”

“Erik, believe me. I know Brian Kinney. He was in awe. He’s probably laying in bed right now thinking about you.” Justin said with a smile. Erik pulled Brian’s card out of his pocket and looked at it. He held it between his thumb and middle finger as he rubbed his upper lip with his index finger. Erik took a deep breath and caught a faint touch of Brian’s cologne on the card. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, inhaling the wonderful aroma. Justin and Ethan shared a smile. They rode the rest of the way home in silence, Erik lost in thoughts of Brian.
 

*****

The next day Justin was awakened by the phone ringing. He groaned as he went to answer it. Ethan just rolled over and buried his head under the pillow.

“Hello?”

“Justin……Did I wake you?” Brian asked. He sounded way too cheerful for this time of morning. Justin got up and slipped on his robe, then headed into the living room to let Ethan sleep.

“Yeah, but that’s okay. What’s up?”

“Um….did Erik say anything after I was dropped off?” Brian couldn’t help feeling a little foolish, but he had to know. Justin smiled and tried not to laugh.

“He said you’re gorgeous.”

“Really?”

“Yup.”

“Do you think he likes me?”

“Oh, that’s a given. I’d say he definitely likes you.” Justin smiled though Brian couldn’t see it.

“Thank you so much for introducing us.”

“Brian….you just met last night.”

“But…..I thought you said he likes me.” Brian’s smile suddenly faded.

“He does like you. He likes you a lot. But don’t thank me until you’ve been out a couple of times, okay? You barely know him.”

“I feel like I’ve known him my whole life.”

“Brian…” Justin smirked.

“Hmm?”

“Are you falling for him?”

“Falling…I….um….like you said….I barely know him.” Justin could see in his mind’s eye the blush creeping up Brian’s cheeks.

“You are…aren’t you?”

“It’s kind of hard to be falling when you’ve already landed….” Brian sighed and Justin laughed.

“Well, Bri. I hope this works out for you. You know I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I know. But…I think I can handle it. I mean…I can’t expect to meet Mr. Perfect the first time out, right?”

“Right. Now…can I go back to sleep?”

“Oh…yeah…sorry. Later, J.” Brian hung up and Justin laughed. He walked back into the bedroom, took off his robe and crawled back into bed.

“Who was that?” Ethan asked.

“Brian.”

“What did he want?”

“To dish about Erik. God, Ethan…the only word I can think of is smitten.” That caused Ethan to laugh.

“Who’d have thought Brian Kinney would fall that hard?”

“We have to keep remembering that this Brian is different than the image we have in our heads.”

“Obviously. But I’m glad he and Erik seemed to hit it off. Maybe they’ll both be happy.”

“I hope so. It kills me seeing Brian so lonely.” Justin sighed. Ethan snuggled close to Justin, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“I know it does, baby. Maybe Erik is just what he needed.” Ethan smiled and Justin returned the smile. They shared a brief, tender kiss before going back to sleep.
 

*****

The Tuesday after the concert, Brian was sitting in his office going over some files. He’d been handed shit for copy and it was taking him forever to go over it. After a while, Cynthia poked her head in.

“Brian….there’s an Erik Kelley on line one.” She said with a slight question to her tone. Brian smiled brightly at first, then cleared his throat and got a straight face. Cynthia giggled.

“Thanks.” He said then picked up the phone. Cynthia was laughing and shaking her head as she shut the door. “Erik?”

“Hey, Brian.”

“Hi….um….what’s up?”

“Well….I’m sorry if I interrupted anything it’s just that your card doesn’t have your home number on it.”

“Oh, that’s okay. You didn’t interrupt anything.”

“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to go to dinner tomorrow night.” Brian had to fight to remain calm.

“Um….sure. That would be great.”

“Pick you up at seven?”

“Sure. Um…what should I wear?”

“Well…dress nice, but not a suit. Just maybe a dress shirt and slacks.”

“Okay. I guess I’ll see you at seven.”

“Yeah…see you then.” Erik hung up and Brian sighed dreamily. When Cynthia came in he still had a wistful expression. She couldn’t keep herself from laughing. Brian cleared his throat and started going through the things on his desk.

“What’s up, boss?”

“I have a date with a god!” Brian said before he could stop himself. He blushed furiously and Cynthia laughed.

“I take it he’s hot.”

“Hot doesn’t even begin to describe him, Cyn.”

“Well, I’m happy for you, boss. Who knows, maybe he’s the one.” She smiled and Brian nodded.

“Maybe.” He tried to get back to work but he could only think about his upcoming date with Erik.
 

*****

Brian was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner. He wanted the evening to be perfect. He and Erik had been dating for almost two weeks and he was trying to make the evening as romantic as possible. He was wearing a deep purple silk shirt and black slacks. He smiled when the buzzer sounded.

“Come on up.” He said, buzzing Erik through, then opening the door. Brian had gone to great pains to get the loft ready. The only light was provided by hundreds of red and white scented candles. There was a hint of cinnamon and vanilla in the air. The table was set with fine china and crystal, two twelve inch white taper candles in crystal candle holders and a bouquet of deep red roses in the center. Soft, romantic music was playing on the stereo.

“Oh my God, Brian….” Erik said as he stopped in the doorway. He was wearing a green dress shirt that matched his eyes almost perfectly and black slacks. He walked over and hugged Brian from behind, kissing his neck lightly.

