Face to Face

Pittsburgh – Brian's Loft

 

Brian arrived back at the loft from work.  He had put in a long day.  It was just after eight and he had finally finished the proposal he was working on.  Tomorrow it would go to graphics and then he would do his spiel for the new client.  Christ, adult diapers, what was next on the list of revolting products that he would have to pitch?  He shook his head.  He hoped the client would get his idea of  Father Time becoming Baby Time in his diaper at the start of a new year, background to an attractive barely middle aged couple at the New Year's Ball, dancing up a storm in elegant attire, one or both supposedly wearing adult diapers. 

 

On second thought he didn't give a fuck whether the client got it or not.  If they didn't like it, he'd never have to deal with fucking adult diapers again.  That is until maybe he needed them himself.  He seriously hoped someone would kill him before that happened.

 

He slid the door closed behind him and dropped his briefcase at the desk.  He should have been working on that proposal all weekend, but he had been too busy fucking Justin.  He looked around the loft.  Justin had moved back to his mother's some time today.  He was alone again, and he didn't like it one bit.  He missed that kid.  The intensity of what he had felt all weekend had scared him, but he wanted more.

 

Justin had told him that love meant that you didn't want to be apart, that you were incomplete without the other person.  That was exactly it; he was incomplete without Justin here to welcome him when he came home from work, here to kiss him, here to joke around with him, here to talk about the world and tomorrow, here to share his bed whenever he wanted.

 

He went up to the bedroom and discarded his work clothes.  Jeans were much more comfortable.  If only he had that blond and his delectable ass to relieve some of the tension from work.  A couple of shots of Beam would have to do instead.

 

He grabbed the bottle and a glass and had just downed his first mouthful when his buzzer went off.  'Justin!' he thought smiling to himself. He pushed the intercom and said, "Sunshine?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"That kid is psychic," Brian grinned, already planning all the things he was going to do to Justin's ass and cock and lips and …"

 

A knock on the steel door brought him out of his stimulating reverie.  He looked down at the bulge in his jeans and knew that it would soon find relief.  He slid back the door, asking, "Why are you knocking, Sunshine?  Come on in and …"

 

He looked into the furious face of Craig Taylor.

 

"What the fuck are you doing here?  How did you get in?"

 

"You buzzed me up," Craig said with a sneer.

 

"My Taylor radar must be out of whack," Brian smirked.

 

He took another drink of his Beam, knowing he was not going to like what Craig Taylor had to say.  He gulped it down quickly and felt it really hit him hard.  He hadn't eaten anything since a few bites of a sandwich at lunchtime.

 

"Would you care to come in?" he asked in as civil a voice as he could muster.

 

"You bet your fucking ass I'm coming in!" Craig spat out, and brushed past him.

 

"Let's leave my ass out of this," Brian muttered, closing the door.

 

He turned to face Craig who looked like he was ready to punch him in the face again, just like that night in the alley.

 

"Why can't you keep the fuck out of my son's life?"

 

"He doesn't want me to."

"Well, I want you to!"

 

"And why the fuck should I give a shit what you want?"

 

"For Justin's own good."

 

"His own good?  Since when have you given a flying fuck about what he wanted or what was good for him?"

 

"Since I took him to Dartmouth.  He came to me and we had an agreement which you have made him break."

"On the contrary, it's you who made him break that agreement by demanding he be something he's not."

 

"By demanding he be normal, not a fucking pervert like you?" Craig spat at him.

 

"Yes!" Brian replied.  "He is a fucking pervert just like me, and that's what he wants to be, that's what makes him happy."

"He's not happy!  He'll have a miserable existence without his family and friends and then you'll kick him out when you get tired of him."

 

"You don't know shit about what I'll do, so shut the fuck up about that.  And you don't have a fucking clue about what makes Justin happy, or miserable for that matter."

 

"What…what do you mean?" Craig asked, startled by the vehemence of Brian's declarations.

 

"You want Justin to be happy, but you make him deny everything and everyone who means anything to him.  You effectively cut him off from everyone except you, and you expect him to be happy.  Not bloody likely!"

 

"He was happy at Dartmouth.  I talked to him all the time.  He was doing well in his classes."

 

"And did he have friends?"

 

"He would make friends given time."

"Right!  You fucking believe that, if it helps you get through the day."

"I do believe that," Craig declared.

 

"And if you don't approve these friends, then he can't associate with them."

 

"What…what are you talking about?"  How could Kinney know this?

 

"Justin told me about the kid he kissed and how you went ballistic about it.  He also told me about the security guard at the residence."

 

"The security guard?  What did Justin say about him?"

 

"That he was keeping tabs on Justin for you."

"Justin told you all this?"  Craig couldn't believe that Justin knew what he had done and had told this mother fucker.  How close were they?  "Could I have one of those?" Craig asked, lowering his voice and pointing to the glass of Jim Beam Brian had just poured himself.

 

"Since you ask so nicely," Brian said sarcastically, moving behind the counter to grab a glass.  He poured the man a healthy shot.  Maybe liquor would improve his temperament.

 

Craig downed his drink and held out his glass for a refill.  Brian grinned to himself and poured him another.  'A man after my own heart!' Brian thought.  'Drown your emotions when they don't go the way you want them to.'  At long last he had found one thing he and Craig Taylor had in common.

 

"I don't know why I'm trying to explain this to you, but I really do want what's best for my son, and that's not you!" Craig stated.

 

Brian grimaced.  "Of course not, but what do you think is best for him, to be isolated from everyone, to study things he has no interest in, to be like you?"

"Yes!" Craig said defiantly.  "That's exactly what I think, if that's what it takes to get him back on the right course."

"Your course?"

 

"My course!"

 

"Let me ask you something, Mr. Taylor.  Is your life so wonderful?  Are you happy?"

 

"That … that is none of your business!"

"Oh, but it is.  If you want the best for Justin, want him to be just like you, shouldn't that include being happy?"

Craig looked skeptically at Brian.  He couldn't truthfully say he was happy.  His life had gone to hell after he found out about Justin's sexuality.  He had lost his wife and his home as well as his son.  His hand shook as he held out the glass for another shot.  Brian poured him some more and Craig gulped it down.  "I do want him to be happy," Craig said.

 

"Then let him live his own life, and if you have the balls, admit that you made a mistake and that you want to be part of his life whatever that life turns out to be."

"I…I can't do that!" Craig stated firmly, refusing to budge in his beliefs.  He set his glass down on the counter and walked to the door.  "I…made a mistake coming here."  He pulled the door back and disappeared down the stairs, apparently not willing to wait for the elevator.

 

Brian watched him disappear from view before he closed the door.  He had tried to show Craig Taylor the folly of his beliefs, but he had failed as he knew he would.  Justin would not have a relationship with his father.  The man was beyond redemption.  Brian had used all his restraint to stop himself from ripping the man's head off with his sanctimonious pronouncements about what Justin's life should be.  He hadn't made matters better, but he hadn't made them worse either.  They probably couldn't be any worse.

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