Rage Over Hollywood

Chapter 9

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The next morning, things were more or less back to normal. Brian awoke to an amazing blowjob and then fucked Justin in the shower. No mention was made of the previous day's events until they were seated for breakfast.

"What do you have planned today?" Brian asked.

Justin shrugged. "I thought I'd go see my mom, then Daph. Maybe drop in at the diner and see Deb."

"I've got to go in to the office for a while, but I can meet you at the Diner for lunch."

"Sounds good," Justin agreed. He was quiet for a minute. "And I should probably call Steve."

Brian studied his lover's expression, trying to get a read on how the younger man felt about that upcoming call. There was none of the anger that had been present the day before, only a lingering sadness. "Yeah, you should," he finally said.

Justin nodded silently, then finished his breakfast and took both of their plates to the sink while Brian gathered his briefcase, cell phone and keys.

"Here," he said, tossing the keys to Justin. "You can drop me off and then you won't have to take the bus to your mom's."

Justin stared at the keys in his hand as though he'd never seen them before, then looked up at Brian. "You're letting me drive the 'vette?"

"You've driven it before," Brian reminded him. "What's the big deal?" He knew, of course, exactly what the big deal was. Sure, Justin had driven the car in the past, but only when Brian was too drunk or too high to drive himself. Never had he offered it just to make things easier on his lover.

Justin knew that Brian was making a gesture and decided it best not to make a big deal. They were more equal partners now and getting overly excited over such a simple gesture would only undermine that. "No big deal," he said with a shrug. "I'll pick you up at lunchtime."

Brian had to hide a smile. The old Justin's face would have lit up the moment the keys landed in his palm and it only would have served to remind Brian that the younger man wasn't used to such kindnesses from him. That, in turn, would put Brian on the defensive and he'd end up saying or doing something to wipe the smile right off Justin's face and replace it with a look of hurt and sadness.

To his surprise, he found he much preferred the smug, satisfied expression his partner currently wore. He couldn't, however, let him get too used to that. "Wreck it and I'll have your ass."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Like my day's not full enough? Now I have to go out and find the perfect tree to wrap it around?"

Brian smirked. "Ok, then, wreck it and I won't have your ass."

Justin walked up to him and kissed him lightly before flashing his sweetest smile. "I'll be very, very careful," he breathed.

Brian made a noise low in his throat as his lover's warm breath washed over his lips. "Out, Twat," he growled.

Justin only laughed and strolled nonchalantly toward the door, knowing full well that Brian's eyes were on his ass every step of the way.

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Brian's original plan had been to go back to the loft with Justin after lunch. The latest screwup on the Lexington account, however, put an end to that.

"Anything I can do?" Justin asked after Brian had explained that he had to go back to the office after lunch.

"You can hold him down while I try to beat some creativity into him," he muttered, referring to Jeffries.

"I can take a look if you want."

While Brian knew that whatever Justin came up with would be better than what Jeffries did, he also realized that that was part of the problem. Jeffries was a decent artist in his own right; he wouldn't be at Kinnetik otherwise. He just wasn't Justin.

"Thanks, but he'll get it. All he needs is a little extra… direction."

Justin smiled. "You mean intimidation."

Brian shrugged as though the two words were interchangeable. "Whichever."

After dropping Brian back at the office, Justin headed for the loft. He knew he had to call Steve and wasn't sure why the thought was making him so uncomfortable. So Brian had fucked him, big deal. Brian fucked a lot of guys. And it wasn't as though either of them had gone behind his back. It had happened before he even knew Steve and at a time when Brian and Justin were less than stable in their relationship. So why did he feel this underlying resentment toward Steve for what had happened when he didn't feel the same toward Brian?

He parked the car and made his way up to the sixth floor loft. Shrugging off his light jacket, he went to check for messages and found none. Knowing he shouldn't put it off any longer, he picked up the cordless and dialed Steve's cell number.

"Hello?"

"Hi," Justin said quietly. "It's me."