“Smells wonderful.”

“Thanks, it should be done in a few minutes.” Brian replied. Erik smirked.

“I wasn’t talking about the food.” He kissed Brian’s neck again.

“Um….there’s some wine in the fridge.” Brian cleared his throat. Erik nodded and got the corkscrew before getting the wine and going over to the table. He poured two glasses as he watched Brian washing his hands.

“Just a few more minutes.” He smiled. He walked over and picked up one of the glasses, then headed over to the couch.

“So, what are we having?” Erik picked up the other glass and followed.

“Chicken breast in roasted garlic parmesan sauce over steamed white rice with fresh asparagus.” He smiled proudly.

“Sounds delicious.” Erik moved a little closer to Brian on the couch.

“It’s my specialty.” Brian swallowed hard. Erik put his glass of wine down on the coffee table and moved closer to Brian. He took Brian’s glass and set it next to his.

“You went through a lot of trouble to make this evening very…..romantic.” He smiled and Brian smiled back. His heart was racing and he only hoped that he wasn’t sweating.

“Yeah….” Brian said. Erik leaned in and kissed him. It started out as a tender, gentle kiss and then deepened, Erik pushing his tongue into Brian’s mouth. Brian closed his eyes and reached up, running his fingers through Erik’s hair. Just as Erik’s hand reached Brian’s crotch, the timer buzzed. Erik leaned back and sighed. Brian got up and almost ran into the kitchen. While he had been enjoying the kissing, he was still a little unsure in the sex department. Once dinner was on the table, they sat down and ate. Erik commented on how good a cook Brian was and said that he was told by Justin that Brian wasn’t a very good cook.

“Well, that can be explained.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. When Justin and I were together, he did all the cooking. And if he didn’t cook, we got take out. So he just assumed that I couldn’t cook.” Brian smiled.

“So you and Justin were a couple?” Erik asked before taking a bite. Brian was in mid bite, but he nodded. He took a sip of wine and looked at Erik.

“Yeah, we were together for about two years until he left me for Ethan.”

“I’m amazed you’re willing to be friends with them”

“Well, Justin leaving was kind of my fault. It’s a long story. I will say that I didn’t really see Justin as my boyfriend until after he was already gone.” Erik just nodded and continued eating. Once dinner was finished and the table was cleared, Brian and Erik made their way back to the couch. Brian took the bottle of wine with them. They talked for a while until they noticed that the wine was gone. Brian laughed.

“Looks like we finished it off.” He said. Erik nodded and looked at Brian as he moved closer. Before Brian knew it they were once again kissing, tongues dueling each other. Erik reached up and started to unbutton Brian’s shirt. Once his shirt was open he leaned down and started to kiss his way down Brian’s chest. Brian leaned his head back and moaned. They were now laying on the couch, Erik on top of Brian. Erik kissed his way back up to Brian’s mouth and latched on. When Erik’s hands went down and started to undo Brian’s pants, Brian reached down and stopped him.

“What?” Erik asked breathlessly.

“I…..I can’t.” Brian said with a sigh. Erik sat back and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry.” Brian said as he sat up and started to rebutton his shirt.

“No…it’s okay.” Erik said with a smile. They had only been dating for less than two weeks. Maybe it was too soon for Brian. He kissed Brian on the cheek and stood. He gathered up his things and started to leave.

“Erik….”

“Hmmm?”

“Will you…..will you stay?” He asked. Erik smiled and nodded. Both men moved into the bedroom. Brian was a little wary at first, but the reassuring smile from Erik calmed him. They stripped down to their underwear and climbed into bed. They moved to the center of the bed, Brian resting his head on Erik’s chest. Erik wrapped his arms around Brian and kissed the top of his head. Before long they were sound asleep in each other’s arms.
 

*****

Brian walked into the diner and took a seat with the guys. They were all going out together so that they could get a chance to meet Erik. It had been three weeks since they first met and Brian had been going on and on about Erik the whole time. The guys couldn’t wait to meet him. When Brian got there, Michael, Ben, Ted and Emmett were already there.

“Where’s Erik?” Michael asked.

“Late rehearsal. Justin, Erik and Ethan are going to meet us at Woody’s later.” He smiled.

“So….how is he?” Ted asked with a smirk. Brian raised an eyebrow.

“He’s fine….”

“Just fine?”

“He means in bed, honey.” Emmett translated and Brian shrugged.

“You mean you haven’t slept with him?” Michael asked in disbelief.

“No.” Brian admitted. Everyone but Ben was in total shock.

“I think it’s great that you’re waiting, Brian.” Ben smiled and Brian nodded.

“But….why are you waiting?” Ted asked. Brian sighed and looked down.

“Brian….” Emmett started.

“I just…..” He sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to it’s just….I’m not ready.” They were all quiet for a minute.

“Well, it’s definitely best to wait until you’re ready.” Emmett said. He reached across the table and patted Brian’s hand. Brian smiled slightly, looking at Emmett. It was obvious they were all still trying to get used to the new Brian, even after all the time that had passed.
 

*****

When they got to Woody’s, Erik was waiting outside. Brian practically ran into his arms. They shared a tender kiss and everyone smiled.

