Eyes shut, brain sludgy, Brian’s first impression was that he was in bed with an annoying bright light on the side of his face and a warm pressure against that same side of his body. He cracked his eyes into stabbing sunlight, squinted at the top of a blonde head nestled on his arm. Smaller than Justin. Maybe even younger. Oh god, not again.

When the sleeping tiny blonde rustled and stretched back to reveal two large breasts, he snapped out of his stupor, turned away, rolled and shut his eyes, covered them with a hand and shook his head. No, no, no, no, I couldn’t possibly have been THAT drunk.

“What the fuck are YOU doing here?” Scott’s voice gruffed.

Brian craned back, saw Scott in bed beside the blonde, his body a shadow against sunlight streaming through the window past him. Brian shaded his eyes with a raised hand and had to quickly scan the area before he was sure enough to answer.

“I live here.”

“You told me I could use it for the night.” Scott lightly shook the lady’s shoulder. “Hey, sweetheart. Rise and shine.”

“I did?”

Sweetheart stretched, sighted Brian. “Hi. Who’re you?”

“Who the fuck is SHE?” Brian pointed, looked at Scott.

“That’s Brian,” Scott smiled at his lady. Then to Brian, “She’s with Neville.”

“Did I do him?” she was serious.

“Fuck.” Brian rolled out of bed and nearly passed out from the fast rise.

“I’m not sure who did whom,” Scott leaned into Sweetheart and kissed her.

“If your ass isn’t sore, don’t sweat it,” Brian palmed his bed head. “What the fuck were we mixing last night.” He remembered being upset about seeing Justin with Ethan, then partying-down big time.

Soon the fog began lifting. Yes, he had given Scott a key to his loft for the evening because he was going over to Michael’s for the night. So why wasn’t he there? Something about being on the couch. Getting up to piss at some point. Then going back to bed.

All because of what happened at…

…Babylon last night…

At the bar, Brian stood beside Scott, looked across the room and glimpsed Ethan moving down the stairs. Not a sight to make his evening. He turned aside, glad to see Michael and Ben pushing through the crowd.

“Brian! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Michael couldn’t believe it.

“Spur of the moment. Scott…” Brian draped an arm over Michael’s shoulder, “This is Mikey-”

Scott nodded, smiled wide at Ben.

Further down the bar, Ted, Emmett and Justin took a breather with a round of beers. They could glimpse Brian, Scott, Ben and Michael between passing bodies.

“We should go over and say hello,” Ted eyed Brian’s group.

Emmett wide-eyed Justin for approval.

“It’s up to YOU guys,” Justin shrugged, sneaked a casual look past Emmett then forced his eyes to the dance floor.

Ted sipped his drink and turned back. “Talk about your power escort. Looks like Brian’s back with Scott Turner.”

Emmett raised his brows. “So I noticed. Weren’t they an item a couple years ago?”

“Veeeery hot, if I recall,” Ted downed his drink.

“Well, now we know why Brian hasn’t been around tricking. With a stud like-”

“I’m going back out,” Justin broke away to the dance floor. He had always considered his and Brian’s unique connection to be that of a relationship. Somehow the thought of Brian in something similar with someone else dulled the shine.

“Wait for me,” Emmett trailed.

“Thanks for asking. I’d really like to, but I thought I’d sit this one out,” Ted sarcastically yelled as a matter of principal, since they were already out of earshot. Turning back to the bar, he bumped into Chris. “Sorry. How’s it going?”

“Okay. So Brian and Scott were a couple?”

“Were, are…Brian doesn’t do the same guy twice unless he’s serious.” Ted stared into his drink. “Although…that’d have to be hot to watch…two tops. How do they decide? Flip a coin?” Ted looked up. Chris was gone. He could see Michael leading Ben to the dance floor.

“What I could do to him,” Scott aimed his drink at Ben, looked at Brian with a foxy grin and got an affirmative return smirk. “Why am I not surprised.” Scott glanced at the dance floor, caught Emmett’s beacon-red outfit and Justin beside him. “Ahh. NOW I remember. Play nice while I’m gone.” Scott set his drink on the bar and turned toward Justin.

