Geoffrey walked into Brian's office. He heaved a huge sigh.

"What?" Brian asked.

"They're coming again."

"Fuck!"

"Yep, three time's the charm."

"When?"

"Kerry, day after tomorrow. Bush, on the weekend."

"They must be desperate."

"It's too close to call. They need every vote they can get."

"Do I have to be involved?" Brian asked.

"They would like you to appear with them, but nothing says you have to."

"Let me think about it. I'd just like to stay out of it."

"We're a swing state, so they say. It's hard to stay out of it."

"And how the fuck much is it going to cost the city this time?"

Geoffrey sighed again. "Probably the same as last time."

"Shit! Go do whatever you have to to get ready for this extravaganza."

"Right," Geoffrey said as he bustled out.

-----

"Want to meet the president again?" Brian asked as he entered the loft that night.

"Thanks, but once was enough."

Brian raised his eyebrow in mock shock. "My, haven't we become blasé."

"He was an asshole the first time. Why would he be any different this time?"

"Because he wants your vote."

"Well, he won't be getting it," Justin said.

"Voting for the other side?"

"Probably."

"I don't think I'll vote at all," Brian said wearily.

"Why the fuck not?"

"These two jerks have cost this city thousands of dollars with their campaigning here. They disrupt everything and accomplish nothing. It will be my form of protest."

"And what if your vote or lack of vote helps elect the wrong person?"

"Yeah, that's likely."

"Brian, it's your civic duty, and as mayor, people should see you out voting."

"I don't give a piss."

"Yes, you do. What direction do you want this country going for the next four years?" Justin waited as Brian mulled over what he had said.

"Okay, okay, I get the point. I thought you wanted me to forget about politics and lead a normal life."

Justin snorted. "Like anything about you is normal!"

''Hey!"

"Sorry, but you know what I mean."

"What's wrong with you tonight?"

"It's … nothing."

"Justin," Brian said ominously. They had promised to be open and straightforward with each other.

Justin heaved a sigh. "I went to a political rally at school today. They were trying to get people revved up to vote for Kerry."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Brian asked studying his partner.

"You would think so."

"So what happened?"

"At the end of the rally they asked for anybody who was willing to go door to door and hand out flyers to come and sign up. I figured I could do that. But when I was signing up, a couple of guys got on my case."

"What about?"

"About me being a big shot. About how I was in the paper with both candidates because of my boyfriend. About how they should let me do the canvassing all by myself since I was such a media star. They pissed me off."

"Will this fucking election ever be over?" Brian asked with a frustrated sigh.

"If it turns out like last time, it could be months before we have the final results."

"Don't joke about something like that."

"Who's joking?"

Brian made a face and then decided to change the subject. "You hungry? Let's go out for dinner."

"Really?" Justin asked with a smile.

"We could go to Demetre's and get that booth way in the back where nobody will see us."

"Except the people going to the restroom."

"They're in too much of a hurry to notice us."

Justin giggled. "Let's go."

Some time later they were finishing up their salads when a distinguished looking man passed them heading for the restroom.

"Did you see the look that guy gave us?" Justin asked.

"I wasn't paying attention to him," Brian said reaching across the table to run his fingers over the back of Justin's hand. Justin shivered at the contact and Brian grinned lasciviously.

"You have to let me eat first," Justin declared.

"It's always food with you, isn't it?"

"It's always sex with you, isn't it?"

"And which is more important?" Brian challenged.

Justin snorted and leaned across the table for a quick kiss. "Can't you save that for your bedroom?" the distinguished looking man asked as he came out of the restroom and passed their table.

"Excuse me!" Brian said loud enough to make heads turn.

The man turned slowly and with great disdain said, "You heard me."

"You have a problem with us?" Brian demanded.

"I certainly do. I don't know how your kind ever got elected mayor. Your term will be up shortly, won't it? Maybe we'll be rid of you once and for all."

The whole restaurant was listening now. "You wish," Brian retorted.

Just then Demetre appeared trying to restore order. He steered the man away and back to his table. He returned to Brian and made his apologies. "Dessert is on me. I'm most sorry, Mr. Mayor."

"It's not your fault, Demetre," Brian said. "Could you just pack up our food and we'll take it home with us."

"Brian…" Justin began but the wave of Brian's hand made him stop. Maybe it was best if they got out of there.

Demetre bustled away to package up their dinners.

"Let's go," Brian said. "We can pick up the food at the front desk."

