Wow. This part took a while.

I admit it now - I was suffering from that really icky sort of writer's block, where you can't think of what happens next but you keep typing anyway, and your characters get really upset at you and take a life of their own that involves poking the author with sharp implements? You know that kind of writer's block?

But, I enlisted my lovely mother as beta-reader, deleted about two-thirds of this chapter and started over. It's better now.

Also, I'm pretty sure I know exactly where I'm going from here, and I've written a couple of the upcoming chapters already, so I'm feeling confident again. I'll stop chattering now and let you get to it.

This is an AU fic set in episodes 312/313. Previous parts can be found here if you need to refresh your memory or whatever.

Thanks for reading!





Justin blinked at him. “Hey,” he said faintly. “Good morning.”

“Yeah,” said Brian. “Hey.”

Brian yawned and stretched out of Justin’s embrace. Justin disentangled his feet from Brian’s and rolled away, throwing his arms out to the side.

“Mmm,” said Justin. “That was nice.”

Brian looked at him. “Nice?” he said.

Justin grinned and sat up. “I gotta go pee,” he said, and got out of bed stiffly. He limped over to the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Go pee?

Brian considered moving, but decided it would be counterproductive to his goals. He kicked all the sheets off and waited.

Justin came out a couple minutes later and glanced over at him. “I used your toothbrush,” he said, but stopped abruptly.

Brian raised his eyebrows. He stretched his body out again, raising his arms above his head and letting his legs fall apart. He tilted his pelvis and rolled onto one hip, viscerally aware that Justin could see him getting hard.

Justin stood there, dead still, taking it all in. Maybe he needed some more encouragement. Brian pinched his own nipple and then slowly ran his hand down his stomach, further, further, and further down...

“Hold that thought,” said Justin, and pounced.

“Ah fuck,” Brian gasped. All laziness and leisure gone, the feel of Justin’s body against his sent a sudden jolt of arousal through him, and he grit his teeth against the wave.

Justin grabbed Brian by the hips and swallowed his dick, pumping his face up and down the shaft. Brian’s knees jerked. He hadn’t expected to be so close to coming, so soon. It was too intense.

“Hold on, shit, hold on,” he said, and tried to get Justin to ease off. Justin didn’t stop his pace, but he slowed down. He wrapped one hand around the base of Brian’s cock and kept a light pressure, working on the head of Brian’s dick with his hot, wet mouth.

Brian squeezed his eyes shut, centering himself on the feel of the bed beneath his body. He felt Justin’s mouth vividly, but he knew if he watched what was going on he’d lose track of which way was up.

Justin disengaged his mouth long enough to take a few panting breaths. “Brian,” he said hoarsely, “You’re so fucking hot like this. Can you look at me?”

Brian shook his head. “No,” he said. “I want it like this. Finish me off.”

“But I want you to look at me. Mmm...”

Brian’s shoulders stiffened and arched as Justin went back to sucking him off. “No,” he shuddered. His eyes flew open and he looked down at Justin, watched his dick thrusting in and out of that fuckable mouth. “No,” he said again, and the world tipped.

Justin flattened his tongue against Brian’s shaft and dragged it all the way up to the tip, and gave one last hard suck.

Brian threw his head back, his neck bared. A shudder ran all the way up from his toes, and he came with a grunt, right into Justin’s mouth.

“Ah – ah fuck –“ He crumpled back against the stained sheets, feeling like he could melt away into them and not give a damn. Justin licked up some residue from Brian’s half-flaccid cock, then drew back and kissed Brian on the stomach.

“Yeah,” muttered Justin, and kissed Brian again softly, once on the chest, once on the base of his neck. Finally, he kissed Brian on the mouth, and Brian brought his hands up to cradle Justin’s head.

Brian eased his tongue into Justin’s mouth, lapping slightly at his upper lip and pressing in, tasting the familiar bitterness. Justin made a small noise and opened his mouth wider, letting Brian in.

It was slow, aching, and they kissed like that until Brian got hard again, until he got jittery and desperate, with Justin whimpering and rutting against his thigh.


*


While Justin showered, Brian quietly left the loft and drove to the convenience store a few blocks away.

He wandered the aisles for a couple of minutes, grabbed some random breakfast-like items – (corn flakes, skim milk, two shriveled looking egg salad sandwiches, some shitty beer, sugar cubes, a nutritional supplement granola bar) – and paid for them.

Brian got back while Justin, freshly bathed and wearing his jeans, was brushing his teeth for the second time that morning.

Justin came out of the bathroom and smiled. “Hey,” he said. “You went somewhere?”

Brian held up his plastic sack and shrugged. “I found breakfast. The endeavor was hellish. I’d rather not speak of it.”