Brian did the math in record time, latched onto Scott’s arm. “Leave him alone.”

Scott stopped, studied Brian’s eyes and lit with a nasty grin. “You sonuvabich.”

“Fair warning. He expects too much,” Brian released Scott’s arm and turned back to the bar. He hated having his mind read through his eyes in an unguarded moment. Then he felt Scott’s hand ease up his back and stop between his shoulder blades.

“I didn’t know you cared,” Scott leaned close.

“Fuck…you,” Brian smiled in his face. Delivery had about as much message as the words, hinting that Brian was ready to be the target if it would get Scott’s heat off Justin.

“Hey. How’s it going?” Ted interrupted their soirée.

The whole place suddenly blacked out and went silent as the music abruptly died. Murmurs and yells rose from the confused and disoriented. Dim emergency lighting popped on, a hellish dull red. Someone screamed “Fire!” and panic erupted.

Shouts and grunts echoed from bodies smashing together and clawing past each other to the exit signs. Those who could manage cell phones dialed 911.

Emmett shouted, “Ted! Ted!” as he was jostled backwards.

“Where’s Brian?” Michael looked up at Ben who used his bulk to blaze their path.

“Just keep moving. He’s probably already outside.”

Justin was sardined to a halt with the breath practically crushed out of him when he felt a hand grip his wrist and yank him along. In the clamor and darkness with bodies weaving and bumping around him, he couldn’t tell who was surging ahead of him.

Once they had squeezed through the exit doors and into the strobing lights of police and fire vehicles, Justin could see Brian panting from fighting the crowd.

“Are you okay?” Brian released his hand.

“Yeah.”

“Where’s Ethan?” Brian scouted.

“He’s not here.”

Brian winced, lips tight. “I’ll find him,” he started upstream against the crowd at the door only because the twerp meant something to Justin.

Justin snagged his hand and pulled hard enough to jerk him backwards. “Wait.”

Brian stared at Justin. At their hands clasped together. His nerves sizzled. Justin met his eyes with a similar charge. In the fever of excitement around them, in that one moment when the voltage between them peaked to blinding, all Brian had to do was say. . .

“Justin!” Ethan shouted.

Brian sighted Ethan, looked back at Justin, pulled his hand free. He moved into Ethan’s approach and discreetly snarled, “Next time you strand him, I’ll kick your ass to hell,” before walking on and disappearing into the crowd.

“What are you doing here?” Justin asked as Ethan hooked his arm and led him away.

“Looking for you,” Ethan stared back perturbed.

The two young men walked a hasty pace up Liberty Avenue. Wailing ambulances flew past them enroute to Babylon.

Brian found Chris holding Scott in an obvious one-sided embrace beside Scott’s truck.

“Brian.” Scott peeled Chris’s arms away. “What the hell is going on?” He looked the building over. No smoke, no fire. Bubble lights flashed and strobed everywhere. Arriving press crews scampered for truth and footage.

Ted, Emmett, Michael and Ben converged at Scott’s truck, huddled close and gripped their arms in the cool air.

“Brian! Did you see Justin anywhere?” Emmett craned hopefully. “They say a few people might’ve gotten trampled in there.”

“He’s fine. He left with Ethan.”

“Thank goodness,” Emmett exhaled a long breath.

“Ethan? What happened?” Ted asked.

“Do I look like Channel Eleven?” Brian snapped, started walking. “We’ll catch the news at Woody’s.”

The others agreed and fell in behind him, opting to find their jackets after the melee died down.

Chris caught Scott’s arm. “Can we talk?”

“At the office.” Scott yanked free and followed the others.

Brian looked back, stopped and waited for Scott to join him. Walking with nearly synchronized movements, they were mirror images – arms swinging hot and casual in short sleeves despite the cool air that had just about everyone else shivering.

Chris stood deserted, eyelids closing out that sight.

