Rules of the Heart

Chapter 13

Justin sighed as Brian lathered his hair, the older man’s long fingers kneading the boy’s scalp. When Brian turned away the teen instinctively shifted with him, but Brian’s hand was firm between his shoulder blades. "Don’t move," the brunet purred.

The older man insisted Justin stand spread-eagle against the shower wall, his plastic-wrapped cast, well out of the spray. It was a ritual they both now looked forward to in the morning, despite neither of them usually being early risers. Brian would thoroughly scrub every square inch of the other man, then carefully rinse him off with the showerhead. By the time Brian finished, both of them were wide-awake and fully aroused. Then they would fuck and wash up again.

Brian rinsed Justin’s hair as the teen obediently stood motionless against the glass. His reward was feeling the warm water play over his ass for a moment before Brian pulled it away.

"Briian," the teen sulked. That was the second time the man had teased him and he was out of patience. If they didn’t fuck now, they would run out of time—and hot water. He turned to confront his lover, but Brian pressed him against the glass again.

"Uh-uh," the older man chastised, pinning the teen in place, this time with his own body. "You don’t want to get your cast wet," Brian reminded him, his breath hot on Justin’s neck as he licked the water droplets away.

Justin’s only response was a low moan as he pushed back against the erection wedged between his cheeks. Then Brian’s fingers pried the globes apart, probing for the puckered opening. "Oh, yeah…hmm…" The blond barely had time to register the click of the showerhead changing settings before he felt the stinging pulse of hot water spraying directly on his hole. "Fuck!"

"Patience, Sunshine."

 

***
 

"How are your classes going?" Jennifer asked.

Justin began clearing the dishes off the table and she stood to help him. "Fine," he replied.

"Honey, let me--"

"I got it," he told her as he balanced the plates and glasses on the pot of pasta and hoisted them against his hip to carry to the counter.

Over the last month, he’d learned how to make due with only one hand, but he was damn grateful it wasn’t permanent. Or so they told him. No one knew for sure until the cast came off in another two weeks. He hoped. Gratefully, the infection he’d gotten after the surgery had responded quickly to the antibiotics and he hadn’t suffered any further setbacks. Once the cast was removed, he’d begin therapy to strengthen his hand again. It would be weak as a noodle while his other hand was as strong as steel from compensating, but Brian said he had the perfect regimen for regaining manual dexterity. Justin smiled to himself as he wondered how many hand jobs it would take to…

"Sweetheart? What is it?"

"Huh?" Realizing she’d seen him smiling, he quickly shrugged it off. "Uh, just thinking about my next project."

"Oh. Well, I’m glad to see you’re able to manage so much better now."

"Uh-huh," Justin replied flatly. She was hardly subtle anymore. It was practically the same script every time now. He watched her warily as she put the leftovers in containers. She’d been to visit him at Brian’s several times a week since he’d moved in with the man, so she was starting to learn her way around the kitchen without his prompting her.

"So when do you think you’ll be going back to your place?" the woman asked as she put the food in the refrigerator.

"Mom," he sighed. Sure, he could do most things by himself, but there were other things that were much easier with someone else’s help. He knew Daphne could help him with most, but there were still little daily routines, like getting at those hard to reach places, that he didn’t want HER doing. And definitely not his mother either! The teen shuddered at the thought. That was a quick way to banish the boner he had been developing thinking about Brian in the shower.

"Justin--" Jennifer started.

The teen held up his hand to stop her from wasting her breath. He didn’t understand why his mom couldn’t just let it be. He didn’t want to leave and Brian didn’t want him to leave. Okay, they hadn’t actually talked about it, but he wasn’t going to bring it up. Brian had too many other things on his mind as it was and Justin knew the older man needed him there, even if he didn’t say it. Luckily, the boy was spared having to sidle around the topic with his mother once again when the phone rang.

He went to the desk to answer it, but before he picked it up, his mother asked, "Should you be answering Brian’s phone?"

The teen rolled his eyes as he said, "Hello?"

"She tore it up."

"Brian? What?"

"I signed the damn papers and took them over to the muncher’s and she tore them up," Brian explained, obviously still in shock.

"Oh, my god! Brian, that’s great!"

Justin knew how much Brian had agonized over signing his parental rights over to Melanie. Ever since the women announced they were moving to New York after the wedding, Lindsay had been harassing him to sign them, ‘for Gus’ sake’. She was afraid of him getting sick again and Melanie not having any legal rights, especially if they were so far away from Brian. Of course, the older man’s response then was not to move. The animosity between himself and Melanie reached an all time high when he accused her of caring more about her career than her family. He didn’t understand why she couldn’t just move her practice back to Pittsburgh and keep the boy near everyone who loved him. It was the question on everyone’s mind, but Brian was the asshole to say it out loud.

