Devil's Playground

Chapter 14

Justin attended art lessons at the GLC regularly. He'd been making good steady progress as the weeks passed. He loved to draw even though he had no idea what he was doing half the time. The teacher told him he had a natural talent; all he had to do was hone it. Justin loved being in the art room. He loved the smell of the paints, crayons and just the overall smell of the room. It reminded him a bit of his small workshop back home.

Justin sat back on his stool and scrutinized his latest sketch. He was finally happy with how this one had turned out. He had sketched part of his backyard. There was a big pond with ripples on the water and cat tails dotting the edge of the pond. A big oak tree dominated a corner of the paper and in the distance stood a silo. Justin had felt the pond needed something so he drew a small fish. The teacher joked with him that you couldn't actually see fish in the water. It didn't matter to him, he liked the little fish and it was a fairly clear pond so he thought secretly he was right.

After his lesson was over he packed up his supplies and tucked the sketch carefully into the portfolio Lindsay had lent him. He couldn't hide his good mood. His bright smile shone like the sun. On impulse he decided to visit Brian and show him his drawing. As of yet Brian hadn't seen any of his sketches. Justin found the right bus that would drop him off near Brian's loft. Deb had written down which buses he would need to take to certain places. Although Brian didn't want him taking the bus; it wasn't safe. The man could be an exasperating worry wart sometimes. Until the weather improved he had few options. He couldn't always bother Daphne or Brian for a ride so the bus it was. He just wouldn't tell Brian.

Justin punched in the security code to let himself into the building. Brian had wanted him to be able to get in even if he wasn't there. Not long ago he even gave him a key to the loft. Of course Brian didn't make a big deal out of it. He said that practically everyone had one anyway. He never used his, though; it was more polite to knock. Justin reached Brian's loft and knocked lightly on the old metal door.

Brian had cut his work day short; actually Cynthia ordered him to go home and rest. He had the worst headache of his life and to top it all off he didn't have any aspirin, not even one measly Tylenol could be found. When he got home he went right to bed burying his head deeply in the pillows to stifle the pounding. He curled himself into a ball and hoped that if he just lay still and quiet in a dark room that he might feel better. His head hurt so much he was more than a little nauseous.

It was so quiet in the loft that he heard the light tap at the door. Brian knew it was Justin. If it were anyone else they would just walk right in or worse pound on his door. He hauled himself up and stumbled down to the door. Brian winced as the door rattled and grated on its track. He pressed his head to the cool metal of the door.

"Hey, Justin," he murmured.

Justin's bright smile slowly faded as he took in Brian's appearance. He entered the loft and gently touched Brian's cheek.

"What's wrong? You don't look well."

"My head is fucking killing me."

Justin led Brian back up to bed. Brian gratefully lay back down.

"Did you take something for it?"

"I would if I could, but I'm all out."

Justin rubbed Brian's shoulder lost in though. He could help Brian but he would need Daphne's help and that would mean he would have to call her. Nuts! Justin grimaced at the thought but Brian was in pain and he couldn't stand to see him suffer unnecessarily. Brian snagged his arm as he tried to leave the room.

"Where are you going? Stay."

"I'm going to see if Daphne can pick me up. I'll get you something for your headache."

"Aspirin," Brian breathed a sigh of relief.

"No, better. You know us Amish have a hundred and one home remedies to cure what ails ya."

Brian groaned, "Just brew me up a bottle of extra strength Excedrin."

Justin went out to the living room and pulled out his cell phone. He gave it a nasty look before pressing two to dial Daphne. Brian smiled as he watched Justin use his phone, albeit reluctantly. Since Brian's head was hurting him he spoke softly into the phone. Daphne thought it was a nice change from having her eardrum damaged every time she tried to talk to Justin on the small device.

"Daphne, I need you to pick me up at Brian's. Can you come quickly? Brian has a terrible headache and he doesn't have any medicine."

"Sure Justin, I'll be right there."

Justin went up to the bedroom and laid down next to Brian to wait for Daphne.

Brian smiled slightly. "You used your phone," he teased.

"Yeah well I'm not going to make a habit of it; besides, you're in pain."

