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

 

“You can do this…you can do this…” Justin repeated over and over quietly to himself as he stood just inside the entrance of the club.  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing his feet to move and his heart to calm down.  Succeeding, on both accounts, he moved onward into Babylon and felt the instant heat of the writhing bodies and heavy base of the blaring music wash over him.

 

Spotting the gang at their familiar spot he steadied himself and knew it was now or never…

 

“Whoo-hoo, baby, over here,” Emmett shouted out, waving to his favorite blond.

 

Justin smiled at his friend’s tactics.  As if he wasn’t able to see the guys just a few feet away.  The exuberant man’s calls and incessant motions just seemed to draw even more attention than usual, but he knew that that was just part of Emmett’s charm.

 

“Hey,” Justin said with a nervous smile.

 

“Well don’t we seem to be a little overdressed tonight,” Emmett stated with a questioning stare as he took in the rather heavy and long overcoat that Justin was wearing.

 

Looking down at himself, Justin replied, “Um, yeah, well, I, uh…”

 

“Having a little bit of difficulty tonight, Sunshine?” Brian asked in his usual sarcastic manner, earning himself a rather unfriendly glare from his partner, which didn’t go unnoticed by their friends.

 

“It seems like things aren’t so wonderful in wonderland tonight,” Emmett said under his breath to Michael, Ben and Ted.

 

“Yeah, well, I wonder what the hell Justin did to piss Brian off now?” Michael asked in his usual whiny tone.

 

“And what makes you think that it was Justin’s fault?  Like Brian NEVER does ANYTHING wrong?” Ted drew out, emphasizing his words with a wave of his hands.

 

Closing his eyes and sighing rather loudly, Justin knew that Brian obviously still had the same stick up his ass as he did earlier in the day when they’d had their little tiff, as the stubborn and thick-headed man had referred to it.  But as far as Justin was concerned, a fucking explosion was probably a better description of the fight they’d had.  But hey, you say potato…I say…well, you get the gist.

 

He’d tried to explain things to Brian, but the man just didn’t seem to get it.  No matter what the fuck Justin said, Brian just didn’t get it.

 

Well, tonight, hopefully after the little stunt that he was about to pull, maybe Brian would.

 

Justin smiled to himself, thinking about the reaction that he was about to receive from his lover and hoped that maybe then he’d understand what Justin was trying to tell him.  Brian would get a taste first hand of what HE’D been dealing with for the longest time and Justin couldn’t wait to see how he handled it.  He was fairly certain that the ability with which Brian would deal with his, well, surprise, would not be pretty.

 

“So, baby, why exactly ARE you wearing that ugly, old overcoat?” Emmett asked.

 

Standing as tall as possible and gathering all the courage he could muster, Justin answered his friend as he pulled off the coat and tossed it onto the bar, revealing what lay underneath.  “Because I thought I’d be a little cold outside in just this.”

 

“Holy shit!” Emmett cried out.

 

“Oh, my gawwwwdddd!” Ted said with his mouth gaping and the drool beginning to slide out the corners.

 

“Justin, I…I…uh, very, uh, tasteful,” Ben stammered.

 

“What the hell…” Michael whined.

 

But the biggest response that was heard came from Brian.  ”What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” he shouted, loud enough to be heard over the music and earning himself more than a few stares from the other patrons.  And that only seemed to piss Brian off even further, thus beginning the next part of the reaction…the one that Justin was counting on.

 

“Nothing.  I just remembered that it was Spirit Night at Babylon, in honor of the holidays, so I decided to show some Christmas spirit, that’s all,” the blond said oh so innocently.  Then he glanced over at Emmett and said, “By the way, Em, I really like your outfit.”

 

Looking over himself appreciatively, the gentile man smiled, running his hands along the soft, white, fake-fur collar of his deep-red sleeveless jacket then smoothed out any imaginary wrinkles in his matching backless, velvet pants.  “Why, thank you, baby.  I’m pretty happy with the way I turned out this evening.  But you, baby…mm-mm-mm…you  look yuuuuummy!”