“Isn’t that sweet?” Emmett asked.

“Yeah, it is.” Ben agreed. Ethan and Justin walked up a moment later and they all went inside. They grabbed a table near the pool tables and took a seat, Michael, Ben, Ted and Justin went to play pool while Ethan, Erik, Emmett and Brian sat down to watch.

“You look ridiculously happy with him.” Emmett said and Brian smiled.

“I am.” He leaned over and kissed Erik’s cheek. Erik put his arm around Brian’s shoulders.

“I’m so happy for you.” Emmett gushed. “It’s about time you found Mr. Right.” He winked at Erik and they all laughed.

“Thanks to Ethan.” Brian smiled.

“Huh?”

“I introduced them.” Ethan explained and Emmett smiled. They had been there for about an hour when Erik stood.

“I’m going to go get some drinks, you want anything?” He asked Brian.

“Just a beer.” Brian smiled and Erik nodded. He looked at Ethan and Emmett and they both shook their heads. Erik gave Brian a quick kiss on the cheek, then went to get the drinks. While he was waiting he overheard a conversation between a couple of men at the bar.

“You see that guy over there?” man one said.

“Yeah? What about him?”

“That’s Brian Kinney.”

“No way!”

“Yeah.”

“I thought Brian Kinney didn’t do boyfriends.”

“Who says that guy’s a boyfriend? He’s probably just putting on an act so he can get laid tonight. I mean, you remember that blonde twink that Kinney was always out with and dancing with and stuff. Kinney never once said they were together.”

“Poor guy, doesn’t realize he’ll be yesterday’s news tomorrow.”

“Yeah, Brian Kinney never does the same guy twice.”

“And he fucks anything that moves.” They both laughed and Erik’s expression darkened. He looked over at the man he thought he knew so well. If he fucked anything that moved, why wouldn’t he sleep with Erik? Before the bartender returned with the drinks, Erik pushed away from the bar and left. There was no way he was going to be played for a fool, regardless of his feelings.

When Erik hadn’t returned after a few minutes, Brian started to look around. He didn’t spot his boyfriend anywhere in the bar. He got up and walked over to the bar.

“Um…I seem to have lost someone. Tall guy, well built…..brown hair….green eyes…”

“That guy that was with you?” One of the men that had been talking earlier asked.

“Yeah, have you seen him?”

“Yeah, he left about ten minutes ago.”

“Left….”

“Yeah, just walked out.” The other man said. Both were trying to hide their smirks.

“Oh…um…thanks.” Brian said, then walked back to the table. His shoulders slumped and he looked down at his hands.

“What is it, baby?” Emmett asked. Brian looked up and there were tears streaking down his cheeks.

“Erik left.”

“What?” Ethan asked.

“Those guys over by the bar said that he just walked out.” Brian wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

“I’m sure there was a good reason. He wouldn’t just walk out without saying good-bye.” Emmett tried to reassure him. Brian sighed shakily, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. He just shook his head, got up and left. Ethan sighed as he watched Brian leave.

“Poor guy.” He said and Emmett nodded. When Brian got home he curled up under the duvet and cried himself to sleep. He wasn’t sure exactly why Erik had left but he was pretty sure that it had something to do with his inability to have sex.
 

*****

It had been three days since the night at Woody’s and Brian hadn’t heard from Erik the entire time. He had given up on ever seeing the other man again. It truly broke his heart to think about it. Even though it had just been three weeks Brian was certain that he was in love with Erik. He had let yet another person into his heart and had once again gotten hurt. Brian decided that moping wouldn’t get him anywhere. He had a dinner with Jennifer to attend. He got dressed and headed over to Jennifer’s house, pulling up in the driveway. He sat there for a minute, taking a deep breath to gather up his strength before going up and knocking on the door. Jennifer answered with a smile.

“Hello Brian.” She hugged him and kissed his cheek, then seemed to be looking over his shoulder. “Where’s Erik? I was hoping to finally get to meet him.” Brian’s bottom lip quivered for a second before he was able to regain control.

“We broke up.” He sighed heavily. Jennifer hugged him again.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. What happened?”

“I don’t know. We went to Woody’s and he seemed fine and then he just walked out and I haven’t heard from him since.” He sniffled and a tear rolled down his cheek. Jennifer stepped aside and guided Brian into the living room, sitting him down on the couch. She sat beside him and rubbed his back.

“I’m sorry.” She said. Brian leaned over, resting his head on her shoulder.

“What’s wrong with me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Every time I let somebody in, they hurt me.” Brian hoped that Jennifer wouldn’t make a big deal out of Justin being included in that statement. Luckily, she didn’t. She just hugged him.

“It’s not you, Brian. If Erik couldn’t see what a great guy he had in you then it’s his loss.” Brian just sighed and nodded. Soon Justin and Ethan arrived. Molly had been in her room doing her homework and she came down when dinner was ready. They all sat around the table and talked as they ate. After a while, Brian noticed a dull ache starting at the back of his head and making it’s way forward. The pain got stronger as it moved. He closed his eyes tight and pinched the bridge of his nose, willing it away.

“Brian? You okay?” Ethan asked. Brian nodded.

“Just a headache.” He said. Because he still had his eyes closed he didn’t notice the collective of worried faces pointed in his direction.