"Justin. I'm so glad you called," Steve said sincerely. "About Brian, I had no idea. I can't even tell you how sorry I am."

The silky smooth voice combined with an image of cool grey eyes caused Justin's dick to twitch and realization suddenly dawned. It wasn't that Brian had fucked him; it was that Brian had fucked him and Justin hadn't. Suddenly, he felt even more uncomfortable than he had previously. "I know," he replied. "I know it didn't mean anything. It happened before I even met you. Just forget about it."

"Maybe I'd be able to if I thought you could," Steve replied. "I don't want this to ruin our friendship."

Justin closed his eyes. "I don't either," he admitted. "I really enjoyed hanging out with you and Sandy."

"We did, too. I hope we can all still be friends when you get back."

Justin didn't know what to say to that. He couldn't make any promises because he just didn't know how he'd feel once they were face to face. "Me too," he finally admitted. He did hope so, he just wasn't sure it was possible. "Look, Steve, I've got to go. I'll call you on Sunday when I get back."

Justin hung up the phone and collapsed on the sofa. Realizing his dick was half hard he groaned. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? He couldn't fuck Steve; he was a friend. But could he stay his friend knowing that he was also attracted to him physically?

Get it out of your system

Brian's words came back to him and he found himself considering the option briefly. To his dismay, or relief, he wasn't sure, the sound of the phone ringing pushed the tempting thought from his mind.

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Brian was surprised when Justin showed up at his office. The agreement had been that Brian would call when he was ready to leave. He was about to point that out when he notice his lover's ashen features.

"Justin," he said, getting up from behind his desk. "What's wrong?"

The blue eyes were glassy as they met Brian's. "Brett called. Richard Tannenbaum was attacked outside his house this morning."

"Fuck," Brian breathed. "Is he all right?"

"I don't know," Justin replied, shaking his head slowly. "Brett said he's still in surgery. He was … he was stabbed."

Brian took the smaller man into his arms and swung the door shut to give them some privacy. There wasn't much he could say, so he merely held him, rubbing soothing circles on his back. A few minutes later, Justin had composed himself and pulled back slightly to look into Brian's face. "You going to be done here soon?" he asked.

The look of need in his lover's eyes didn't go unnoticed by Brian. Whether it was for comfort or just to feel like he was alive, it didn't matter. Justin needed him and that was the important thing. "I'm done," he said. "Let me talk to Cynthia for a minute then we'll go home, OK?"

Justin nodded and lowered himself into a chair to wait for his lover.

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When they reached the loft, Justin walked slowly to the bedroom and began removing his clothes, almost as though in a daze. Brian followed in silence and watched as the man finished disrobing and crawled under the covers. Once settled, his eyes met Brian's and he held out his hand in silent invitation. Brian quickly undressed and joined his lover in bed, opening his arms as Justin moved into the circle of his embrace. They lay there for a few moments just holding each other until Justin began placing soft kisses on Brian's shoulder and neck. Taking the other man's chin between his thumb and forefinger, he tilted Justin's head up until he could see into the expressive blue eyes. Seeing none of the anger and pain that was present during the unpleasant episode following the visit with Victor's wife, Brian leaned in and captured the smaller man's lips in a deep, tender kiss.

They made love slowly and gently, Brian rocking into Justin with all the love and caring he couldn't express verbally. Hazel eyes remained trained on blue, hoping that Justin could see the comfort and strength being offered in addition to the lustful heat that always flowed so strongly between them.

The smile he received in return was far rarer than the dazzling one that had earned him his nickname. It was one of pure love and Brian secretly filed the memory away to be replayed over and over in his mind during the months to come. If only he could smile like that, Justin would never need to hear the words.

As they approached release, Brian slid his arms under his lover's torso and held him close as waves of euphoria crashed over them.

Justin clung to him as they came, their chests pressed together, Brian's lips nuzzling his neck. "God, I love you," he whispered in a voice tinged with awe.

