Just Like Heaven

Chapter 2

Justin watched with a mixture of amusement and irritation as Mysterious Marilynn strolled casually around the loft, trailing a gloved hand over the furnishings.

"She's casing the joint," Brian said. "She'll wait until you're gone then come back and steal everything."

"You could always call the police," Justin said with a smug grin.

"There's a lot of anger in this room. Brian isn't happy that you're here," Marilyn commented without looking at Justin.

"How does she know your name?" Justin asked, ignoring the comment. He already knew that Brian didn't want him here.

"Everyone on Liberty knows me, kid. Men fantasize about being in my bed."

Justin snorted. "I know why you're still here. Your ego wouldn't fit through the door to the afterlife."

"If I weren't incorporeal, you'd be singing a different tune. That ass of yours was made to be fucked."

Brian smirked as Justin turned red.

Raising his voice, Justin spoke to Marilyn. "So, have you figured out how to get rid of him yet?"

Marilyn meandered back toward Justin. "There is a reason you are here, Justin."

"Yeah, yeah. Can we skip ahead to the answer part now?"

Marilyn gazed at Justin for a long moment before replying. "Your visitor may not be dead, but your aura is well on its way."

"Meaningless mumbo-jumbo." Justin muttered.

"She has a point." Brian said. "Those dirty socks you toss everywhere smell like something died in them."

Marilyn continued while Justin glared at Brian. "He wasn't worthy of your devotion when you were together, child. He certainly doesn't deserve it now."

Justin switched his glare to Marilyn. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Brian laughed. "Trouble in paradise, kid? The love of your life dump you?"

Justin began plotting how to get rid of both his unwanted visitors.

"You need to move on if you're to be of any help to Brian… and yourself." Marilyn said.

"He's the one that needs to move on and the only help I need is on how to get rid of him." Justin said.

"My loft, kid. I'm not going anywhere." Brian said, thoroughly amused by the situation.

"The fates have provided you many chances." Marilyn said. "This may be your last chance to help each other."

"I know how I can help. You bring tricks back here and I'll give you pointers on technique," Brian said, enjoying the red flush that crept up Justin's face. The kid was too easy.

Justin had a sudden vision of lying next to a trick after an orgasm only to have a Brian call out '8 for stamina, but only a 3 for the dismount.'. "Go haunt the backroom. I'm not fucking anyone with you watching."

Marilyn raised a brow. "Brian is a very sexually oriented man. It must be frustrating for him to be in this insubstantial state."

"She has a point. Ask her how I'm supposed to fuck anyone if I go right through them?" Brian said.

"Please tell me you haven't actually tried," Justin said, rolling his eyes.

"Gets you hard just thinking about it, huh, kid?" Brian said, noticing the obvious bulge in Justin's pants.

"Why am I the only one that can see him?" Justin asked Marilyn in desperation. There was no way he was attracted to this irritating ghost.

"Now you're asking the right question." Marilyn replied.

Justin watched in astonishment as Marilyn sauntered out the loft door, sliding it shut behind her.

"What kind of answer was that?" Justin asked.

"The kind that is just vague enough to appear obvious after the fact." Brian replied with a smirk. "No matter how things turn out."

"What do we do now?"

"It's getting late. You could probably use some sleep… and a shower." Brian said with a leer.

Justin glared at the ghost, then stalked across the floor to the bathroom. He slammed the door closed behind him, despite knowing that Brian could just walk through it. When the ghost didn't follow, Justin wasn't sure if he should be relieved…or disappointed.

~ * ~

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" Brian asked. "You have work tomorrow."

Justin lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, just as he had been for the last hour or two. He refused to look at the ghost who was lounging on the bed next to him. "What do you care? You just want me out of your loft."

"You have a point," Brian said. "You go to work often enough looking like death warmed over…"

Justin turned to glare at Brian for the pun. The obnoxious ghost merely grinned with that stupid, tongue in cheek thing he did.

"…you'll probably fuck up, get fired and not be able to afford the rent on this place. Problem solved," Brian said.

"You're an asshole."

"So I've been told, by better than you, kid."

Silence descended for a moment while Justin stared at the ceiling and Brian stared at Justin.

"He didn't leave me." Justin finally said quietly. "He died."

Brian cocked his head to one side in contemplation. "Maybe fate got her wires crossed and <I>he</I> was supposed to come back and haunt you."

Justin snorted. "He's probably haunting the wife and two kids he never told me about."

"A closet case, huh? Don't tell me; you went to the funeral, shook hands with the grieving the widow and never said a word about her lying, cheating bastard of a husband."

"More or less."

"That's why love is bullshit. He used both of you so he could have his happy little hetero marriage and no one would ever suspect that he had a hot, young, male lover stashed away."

The corners of Justin's mouth twitched in the beginnings of a smile. "You think I'm hot?"

"Considering I haven't had sex in who knows how long, Daphne would look hot right now."

"You think I'm hot." Justin crowed.

"Right now, I think you're an annoying pest."

"A hot, young, annoying pest," Justin corrected.

"Young and annoying…two out of three ain't bad." Brian said. For some reason, Justin didn't find Brian's tongue in cheek expression nearly as irritating this time.