They started to walk towards the exit. As fate would have it, they had to pass the table of the man who had made the scene. He was looking very smug sitting with a woman who was probably his wife. They were almost by the table when Brian turned back. Justin groaned inwardly. This would not be good.

"I'm tempted to run for mayor again just to piss you off!" he said loud enough for most of the restaurant to hear.

Brian turned on his heel, took Justin's hand and they made their way to the foyer to a round of applause from most of the diners in the establishment. Brian did not look back, but Justin had to see the face of the man who had hassled them. He was sitting at his table shaking his head in disbelief that the other people in the restaurant seemed to be supporting Brian.

Demetre appeared with a bag which he handed to Brian, saying no charge. Brian took the bag and they made their way out to the Corvette. Once they were on their way home Justin glanced at his partner.

"Brian…"

"Don't. I don't want to hear it. I thought I was beyond that kind of fucking attitude."

"We'll never be beyond it. There will always be someone to criticize, to put us down, to call us perverts."

"When did you get to be such a fucking pessimist?"

"I'm getting tired of fighting for our rights, fighting to be equal, fighting for things that everybody else takes for granted. It doesn't seem to matter what we do or what we achieve somebody is always there to remind us that we are still second class citizens."

"I thought you were the one lecturing me about voting and taking a stand and making a fucking difference."

"Well, I was wrong."

Brian looked over at his lover, his partner, his friend. "Don't say that, please."

"Why not? It's true. I've had it."

"No," Brian said emphatically. "You're the hope, the future. You can't give up."

"And what the fuck are you? The past?" Justin asked with a major frown.

"I'm old…er."

Justin noticed the hesitation between the parts of that word and he couldn't help but smile. "It's a sad day when you admit that you're old…er and you're the more optimistic of the two of us. The world must be coming to an end."

"It's not ending just yet, and it's not over until the fat lady sings."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Brian?"

"Kerry and Bush are both coming to Pittsburgh one last time. I'm going to get Debbie and PFLAG to organize protesters. I know where the candidates will be entering and exiting cars, and I'm going to see that the area is full of protesters."

"You are evil," Justin grinned. He loved Brian so much when he got like this. The take charge, ruthless Brian had been the man he first fell in love with, and there was still a good chunk of that inside him.

"You don't know the half of it. No more Mr. Nice Guy."

"Shit, Brian. Be careful."

"Why should I? My term's almost over. I've got nothing to lose."

"Can I do anything?" Justin asked.

"Don't let the turkeys drag you down," Brian said. "You're my inspiration. I need you to stay positive."

"I can do that."

"Good boy."

When they arrived at the loft the food was forgotten as they made their way directly to the bedroom. The thought of working together for a common cause, and a righteous one at that, was an extreme aphrodisiac to both men. They spent the next two hours sucking and fucking until they were exhausted and even Brian had to admit that he was starving.

They dragged themselves down to the kitchen and nuked their dinners that had been dropped by the door when they came into the loft. They sat naked on the sofa and ate in companionable silence.

Justin finally broke the silence. "That was amazing up there," he said gesturing towards the bedroom with his knife. "Why do you think talk of protests and fucking the establishment made us so horny?"

"I don't think it was what we are going to do," Brian said thoughtfully. "I think it was that we are going to do it together."

"I miss that," Justin admitted. "Ever since you became mayor we seem to work at cross purposes, or rather what you have to do takes precedence over what I want to do, and so I give in. We hardly ever work on the same thing together."

"That's it in a nutshell," Brian said.

"Yum, I like nuts," Justin grinned.

"Down boy. Finish your dinner first. The nuts are for dessert."

Justin chuckled. He loved Brian's sense of humor. "Will we find things to work on together after you're finished being mayor?"

"I've been thinking about that."

"You have?" Justin beamed one of his patented smiles at Brian. "Thinking about us, I mean?"

"I'd like to open my own agency. I think I can get a few high profile clients to come over to me and there's always Charles. He could be a big help."

"And a big account if you can get him."

"If we can get him," Brian corrected. "How would you like to be head of the art department?"

"No shit!" Justin gulped. His eyes had gotten very large and he swallowed air rapidly. "Do you mean that?"

"You graduate this year, and I think you are one of the most creative people I have ever met."

"But I don't have much experience."

"On the job training."

Justin grinned from ear to ear. "Do you think I can handle it?"

"I know you can. I have personal experience with the reality that you can achieve anything you set your mind to."

"How long have you been thinking about this?" Justin asked his face sobering.

"Since we had that talk about you being in my shadow and me not paying enough attention to the things in your life."