It wasn’t until Brian realized how big of a strain it was causing on the women’s relationship that he changed his mind. He didn’t want to be the reason they broke up again and he knew Lindsay would be miserable without Melanie, so he decided to do it. It wasn’t like he was going to be such a great dad anyway. Gus had a better chance of being happy with two people who lived together and loved each other.

"I guess Melanie’s not such a bitch after all," Justin mused, ignoring his mother’s admonishment about his language. If she only knew he’d almost called her a cunt…

The teen had tried hard to get Brian to change his mind, but his lover had staunchly told him to mind his own fucking business, no matter how hard the blond pushed. Shit. He wished he could’ve gone with him, but he had class and then plans with his mom. And of course, Brian wouldn’t wait for him, he knew the older man did it on purpose and he understood why, but he was dying to know what had happened.

"So, what did she say?" Justin prodded impatiently when Brian didn’t say anything. He must really be in shock if he wasn’t taking shots at Melanie!

Brian chuffed a laugh. "I couldn’t understand half of it because she was screeching like a banshee, but I think part of it was some Jewish mumbo jumbo to shrivel my nuts into raisins."

"What?" Justin asked in surprise.

"It was Lindsay. She tore up the papers and dumped Mel."

"Oh. My. God."

"Christ, I’m soaked to the bone, she blubbered all over me," Brian groused, beginning to sound more like himself.

Justin choked back a laugh, he knew Brian was meticulous about his appearance, which just made the image that much funnier. "What happened?"

There was silence for a moment, then Brian said, "For once, I’m not the asshole."

Justin heard Brian’s voice catch and automatically asked, "Brian, are you alright?"

"Don’t be a twat," the older man growled.

The blond shook his head to himself. He knew the man would never admit how he was really feeling, Justin could only imagine. "Well, I guess it’s a good thing you got Mel to draw up Michael’s loan papers before all this," he hinted. Brian was still willing to give Michael the loan for the comic store, but after he’d had Melanie draw up the papers, he just put them in his briefcase and let them sit because he and Michael were still avoiding each other.

"Put on something hot, we’re going out," Brian replied, obviously changing the subject.

Stubborn asshole. Justin bit his tongue to keep from pushing. It wasn’t his place to make Brian and Michael talk. Sometimes he wondered why he was even bothering, it wasn’t like it was any big loss. Except to Brian.

"Sunshine!" Brian shouted impatiently, cutting into his thoughts. "I said--"

Justin heard dishes clatter in the sink and remembered he had other problems as well. "Not tonight, dear, I have a headache," he quipped snidely, casting a sidelong glance at his mother in the kitchen. She was pretending to finish cleaning up, but he knew she was hanging on every word.

Brian snarled edgily. "How long is she staying?" As much as he wanted to be with Justin right then, he didn’t want to deal with the teen’s mother. He’d already escaped one harrowing attack on his manhood for the evening, he wasn’t risking another.

"I don’t know," the boy pouted. "But there’s no reason both of us should be tortured. Go to Babylon. Find a stud and ask him to dance."

"Call me when she leaves and I’ll come pick you up," was the closest Brian would come to admitting he wanted to be with the teen more than anyone else.

But Justin heard what he was really saying. "Don’t you have friends your own age?" the boy teased.

"Yeah, but none of them adore me like you do," Brian said before he could stop himself. Oh, hell, it was true, so fuck it.

Justin felt his chest tighten and he bit his lip to keep from ruining the perfect moment, but it didn’t stop him from mumbling, "I can think of one who does." The other end of the line was silent again, and the boy quickly added, "Anyway, isn’t tonight the Cock of the Walk contest? You’ll have to tell me if I miss anyone good."

"You’ve already had the best, baby, you won’t miss anything."

"True," the teen laughed. "I guess I’ll just stay home and read tonight. Later."

Right, like THAT would happen. Brian couldn’t help laughing too. "Later."

 

***
 

A few hours later, Justin walked into Babylon. When he tried to call Brian, the older man’s cell phone was off. The teen wouldn’t let himself worry about it, he just called a cab. He immediately went to the second floor so he could look down on the dance floor and main bar to try to locate Brian or Emmett. Brian was nowhere in sight, but Emmett and Ted were at the end of the bar.

"Hey, have you seen Brian?"

"Princess, am I glad to see you," Emmett sighed wearily when Justin joined them. He gave the blond a tight hug. He’d had enough of Michael’s whining at home, and Ted’s whining at the bar.

"Why? What’s going on?" Justin asked as he tried to catch his breath after being squeezed so tightly.