In response, Brian lifted his head and graced him with a sweet smile. Lowering his lips toward his lover's, he paused briefly to pay homage to the moment before pouring everything he was into a deep, heartfelt kiss.

Justin didn't think he'd ever felt so loved. Hearing the words every single day for the rest of his life couldn't possibly compare to what he'd seen in Brian's eyes at that moment.

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After a late dinner of Chinese take-out, Brian suggested they go to Babylon for a drink and maybe some dancing. He was hoping that a nostalgic night at the club with the boys would take Justin's mind off what was happening in California.

They got a parking spot a block away and were walking toward the club when Justin commented on the chill in the air. "You'd think with spring practically here it would be warmer."

Brian smirked. "You're just used to all that California sunshine, Sunshine."

"Yeah, well," Justin grumbled. "When I get back, I'm packing everything that even resembles a jacket away until I come home."

Brian's step faltered slightly. He was still going. After all that had happened. After two men were nearly killed over that fucking movie, he was still going.

"Brian?"

He snapped out of his thoughts to see Justin a few steps ahead of him. His face was a mask of concern. "What's the matter?"

Carefully schooling his own features, he shook his head slightly and resumed walking. "Nothing," he said simply.

They'd called the guys earlier and all were present and waiting at the bar when they arrived.

"Our baby star!" Emmett exclaimed, claiming Justin in a hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"Jesus, Em," Brian grumbled, "he's only been gone a month."

"Well it was a long month without our Sunshine," Emmett cooed, winking in Justin's direction. Justin smiled. Emmett was the only one who could pull off a line like that.

"How's it feel to be back among the peons?" Ted asked, clapping Justin on the shoulder.

"Feels good," Justin replied, still smiling. "I never knew how much I'd miss Pittsburgh."

Brian huffed and Justin frowned questioningly in his direction only to have the older man turn away.

"So, Boy Wonder," Michael interjected, noting the unusual exchange, "have you met any movie stars?"

Brian rolled his eyes but Michael only shrugged. "What? Someday it might come in handy to be able to say my best friend's boyfriend knows so-and-so."

"I'm sure contacts like that come in handy every day in the comic shop," Brian muttered.

Ben noted the slightly hurt look on Michael's face and tried to lighten the mood. "Well, Justin, if you ever hear of some big director looking for a novel to make into a screenplay, I hope you'll send him my way."

Justin laughed. "Count on it, Ben."

The song changed to a familiar upbeat tempo and Emmett practically squealed. "Ohh! I love this song!" He started dancing in place, then grabbed Justin's wrist. "Dance with me, baby."

Justin hesitated. As corny as it might sound, he'd been hoping to dance with Brian first. "Maybe later, Em."

"Go on, Sunshine," Brian smirked, the familiar moniker sounding more like a sneer than anything. "You know you love to dance."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"So fucking dance," Brian said, raising his glass in a mock salute before downing the amber contents.

Justin stared at Brian and everyone else made a conscious effort to look anywhere but at the two men. "I just wanted to dance with you," Justin said, reaching out to touch Brian's arm only to pull back when the other man turned away.

"I don't want to dance," Brian said flatly. "So either dance with Emmett, or don't. Your call."

Justin just stared at him for a moment before turning to Emmett and forcing a small smile. "Sure, Em. Let's go."

Once in the middle of the dance floor, the two men started moving to the beat, though Justin's mind was quite obviously on something else. Leaning close to be heard over the din, Emmett got right to the point. "Sweetie? What's wrong with Brian?"

Justin shook his head slightly. "I don't know, Em," he said in genuine confusion. "Everything was fine until we stepped in here and it's like he's suddenly angry with me."

"Maybe he didn't want to come," Emmett suggested. "Maybe he just wanted you all to himself while you're here."

"It was his idea," Justin replied absently. He was still trying to figure out what had triggered his lover's current mood. Things were fine in the car; they talked a bit about the weather, and then boom! Maybe Emmett was right. Maybe he really didn't want to be here with all the guys. When the song was over, Justin smiled and touched Emmett's arm. "I should get back."