~ * ~

"Honey, I'm home," Brian called out from just behind Justin.

Having been engrossed in sketching, Justin let out a startled yelp, turned and threw his pencil at the inconsiderate ghost. The fact that the pencil flew through Brian's body and hit the wall behind didn't improve his temperament. "Will you quit sneaking up on me?"

"I'm a fucking ghost. That's what we do." Brian replied, unperturbed.

"Why me?" Justin moaned.

"According to that eccentric soothsayer you brought here, that is the question." Brian said.

"A lot of good that does me. I need the answer, not the question."

"The answer won't do you a lot of good if you don't know the question." Brian replied.

Justin scowled at the ghost, then went to retrieve his pencil. When he turned around, Brian was staring at the sketch that was laying open on the sofa.

"Not bad. Who's it suppose to be?"

Justin rolled his eyes, used to Brian's sense of humor. "Daphne wanted to know what you looked like."

"Is that really how you see me?" Brian asked, his tone serious for once.

"Why? What's wrong with it?" Justin asked, looking from the sketch to Brian and back again.

"It's just that… I don't know… I look… happy." Brian finished lamely.

Justin wasn't too sure what to make of that comment. "I was thinking about last night when we were making fun of that corny old movie on TV."

"I was probably just glad that you'd finally cleaned up the place a little."

Justin grinned. "I guess I was becoming something of a slob."

"Becoming? You could give lectures. Are you sure you're gay?"

Justin tried to look pissed, but ended up laughing instead. "Okay, I get the point. I'll probably never be able to pass the white glove inspection, but I'll quit throwing my dirty socks everywhere."

"Considering that I can't wear gloves at the moment, I guess that'll do."

~ * ~

"Don't tell me that your ex gave you that sappy thing." Brian said, looking at the snow globe that Justin was unpacking.

Justin laughed. For some reason, talking about his ex didn't seem to hurt as much anymore. "No, my grandmother got this for me. I don't really understand why. It even plays a song, although I'm not sure what the tune is."

Brian sighed resignedly as Justin flipped the globe over and wound the key at the bottom. He pressed a lever on the side and the whole thing lit up as it played.

"You don't recognize that tune?" Brian asked in disbelief.

Justin shook his head. "It sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it. Why, do you know it?"

Brian huffed slightly. "Just remember, I'm a ghost. If you tell anyone that I did this, they'll never believe you." Brian waited for the tune to start over then proceeded to sing along.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy, when skies are gray.

You'll never know dear, how much I love you.

Please don't take my sunshine away."

Justin grinned. "That's what she used to call me, her sunshine. Now it makes sense."

"You could've just asked her." Brian grumbled.

"Well, she sent it to me while I was in California. I didn't have the heart to tell her I didn't understand why. Now, I won't have to embarrass myself by asking."

When Justin smiled at Brian again, Brian understood why his grandmother called him 'sunshine'. Not that he would ever tell him that, of course.

~ * ~

"Hey, Brian. Come in here and tell me what you think." Justin called from the bedroom.

Brian materialized somewhere in the vicinity of the bed and sprawled across it while he looked over Justin's ensemble. "Not in this lifetime, Sunshine. What's the occasion?"

Justin sighed melodramatically as he pulled off his shirt and put on another one. "I'm supposed to meet Daphne for dinner. She's fixed me up with some guy she works with."

"Oh, the proverbial blind-date. What's the big deal? Just throw something on and go."

"I want to look hot, but not too slutty."

"Oh, looking to get laid, but want to play hard-to-get. I'd go with the gray button-up."

"This thing?" Justin asked in disbelief. "I'd never get laid wearing this. Asked to do someone's taxes maybe…"

When Brian's next several suggestions weren't any better, Justin began to get suspicious. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you <I>want</I> this date to be a bust."

"Well, it is kind of boring just hanging around here by myself all day. At least when you're here, there's some comic relief."

"Have you ever actually tried to leave the loft?"

Brian looked thoughtful for a moment. "No, I haven't. That's an excellent suggestion, Sunshine."

Justin rolled his eyes. Ever since he'd played the tune on the snow globe, Brian had been calling him that. "Good, now help me pick out something to wear then you can go do… whatever it is ghosts do."

Unfortunately, Justin soon found out that Brian's idea of leaving the loft was to follow him to the restaurant where he was meeting Daphne. "Brian, you are not going on this date with me."

"It was your idea for me to get out, Sunshine."

"This isn't what I had in mind." Justin managed a weak smile as a passing couple stared at him. He knew he had to look ridiculous standing there talking to himself.

"Come on, Sunshine. Let's go find Daphne." Brian walked through the wall into the restaurant, leaving Justin with no choice but to follow by the conventional route.

By the time Justin found Daphne and was introduced to his date, he had located Brian sitting at a table with another gay couple, apparently intrigued by their conversation. Relieved that Brian wasn't going to bother him, Justin tried to make small talk with Kent.

"Too bad I can't warn that guy that he's going to be disappointed tonight." Brian said, popping up behind Kent's chair. "His date gives a lousy blow job."