They cuddled on the bed till Daphne arrived to pick Justin up. Justin placed a soft kiss on Brian's forehead. "I'll be back soon."

As Daphne pulled her car away from the curb she asked, "So where are we going?"

"That little herb shop on Liberty."

"Rainbow Weed?"

"Yeah, that's the place."

"Why don't I just take you to a Rite Aid and get the poor man some aspirin."

"This will work better and faster."

"I know that and you know that, but you're not going to get that fowl brew down him. He's not Amish; he's not used to it like we are."

"We'll see," Justin said confidently.

Justin entered the tiny shop. A spicy, sweet incense filled the shop. He was quite comfortable there. Justin quickly made his purchases then was on his way. Daphne reasoned with him that they should also make a quick stop at the drugstore to get a bottle of aspirin, since Brian was all out. It was the kind thing to do. Daphne made the purchase since Justin didn't have a clue which one was the best.

Justin tried to be extra quiet when he entered the loft with his purchases. When Justin saw Brian start to get up he gestured for him to stay there.

"Just lay down; it won't take me long to make your tea."

"Just don't make a mess," Brian grumbled.

With a little searching Justin had no problem finding everything he would need to make the tea. He got the water boiling on the stove then worked from memory. He'd seen his mother make it dozens of times. When it was nearly done he found a large mug to put it in. Justin strained off the settlements then poured the tea into the mug. It smelled positively awful. He carefully carried it up to the bedroom. Brian winced at the smell.

"Christ, did you boil Mikey's sheets?"

"I know it smells bad and tastes even worse but it works. I would have put some honey or sugar in it but there really isn't any amount of doctoring it up that will make it taste better. When I was a kid, believe me, I tried everything to make it taste better."

Brian propped himself up and took a tentative sip and instantly regretted it. "It fucking tastes like yak shit!"

Justin tried to keep from laughing. "No poop, just roots, honest. Just drink it all down fast."

Brian glared at Justin thinking easier said than done. He took a deep breath and drank it all down as quickly as he could. When he was done Justin took the mug and set it on the night stand. He kept his lips firmly shut. There was a moment or two when he really thought for sure it would be coming back up. Brian breathed steadily through his nose and as the minutes passed he felt the rancid tea settle in his stomach. Brian let out a soft sigh grateful that he wouldn't be making a mad dash to the bathroom.

"It not only cures headaches but keeps you regular as well."

Brian glared at him. "Wonderful, thank you for that public service announcement."

Justin took the mug to the kitchen and rinsed it out then tidied up the kitchen. When he was done he went up to the bedroom to lay down with Brian. Brian curled up next to Justin and buried his head against Justin's neck, inhaling his scent. Justin ran his fingers through Brian's hair lightly massaging his scalp. Brian sighed contentedly as Justin stroked him.

Ten minutes later Justin asked, "How are you feeling?"

Brian thought for a moment and came to the realization that his headache was gone. "It's gone."

Justin smiled "I'm glad." He took out the small box that was concealed in a pocket of his cargos. "I guess you won't be needing this then."

Brian was damn near speechless. "You… you had aspirin and yet you made me drink your yak shit brew!"

"Yes, it works faster than any pill could."

Brian rolled on top of Justin and snatched the box away from him. "If you don't mind I'm sticking with the good ol' over the counter modern medicine." He tickled Justin's sides. "You little twat, I should spank you."

Justin gazed up at Brian batting his pretty blue eyes. Brian felt his cock twitch with interest. He leaned in and kissed Justin hungrily. When Justin parted his lips Brian deepened the kiss. He placed a small kiss on the tip of Justin's nose then got up and headed down to the kitchen. He rifled through his menu drawer.

"I'm kinda hungry; I'm going to order in. What do you want?"

"Oh, anything's fine."

Brian arched a brow, "Hamburger and french fries?"

Justin smiled, "Yeah, that sounds good."

Brian shook his head, 'teenagers.' He placed Justin's order then ordered a grilled chicken salad for himself. Brian spied Justin's portfolio.

"What's this?"

Justin blushed and looked at the floor, suddenly shy. "Oh that, I forgot. It's one of my sketches I was working on."