 

Justin smiled and blushed slightly, then looked at the faces of the rest of the gang as he tried to ignore the cat-calls and offers pouring out from the continuous stream of men that passed by them.  He also made sure that his eyes didn’t meet Brian’s…not yet…he was still a little unsure as to what he’d find there.

 

His brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Ted, still staring open-mouthed and he could swear that he saw his tongue slip out for just a spilt second and drop down towards the floor before it rolled back into his mouth again.  He shook his head and tried to regain his focus as he cast his eyes towards Ben.  Good, level headed Ben.  But, uh, why was he still mumbling to himself with that goofy look on his face?  What was he saying?  Justin leaned in and was sure he heard….”Uh, yeah, nice, um, uh, good color, perky, uh, um…” 

 

Yeah, okay, the blond thought as he straightened up again. 

 

Then he looked at Michael.  Well, no surprise there.  The impish little troll of a man who had obviously tried to partake in the festivities of the evening and was wearing a red striped pullover that Justin might have worn when he was, oh, maybe TWO, had a look on his face that he was all too familiar with.  It was the typical, ‘What the fuck are you going to do to my bestest friend in the whole wide world now?’ face.  Big fuckin’ surprise.  Justin’d seen THAT face on the sad, pathetic man so many times now that he thought he’d have been more surprised if it WASN’T there.  How would he possibly recognize Michael if it wasn’t?

 

But as he lost the battle raging within and his eyes, of their own accord drifted toward Brian’s face, he saw something that he wasn’t familiar with.  He wasn’t exactly sure how to label it…how to give it a name…but he was pretty sure that what he’d been hoping for…the reaction that he’d wanted to cause with his little stunt was definitely beginning to emerge from his lover.

 

“Justin, I asked you what the fuck do you think you’re doing?  Coming out dressed like THAT?  Are you NUTS?”

 

Justin heard the angry tone of his lover’s voice, but he didn’t let it sway him in his mission.  He knew that he could still pick up the coat and throw it back on and march out of there like nothing had ever happened.  But he wasn’t prepared to do that.  He knew that Brian was mad, but he also knew for certain that THAT wasn’t all that the man was feeling.  Nope, the little green-eyed monster was rearing its ugly little head in Brian and Justin couldn’t have been happier. 

 

Now, time to turn up the heat.

 

“Weren’t they advertising something about a prize for the best outfit here tonight?” Justin asked the group, still refusing to answer his lover’s question.

 

“Um, yes, and I’m hoping to take home first prize with my ensemble…but…um…maybe I’d better re-think that goal now that you’ve shown up,” Emmett replied, eyeing HIS outfit which he’d thought was rather daring, but coming up miles short compared to the blond’s.  “Well, maybe second prize then,” he said with an accepting smile.

 

“There is no fucking way in hell that YOU are going up there and strutting your goods in front off all these horny animals,” Brian stated rather forcefully and quite loudly.

 

Turning his attention toward his lover, Justin smiled and asked in a sweet and even voice that seemed to enrage Brian even further, “Did you say something?”

 

“Justin,” Brian warned, moving dangerously close to the blond.

 

Justin felt himself waver slightly but knew he couldn’t cave in just yet.  He took a deep breath then said, “Well, boys, I think I’d better go make sure that my name’s on that list.  Wouldn’t want any last minute problems that prevent me from earning that prize.”

 

And with that, Justin took a step back from his irate lover, grabbed his overcoat off of the bar and headed further into the club.

 

“Brian, you can’t just let him go like that.  Think of what everyone will say.”

 

“Michael, what do you expect him to do?  Grab the kid and hold him down?” Ben asked his stupefied lover.

 

“Well…I…hey,” Michael said with an angry swat to his lover’s chest as he caught the man watching the blond as he headed into the crowd.

 

That’s when they all got a full glimpse at exactly how little there was of Justin’s outfit.

 

“Oh my gawwwwdddd,” came Ted’s response again as his eyes followed Justin’s perfectly shaped exposed ass as it glided away.  Then his eyes came up and met Brian’s and he instantly straightened up and closed his gaping mouth as a bolt of fear shot through him from the look he saw in the other man’s darkened orbs.

 

“I for one think our baby looks delicious and I’m sure that everyone else will feel the same.  Don’t you, Brian?” Emmett asked with a grin.  He always was one to tease the animals even when all the signs clearly stated otherwise.