Brian and Scott staked their claim on a section of bar. Michael, Ben, Ted and Emmett lined up beside Brian as they all watched incoming jacketless and shivering bodies pour through the door as much to warm up and get buzzed-up as to catch the news on Woody’s small TV.

According to the news anchor, a rat somehow accessed the master electrical box and shorted the main breaker. No one knew who yelled “Fire!” and caused the panic that eventually injured fifteen people, two badly enough to be hospitalized.

Scott handed Brian a colorless drink. “Here. Test your manhood.”

“Vodka?” Brian accepted.

“Tequila,” Scott raised his own similar glass in a silent toast.

Brian shrugged, tossed it down same as Scott. He wasn’t fond of tequila, but he’d drink horse piss right now if it would douse the Justin flares in his mind. All from a touch. Could pathetic know any lesser limits.

As fast as the empty glasses hit the bar, Scott had a couple full ones ready.

Michael edged past Brian’s back and saw the drinks disappear, the empty glasses in a growing row. He shook his head and leaned near Ben’s ear. “What’re they doing?”

“Seeing who calls time first,” Ben chuckled.

The room was soon so crowded and loud, Emmett had to shout near Ted’s ear.

“Teddy? I think we should go back to Babylon and find our coats. Justin probably needs his.”

Ted, chucked by a careless passerby, spit up the beer he was swigging. He evil-eyed the passer, wiped his lip on a napkin. “I agree. It’s getting too close in here.”

Ted turned to Ben and yanked his sleeve. “We’re going back to Babylon for our coats.”

“We’ll go with you. Mike?” Ben tapped Michael’s shoulder, got his attention. “We’re leaving.”

“What about them?” Michael tipped his head at Scott and Brian, toasting drinks and staring at each other with daring eyes and static smiles.

“Trust me. They won’t even know we’re gone.” Ben looked down at Michael’s pleading face. “Okay. We’ll grab a bite at the diner. If their cars are still at Babylon after we leave, we’ll check on them.”

Michael smiled gratefully then tapped Brian’s back. “Hey. We’re going.”

Brian’s only response was a raised hand and a brief wave, eyes still on Scott’s.

Tension picked up once Justin and Ethan were in the confines of the small apartment

Justin rubbed his goose-bumped arms. “Thanks for hitching that ride. It would’ve been a loooooong cold walk.”

“It’s no wonder, dressed like that,” Ethan snipped while hanging his coat.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Justin heated quickly, stopped moving.

“Why are you dressed like a hustler?” Ethan leaned against the kitchen counter, hand on his hip. “That’s not what you left in.”

“I don’t have to listen to this,” Justin stormed to the dresser, opened a drawer and pulled out a white tee shirt.

“Was it for HIM?”

“Who?” Justin stripped off Emmett’s shirt, tossed it on the bed and slipped on the tee.

“That guy who doesn’t hang around Babylon anymore. You know…Brian.”

With Ethan coming slowly toward him, Justin dropped his jeans, stepped out of them, snatched them up and whip lashed them onto the bed.

“I didn’t know he was gonna be there. And just in case you forgot, we had a goddamned fire scare. If he hadn’t pulled me out, I’d probably be a pancake by now.”

“Fucking Rage saves you again.”

“For your information, he thought you were with me and he was going back in to get you if I hadn’t stopped him.”

Justin tromped around Ethan, went into the bathroom and slammed the door.

Ethan glared at the door, not sure whether to believe anything beyond the fire scare.

Plowed only to the point of mellow unsteadiness, Brian and Scott made it down Woody’s steps and turned toward Babylon.

A cell phone rang. They both fished phones from their pockets and answered “Hello” at the same time. Scott had a caller; Brian hung up.

When Scott put a hand over his free ear and turned privately away, Brian watched passing faces. On many a hunt, he had sought out a certain something for his evening’s pleasure – a look, color, scent, attitude, tone. Beauty. Aura. Some had one or more. Only one had them all. He’d thought that on the first night; knew it on their second.

