Love Will Find a Way

Chapter 6

Justin walked into Debbie's late on Sunday night to find the woman sitting up waiting for him.

"Well?" She asked with excitement. She had been going crazy ever since Justin had left, wondering what was going on with her boys.

"Well, what?" Justin asked innocently.

"Don't give me that, Sunshine! What the hell went on with you two? I have been going crazy here wondering. I even picked up the phone a couple of times to call, but decided it probably wouldn't have been a good idea." She admitted.

"Thank you for not calling. I don't know what's going on, Deb. We agreed to keep up with the emails and phone calls and see what happens. It was a nice weekend, but I don't know if it means we will end up back together or not. We also agreed to keep it between us, so you better not say a word to anyone. The last thing we need is any outside interference." Justin explained.

"Oh alright, I won't say anything, except to Vic of course, but you better keep me updated. I am worried about the two of you. Anyone with eyes and ears can tell that you are both miserable apart." Debbie pointed out.

"I know, Deb. The problem is that we were miserable together, too. I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Justin said with a sigh. He headed upstairs to unpack and grab a quick shower. He had early morning classes and was exhausted from his weekend with Brian. After he was ready for bed, he went downstairs to the computer and booted up, wanting to check his email since he had been away for awhile. He deleted a lot of junk mail, longing for bed, until his eyes came across an email from Brian.

To: jtaylor@pitts.net
From: bkinney@aol.com
Subject: Checking in,
Date: October 22, 2002

Hey Sunshine,

Just checking to make sure you got in okay. Knowing you the way I do, I'm sure you got home, unpacked, took a shower, and headed to the computer to check your email. Am I right? Anyway, thanks for a great weekend, even if you did make me talk about my...gulp...feelings. (Yes, Brian Kinney has feelings!) Have a good week, and I'll call you this weekend.

Later,
Brian

Justin couldn't help but smile. It had been so hard saying good bye to the man he loved, knowing he was flying across the country and away from him. He missed their time together already and wasn't sure how he was going to survive until they could be together again. He sent a reply, then shut down the computer and headed to bed, where he knew it would be a long time before he fell asleep.

Brian was laying in bed, enjoying Justin's scent that lingered on his sheets. It was so hard for him to let the blond go. He wanted to grab him and beg him to stay. LA had a few really good art schools, and he could easily transfer. Then again, it was Brian's decision to move away from everyone. Maybe Justin was happy living in the Pitts? Who was he kidding? Justin loved his family. There was no way that he would move across the country. Knowing there was no way he was going to be falling asleep anytime soon, he made his way to the computer, hoping to have a reply from Justin. He wasn't disappointed.

To: bkinney@aol.com
From: jtaylor@pitts.net
Subject: Re: Checking in,
Date: October 22, 2002

Brian,

I'm home, safe and sound. You were right, I'm all unpacked, showered, and checking my email. As for you having feelings, I've always known that you had them. I just wondered if you were ever going to share them. I had a really good time this weekend, although I must admit that seeing you has made me miss you more than before. Well, that's okay. It will just make our next reunion even hotter, if that's possible. Have a wonderful weekend and think of me often. <big grin>


Later,
Justin

Brian sat back in his chair and smiled. As if he needed Justin to tell him to think of him often. A plan began to form in his mind. He knew that Friday was Vic's birthday and that there would be a family dinner at the Grassi/Novotny home. He could just imagine everyone's face if he walked through the door unannounced. Although the only reaction he wanted to see was Justin's. He made reservations online for an early morning flight on Friday and booked himself in a hotel for the weekend. It was time he made a visit to his hometown.

Friday morning rolled around and Brian caught a 7:00am flight out of LAX. Due to the time difference, he didn't reach Pittsburgh until 4:00pm. He rented a car and drove to his hotel to check in and grab a shower. By seven, he was pulling up outside his old home away from home. He saw everyone's car parked on the street and couldn't help but smile. He had missed his family more than he was willing to admit. He walked up to the door and could hear their voices laughing and joking. Taking a deep breath, he walked in quietly and saw everyone sitting around the table. No one noticed him at first, so he took an extra minute to look at Justin before he got their attention.

"Hey, I guess I'm late for dinner!"

Everyone looked up in surprise and stared at him for a minute before their minds registered and they jumped up from the table and ran to greet him. Justin just sat at the table, unsure of how to react.

"Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?" Mikey asked, hugging his friend.

"What kind of surprise would that be?" Brian replied with a smile.

Michael looked back at the table, then turned back to Brian and whispered, "Justin's here."

"I know, Mikey. He lives here, remember?" Brian joked, knowing the blond in question was the reason he came in the first place.

"Gus! Look who's here?" Lindsay said, hugging Brian and handing him his son.

"Hey, Linds. Hey Sonny Boy! Did you miss your old man?" Brian asked, kissing his son.

"Brian! You're looking fabulous! LA must be agreeing with you," Emmett said, happy to see Brian after so many months. He had really missed him.

"Where's the birthday boy?" Brian teased, pulling Vic in for a hug. "I couldn't miss the big day," He whispered quietly in the older man's ear.

"It wouldn't be the same without you here, Brian," Vic replied, touched that the younger man would fly in for his birthday. "But I know you are also here to see Justin. Don't worry, Deb swore me to secrecy. I've always kept your secrets," He whispered before pulling away.