“Brian…sweetie….maybe you should see a doctor….” Jennifer started. Brian looked at her.

“It’s just a headache.”

“That’s what you said about your tumor.” Justin opened his mouth before he could stop himself. Brian’s face went pale at the memory and he actually started shaking. Jennifer came over and hugged him and Justin cursed himself.

“You….you don’t think it’s back….do you?” Brian’s voice was shaking as badly as he was.

“I’m sure it’s nothing, Brian, but you should get it checked just to be safe, okay?” Jennifer tried to help him calm down. Brian simply nodded and closed his eyes. That was all he needed, for his tumor to be back. Next he’d find out that he’d lost his job if things kept going the way they seemed to be.
 

*****

The next day Brian called his doctor and told him about the headache. He described how it had started at the back of his head and spread from there. He answered all the questions that his doctor asked, then he was instructed to be at the hospital at eight the next morning so they could run tests just to make sure. Dr. Corvis told Brian to make sure he had a ride because he wouldn't be able to drive after some of the tests. Brian called Cynthia and made sure he didn’t have anything important. He told her not to worry but that he had to go in for some tests. She agreed to have a car ready to pick him up when the tests were done. Bright and early the next morning Brian went to the hospital.

Later that afternoon, Erik was sitting in his apartment thinking about Brian. What he had done was completely unfair. He should have gone and talked to Brian about what those men said. Maybe Brian had changed. He sighed heavily and picked up the phone. The first number he called was Brian’s office, but he was told simply that Brian was not in today. Erik then dialed Brian’s home number. He left a brief message when he got the voicemail, then he tried Brian’s cell. When he once again got the voice mail he thought at first that Brian might have been avoiding him. Then he gave up and decided to call Ethan.

“Hello?” Ethan sounded slightly out of breath.

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” He asked. Ethan laughed.

“No, I just ran in. I was outside. Almost missed it. What’s up?”

“Um….have you heard from Brian? He’s not answering at home or his cell and his assistant said he didn’t come in to work.”

“Erik…Brian’s at the hospital…” The first question out of most people’s mouths would have been “why?”. Erik’s first question was.

“Which hospital?”

“Mercy…but Erik…” Before Ethan could finish the other man hung up. “It’s only for tests.” Ethan said to the dial tone.

“What’s going on?” Justin asked.

“That was Erik. He’s been trying to get in touch with Brian. I told him Brian was at the hospital but he wouldn’t give me a chance to tell him it was just for tests.” Justin was trying very hard not to laugh.
 

*****

When Erik arrived at the hospital he went straight to the nurse’s station.

“I’m looking for Brian Kinney.” He said. The nurse looked at him for a minute.

“And you are?”

“I’m his boyfriend.” He said quickly and didn’t miss the disgusted look on the nurse’s face. She typed something into the computer and then looked up at him.

“He’s been released.”

“Erik?” Brian asked from behind him and Erik turned. He moved over to where Brian was sitting in a wheelchair.

“Brian…what happened? Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“Erik…calm down. I was just here for some tests, that’s all.” The doctor came out and looked at Brian.

“Okay, Brian. I’ll call you in a couple of days with the test results. This should help with the headaches if you get another one.” He handed Brian a piece of paper with a prescription on it. “Let me know if they get worse before we get the results. You do have a car waiting for you, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Talk to you in a few days.” Then the doctor walked off. Brian looked at Erik who was looking at him with a confused expression.

“I don’t want to tell you here, okay?” Brian said and Erik nodded.

“Do you need a ride home?” Erik asked. Brian thought about saying no, but decided against it and nodded. He needed to tell Erik eventually so he might as well do so now. They rode the whole way to the loft in silence. Brian was still a little dizzy from some of the drugs they’d given him so Erik helped him into the elevator. Once they were in the loft, Erik helped Brian over to the bed. He sat down next to Brian and touched his cheek.

“You need anything?” Erik asked. Brian shook his head, nuzzling his cheek into Erik’s hand.

“I missed you.” He said softly and Erik smiled.

“Brian….what’s going on?” The worry in his tone was unmistakable. Brian took a deep breath and sighed.

“A little over a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a tumor in my brain. At first I was just going to let it kill me but then a very close friend talked me into getting treatment. I went through two months of radiation and three months of chemotherapy and then they went in and removed the tumor.” Erik sat there in shock for a moment.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“I didn’t know how to bring it up? I mean…..a brain tumor isn’t an every day casual subject of conversation.” Erik nodded. Then the question he’d been dying to ask for the last five days popped into his head.

“Brian…..when I was at Woody’s….I heard these guys talking. They said that you fuck anything that moves and that you never do the same guy twice.” Brian sighed heavily.

“That was the old me. Before the tumor. When they operated to cut out the tumor, they had to cut out part of my brain too. When they did that my personality totally changed. I am nothing like the man I was back then.”

“But…why were you getting tests today?”

“I had a headache the other night and when I told my doctor about it he got a little worried. Because of the previous tumor he doesn’t want to take any chances.”

“So you could be just fine, or it could be back.” That was said more than asked and Brian nodded.

“I’m hoping that it’s nothing.” Erik took Brian’s hands in his and looked him in the eye.