“Hmm,” said Justin as he peeked in the bag, “Egg salad... You know, you’re actually kind of weird, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Brian said, utterly deadpan. Justin chuckled and took the bag from his hands.

Brian smirked, snagged the granola bar from Justin and went over to his computer. He heard Justin rustling through the bag behind him. After checking his email, he looked up a number.

Brian picked up the phone and dialed.

“Hello, I’d like to speak to Detective Horvath.”

He drummed his fingers on the desk and watched Justin scarf down the sandwiches and go rooting around for a cereal bowl.

“Top left cabinet,” Brian said, “Ah, Carl, how good to hear your voice. It’s Brian Kinney.”

Justin went to the top left cabinet and pulled out a bowl.

“Yeah? Well I have something you might find interesting, Detective. Expect me in your office in an hour.”

Justin paused and looked over at him.

“Wait,” said Brian, “Just out of curiosity, does the name Kenneth Rikert strike any bells?”

Brian paused, and Justin watched his face closely.

“He was?” said Brian finally. He listened for a moment. “Did he know Stockwell?”

Brian turned away so Justin couldn’t see his expression. “No, I’ll explain everything when I get there.”

He hung up the phone.

“So the shithead is a cop?” asked Justin.

“Yeah,” said Brian. “He was Stockwell’s partner for fifteen years. Retired a year ago.”

“No shit,” said Justin. “That’s pretty fucked up.”

Brian took a bite of his granola bar and stared into space, agreeing wordlessly.

Justin poured the cereal. “Is this it? You have what you need?”

“I won’t know until I take the DNA to dear Detective Horvath,” Brian said.

“But basically,” Justin added milk and got to the point, “You won’t need my help anymore.”

He looked up at Brian and smiled carefully. “Right?”

Brian set down his granola bar and considered him for a minute. He knew what Justin was asking, and he wasn’t sure how to answer.

The bottom line. This was it. This was the end.

It’d been a nice couple of days, Justin had probably appreciated the warm bed and food, Brian had appreciated the assistance and the company, but Justin was a stray, that’s all.

A smart kid, admittedly, cute, a good fuck, and he gave terrific head. But he didn’t belong there, and there was no longer any reason for him to be around.

Yeah. The bottom line. But there was another line that Brian was acutely aware of. A line that was about stuff like good fucks, and faded prom pictures, and Brian frankly just liking this kid... and maybe feeling a little bit responsible – just a little.

It was a line that Brian hadn’t been aware of before.

“Are you – I’m,” Brian stopped, annoyed at his inability to get a full sentence out. He steeled himself and walked over to Justin, smoothing his hands down Justin’s bare arms. “Unless I have other plans, you can stay here again tonight,” he said, “You might as well. The forecast says it’s supposed to get pretty cold.”

Justin gave him a weird look, like he wasn’t sure how to react. “Okay. This isn’t one of those pity things, right?” he said.

“No,” said Brian, “I don’t do pity. I’m being completely selfish.” He ran a hand down Justin’s back, cupped his ass pointedly, and squeezed. Justin laughed and wriggled against him.

“Besides,” Brian added, “It’s just for tonight.”

Justin smiled. The little fucker was awfully sure of himself, considering he had been street trash for a year.

Just for tonight, damnit. Brian had to make sure of that. Otherwise, he could see the situation getting entirely out of hand.

“One night? I can deal with that,” Justin said, and kissed him until he was hard again.

The cereal got soggy, though.


*


Brian pulled over. “I’m going to let you out here,” he said, “So you’re within walking distance of Liberty. Or wherever else you need to go.”

He’d given Justin another T-shirt and an old heavy linen shirt to wear under his jacket, but Justin still looked like he’d freeze to death if the wind blew the wrong way.

“Okay,” said Justin. “Thanks. I might say hi to Debbie or something, who knows.”

Brian smirked at that. “Yeah, you should,” he added seriously. “And don’t let her hassle you, she just thinks she knows what’s best for everyone.” He turned and kissed Justin on the cheek. “You don’t have to take any shit from her.”

Justin laughed. “Thanks for the tip. Umm... so, tonight?”

Brian nodded.

“Around midnight, maybe?” Justin said. “Or later?”

“Later might be best,” said Brian, “But before three.”

“Cool,” said Justin. He smiled. “See ya then.”

Then he leapt from the car and slammed the door behind him with a loud bang that made Brian flinch.

“Hey!” yelled Brian, “Watch it!”

Justin turned around and walked backwards away from the Corvette, shrugging and laughing. Brian shook his head, and hit the accelerator, peeling away from the curb with a screech.

He kept one eye on the rearview mirror until Justin disappeared from sight.