Brian picked up the case. "Can I see it?"

Justin nodded not saying any more. Brian unzipped the case and gently removed the sketch. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Justin fidgeting. He knew Justin had talent in him. He was actually pretty amazed that Justin was as good as he was with very little training.

"It's not bad." He decided Justin could probably use a little more encouragement than that. "I like it."

Justin's smile lit up the room. "You do?"

"I said I did, didn't I?"

"I really like drawing; I didn't think I would be any good at it."

"Oh, I almost forgot; Cynthia reminded me that our doctor's appointment is later this week.

"What?" Justin squeaked suddenly nervous. "I… I don't want to go, there's nothing wrong with me, I'm fine."

Brian rubbed Justin's back, the kid looked like he was going to start hyperventilating at any moment.

"Justin, we've talked about this. I told you I was going to take you with me when I got tested again, well it's time. I also scheduled a check up for you. It's not a big deal. I just want to make sure you're healthy."

"Do I have to?" Justin said in a little boy voice.

Brian could swear he saw his bottom lip quiver a little. Brian closed his eyes. God help him when Gus got older. "Yes, you have to go but I'll be right there with you, ok. I won't leave your side unless I have to, ok? We've played safe but condoms aren't a hundred percent safe; there are still risks. If you want to fuck then you have to be responsible and part of that is to get tested every six months."

"I don't like doctors," Justin pouted.

"Well neither do I but Dr. Mark is a very good doctor." Brian smiled, "He'll like you."

"This is payback for the tea, isn't it?"

Brian pretended to think about it. "No, but it should be. That shit was fucking nasty."

"What are they going to do to me?"

"Jesus Justin, you make it sound like I'm taking you to get tortured. They'll write down your height and weight, listen to your heart. Just in general check you over and take a bit of blood." He mumbled that last part knowing Justin would probably freak out.

"I don't think I like you anymore!"

"It's not going to hurt that much and they're taking my blood too, ya know. If you wanna take it up the ass you're gonna have to learn to give up a little blood every six months."

Justin grumbled but said nothing.

"Um Justin, there's something I've been meaning to ask you." This was a rather sticky situation. Given the fact that the Amish tend to inbreed he did have cause for concern where Justin's health was concerned. Even though he was healthy now, didn't mean he couldn't develop something over time. Whether Justin was with him or not he wanted the boy around for a long time.

"What?"

"Does your family have a history of medical problems?"

"Like what? Diseases, no more than the usual I suppose. We pretty much self medicate."

Brian smirked, "Well I'm all for self medication on occasion." He didn't want to offend Justin but he couldn't figure out a polite way to ask. He never beat around the bush before.

"Justin um, your family… would you happen to know if…"

"What Brian, spit it out?"

"Do you know if there is any incest in your family line?"

"No."

"No? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm very sure unless someone was keeping secrets. My family is considered what you would call out here upper class in our little community. We have a pure line. There are a handful of Amish families that have a pure line."

"Well that's good. I just want you to be healthy Justin and it would put my mind at ease if you got checked over while you're here."

"Fine, I don't like it but I'll do it for you, but you have to hold my hand."

Brian smiled, "I was planning on it."

When the food came, to Justin's surprise Brian set it out on the coffee table. They would have a little picnic of sorts. Justin plopped down on the pillows and dug in hungrily. Brian sat quietly picking at his salad.

"Do you have a shift at the diner tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but not till the dinner rush, why?"

"Well I was thinking… would you like to see where I work?"

Justin looked up from his burger. "Yes of course, that would be so cool."

"I thought maybe you'd like to see the art department and my assistant has been dying to meet you."

"Really?" Justin blushed.

"Sure, who wouldn't want to meet a cute little Amish boy," Brian smirked.

Justin rolled his eyes, so much like the teenager he was. "Oh, fuck off."

Brian laughed and stole a few of Justin's fries.

Justin was feeling out of place as he tagged along beside Brian. Looking around, he also felt underdressed too. Brian walked him through the reception area and down the long halls. He tried to keep his mouth from hanging open but he had to admit Brian worked in a very impressive place. To him it looked like a palace. He was very proud of Brian; no doubt the man worked very hard to get where he was. Brian led him up to a blonde woman that immediately handed Brian a cup of coffee.

