Two months had passed since Justin had found himself on Liberty Avenue. Sixty days since Brian had entered his life. Thirty days since he had found his job at the diner, and twenty-nine had passed since he had enrolled in school. Everyday he would walk to school with his trusty backpack wearing the clothes Brian had bought for him. Then when the final bell rang, he would make his way to the diner and work his ass off so that he could pay Brian back and get the hell out of Pittsburgh. The way Brian flippantly threw down his money though, Justin wasn't sure that he would ever be able to pay the man back.

"I had an excellent year." Brian stated when Justin demanded that he stop buying him things. Whether it was clothes or school supplies-mostly art-Brian was there with his credit card or ATM card or check book. It really grated on Justin's nerves.

"But at the rate you're going, I'll never be able to pay you back."

"These are things that you need." Brian told him.

Though he was thankful for all the help Brian had given him with enrolling him in school, Justin didn't want to be a kept boy. To be a kept boy though, you probably had to be sleeping with the person keeping you, and that was definitely not happening. No matter how hard Justin tried, Brian resisted. The sexual tension between the pair was undeniable and Justin hated every second of it.

"Justin."

Brian's voice broke through his thoughts bringing him back to the loft. He was sitting on the couch; his English folder lying open on his lap. "Hmm?"

"You have a tendency to let your mind wander." Brian stated. "Must have been a good wandering though because you have a smile on that face of yours."

"It was nothing." Justin said shaking his head.

"What are you working on?" Brian changed the subject knowing the boy didn't like to talk about his thoughts. They were a lot alike in that way --among other things-- Brian had discovered.

"This" Justin held his notebook up letting Brian take it from him. "We're supposed to analyze a Shakespeare sonnet. I don't get this shit though with all the fucking thee's, and thou's, and stupid personifications."

Brian scanned the notebook page and then settled on the couch next to Justin. He grabbed the pencil from behind Justin's ear and handed it and the notebook to the blonde.

"Okay, I want you to say the first two lines, but think about them as you're saying them."

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." Justin read flatly.

"Jesus, have more feeling than that." Brian looked at Justin expectantly.

"Are you seriously helping me with this? You? Of all people, the stud of Liberty Avenue is helping me read love sonnets. Isn't that a sign of the apocalypse or wait, I'm in hell. That's it I died and am now in hell."

"You're not in hell. I'm just the shit at this English stuff."

"Okay, fine." Justin caved. "Teach away."

Brian scooted closer and pointed to each line as he spoke. "This first one is just saying exactly what it says. He wants to compare his love…albeit a woman… to something as equally beautiful. He chooses a summer's day, but in the next line he says that…she…is even better than that." Brian moved onto the next line and the next, but Justin had stopped paying attention and was looking longingly at him. He had never noticed the gold specks in Brian's hazel eyes before, but he'd also never been this close.

"Pay attention." Brian insisted. "What do you think this line means?"

"But thy eternal summer shall not fade?" Justin questioned before thinking. "Shit Bri, I don't know."

"Think about it."

"I guess that the person will always be young." Justin looked at Brian who was staring back at him.

He looked at Justin his voice low and rumbling. "So, everything after the first line is the comparison. Kind of like when Deb calls you Sunshine." Brian stopped himself before he went too far. His eyes never left Justin's and he could see the want that the young man was feeling. The same want that was inevitably in his, too. Clearing his throat he moved farther down the couch.

"So, you understand everything now?"

"Yeah, I think I get it." Justin said looking down at the papers in front of him. He had never wanted to be so close to anyone before, and he knew Brian wanted him just as much. He closed the notebook and stood up disappointment written all over his face.

"Fuck it." Brian mumbled and grabbed Justin's wrist pulling him onto his lap. Justin looked at Brian amazed, but then lost all thought as he felt Brian's lips on his. He nudged Justin's lips open with his tongue, which was eagerly accepted by the seventeen year old. A slight moan was solicited when the older man bit Justin's lower lip. Justin ground his hips against Brian's enormous erection knowing that he would soon have the brunette moaning, too. He reached down and unzipped the Prada pants grazing his hand over the head of Brian's cock being careful to not break their kiss. His other hand expertly unbuttoned Brian's silk shirt.

"Wait, wait, wait," Brian breathed grabbing Justin's hand. "We can't do this."