“Well…whatever happens I’m here for you.” Erik leaned down and kissed Brian. He moved back, but only enough that their faces were about an inch apart. Erik looked Brian in the eye. “I love you, Brian.” He almost whispered. The lust in his voice was unmistakable.

“I love you too, Erik.” Brian said. He moved his hands up to the back of Erik’s head and pulled him down for a kiss. What started out as a gentle, tender kiss slowly turned into a heated, passionate one. Brian wrapped his arms around Erik and the other man lay down on top of him, covering Brian’s body with his own.

They continued to kiss, breaking apart only long enough to remove shirts. Brian ran his fingers through Erik’s hair as the other man reached down and started to undo Brian’s belt. He pulled away a minute and looked Brian in the eye. Brian nodded and smiled.

“Are you sure?” Erik asked softly.

“Absolutely.” Brian whispered, the word sending messages straight to Erik’s already hardening cock. He started to lightly kiss Brian’s neck as he undid his pants, Brian leaned his head back to give him better access. Before long his pants and underwear were on the floor. Erik sat on the bed for a moment, just looking at Brian. His skin was flushed and he was panting slightly. There was already a thin layer of sweat making his body glisten and his cock was hard, arching up toward his stomach. Erik had never seen anyone look as beautiful as Brian did at that moment. He got on all fours over Brian, kissing first his lips, then his chin, then neck, working his way down to Brian’s shaft.

He made a sweep with his tongue along the underside of the shaft causing Brian to arch his back and grab onto the sheets, before taking the entire length into his mouth. Brian moaned loudly as Erik’s head bobbed up and down at his groin. It had been long enough since Brian had done anything other than masturbate that it was no time at all before he was screaming in ecstasy from the attention Erik was giving his swollen cock. After sucking him dry, Erik started to kiss his way back up to Brian’s lips. Brain could taste himself on the other man’s tongue as they kissed passionately.

Brian reached down and started to undo Erik’s pants. Once they were unbuttoned and unzipped, he slipped his hands into the back, massaging Erik’s ass before slowly slipping his pants down. Erik kicked his pants off and then slipped out of his underwear before lying down on Brian again. As they kissed their cocks rubbed against each other. Brian thought that he would cum again strictly from the contact. It wasn’t long before Erik broke the kiss.

“Condoms?” He asked breathlessly. Brian opened the top drawer of the nightstand and pulled one out, as well as a tube of lube. Erik smiled and went back to kissing as he lubed up one of his fingers. He slowly slipped one inside Brian’s tight hole and smiled when Brian moaned loudly. He spread his legs a little, giving Erik more access. It wasn’t long before Erik had three fingers inside Brian, moving them in and out and scissoring them inside him. Brian looked at Erik.

“Fuck me.” It was more a command than a request. Erik slipped the condom over his rock hard cock and lubed up before placing the head at Brian’s opening. Brian wrapped his legs around Erik’s waist, his fingers going into the other man’s hair. In one smooth motion Erik pushed inside to the hilt. Brian threw his head back.

“Oh God!” He panted heavily. It had been so long since he’d been fucked and Erik’s cock was huge. He gave Brian a minute to adjust before he started to slowly move in and out. Their mouths came together again. They each moaned into every kiss, Brian’s moans starting to grow louder as Erik began brushing against his prostate with each thrust. The steady rhythm with which they started soon began to speed up. Erik reached between them and started stroking Brian’s leaking cock in time with his thrusts. It wasn’t long before Brian was once again screaming in pleasure. The spasms of his release causing Erik to follow soon after him. Once the last shudder had passed, Erik collapsed on top of Brian. They lay there in each other’s arms for several minutes before Erik slowly pulled out and rolled onto his back. Brian rolled over, resting his head on Erik’s chest and wrapping an arm around Erik’s waist. Erik reached up and started stroking Brian’s hair.

“I love you.” Brian whispered softly. Erik smiled.

“I love you too, Bri.” Brian looked up and they shared a lingering, tender kiss before Brian once again rested his head on Erik’s chest and they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.
 

*****

Ethan noticed the goofy grin on Erik’s face as he walked into the rehearsal hall. He couldn’t help but smile himself. He had a pretty good idea as to what caused Erik’s good mood, but he wanted to find out for himself. He made his way over to where Erik was tuning up his guitar.

“Hey.” He smiled. Erik looked at him and smiled back.

“Hey.” He replied.

“So…..”

“So, what?”

“So….why are you in such a good mood?” Ethan was trying to hide a smirk.

“Aren’t I allowed to be in a good mood?” Erik asked. Though he was trying to keep it from happening, he blushed slightly.

“You fucked him, didn’t you?”

“Who?”

“You know who.” Both men were smirking by this point. Finally, Erik nodded.

“Ethan….my God, it was the best sex I’ve had in forever.” Ethan laughed.

“I’m glad you two made up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy.” Ethan kissed his friend’s cheek.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. Ethan….I told him I love him.” Ethan’s eyes went wide.

“Oh my goodness. What did he say?”

“He said he loves me too.” Erik smiled and Ethan just stood there shocked. He remembered that Justin’s chief complaint about their relationship had been Brian’s inability to actually say the words. It was at that moment that Ethan realized Brian really had changed.

“Well…..I’m happy for you, Erik. I really am.”