*


Justin waited until later that afternoon before he walked to Liberty Avenue. Yeah, he walked down Liberty in broad daylight. He hadn’t done that in a while.

Of course, there was a reason he hadn’t.

A couple of cops watched him pretty closely, but he didn’t make eye contact, with them or anyone else. He knew that if it appeared even remotely like he was hooking a trick, they’d nail him. And not in a good way.

Finally, he fell into the figuratively waiting arms of the Liberty Diner, pushing open the door and letting out a breath.

He guessed taking Brian’s oh so subtle advice had been a good idea. Justin felt pretty decent about getting out of the warehouse district. It made him feel like a normal person for a change.

Or at least, a normal person with a hefty dose of paranoia, and fifty more bucks of bad memories fresh in his pocket.

“Hey, Sunshine,” called Debbie, “If you’re looking for Brian, he just left.”

Justin wrinkled his nose. “Sunshine?” he said incredulously, and Debbie gave him a You’d better shut up and deal with it glare.

“Hey,” said Justin, “That’s fine, whatever.” He paused. “Actually, I wasn’t looking for him,” he said, “But when was Brian here?”

Debbie sighed heavily, and for the first time Justin noticed that she didn’t seem nearly as boisterous as she had the previous night. He wondered about it for a second, then figured it wasn’t his problem.

“Yes,” she said, “Brian was here about half an hour ago, but he didn’t stay long. What do you want to eat, sweetie? It’s on the house.”

Justin swallowed. “I have money –“ he started, but Debbie was already shaking her head.

“I know,” she said, “I know you do, hon, but I’m telling you that you shouldn’t have to worry about that here.” Her tone suddenly changed, “And if you do, I’ll tie your dick in knots for being an ungrateful twerp. Is that clear?”

Justin opened his mouth to speak a couple of times, but in the end he just nodded. It seemed easiest to go along with it.

“Now,” said Debbie, “I think a growing boy like you needs the hamburger platter.”


*


Debbie took Justin’s emptied plate away. “Hungry, weren’t you?” she said.

“Yeah,” Justin shrugged. “I guess.”

“Here,” she said, “I got you a few lemon bars to take with you.”

She shoved a small Styrofoam box in a brown paper sack and handed it to him. Then she just stood there, waiting.

Justin gave her a confused look. “Uh, thanks,” he said, thinking she was expecting acknowledgement.

Debbie ignored him. “He’s going to break your heart,” she said.

Justin looked down at the paper sack and folded the top of it over. “Who?” he said.

Who. The little shit knew perfectly well who she was talking about.

“You know who,” Debbie said, “And I know you don’t want to hear this.” She crossed her arms and rested them on the edge of the counter. “But the thing you need to know about Brian Kinney is that he’s an asshole. Always has been, always will be. But he has his reasons, and you don’t want to get mixed up in that. You don’t want to fall in love with that man. I’m warning you.”

Justin looked down, his cheeks turning red.

“I don’t think it’s any of your business,” said Justin, and stood up. “But if you give a shit, you might as well know that it doesn’t mean anything. He’s a good fuck, okay? I’ve known him, like, two days.”

But there was an extra note of something in his voice that Debbie heard immediately. Right. Say it all you want, and maybe you’ll believe it, but it’s not just a fuck to you, Sunshine.

“You’re a good boy, Justin,” said Debbie, “But I’ve gotta tell you the truth. You deserve that, don’t you think? You’ve completely fucked up your life. Your mother loves you – your parents love you. They’re family. You should be with them, you should have normal friends your own age, and you sure as hell should have a roof over your head.”

“You don’t know me.” The flush started to travel toward his neck. “Just -”

“I do know you, kiddo.” Debbie reached out and patted him on the cheek. “I know everything about you, just from seeing your face, and don’t let anyone tell you different. Are you going to call your mother?”

Justin looked at her, mouth pressed in a line. “No,” he said. “I’m sorry, but again, it’s none of your fucking business, so fuck off!”

Debbie pursed her lips. “Right. None of my business? Shit, you’ve got a mouth on you.”

Justin sighed and grabbed the paper bag, preparing to leave. “Thank you for lunch,” he said in a measured tone. “You really didn’t have to.”

Debbie nodded slowly. “Justin?” she said. “If you need anything, ever, anything at all, just ask.” She paused. “Also, maybe I pushed too hard just then, but just keep in mind... that’s the one time in your entire fucking life that you will be forgiven for talking back to me.”

Justin walked over to the door. When he got there, he turned around and nodded at her, before pulling the door open and going out it.

Well, shit.


*


“That,” said the trick, “Was fucking amazing.”