 

With a loud huff and a crippling stare Brian took off in the same direction that his disobedient lover had gone only moments before.

 

“The fun’s just begun, gentlemen.  I suggest we grab ourselves a drink and settle on in for the show,” Emmett suggested, waving the bartender over with a flick of his wrist then settling back against the bar and getting comfortable.

 

“Justin…Justin…”

 

The blond turned around having finished his conversation with Sheba, the mistress of ceremonies for the evening’s event just as Brian was calling his name.  “Yes,” he innocently asked his lover.

 

Brian quickly looked around and realized that way, WAY too many eyes were on them, particularly on Justin and took hold of the younger man’s arm, pulling him along beside him toward the backroom.

 

“Brian, I’m not interested in fucking you right now,” Justin uttered as he was dragged along.

 

“Don’t flatter yourself, Sunshine.  Right now that’s the last thing on my mind.”

 

Justin stopped abruptly, jerking Brian to a stop and when the older man turned, he was met with an unbelieving smirk on the blond’s face.

 

“Okay, so maybe it’s not the LAST thing on my mind, but that’s not why we’re headed in there,” he said, motioning with his head toward the backroom.  “I just want somewhere a little more private to talk to you.”

 

“And you think in THERE is private.  God, Brian, there’s more noise and action going on in there than out here anytime,” Justin stated, with a roll of his eyes.

 

“Yeah, well, I…”

 

“And now, gentlemen and gentlemen, the evening’s entertainment is about to begin,” Sheba announced from the stage.

 

“Oops, that’s me.  Gotta go.”

 

“Justin…” Brian shouted to his lover’s retreating back.

 

“Wish me luck,” the blond called over his shoulder with a wicked smile and a mischievous twinkle in his piercing blue eyes.

 

“FUCK!” Brian exploded as Justin disappeared and he knew that without a doubt, he was in for one hell of a night.

 

From the other side of the room, Emmett hurriedly put down his drink and excitedly headed toward the stage calling, “Wait for me…wait for me.”

 

“It’s time to get the show started, and honey, there’s a few of the contestants tonight that I wouldn’t mind getting started on myself…if you know what I mean,” Sheba told the crowd and earned a loud response of cheers and shouts.  Tonight’s attire kept in line with the evenings theme and Sheba was wearing a skin-tight bustier of bright red silk with white fur trim and a matching short skirt that left the imagination to wonder just where the, um, ladies package had gone for the night.

 

“Tonight is Sprit Night and with that in mind, let’s see what Santa has for us this year.  Come on up boys and let’s see what you’ve got.”

 

One by one the contestants headed onto the stage and stood side by side.  In all there were six, including Emmett and Justin.  Justin had thrown on his overcoat again and held it tightly around his body in a somewhat shy stance with his arms wrapped around his waist as he waited last in line.

 

Brian watched Justin back at the bar with his friends and snorted at the obvious show that his lover was putting on.  “Shy, my ass,” the disgruntled man said.

 

“What?” Michael asked, momentarily turning his attention toward Brian.

 

“Nothing,” Brian grumbled then listened as Sheba began again.

 

“So the rules are simple.  There are no rules.  Well, except that the one with the best outfit, one that shows the most spirit of the season wins.  So let’s make it a good one honeys and show us what you’ve got.”

 

With that, the first contestant was called and he moved forward.  He was dressed rather glittery in red, silver and white pants and shirt that looked like they had been painted on, being so impossibly skin tight and leaving nothing to the imagination.  He twirled and pranced and tried to give them his best and the crowd seemed quite impressed.

 

“Okay, boys, I think that I may just have to peel my way into getting me some of THAT before the night is through,” Sheba said with a growl and the men cheered.  Now let’s see what’s next.”

 

And once again she called the man’s name and the next contestant stepped forward to show off the goods.  He was dressed much simpler than the man before, but had much less on.  The sleeveless shirt and knee-length shorts showed more skin but weren’t as alluring as the other man.  But still, he gave a good show and tried his best to egg the crowd on.