Ted snorted. "I told you he wouldn’t know anything." He handed Justin a beer. "Here, have a drink before your night goes to shit too."

"Teddy," Emmett admonished, pushing the beer away. "Here, baby." Justin smiled when Emmett thrust a cosmo in his hand instead. Ted shrugged and finished his own beer before taking a swig of the new one.

"Alright, what’s going on? And where’s Brian?" the teen asked again.

Emmett wrapped his arm around Justin, sipping his cocktail. "Where have you been?"

"At home. I had dinner with my mom."

"You moved back into your own apartment?" Ted asked with interest, suddenly perking up. He’d won the bet! Last week, the gang had taken a pool on how much longer Brian would let the blond stay and…

"No," Justin glowered at him. He knew everyone was waiting for Brian to kick him out.

Because Emmett was looking over Justin’s shoulder at Ted, the teen missed his smug smile. No matter what anyone said, he knew Justin and Brian were closer than anyone else would admit. And Emmett knew the teen could shed a little light on his lover’s previous misadventures earlier that evening. "Well, baby, while you were dining with Mommy Dearest," Justin snickered, he knew none of his friends liked his mom after they met at the hospital, "it appears Hurricane Brian has been ripping up Liberty Avenue," Emmett told him. "First he hit Muncher Villa, then my humble abode, and now--"

"He’s blowing up a storm in the backroom," Ted finished. No matter what Emmett said, it was obvious Justin had no idea what was going on with Brian. And he never would. As much as he hated to admit it, Michael was right. Justin was just another sextoy to Brian. When he got bored with him, which he obviously had if the man’s ongoing orgy in the backroom was any indication, they’d be stuck mending the twink’s broken heart. But he didn’t have it in him to do it again. He was sure Justin was a nice kid, but he’d already done it twice before, for his true friends. Michael. Melanie. "Asshole," he muttered. He couldn’t help glaring at Justin by proxy. "I spent all evening listening to Melanie--"

"Stop!" Justin, ordered, holding up his hands. He didn’t need to hear anymore. "It’s not Brian’s fault, Mel and--"

"Of course not," Ted droned, shaking his head. "You’re just as bad as Michael is…was."

"Fuck off," the teen snapped. "Lindsay broke up with Mel. How the hell is that Brian’s fault?"

"Because he wouldn’t sign over his parental rights!" Ted huffed. He thought the kid was pretty bright, but he didn’t appear to be catching on any sooner than Michael had. "The prick doesn’t give a shit about his kid, he just wants to hold it over their heads. Now that he doesn’t have Michael to fawn over him, he can’t stand the thought of losing Lindsay."

Justin struggled hard to control his temper. Obviously when Melanie had been crying on Ted’s shoulder, she’d neglected to mention one important fact. "He DID sign the papers. He wanted them to be happy, because he loves Gus. Unlike Melanie, who’s bitching about New York has only made them miserable. Lindsay tore up the papers and broke it off because she FINALLY realized Brian isn’t as big an asshole as Melanie is a selfish CUNT."

Emmett gasped and Ted just stared at him dumbfounded. Justin’s lips curled into a tight sneer. "Now, what about Michael?"

Emmett looked like the cat that just ate the canary and Justin saw Ted squirm uncomfortably. The teen’s anger boiled more hotly. "When I got home," Emmett explained, "Brian had just left. Michael said Brian was rubbing his new partnership in his face and tried to buy his friendship back."

Justin slammed his glass down on the bar, not caring most of the drink sloshed out. "You believe that shit too?" he asked Ted. "You know Brian busted his ass to keep his job after Ryder sold the firm, and for that, the new owner rewarded him. Fuck Michael if he forgot that part of the reason Brian put up with that shit was to give him the loan for the comic store. He’s not trying to buy Michael’s friendship, he was going to loan him the money before any of this happened. He was just keeping his word, despite the way Michael has treated him since the party." Justin realized he’d been shouting in Ted’s face and stepped back as he took a deep breath to calm himself.

Ted had to look away from the boy’s flashing blue eyes. "I-I didn’t know," he stammered lamely. "I’m sorry, I--"

"Sorry’s bullshit," the teen barked. "Just get your head out of Michael’s ass. You don’t have anymore of a chance with him than Michael has with Brian."

Emmett gasped again. That was one secret he’d never divulged to the teen because he didn’t want Ted to be embarrassed anymore than he already was when they found his little shrine to Michael. "How did you know?" he asked curiously.

"I’m not just a pretty face," Justin snarked. "The drool was pretty obvious."

Ted just shook his head, feeling the heat rising under his collar.