Scott swung his arm over Brian’s shoulder. “Change of plans. I hafta meet somebody for the night. What’s the best hotel down here?” Scott leaned on Brian as they resumed their ungainly walk.

“With the Sportswear Convention in town? Maybe if you mention your name, they’ll throw somebody out for you.”

“Shit. It’s a helluva drive back.”

Scott halted when Brian stopped, dug through a pocket, pulled out his key ring. His stupefied fingers struggled to remove one of two identical keys.

“Here. Use my place. It’s clean and it’s close,” Brian dropped the key into Scott’s outstretched hand. “I wasn’t planning on staying there tonight, anyway.”

Brian mustered his best got-something-hot-lined-up grins. Scott’s sly return showed that he bought it.

“You know you got a place North anytime,” Scott squeezed Brian’s shoulder and they both hiked onward.

Scott’s dilemma only aided Brian’s original plan to not spend another lonely night in the loft. He hadn’t spent much time with Mikey recently. Maybe tonight.

Ethan pressed his forehead to the bathroom door.

“You’re not gonna stay in there all night.”

Inside, Justin sat cross-legged on the closed commode, head barely balancing on his neck as he rubbed the scar on his temple. This was supposed to have been his one night out to have fun and establish some balance in his upside-down life.

Ethan abandoned the bathroom door to answer insistent knocking on the front door. He cracked the door a fraction, blinked twice at the red-wear on Emmett, who stood holding folded clothing like a pizza.

“Is…uh…Justin here?”

“He’s in the bathroom.”

“I brought his clothes.” Emmett took a suspect look inside.

“Oh. Right,” Ethan smiled nicely. “Wait here.” Ethan left, balled up the outfit on the bed, rushed back, undid the security chain and opened the door. “Here.” Ethan handed over the ball, clamped his hands on the stack in Emmett’s hand. “Thanks for bringing them back.”

Emmett stared at the door shutting in his face. Something didn’t seem right. He studied the balled outfit in his hands, pursed his lips and left.

Justin stepped out of the bathroom.

“Who was here?”

“I didn’t ask. He brought these back.”

Justin looked at the familiar clothing in Ethan’s hands. “Emmett was here and you didn’t tell me?” Justin rubbed his temple again, hurried to the window.

“Well you weren’t exactly being Mr. Sociable,” Ethan flung the clothes on the bed.

Justin recognized Ted’s car and muscled the window open. “Hey! Emmett!”

But Emmett hadn’t even made it down the stairs yet, and in the car, Ted leaned back against the headrest, eyes closed and hands conducting a symphony on the radio.

Ethan moved behind Justin. “What are you doing?”

“I can’t stay here tonight,” Justin grabbed the cargo pants off the bed, snatched up his shoes and bumped Ethan aside on his way back to the window. He could see the passenger door closing. “Hey!” he shouted again. The car headlights flashed on.

“Come on,” Ethan softened, reached out. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Watch me.”

Justin hung out the window, pitched a Doc Marten steel-toe. It hit square in the middle of the moving car’s hood.

Ted slammed on the brakes. “Jesus! What the devil is THAT?”

“Stop the car!” Emmett craned up and caught Justin waving. He flung the door open, stretched out and waved. “Hi, Baby!”

“Wait for me,” Justin yelled.

“Okay,” Emmett returned to his seat.

“What’s THAT all about?”

“Damned if I know, Honey, but I told Justin I’d be here if he needs me. “

Justin flew out the door in just a tee shirt, pants and socks, his jacket and one shoe in hand. He snatched the other shoe off the hood, rounded to the passenger side where Emmett had opened the back door. Justin jumped in and leaned back, looking up only a moment to wave to Ethan as the car rolled away.

“Thanks,” Justin spoke low.

Ted squinted at his hood, rumbled “Did it have to be a boot? It couldn’t have been a tennis shoe?”

“Shhh,” Emmett scowled before twisting wide eyes at Justin. “You wanna talk about it?”

“I just need a chance to think,” Justin rubbed his temple again. He could feel a migraine coming on. “Maybe just NOT think.”