 

“Nice try…nice try, but honey, I think it’s gonna take a lot more than that to get these men up…if you know what I mean,” the outrageous mistress commented and the second man seemed to shrink into the background.  “So, here we go with Emmett now, who looks to me like we may just have to hook up later for nothing more than the fact that we seem to be twins.”

 

The crowd laughed and applauded because it was the truth.  For as Emmett stepped forward, they noticed that his outfit DID look pretty similar to Sheba’s.  Even though HE was wearing pants and SHE was wearing a skirt, the rest wasn’t too far off.

 

Emmett knew that if he wanted to win, he had to shake what his Mama’d given him…and he did just that.   He had the men hollering and calling out to him, especially when he turned around and flashed them the little surprise of the ass being partially cut out of his red-velvet pants, exposing the flesh of his firm butt cheeks.  He wiggled and smiled, throwing his hands up in his typical ‘praise Jesus’ move, going for the gold.

 

And as the other two contestants took their turns, laying it on and throwing it out there for the rowdy crowd, Emmett felt sure that he was gonna walk away the winner.  But then he heard Sheba and realized that there was one more person left.  Justin.  ‘Fuck,’ he thought, his smile fading a little and his shoulders slumping forward slightly because he knew, that no matter how good he was, Justin was gonna be better.  He was gonna blow them away. 

 

‘But hey, second place is good too.  Yeah.’  And with that thought Emmett smiled and stood tall and watched his baby go.

 

Meanwhile, over at the bar, the natives were getting restless.  Mainly, Brian.  He’d kept his cool, watched the other men strut their stuff, but now it was Justin’s turn and he wasn’t sure just how far he was willing to let things go.  He didn’t want to make a fool out of himself but the feelings…the unfamiliar feelings that were raging through him were making him crazy and he wasn’t sure what to do with them.

 

Just then he heard Sheba call Justin’s name and saw her wink at his lover, obviously remembering another time when he’d been on the stage with her and felt something inside of him snap. 

 

But it was too late.

 

Justin began.

 

He took a deep breath and stepped forward, smiling at the way that Sheba had announced him as Justy, but still trying to keep his shy demeanor with the coat wrapped tightly around his slim frame.  The men called out to him to remove the coat and he raised his shoulder timidly, his blue eyes shinning seductively out at them.  Slowly he reached into his coat with one hand and pulled out a red and white Santa’s hat, placing it on his head and cocking it slightly to one side so that his mesmerizing eyes peeked out from underneath the rim.  The crowed went wild and Justin smiled.

 

That’s when the chanting began.

 

“Take it off…take it off…take it off…”

 

Justin couldn’t help but sneak a look across the room and found his eyes instantly locked on Brian.  The man looked like at any moment the steam was going to burst out the top of his head he was so angry.  Justin felt a little startled but he knew he couldn’t back down now.  No, he had to prove to his lover exactly what he’d tried to that morning.

 

Once again he focused on the men and placed either hand on a lapel and motioned to them if he should pull the coat open?  The immediate response was of course, “Go for it.”

 

Which, he did.

 

Which caused an uproar so fucking loud that Justin was sure he was going to be temporarily deaf before the night was through.

 

Which made Brian fume and uncontrollably take several steps away from the bar and toward the stage.

 

For up on the platform stood his lover in nothing more than a red and white Santa’s hat and a red thong, leaving absolutely NOTHING to the imagination.

 

“Well, it certainly is a Merry Christmas, indeed,” came Sheba’s pleasant response to Justin’s delectable outfit.

 

Justin knew that he had to push it.  Go that one step further.  He smiled his trademark smile, making sure that he had the room under his spell then went in for the kill.  Slowly he turned, keeping his head forward and eyes on the crowd at all times and ended up looking over his shoulder as he finished with his backside completely facing the audience and completely and utterly exposed.

 

“HOLY FUCK!” Brian shouted as did many, MANY of the other patrons as that perfect, delicious, mouthwatering ass came into view in the backless thong.

 

The crowd went wild as Justin wiggled his best feature and he was so overwhelmed and caught up in the noise that he didn’t see Brian, his face hard as steel rushing toward him.

 

“Well, I think that we have ourselves a winner, hands, or let’s just say, ass-down.”  Sheba announced.  “Justy.”