“Thanks.” Erik smiled, then went back to tuning his guitar. Ethan went back to his violin, wondering how Justin would handle it.
 

*****

Brian and Erik had both taken the day off and were sitting in the loft watching TV together. Today was the day that Brian was supposed to be getting the test results and he didn’t want to be at work when that happened, especially considering what happened last time. Erik was sitting on one end of the couch and Brian was lying down with his head in Erik’s lap. Erik gently stroked Brian’s hair as they watched TV.

Brian was just about to doze off when the phone rang. He almost fell off the couch because it startled him. Erik laughed as Brian got up to go answer it. He froze when he looked at the caller ID display.

“Who is it?” Erik asked worriedly.

“It’s my doctor….” Brian replied.

“Well….answer it.” Erik said and Brian nodded.

“Hello…..yes…….okay…..” While Brian was talking Erik came over and took his hand. “Okay…..yes…..” Brian sighed with relief and smiled. “So it was just a stress headache? Okay…yeah….will do….thanks.” Brian hung up and looked at Erik.

“Just a stress headache?” Erik asked to confirm and Brian nodded. Smiles spread across both their faces and they came together in a lingering kiss. Brian broke the kiss and smiled.

“I better tell Jennifer.” Erik reached around and grabbed Brian’s ass, pulling him close and kissing him again.

“You can tell her later.” He started kissing and sucking on Brian’s neck, Brian leaning his head back and moaning.

“Yeah……later……” Erik took Brian’s hand and led him into the bedroom.
 

*****

Brian woke up early, even for a Saturday, and headed into the kitchen to make breakfast. He tried to be quiet so he wouldn’t wake Erik, wanting to surprise him with breakfast in bed. He couldn’t believe they’d already been together for four months. Time was just flying by and he had never been so happy in his life. Once breakfast was done, banana nut pancakes with buttered pecan syrup and a cup of coffee, he put the plate on a tray with a single red rose in a small vase and headed into the bedroom. Brian put the tray down on the bed and then kissed Erik. He smiled when he opened his eyes, then looked at the tray and smiled more.

“What’s this?” He asked as he sat up. Brian positioned the tray over his lap.

“Breakfast in bed.” Brian said with a smirk as he took a seat on the bed next to Erik.

“You didn’t have to do this. What’s the occasion?”

“No occasion, just felt like it.” He smiled and Erik returned the smile. They ate breakfast together and Brian went to clear the dishes. While he was at the sink, Erik came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, kissing his neck. Brian smiled and leaned back into him a little.

“You know what would be really great?” Erik asked as he kept sucking on Brian’s neck.

“What?” Brian had just finished up the last of the dishes, turning in Erik’s arms and looking him in the eye.

“If I didn’t have to leave to go home.” Erik smiled.

“What do you mean?” Brian was thoroughly confused.

“I just think it would be great if we could live together. Whether here or at my place, or getting a new place of our own. I think it would be great.” Erik’s smile faded when Brian’s entire body tensed.

“You…..you think….we’re ready for that?”

“Yeah, I think we are. Look, Brian, I love you so much. And I spend most of my time over here anyway. The only time I’m at my place anymore is to change clothes.” Brian nodded, unable to deny the truth in his statement. “So…it would make things a lot easier if we moved in together.”

“I’m not giving up the loft. I mean….this is my home……”

“I’m not asking you to give it up, baby. What about if I just moved in here? I could give up my place.” Erik smiled.

“Can……can I think about it?”

“Of course….take all the time you need, okay? This is a big decision and I want to make sure we both feel comfortable with it.” He smiled and kissed Brian. Brian returned the smile but he couldn’t help but wonder if they really were ready for such a big step.
 

*****

It had been a week since Erik asked to move in with Brian and he couldn’t think of anything else. He was trying to decide if he really was ready to live with Erik. He was still thinking about it as he sat in the diner. He was so lost in thought that he never noticed Vic come up and take a seat across from him.

“Earth to Brian. You there?” The older man asked and Brian blushed slightly. Vic laughed.

“Yeah….sorry.”

“So, what’s up?” Vic asked. Brian thought about it for a minute, then just decided to be out with it.

“Erik wants to move in with me.” He said. Vic just nodded and sat back a minute, thinking. They sat there in silence for several minutes.

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him I need to think about it.”

“And how long ago was that?”

“A week.” Brian answered and once again Vic nodded.

“Brian, let me ask you some questions that might help you out a little with your decision.”

“Okay….”

“Do you love him?”

“Yes.”

“Does he love you?”

“Yes.”

“Does he spend all of his time over at your place other than changing clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Are you committed and monogamous?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, last question. What the fuck is holding you back?” Vic smiled and Brian couldn’t help but smile back. Brian’s smile soon faded and he sighed.

“I just….we’ve only been together for four months….”

“Brian…..baby….listen to me. You’re happier with Erik than I have ever seen you in your entire life. I know that you’re a little worried about this relationship but I can tell when I see you two together that this is the real thing. Few people get even one chance at happiness, let alone two. Don’t let this one get away.” Brian nodded, thinking about it for a minute. He stood and moved over to the other side of the booth, leaning down to kiss Vic on the cheek.

“Thanks.” He smiled, then turned and left. Debbie came over and looked at her brother.

“What was that all about?”