Justin choked on his water, hastily covering his mouth with his napkin as he began to cough.

"Are you okay, Jus?" Daphne asked.

Justin nodded, trying not to look at his ghostly roommate.

"So, this is the hot date." Brian said sarcastically. "What is this, seventies retro night? And I thought your clothes were bad, Sunshine. Let's see if his shoes can salvage this disaster."

Justin winced as Brian bent over and stuck his head through the table then his body disappeared completely.

"I understand you're an artist, Justin." Kent said. "Is there someplace I might have seen your work?"

Justin was about to answer when Brian's head popped up in the middle of the table. "I'd forget about getting laid tonight, Sunshine. You'd need a magnifying glass to find this guy's dick. Daphne, on the other hand, is one lucky young lady."

"Will you stop that?" Justin hissed, then realized that everyone was staring at him. "Uh, I'm sorry. Daphne kicked me under the table."

Daphne looked surprised. "Sorry." She said uncertainly.

Much to Justin's relief, the waiter brought their salads then. Perhaps if he kept him mouth full, he wouldn't have to worry about making comments that no one else understood. Justin kept his eyes down, refusing to look at Brian.

"Is something wrong with your salad, Jus?" Daphne asked as Justin set his fork down. Justin shook his head as he glared at the fingers wiggling in his salad bowl. "I'm not very hungry, I guess."

"Well, you know they serve the salad first so you don't notice how small the portions are later." Kent said. "Of course, I work out so I don't have to worry about how much I eat."

Brian's disembodied head snorted in contempt. "If you really want to get laid, Sunshine, the waiter at the next table isn't too bad. He was checking out your ass when you sat down."

Justin began to turn red, which only encouraged Brian further.

"Apparently your date thinks he's hot too. Maybe you could do a threesome."

Justin picked up his fork and stabbed at his salad, ignoring Brian's chuckle as the utensil failed to connect with his hand.

"Justin's lucky, he can eat whatever he wants and never gains an once. I can't even look at a dessert without gaining a pound." Daphne said. She glanced at Justin in concern as he continued to stab at his salad without eating it.

"Well, you know what they say. If you don't watch your figure, nobody else will." Kent observed around a mouth full of lettuce.

"You can't be serious about this guy, Sunshine. Even Mikey has better table manners than this cretin."

Justin automatically looked at Kent who had a piece of lettuce hanging from his chin. The greenery flapped about as he continued to shovel more food in. Justin started to laugh, but covered it with a coughing fit instead. When Daphne looked at him in concern, Justin pointed to his chin and jerked his head towards Kent while continuing to cough.

When Daphne saw what had set her friend off, she was forced into a coughing fit of her own. Their dates looked perplexed as the two friends excused themselves to get their coughing under control.

"Oh, my god. I can't believe he had salad stuck to his face." Daphne finally managed to gasp once they were out of sight of the table.

"That's not the worst of it." Justin said. "Brian's been doing a running commentary since we got here. I don't think he likes Kent very much."

"Brian's here?" Daphne said, eyes wide. "I didn't think he could leave the loft."

"Neither did I, but he started complaining about me leaving him there all alone, so I told him to get out and do something. I guess this is his idea of fun."

Daphne giggled. "Well, if I were a ghost, I'd probably think this was fun too. Just be glad he can't move things."

"Thank god for small favors."

"So, what did he think of my date?"

Justin grinned. "He told me to forget about getting laid, but he said that you were a lucky, young lady."

"Really." Daphne purred. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Let's get out of here, Sunshine." Brian interrupted. "I'll take you someplace where you're guaranteed to find a decent trick."

Justin knew it would be pointless to go back to the table with Brian in this mood. Not that he was all that interested in salad-face anyway. "Daph, tell Kent I'm not feeling too well. I'm going to cut out the back."

"Justin…" Daphne called out to her rapidly departing friend. "You're so going to owe me for this." She muttered as she steeled herself to face her date and her jilted co-worker.

~ * ~

Laughing, Justin tossed his clothes aside and flopped backwards on the bed. He knew without looking that Brian was lying on the other side.

"I haven't danced like that in years."

Brian grinned. "Every guy there wanted to fuck you. You should have taken at least one of them up on it."

"I was having too much fun dancing," Justin said, leaving the 'with you' unspoken.

"Who knew you could have so much fun without drugs or booze."

"You just liked being able to dance through people."

"Freaked you out, didn't it?"

Justin rolled onto his side so that they lay face to face. "At first. You kept disappearing into someone, then reappearing somewhere else. Doesn't that feel weird?"

Brian put his hand over Justin's. "Feel anything?"

Justin shook his head, understanding. "I thought ghosts were supposed to be cold."

Brian shrugged, but didn't move his hand. "You're the one doing all the research."

"None of the accounts I've read are quite this… tangible."

"Nothing tangible about me at the moment, Sunshine." Brian replied. He reached out and traced the contour of Justin's face, neither of them feeling the contact, but both feeling the emotion behind it.

"I wish I could touch you." Justin whispered, voicing both what he felt and what he could see in Brian's eyes.

"Yeah," came the sad reply.

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