 

The crowd erupted and Emmett began jumping and clapping along with them, so proud of his baby that he had to wipe the tear that slipped from the corner of his eye before his mascara ran and messed everything up.

 

Justin was pulled into a warm embrace by Sheba then a red satin and white-fur collar cape was draped across his shoulders, to which the crowd groaned, having sadly covered up the man’s exposed flesh.

 

And as the blond turned toward the audience, he now saw the look on his lover’s face and felt a shiver of regret run down his spine so strongly that he momentarily felt bad for what he’d done.  But then he realized that it was the only way and smiled, locking his gaze with Brian’s and feeling a euphoria rush through him as his man reached up onto the stage, grabbed him and lifted him down, instantly pulling him toward the exit of the club.

 

Unfortunately they missed the next big moment on stage when Emmett was awarded second place and given a little white, furry bell on a soft collar that he immediately placed around his neck and shook so he could hear the dinging. 

 

“Ohhh, this is gonna be fun,” he said with a smile, thinking of all the naughty things he could do with the prize.

 

“Brian…”

 

“No.”

 

“Brian…wait…stop…”

 

“Justin, I swear, don’t say anything…not a fucking thing until we get home,” Brian warned as he pulled his lover to the car and helped him into his seat, then got in his own side, started the car and screeched away into the night.

 

Justin drew the cape tighter around his body, trying to stave off the cold, realizing that the coat he’d worn there was much warmer.  He’d taken a cab to Babylon and was prepared to take one home because given the limited amount of clothing he opted for that evening didn’t allow for public transit.  He would have frozen his nuts off.

 

He looked over at Brian and for a second felt a little scared of the other man.  He wondered if maybe he’d pushed him too far?  But he knew that Brian wouldn’t hurt him, at least not physically.  But the verbal lashing he might be in for was just as scary.  He took a deep breath and slowly released it, preparing himself for the worst.

 

Brian heard Justin’s sighs and knew that he was probably worried about what Brian might do.  The thing was…that Brian wasn’t sure himself of what he might do.  He’d never before felt such anger and…and…what the fuck was it that he was feeling?  Jealousy?  No.  No fucking way.  Jealousy was for lesbians and he knew for sure that he still had his dick because it had been rock hard since the moment that Justin had opened his coat.

 

‘FUCK,’ he thought.

 

‘I’m jealous.’  He sighed and shook his head in defeat.

 

Justin heard Brian sigh and caught the movement of his head and wondered just what the hell he was thinking. 

 

Before he could react fast enough, Brian turned toward him and their eyes met and he knew…he saw it…and he couldn’t help it.  It made him smile.

 

Brian huffed and turned his attention back to the road.  ‘I’m fucked.’

 

Justin continued to smile, because he’d won.  He’d set out to prove to Brian how it felt when the older man flaunted himself and ogled other guys in front of him and let them do the same to him, more than willingly.  Not that he couldn’t look.  Hey, they weren’t dead, after all.  But sometimes, the way that Brian made Justin feel…well…he didn’t like it. 

 

And so the morning’s argument had begun.

 

And Brian had sworn up and down that it didn’t bother him when other guys looked at Justin or were attracted to him because he knew where they stood and what they had.  But still, when Justin tried to explain that sometimes it went too far, Brian trivialized it and said that Justin was overreacting and getting all muncher-like on him.

 

So out of sheer frustration his plan was born.

 

And when all was said and done on their way back to the loft in the small space of the corvette, Brian now got it.  He knew what Justin was trying to tell him and he understood that sometimes, maybe he wasn’t as much of an innocent bystander as he pretended to be and now he got it.  That it hurt.  It fucking hurt.

 

Wordlessly Brian reached across the seat and placed his warm hand on Justin’s thigh and gave a squeeze.

 

Okay, so it wasn’t a deep, meaningful confession or a blabbering of emotion, but it was something.

 

It was him.

 

And when he glanced at his lover’s face, and saw the warm smile and twinkling of his eyes he knew that his message had been heard.  Loud and clear.  And he sighed when he felt Justin’s smaller hand close over his and give a squeeze.

 

Merry Christmas, indeed.

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