"Justin, this is my assistant Cynthia. Cynthia, this is Justin Taylor."

"Hello Justin, I'm glad I could get to meet you."

Justin smiled shyly, "Hi Cynthia."

"Were there any messages for me?" Brian asked.

"I put them on your desk, boss."

Brian placed his hand on Justin's lower back and led him to his office.

"This is my office. It's where I come up with brilliant campaigns to sell shit to people they couldn't possibly use." They both laughed. Brian hung up their jackets then settled himself behind his desk. "So, what do you think?" Brian asked spreading his arms wide.

"It's great; I can tell you really love your job." Justin glanced around Brian's office. It was neat and orderly and just brimming with creativity. "It's so elegant."

Brian couldn't hide his smile. He took pride in his work. "Would you like to see the art department? I think you'll really like it."

Justin's face lit up. "Ohh, I'd love to." He couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice.

"I'll just call down there and let them know we're coming."

Brian picked up the phone and punched in a few numbers. "Hey Kevin, I'm going to be dropping by with a guest. I'd like you to show him around."

Brian walked Justin down to the art department. He caught the look on Justin's face when they walked in. Justin had the biggest smile on his face that he'd ever seen. Brian introduced Justin to the head of the art department.

"Kevin, I'd like you to show Justin around. Oh, and make sure you show him the graphics computer. I think he'll really like that."

Before he left he pulled Kevin aside. "Justin's Amish so he's led a fairly secluded life. You might have to explain things a bit more. Don't talk down to him though; he's a smart little fucker. He loves art; I want him to be comfortable."

"Sure, no problem, Brian."

Justin didn't even notice when Brian left; he was too busy looking around the large room at all the colorful boards. Brian went back to his office returning calls and setting up meetings. Several hours later he decided that he could use a break from the Waverley account; he decided to swing by the art department to get a Justin fix. He casually leaned against the door. Justin was sitting at one of the desks. He was creating something on one of the graphics computers. Justin was concentrating so hard that he didn't even know Brian was there. His tongue would peek out between his lips in total concentration. A smile played across Brian's lips as he walked back out. Justin looked so at home there, like he belonged. He pushed back those thoughts immediately. He still had loads of time with Justin and he would make them count.

Justin was up in his room trying to keep busy. He didn't want to think of his upcoming doctor's appointment. He worked on Brian's quilt. Everyone needed a good quilt for their bed. It was coming right along though it would take him extra long to fit the California king bed. He thought the colors would work well in Brian's bedroom. Justin planned to use a lot of blue and light green; to draw it all together he chose a medium purple. Justin jumped a mile when Daphne came into his room. He tried to quickly cover his work then realized who it was.

"Jumpy much?"

"I thought you might be Brian."

"Is that for him?"

Justin smiled as he caressed the fabric. "Yeah it's for the new bed. It's gonna take me forever but I'll get it done eventually."

Daphne fingered the pattern. "An architect's wheel."

Justin grinned "I thought it was rather appropriate. Think he'll like it?"

"Of course he will he loves everything you make." Daphne could tell something was bothering Justin. She got comfortable on the bed then asked, "What's got you so stressed?"

Justin let out a long suffering sigh. "Brian's making me go to the doctor for a check up, what ever that means. I don't wanna go but you know how Brian gets. He's just concerned and looking out for me."

"I feel your pain; I still don't like doctors." Daphne patted his thigh in sympathy.

"What did the doctor do to you? Wait, if it involves girl parts I don't wanna know."

Daphne shoved his shoulder. "I've only had a few shots in the arm. It hurts but only for like a second."

"Well Brian made it sound like it was more involved. They need to take my blood because I've been with Brian sexually."

"He's going with you, right?"

"Yes of course, but I'm still nervous and scared to death. I thought if I could keep busy with the quilt it would take my mind off it."

"Hey, I got an idea. He knows doctors freak you out, so get him to perform a sexual favor after the doctor visit, kind of like a reward."

Justin blushed at the thought and felt his penis harden under all the quilting fabric.

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