“Just helping Brian make a very important decision.”

“What decision?”

“Whether or not he and Erik should move in together.”

“Holy shit! What did you tell him?”

“I told him to go for it.” Debbie just nodded and went back to work.
 

*****

Brian had the loft once again decorated with candles and roses. Soft music was once again playing in the background and dinner was almost done. Erik opened the door and stopped in his tracks. He noticed that he and Brian were even wearing the same clothes.

“Have we traveled back in time or something?” He asked with a smirk. Brian laughed and shook his head.

“Mere coincidence I swear.” He came over and kissed Erik, handing him a glass of wine. “Go have a seat, dinner’ll be ready in a minute.” Erik nodded, returning the quick kiss before taking a seat on the couch. A few minutes later, Brian joined him.

“So….you said you wanted to talk about something?”

“Yeah….um….I know this is silly and I normally wouldn’t do this but you realize that tonight is our four month anniversary?”

“Yeah, I did notice that. And it is kind of silly to celebrate it.”

“It is. But…..I thought we could celebrate it just this once. I got you something.” Brian handed Erik a small box. Erik looked at it for a minute, then looked at Brian.

“What is it?”

“Open it and find out.” Brian smiled and Erik opened the gift. He pulled out a sterling silver key chain that had a B on one side and an E on the other. Attached to it was a silver key.

“A key?” Erik asked. Brian nodded.

“To the loft.” Brian said with a smile and Erik looked at him for a minute.

“You mean…..” Erik’s eyes went wide as Brian nodded.

“I want you to move in with me.” Brian said. Erik almost tackled him, kissing him passionately. Brian wrapped his arms around Erik, kissing back. They never did get around to eating dinner.
 

*****

Brian and Erik had been living together all of two weeks when Lindsay and Melanie showed up at the door with Gus and an overnight bag. Brian answered the door in only his robe, Erik having stayed in the bedroom to get dressed.

“What’s up?” Brian asked.

“We need you to watch Gus.” Lindsay said as they stepped past Brian to enter the loft.

“My grandmother died yesterday and the funeral is tomorrow.” Melanie answered Brian’s unasked question. He simply nodded and moved so Mel could enter as well. Erik was just coming out of the bedroom at that point.

“We’re watching Gus for the weekend. That okay?” Brian asked and Erik smiled.

“Of course that’s okay. I haven’t gotten a chance to get to know this little guy.”

“I’m not little, I’m six.” Gus pouted as he looked at Erik. Brian smiled, then looked at Mel.

“I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother.” She smiled and kissed his cheek.

“Thanks. We’ll be back Sunday, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Gus, sweetie, you be good for daddy, got it?” Lindsay asked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you so much for doing this, Brian.” Lindsay kissed his cheek.

“Anytime.” He smiled and the two women left. Brian shut the door then turned to find his son and his lover having a stare down in the middle of the living room. This was going to be an interesting weekend. Brian moved over to sit on the couch. Gus came and sat beside him, keeping his eyes on Erik the whole time.

“Erik, this is my son, Gus. Gus, this is Erik.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Gus.” Erik said with a smile. Gus just nodded, then looked at Brian.

“What’s he doing here?” Gus asked. Brian sighed.

“Erik lives here.”

“But why? He never lived here before.”

“That’s true. But he lives here now because I love him very much, and he loves me. Like with Mommy and Mama.” Brian smiled at Erik, who smiled back, then looked at Gus.

“Is he gonna be my daddy too?” Gus asked and Brian blushed slightly.

“Maybe someday.” Brian said, once again looking at Erik, who winked at him.

“Daddy….can I move in here too?”

“No, sonny boy, I’m sorry but you can’t.”

“But….I want to move in here. I can call Mommy right now.”

“Gus…you can’t move in here.”

“But….don’t you love me?” Gus gave him a pouty “puppy dog” look. Brian had to try hard to keep from laughing.

“Yes, Gus. I love you very much.”

“So…if you love him and he can live here, and you love me, how come I can’t live here?”

“Gus….how do you think your moms would feel about you not living with them anymore?” Erik asked. He could tell that Brian was getting frustrated with the kid and he wanted to try to smooth things over.

“Um….they’d probably be sad…..maybe.”

“Do you want to make them sad?” Erik asked. Gus shook his head.

“Gus, listen. Just because Erik lives here doesn’t mean you can’t come over whenever you want. I love you and I want to see you as much as I can, okay? Erik living here doesn’t change that.” Gus seemed to think about it for a minute, then nodded, hugging Brian. Brian smiled and hugged back, nodding thanks to Erik.
 

*****

When Melanie and Lindsay finally came back to get Gus, Brian was alone in the loft working on a presentation that had to be given the next morning. He answered the door and they came in, looking around.

“Where’s Gus?” Melanie asked.

“And Erik?” Lindsay questioned.

“I had some work I had to do so Erik took Gus to the park so I could work uninterrupted.”

“That was sweet of him.” Melanie said.

“Are he and Gus getting along okay?” Lindsay asked. Brian smiled.

“They get along great. Gus really likes Erik, and I’m so glad. I was afraid there might be a problem.” Both women nodded. About then, the elevator started making it’s way to the top. Soon after, Erik and Gus came out, Gus running over to his mommies.

“Hey sweetie. Did you have fun?” Melanie asked.