"Well, now that that’s cleared up," the teen announced, "Do you see Brian anywhere?" He gazed out over the dance floor, wondering if his lover had emerged from the backroom yet. If not, he’d just get another drink and dance with Emmett for a bit. Now that he knew Brian had gone to see Michael, that explained why the older man’s phone was off. Brian needed some time to himself to work out—or fuck out—whatever he was feeling.

Justin knew it had nothing to do with him. Brian had been doing the same thing when they were seeing each other behind everyone’s backs. When he couldn’t deal with his pseudo boyfriend, Brian would fuck his brains out to forget about what a fucked up mess they were in. Initially, Justin was hurt Brian didn’t turn to him, but then he realized that only made the pain worse for Brian because that’s what he wanted—to be with Justin—and that’s what was causing the problem with Michael. It was a vicious cycle. But no matter how many guys he sucked or fucked, Brian always came back to the blond in the end because he couldn’t help himself.

"Look, Justin," Ted started to say, he knew he’d fucked up, but maybe this was his chance to make up for it. Emmett tried to warn him off with a poke in the ribs, but he wouldn’t be deterred. He owed the kid that much. "I hope you understand what you’re getting into with Brian, he’s not going to change. He’s not going to--"

Justin rolled his eyes. "I know who Brian is and unlike Michael, I don’t expect him to change. I don’t even want him to. If he did, he wouldn’t be Brian."

Ted looked at him skeptically, but Emmett happily put his arm around the teen and kissed his temple. "You go, baby."

Then Justin felt another pair of arms pull him away from Emmett and he was held flush against a hard, lean, slightly heaving chest. "Hey, stud, wanna dance?"

 

***
 

Justin let his head fall back onto Brian’s shoulder as the man guided the teen’s hips back to his. He kept swaying to the erratic tempo as he felt Brian grinding his pelvis forward. Justin let out a long shuddering breath as he forced himself to let Brian continue to lead. The older man’s hands moved up over the blond’s hips, trusting Justin to keep the rhythm with him, and slid over the boy’s glistening chest. He rolled the hard nubs between his fingers and the teen moaned.

"Like that?" Brian huskily whispered against his ear.

Justin shivered from the hot breath tickling him.

"What about—let me hear you now—this…" Brian tugged on the gold ring in the boy’s tit and Justin mewled loudly, bucking back into the older man as the stinging current shot volts of heat to his dick. And his ass.

"Fuck!" Brian hissed when the blond’s hole convulsed around his cock.

Unable to sit still any longer, Justin leaned forward, balancing his weight on his forearms as he pressed them against the end of the sofa, vigorously working his hips back and forth.

Brian groaned as he watched the teen slid up and down his cock. "Yeah…ride it, baby…"

In response, Justin briefly squeezed the head of Brian’s dick in the opening before slamming back down with a satisfied grunt.

Brian was only able to withstand a few more strokes before the ache in his balls wouldn’t let him just take it anymore. He suddenly surged up, pressing the boy down into the cushions, lodging Justin’s shoulder against the armrest, as he pounded into the blond’s tight hole.

The teen wailed appreciatively as he jammed his arm under his belly to jerk himself off. A few quick tugs, and he came hard, Brian’s cries echoing his own throughout the loft as Justin’s spasming hole milked the older man’s cock just as roughly.

 

***
 

The next morning, Justin hurried to the kitchen to ask Brian to button his shirt for him before the older man left for the gym. The blond paused a few feet from his lover when he realized the other man was staring at the two torn halves of the contract Michael had destroyed the night before.

Brian dropped the document in the garbage without a second thought. Thinking about that shit just made his dick soft. Besides, it was better this way. Michael would move on and have a life with someone who deserved him, and Brian would let him go, no apologies, no regrets. He knew everyone thought he was an asshole for everything that had happened between him and Michael…and Melanie and Lindsay…and Justin…

Brian looked up when he heard the teen’s footsteps. He felt the familiar spark that burned in his gut every time he saw the teen.

Except him. Justin didn’t think he was an asshole. The young beautiful boy thought he was…his.

Justin flapped the open halves of his shirt helplessly, pretending not to have seen Brian dump the papers, or the flash of pain in his eyes.

"You’re worse than Gus," the older man smirked, buttoning him up before kissing Justin’s forehead, then his nose, and finally his lips. He gave the blond another peck and murmured, "Later," as he picked up his gym bag and walked to the door.

"Later," Justin replied, turning back to the bedroom, a broad grin on his face. Three…he’d only gone a few steps when heard the door slide open… two…then there was the same pause every morning…one… He held his breath and relished the tickle of the butterflies fluttering in his stomach as Brian asked, "When will you be home tonight?"