Brian grunted at him and yanked his jeans over his knees. “Right,” he said, “Amazing.”

The trick looked at him with glazed-over eyes, brain working slowly. “Are you going?” he said finally.

Brian tugged his shirt on and grabbed his coat. “Yeah,” he said.

“Oh,” said the trick, “You can stay if you want.” At the trick’s place. Not a bad place, really, except for the fact that Brian would never stay, ever, not in a million years, didn’t everyone know that by now?

Brian glanced over his shoulder. The trick was big – in many ways – and had dark hair. Brian was already beginning to forget his face, even with the face in question right in front of him.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” said Brian.

The trick tried for a seductive tone. “But it’d be warmer with two of us... and you know it’s gonna be cold tonight.”

Brian blinked, and swore softly.

Before the trick knew it, Brian was gone and the door shut tightly, and the only sign he had ever been there was the lingering ache in the trick’s ass.


*


Justin sat at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Brian to come home.

At 2:42, Brian came through the door, fumbling his keys out of his pocket. He glanced around but he didn’t notice Justin at first. Then Brian glimpsed him out of the corner of his eye, and his head came up sharply.

“Hi,” said Justin. “Had a busy night?”

Brian stared at him.

Justin shifted. “Brian?”

Brian blinked. “Yeah,” he said, “Busy night. Have you been waiting long?”

“Nah,” said Justin, although he had been. “Not long. You coming?”

Brian smiled slightly. “It’s my loft. Of course I’m – coming.”

Justin grinned and stood up, offering Brian his arm in a courtly fashion. Brian snorted and ignored it, starting up the stairs past Justin. Justin followed, and Brian stopped in front of his door to unlock it.

“Where’ve you been?” said Justin.

“What are you, my fucking wife?” said Brian. “I’ve been out.”

Justin stiffened. “Right,” he said, “I was just making conversation. Sorry.”

Brian slid the door open and sighed. “If you must know, I was at Babylon.” He glanced at Justin. “But the back room is still closed, so I found alternative methods of getting my dick sucked.”

Justin nodded, feeling slightly jealous, even though he told himself he had no right to be. Brian fucked everyone once, and he’d fucked Justin several times by now, so he should look on the bright side.

Yeah, like that’s going to work, Justin thought.

Brian stepped into the loft and paused. “C’mon, get in here,” he said, and tugged Justin forward by the collar of his jacket.

“You’re drunk.” Justin followed him. “Aren’t you?”

“You’re not my fucking mommy either,” said Brian.

Justin figured he should back off for the sake of his health, and do so quickly. This was not going well. “Can I have some beer, then?” he asked lightly.

“No. You’re way too young and impressionable.” Brian went over to the fridge and tossed him one of the shitty beers left over from breakfast. Justin smiled his thanks.

He watched Brian bump into the kitchen counter and start rooting through a drawer in deep concentration. “So was the DNA a match?” said Justin. “Do they know yet?”

Brian sniffed and pulled out an oven mitt. “It was a match. But it’s not enough to reopen the investigation.”

Justin gaped angrily. “What? That’s bullshit! If it was the cop’s, then –“ He walked over to Brian and said, “What are you going to do?”

Brian took a few steps back from Justin, still holding the oven mitt. “I’m not doing anything. I got it this far. I gave Horvath the jizz. It’s up to him what he does with it.” He set the oven mitt down on the counter.

“Brian, he’s a murderer, you can’t just –“ He trailed off and fell silent.

Justin kept thinking - Jason. A bruised neck. The curve of Rikert’s back as he hunched at the bar, both pathetic and terrifying.

That was Justin’s deal, not Brian’s. He should have remembered that.

“But,” he said finally, giving it another try, “Isn’t this your big revenge scheme? Getting back at Stockwell for firing you?”

Because if Brian didn’t stop him, who would? Maybe Brian couldn’t do everything. Maybe he was just a guy. But somehow, Justin thought that Brian could do this. He could uncover Rikert and make things better again.

Brian turned around and flung his arms out to the side. “Does it look like I’m a man bent on revenge?” he said. “I’m just looking for an honest fuck.”

The answer was no, apparently.

He met Justin’s eyes evenly, and neither said anything for a moment.

“Well,” said Justin, “I’ve always considered myself honest.”

Brian smirked. “Gimme that,” he said, grabbed Justin’s beer and took a swig. Then he reached out again and ran a hand over Justin’s buzzed head, resting his fingers at the base of his skull. He looked at Justin’s mouth and cocked his head to the side. He hummed something quiet and tuneless.

Justin just stood there for a second, then stepped into him, letting Brian’s arms come down to rest on his shoulders.

“I’m honest,” he said again, but he wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince.




end