"Thanks, Vic,"

"Alright, let me at him," Deb said, pushing everyone out of her way. She took Brian into one of her usual bear hugs.

"Jeez, Deb. I think you broke a rib!" Brian exclaimed, trying to pull out of the tight embrace.

"That's because you're too thin! Don't they have food out there in LA? Get your skinny ass over to that table and eat!" Debbie demanded in her motherly voice.

Brian couldn't help but smile. Some things never change, and Debbie force feeding everyone she knows is one of those things. He walked towards the table with everyone and knew he had to address Justin.

"Hey Justin."

"Hey Brian," Justin replied, feigning indifference.

No one seemed to notice the look that passed between the two men. The gang moved their chairs around to make room Brian, which coincidently put him next to Justin. He could feel the heat radiating from the younger man's body and had to take a deep breath to calm himself down. At first, the conversation centered around what Brian had been up to since moving, but after a few moments it moved on to other things, giving Brian a chance to relax. He ate his dinner, trying to focus on what everyone was saying, but too conscious of Justin sitting next to him. Realizing that no one was paying much attention to him, he reached under the table and placed his hand on Justin's thigh, enjoying the reaction he received.

Justin was sitting next to Brian while so many questions ran through his mind, the first one being why he didn't know the man was coming into town? He was lost in thought when he felt Brian's hand on his thigh and jumped at the contact. He looked over at Brian and noticed that even though he seemed to be listening to the conversation, he had an evil smirk on his face.

"So Justin, how are classes going?" Lindsay asked, noticing that Justin had been unusually quiet since Brian arrived. She could only imagine how hard it must be for him to sit there so close to Brian now that they weren't together. She knew they had occasional contact, but after the whirlwind relationship they had, it had to be awkward.

"Huh?" Justin replied, oblivious to what she had said, more focused on the hand on his leg.

"I asked how school was going. Is everything alright?" She asked in confusion.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I guess I was just lost in thought. I was...uh...thinking about a project I have to work on this weekend," He replied, cursing Brian in his head for touching him when he couldn't touch back. "School's going great. I'm actually on the Dean's list for the first semester."

"That's great!" Lindsay exclaimed, happy for her friend.

"Baby, we're so proud of you. To think you were ready to quit last year, and now you're top of the class," Emmett gushed.

After that, the conversation moved on, with Justin only half listening while Brian's hand slowly inched further up his leg, grazing his groin. Shockwaves coursed through his body and he felt the need to get away. Justin sighed with relief when dessert was finally served, hoping that everyone would head out soon. Thankfully Vic started to yawn, sending a silent message that the evening was almost over. The good byes were made and everyone was heading to the door when Michael turned to Brian.

"Hey, we're going to Babylon. Do you want to go?" He asked, hopefully.

"Uh...well," Brian stammered, knowing all he wanted to do was get Justin alone.

"Yeah, come one Brian. It's been forever since we got to watch you pull hot, hunky men into the backroom," Emmett encouraged.

Vic sensed what was going through Brian's mind and decided to jump in and save him the torture. "Guys, Brian is probably exhausted. He's on LA time, so even though it's only 10:00 pm, it's still 1:00 am for him. Why don't you go ahead without him for tonight?"

Debbie picked up on Vic's plan and jumped in too. "Brian, why don't you stay here for a minute and I'll pack you up a goodie bag to take back with you incase you get hungry. Room service sucks."

Brian looked back and forth between Vic and Debbie before realizing what they were doing. "Yeah, guys. I'm kind of beat. I'll catch up with you at the diner tomorrow morning."

They moaned and groaned, but agreed to meet in the morning before heading out. Once the door was closed, Brian turned around and crossed the room, taking Justin in his arms and kissing him deeply. It was a passionate kiss that continued until oxygen became a necessity. "Hey," Brian whispered.

"Hey," Justin whispered back with a smile.

"No need to thank us, you two. Now Justin, why don't you go pack a bag, since I'm sure you will be staying in a hotel tonight," Debbie chuckled.

Brian looked at Justin, who was standing there as if waiting for permission. "Well Sunshine, don't take all night. I am a little on the tired side."

"I'll be right back," Justin exclaimed with excitement, kissing both Debbie and Vic before heading upstairs to pack.

"Thanks," Brian said once Justin was out of the room. "I wasn't sure how I was going to get out of that one."

"Anything to see you both happy. Now you know I'm not one to butt in," Debbie said, waiting until Brian and Vic stopped laughing. "But...I hope you know what you're doing Brian. Otherwise you are both going to get hurt again."

"I know, Deb. We're going to take things slow and see where we end up. That's about all I can tell you right now," Brian admitted.

"Well, that's a good place to start. Try to get some sleep tonight. You look like shit," Debbie teased, lightening the mood.

"Thanks Deb! You look great, too," Brian replied, kissing her cheek. He kissed Vic too, and waited by the bottom of the stairs for Justin to return. When he saw the younger man walking down to him, he felt a tightening in his groin. "All set?"

"Let's go!" Justin replied, kissing Debbie and Vic once more before heading out the door with Brian right behind him.

"I hope they can find a way to work out the mess they're in," Debbie said to Vic once the door was closed.

"Me too, Sis. Me too."

End of part 6
1/14/04

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