"What?" Justin exclaimed. He looked at Brian and saw that the man was serious. Hesitantly, Justin crawled off his lap and walked to the window. Feeling Brian's arms on his shoulders, he frowned and pulled away. He grabbed his coat off the stool and then walked out the door.

"Shit." Brian groaned when he heard the door slam.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Justin had no idea where he was going when he left Brian's, but when he found himself at Woody's it seemed like a very good idea. Four shots of Jim Beam and three beers later he was ready to puke or fall over whichever came first.

"Hey Boy Wonder, you better slow down on those." Michael advised sliding onto the stool next to Justin.

"I don't fucking care." Justin pouted.

"I know that face. That's the 'Brian-Kinney-Just-Fucked-Me' face."

"Well, unfortunately he didn't. Not in the way that I wanted at least."

"Ouch." Michael laughed ordering a beer. "Didn't know things had headed in that direction for you."

"Well, apparently Shakespeare has that affect on him." Justin slurred as he downed another shot.

"Justin, I wasn't kidding. A light-weight like you could get yourself in serious trouble." Michael took the shot from Justin's hand and set it on the bar.

"I don't know why I convinced myself that moving in would be okay. I knew it was a bad idea from the start." Justin said more to himself than to his companion. "Don't trust anyone. That was a rule I had to make because people suck. Then, he says enroll in school, get a good education. Well, fuck that! I already had a good education." He paused and then continued. "I think. Cynthia told me that she found out that I already took the SAT's and that I got 1500. I laughed and told her of course I did, but I don't remember taking the fucking test." He laughed and then looked at Michael who had grown serious.

"You don't remember taking it?'

Justin slipped his hand past Michael's and grabbed the shot. "Don't remember one fucking question. Apparently, I was quite the smarty thought because I'm in all the top classes in my school. They were quite surprised that I was there because they were under the impression that once you graduate you aren't supposed to start over again."

"What? You graduated?" Michael was more confused than ever and suspected the boy was also.

"So they tell me." Justin went to stand and had to hold onto the bar to steady himself.

"Whoa there, boy wonder." Michael said grabbing hold of Justin's arm. "Why don't I take you home?"

Justin laughed. "What home? The loft? Fuck that! That's not my home." He grew maudlin. "I don't have a home."

"Fine." Michael said. "Then, I'll take you back with me. We have a couch that you can sleep on."

"Fuck no." Justin answered making his way for the door. "Just take me to Brian's."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After he opened the loft door, Brian immediately wanted to close it. The scene in front of him was unbelievable. Justin was leaning precariously on Mikey, one arm slung over his shoulder obviously plastered.

"Jesus," Brian exclaimed. "You're drunk."

"Righto." Justin giggled and then whispered not so quietly to Michael. "I wonder if he got 1500 on his SAT's, too."

Brian moved aside allowing Justin to stagger inside the loft and then turned to his friend. "Why the fuck didn't you stop him?"

"You're welcome." Michael said sarcastically.

"Thanks. Why the fuck didn't you stop him?'

"He was already working on his fifth shot by the time I got there. He was too far gone for me to do anything."

"What's he talking about; his SAT's? He hasn't even taken them yet."

"You'd better ask him about that." Michael advised. "Apparently, he's already graduated." Michael filled Brian in on what Justin had let slip during his drunken rant at Woody's before he turned to go home.

"Go easy on him tomorrow, Bri." Michael said concerned. "He's going to have one hell of a hangover."

Brian slammed the loft door closed and then made his way towards the bedroom.

"Hi, Sonny boy." Justin slurred using Brian's nickname for Gus.

"You're gonna feel like shit tomorrow."

"I've felt worse." Justin told him.

"Get into bed."

Brian walked over to Justin and helped him undress trying to press what had happened earlier out of his head. Justin hadn't forgotten even though he had wanted too and pulled Brian towards him. Their lips met and tongues intertwined. In Justin's current state, he didn't know whose was whose. Brian broke the kiss and helped the blonde into bed knowing that he would need extra help tomorrow.

"You'd better get some sleep or I won't be able to help you tomorrow."

"You're not going to help me." Justin stated matter-of-factly.

"Is that so?"

"Well, I'll let you help me as long as you promise one thing."

"And what's that?" Brian asked curiously.

Justin yawned and sleepily answered. "You have to promise to not fall in love with me."

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