Emmett nodded in understanding and led the way back to the bar only to find Brian gone. Justin turned to Michael who was watching him with a small frown. "Where's Brian?"

"Bathroom," Michael answered.

"Or backroom," Ted joked. "The acoustics are pretty bad in here."

Both Justin and Michael shot him a withering glance and he held up one hand in surrender. "Sorry. A holdover from the glory days."

Justin turned to order a drink just as Brian rejoined them and demanded a double. The smaller man watched as he slammed it back and indicated he'd like another. Laying his hand on Brian's arm, he was concerned by how tense the flesh felt beneath his fingers was. "What's wrong, Brian?" he asked.

Brian afforded him a smirk before turning his attention once again on the bartender who was pouring his drink. "What could possibly be wrong, Sunshine? All's right with the fucking world, right?" He clinked Justin's still full glass with his own and quickly downed the contents.

"Want to get out of here?" Justin suggested hopefully.

Brian shook his head. "Nope."

When his lover ordered yet another drink, Justin's concern turned to irritation. "Well I do. Are you coming or not?"

He had to take a step back when Brian turned on him abruptly. "No, Justin, I'm not! You want to dance? Dance. You want to go home? Go home. Do whatever the fuck you want, just leave me alone!"

Justin could see how uncomfortable their friends were having witnessed the outburst and irritation quickly began making its way toward anger. "Fine, I will." As he turned away, he heard Brian's bitter laugh.

"Surprise, surprise."

He wanted to turn and fire something back, to demand an explanation for this sudden change in his lover's mood, but he knew it would escalate into even more of a scene and wanted to spare them, as well as their friends, that embarrassment. Moving quickly through the crowd, he didn't even stop to get his jacket before he headed through the door into the night.

After looking down the street at where the car was parked, he realized Brian still had the keys. Not that he'd be in any shape to drive, but he knew Michael would make sure he got home. He'd no sooner finished the thought than he heard the man call his name. Turning, he waited for Michael to catch up.

"What's going on?" he asked. "When he called earlier, he sounded fine? What happened?"

"Fuck if I know," Justin spat, still angry. "The minute we stepped in there it was like I'd done something wrong."

Michael hesitated a moment. "Did you?"

"No, I didn't," he grated.

"I'm sorry," Michael offered. "Did something happen on the way here? Did you two fight about something?"

Justin rolled his eyes. "Jesus, Michael, if we'd fought, I'd know what the fucking problem is, wouldn't I?"

Michael could only accept that as making sense. "So are you just going to go and leave him here?" It wasn't an accusation like it might have been a year ago. It was merely a question to determine Justin's immediate intentions.

He sighed. "He wouldn't leave and my mere presence seems to aggravate him. What else can I do?"

"You're only here for a few days," Michael reminded him. "If you want to go back in, go. Dance with Emmett or Ted. By the looks of things, Brian's going to be miserable either way. You might as well have some fun."

Justin smiled. He'd been right when he'd told Steve that Michael was a friend. "Thanks," he said quietly, "but I'm really not in the mood anymore."

Michael nodded regretfully. "Want a ride?"

"I think the walk will do me good," Justin smirked, knowing that the cool night air would help to clear his head before he got back to the loft.

Michael took off his jacket and handed it to the blond man. "Here. No sense in you freezing to death on the way."

Justin took the jacket with a grateful smile. "You can wear mine," he offered and Michael nodded.

"We'll make sure he gets home," the dark haired man assured him.

Justin looked at him for a moment. "You're a good friend, Michael. To both of us. Thank you."

Michael smiled. It meant a lot to hear Justin say that after the rocky start their friendship had gotten off to. "You're welcome," he said in an effort to lighten the emotional moment. "Now I'm going in before I freeze my ass off out here."

Justin grinned. "Ben would never forgive me. Go on." He watched until his friend disappeared into the club before turning to begin the walk home.

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