“Nobody thinks at my place. It’ll be perfect,” Emmett offered.

“I knew it would,” Justin smiled. “Thanks.”

Emmett turned back to Ted, who corner-eyed him with a beware-of-domestic-squabbles negative headshake. Which Emmett prissily made obvious he would ignore.

Brian leaned against the Chevy Silverado’s driver’s door, face even with Scott’s at the open window.

“You have my cell number.”

“I won’t need it,” Scott shook his head, key missing the ignition for the second time.

“Right,” Brian rolled his eyes, slapped the roof of the truck as it finally started and moved off.

Brian made it as far as his Jeep, managed himself into the driver’s seat. The sights before him suddenly flattened to two dimensions. Brian pressed his eyes shut. Opened them. Nothing changed but his opinion of tequila.

“Oh shit,” he shut his eyes and wilted across the seat

Ted’s car rounded a corner and crawled along the line of parked cars behind Babylon.

“There,” Emmett pointed at the Jeep. “It’s still here.”

“Brian never leaves his car unlocked,” Ted stopped the car with headlights on the Jeep’s back bumper.

“If it is, and we leave his jacket, it’ll save us a trip later.” Emmett squirmed around, reached across Justin’s sleeping body and carefully retrieved Brian’s leather.

Quietly slipping out of the car, Emmett hurried to the Jeep, tried the door and flashed Ted a victory smile as the driver’s door opened and dome light lit. He looked down to toss the jacket inside. “Oh…my.”

“Either get in or get out,” Brian mumbled into the seat.

Emmett ran back to the driver’s side of Ted’s car. Ted already had the window rolling down.

“Teddy, Brian’s in there and he’s a liiiittle bit wasted.”

“What?”

“We can’t leave him here.”

“You’re right. Help me get him in the car.”

“Uh…are you forgetting something?” Emmett tipped his head at Justin.

Ted eyed over his shoulder, thought a moment, did his characteristic decision-nod. “Okay. I’ll drive Brian home. Follow me.” He undid his seatbelt and opened the door.

It wasn’t long after Ted and Brian had staggered into the building that Ted bounded back outside and into the driver’s seat.

“That was fast,” Emmett remarked as Ted started the car.

“He called me Mikey a couple times and passed out on the couch. At least he’s got Scott with him.”

“Scott?”

“SOMEbody was in the shower. And that big silver truck has ‘TURNER 1” plates,” Ted pointed to the truck behind which he’d parked the Jeep.

“You don’t say,” Emmett brought a hand to his lip as Ted drove on.

In the back seat, Justin laid still, his open eyes slowly closing.

At the loft, pale lamplight shined through the window onto Brian. He briefly opened his eyes then closed them again. It didn’t matter where he was. Pouring himself into his old life felt foreign and bittersweet. The fear that he might never be able to go back left him as raw and cold as his hand felt leaving Justin’s. He pulled his leather jacket to his neck against the chill. If he couldn’t go back, what would it take to move ahead?

On Emmett’s couch, Justin tightened a blanket around himself. His heart was on overload, and now he was losing Justin Taylor in the downward spiral. He had to reign in his passion for a man who denied love, and his attraction to a man whose love had so many limits. If he prioritized and worked it out, would everything really fall into place?

In his bed, Ethan touched the sheet where Justin should have been. Had he been too easy letting Justin go out without him? Had he pushed too hard about Brian? One thing was certain. Justin was a romantic. Music. Poetry. A special dinner. Ethan knew a thousand ways to fire the senses. Enough to overpower Brian’s looks and money. Sowhat in Brian’s pitiful remaining repertoire was keeping such a hold on Justin.

On Tremont, Chris’s head leaned against his car headrest, eyes glassy behind a window reflecting the Chevy and Jeep. The chilling thought of Scott’s building a relationship with Brian made him snug his coat collar around is neck. He had to do something. Soon.

A cold, long and lonely night for some tough decisions.

Song: “Alaska (Original Mix)” by The Venture

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