"So this isn't spur of the moment, something that you'll take back tomorrow."

"I always say what I mean, and I mean this."

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"Come back to bed and you can show me."

Brian's arms were full of blond boy and he was thoroughly kissed. Finally Justin dragged him up the steps and threw him on the bed. He was going to demonstrate his competency in all areas to his new business partner.

-----

Brian went to the rallies for Bush and Kerry. He had Debbie and the PFLAG contingent strategically situated so that they would most likely appear on the evening news. He mounted the stage with each of them and managed to get a few words in at each rally. Basically he encouraged people to vote and he ended each speech with three words. Strong, fair and tolerant were his rallying call. He hoped the message would get through.

With so few days left until the election there was a flurry of activity throughout the city. Brian took every opportunity to speak and encourage people to vote. He wasn't sure that either candidate was the right one, but Kerry was probably the lesser of two evils. His main concern though, was to get out the vote especially among the gay community.

Justin did his part going door to door. He had gone back to sign up for that job after Brian's encouragement. He liked being Brian's positive influence. He wanted to make a difference. He told those who teased him to go fuck themselves and then he ignored their barbs. Nothing was going to deter him.

As Election Day drew ever closer Brian received invitations to events that would celebrate victories by one party or the other. He was also asked to speak at a couple of parties election night. He declined all of the invitations.

The morning of the election he arose early and woke Justin. They had agreed to go vote together. There would likely be some TV station covering the fact and they would appear on the noon news. Brian hoped that his act of voting might push some others to vote as well. He said as much when he was interviewed.

Justin had agreed to drive potential voters to the polls if they needed a ride. He went off after voting to carry out that commitment. Brian went to the office.

"Morning, Boss," Cynthia said as he appeared.

"Morning. Did you vote?"

She nodded. "I saw you on the news last night encouraging people to go vote. I thought I better or I'd never hear the end of it."

"You're a very smart woman," Brian said as he went into his office.

Cynthia was chuckling when Geoffrey came down the hall. "Have you voted?" she asked him.

"No, I'll go after work."

"You might want to do it before you go in there," she suggested.

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll see."

Geoffrey shook his head as he entered Brian's office. Sometimes women, even Cynthia, were so hard to understand.

"Morning, Mr. Mayor," Geoffrey said.

"You're awfully formal," Brian observed. "Shit! They're not coming back are they?"

"God, no! Nothing like that."

"I just had a major heart palpitation."

"Calm down. It will all be over tonight."

"At least I hope it will be. You never know … after last time."

"Heaven forbid," Geoffrey replied.

"Have you voted?" Brian asked.

"I'll vote after work."

"And if you get busy and don't leave in time, you'll miss out."

"I'll go. Don't worry."

"Go right now. There's nothing pressing we have to deal with, is there?"

"No, but…"

"Then go, right now."

"All right, all right, I'm going." Geoffrey left the office in a huff. "Why didn't you warn me?" he asked Cynthia as he went by.

"What did you think I was doing?" she demanded.

"Humph," he snorted as he headed out to his car to go to his polling station.

-----

That night Brian arrived home with takeout. Justin came in just after him. He kicked off his shoes and flopped on the couch.

"I'm exhausted," Justin sighed. "Do you have any idea how hard it is dealing with old people, holding doors for them, loading their walkers into the Corvette, trying to get them out of the Corvette?"

"I didn't know it was going to be used as a fucking taxi," Brian grimaced. He had given Justin the keys to use the Corvette to transport voters, but he had had grave reservations.

"We need a more practical vehicle."

"No shit! Like what?"

"I don't know, a Lincoln Navigator?"

"Justin Taylor, you are out of your mind."

"I'm delirious with hunger and fatigue and contact with crazy old people."

"Poor baby, I brought dinner."

"Oh, thank you. I can barely stand."

"Stay put. I'll serve you," Brian said dishing up their meals. He carried them over to the sofa and dropped down beside his partner.

"Want to put the TV on and see what the early returns are?" Justin asked.

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'? Don't you want to see what's happening?"

"Whatever will be, will be. We did our best. We can find out the results tomorrow or next week or next month. Who cares? Whoever wins we'll deal with it together."

"I like the sound of that," Justin said with a smile.

"Think you have enough strength left to fuck later."

"For you, always."

And that was why Brian loved him. He was always ready to fuck. But he was so much more than that. He was an idealistic, hard working, talented, conscientious, beautiful young man, and they were going to make a terrific business partnership. Brian was sure of it.

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