“Oh yeah, it was great! Erik took me to the zoo and we saw all these really great animals.” Gus smiled, then yawned.

“Well, it’s time to go home, honey.” Lindsay said.

“Can I come back and play with Erik again?” Gus asked and all the adults nodded. Erik knelt down and looked Gus in the eye.

“You can come over to play anytime you want.” He said and Gus hugged him. Brian couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

“Well, boys, we have to get going. Come on Gus.” Melanie said. Gus ran in and grabbed his bag, then came back to Lindsay and Melanie. Lindsay kissed both men on the cheek.

“Thanks again, guys.” She said.

“Anytime.” Brian replied with a smile.

“We’ll see you later.” Melanie said and they started to leave. They decided to take the stairs to go down.

“So, you like Erik, huh?” Melanie asked as they headed down.

“Yeah, he’s really cool. I think it would be so great if he was my daddy too.” They hadn’t quite reached the first landing yet so they were still within sight of Brian and Erik. They turned to see the men’s reaction to Gus’ statement. Brian had his arms wrapped around Erik’s neck, Erik had his arms around Brian’s waist and they were kissing rather passionately. The two women exchanged a smile before heading to the car and going home.
 

*****

Justin had just started his new job and was on his way to work. He stopped to get a cup of coffee when he saw a familiar face sitting at a table in the corner. He walked over and smiled.

“Hey, stranger.”

“Hey.” Brian looked up and returned his smile.

“Haven’t seen you and Erik in a while. You two keeping busy?” Brian blushed furiously.

“You could say that.” Justin couldn’t help but laugh.

“Don’t worry. I understand completely.” Justin winked and Brian laughed. Justin then looked at his watch. “Hey, I have to get going. You wanna get together for lunch?”

“Sure, do you know where my office is?”

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there around noon, okay?”

“Okay. Later, Justin.”

“Later.” Justin smiled and headed out. Brian noticed a glint of light on Justin’s left ring finger but shook his head, thinking it was his imagination.
 

*****

Right at noon there was a knock on Brian’s office door. He smiled when a certain blonde head popped in.

“I’m almost done.” He said. Justin simply nodded, then waited outside, chatting it up with Cynthia. He finished the reports he was doing, grabbed his jacket and headed out. “Cyn, I’m going out for lunch. If I’m late for my one thirty, just stall them, but I shouldn’t be late.” She simply nodded and he and Justin took off. There was a nice little café just around the corner from the office. After they ordered, Justin sat there looking out the window, his hands on the table. Brian looked at Justin’s hands, then reached over and took his left hand. He looked up at the blonde questioningly.

“Gift from Ethan. He proposed, isn’t that great?” Brian forced a smile, though an unfounded wave of jealousy coursed through his veins.

“Yeah, that’s wonderful.” He tried to keep his tone as sincere as possible.

“Oh, Brian. It was so romantic. He had roses all over the apartment and candles everywhere. He played for me. It was wonderful. Then after dinner, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.” Justin sighed dreamily. Though Brian’s outside remained calm, inside he was seething. He pretended to look at his watch.

“I’m sure it was wonderful, but I have to get going. Talk to you later.” Brian was out the door before the food even arrived, leaving a seriously confused Justin behind.
 

*****

When Brian got home that night, it was obvious to Erik that he was in a bad mood. He stormed into the loft, practically threw down his briefcase, then stalked into the bedroom. He then changed into some sweats and started running on the treadmill, totally ignoring Erik’s presence. Erik simply sighed, then went about making dinner. After about an hour of running on the treadmill, Brian made his way into the bathroom to take a shower. He jumped slightly when he heard the door open, then turned and smiled at Erik.

“Hey.” He said as he kissed his lover.

“Feeling better?” Erik asked after returning the kiss. He turned Brian around and began to wash his back, massaging the muscles as well as cleaning the skin. Brian moaned softly and smiled.

“Much.”

“Bad day?” Brian simply sighed.

“You could say that.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

“I’d rather not, if that’s okay.” He looked over his shoulder at Erik. Erik smiled.

“Whenever you’re ready, baby.” He leaned forward and kissed Brian’s lips.

“I love it when you call me baby.” Brian said as they kissed again.

“Then I guess I’ll have to keep doing it.” Later that evening Brian was called baby over and over again as they made passionate love, dinner all but forgotten on the stove.
 

*****

Erik walked into the rehearsal hall and made his way over to where his instrument was stored. Before he got there, Ethan intercepted him.

“Hey.” Erik said with a smile. Ethan, however, did not return the smile. “What’s wrong?”

“Justin’s upset. He thinks he somehow managed to piss Brian off, but he doesn’t know how he did it.”

“Why does he think he pissed Brian off?”

“They got together for lunch yesterday. Justin told Brian that we’re getting married and Brian stormed out. Made up some excuse about having to go even though it had only been like….ten minutes. And he won’t take or return any of Justin’s calls.”

“You’re getting married?” Erik asked. Ethan nodded and Erik hugged his friend. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Ethan smiled, then the smile faded. “Do you think you could talk to Brian? Maybe find out what Justin did?” I know what Justin did, Erik thought, but he just nodded.

“Sure. I’ll see what I can do.” Erik then made his way over to his instrument.

 

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