As soon as his feet stepped onto the smooth dance floor all that Brian could think what "what the fuck am I doing here?". Everywhere he looked there were teenagers dancing amid colorful balloons and music. His eyes scanned for Justin and as he glimpsed him dancing with Daphne he walked directly towards him, seeing no one else. It was at that moment that Daphne spied him and motioned for Justin to glance in his direction. Justin’s face went blank with shock as Brian continued towards the pair and was soon standing right before them. Justin was dressed in a traditional black tuxedo with a white shirt and black bow tie with his hair gelled. Brian mentally made a note of how adorable he looked. Unable to form any other words, Justin threw a sarcastic comment at the older man.

"I thought you said you wouldn’t be caught dead in a room full of eighteen-year-olds."

"I thought I’d recapture my lost youth," Brian answered, running his fingers up the lapel of Justin’s jacket so that the meaning of his words were perfectly clear. At this point, Brian turned to Daphne who had shyly looked away.

"You look hot Daphne," he said as he placed a kiss on her temple. "I’d fuck you."

Instantly flustered, she nervously laughed.

"You-you too, Brian," she responded.

"Mind if I borrow your date?" Brian asked turning back to Justin.

Daphne hesitated for a moment before she gently touched Justin’s arm and smiled as she walked away. For a moment, Justin simply stared up at Brian waiting to see what his next move was. The two exchanged a look before the older man took his hand in his and pulled him towards the stage, away from the people who gave way for the unusual couple. As if on cue, a new song began as Brian took the scarf and wrapped it slowly around Justin’s neck as they began to move together.

Their feet moved in rhythm as Brian put one hand on around Justin’s waist and clasped the other within his own, bringing their folded hands up and away from their bodies. They both smiled and laughed and Justin placed his other hand on Brian’s shoulder as the older man began to lead him around the semi-circle. They glided across the floor, which had been cleared by a circle of confused onlookers who gaped at them in disbelief.

‘Neath the pale moonlight

Justin’s heart was swelling. He could not believe that Brian had showed up and was now dancing with him before his mostly homophobic peers. Brian looked absolutely gorgeous and it was all Justin could do to keep from kissing every inch of his beautiful body. No signs of his previous fear were visible on Brian’s face. Justin saw only joy and pride in his lover’s visage. Along with what even appeared to be love.

Justin removed his arm from Brian’s shoulder and placed it behind his back as the older man raised their hands high and spun Justin around once on his heels before bringing him close again. Back and forth they moved across the smooth floor and Justin felt as if he could die right then and there. It was as if someone had liquefied euphoria and shot it into his veins.

They looked deeper into each other’s eyes as they moved even closer and alluringly pressed their hips together, slowly swaying against each other. Brian smiled and continued to lead Justin around the circle. Never, ever would he have imagined himself here. Dancing with what was supposed to be a one-night-stand. But Justin had triggered something in him from their very first encounter when the youth had appeared to him outside of Babylon. It was the teenager’s beauty that attracted him, but he was his innocence that had captivated him.

Justin’s naïveté had humored him when Brian had offered Justin both his drugs and his body. Brian remembered how scared the teenager seemed, like a timid deer ready to run at the first sign of headlights. He had toyed with him until the birth of his son had postponed their game. But Justin came back to the loft with him despite Michael’s protests.

On the dance floor, Brian spun Justin around several more times and then pulled him back close against his chest. He remembered that first night, as he’d run his tongue down Justin’s back, feeling a new sense of excitement. Never before had Brian been with someone so innocent. The fact that no one before had touched the boy like he was going to was intoxicating. As he’d placed Justin’s legs up and over his shoulders he’d heard the trembling voice nervously asking Brian to go slow.

He had done as Justin apprehensively asked. In fact, he could not recall ever going any slower or being any gentler than he had been with Justin that night. Not even with Michael on the day that Debbie had interrupted their exploration. Unlike any other trick, Brian continued to kiss Justin as they made love. He’d muffled the boy’s whimpers with his soothing lips.

Of course when he woken up he’d been surprised and confused to find Justin’s arms around him. He’d been unable to recall what had happened or even what his name was. He had seen the pain in Justin’s eyes but had ignored it and showed the teenager where his shower was. As the answering machine reminded him that he was now a father he’s heard Justin’s yell as the hot water burned him. Regardless, he’d gone and joined him.

Justin’s hands creeping up his shoulder’s brought him back to the present. He’d slipped his hands into his jacket and was slowly inching it off of him. Brian leaned in slightly as Justin did, but just before their lips met, the younger man pulled back and slipped behind him. Tease. He felt Justin’s nimble fingers slide the jacket completely off with a sudden jerk down Brian’s arms. Grinning, Brian watched as he threw the jacket to Daphne who caught it with a beaming smile.

Justin came into Brian’s arms again and placed the scarf back around his lover’s neck. As the music went into a continuous stream of violin notes, Brian brought Justin’s right arm above his head and proceeded to twirl him all around the circle enclosed by spectators. Justin kept his left arm folded behind his back as he was spun repeatedly before the stunned eyes of students and teachers. His final "fuck you and farewell to St. James Academy". He was soon pulled back tight against Brian and savored the warmth and consolation of his body against his.

The younger man almost went into a fit of laughter as he felt Brian’s arm tighten around him and his back began to bend. Brian was grinning from ear to ear as he lowered Justin back so far that his head nearly touched the floor and he felt his leg up on his hip. Slowly and carefully Brian pulled Justin back up to him.

With his arm around his back, Brian lifted Justin off his feet and swung him around in many circles with his body pressed against him for support. Before Justin’s feet resumed their contact with the floor, Brian’s lips were on his. As their swirling stopped the two stood on the dance floor and tasted one another. Their tongues met and danced as their feet had with the same exuberance and Justin caressed Brian’s neck with his fingers.

As their lips parted, they remained close together as they both gave way to brilliant smiles. Brian’s face became passionate again and he grabbed Justin’s hand, swinging him in a circle once more before he led him away. It was some time before the others in the room were able to say anything or take note of the fact that Chris Hobbes had abandoned his date.

The two men were in the hallway heading towards the elevator when they heard a feminine voice call out to them. They turned to see Daphne running towards them with Brian’s jacket.

"Don’t forget this," she said handing it to Brian.

"Thanks darling," he responded with a smile as he slid his jacket back on.

"You guys looked so hot out there," she continued. "You dance really well."

Justin turned to Brian with a questioning look.

"Where did you learn to dance like that? I don’t recall seeing that kind of dancing at Babylon."

"It’s a mystery," Brian said with a smile.

The two shared a look and all Justin wanted to do was throw himself at him, but he wasn’t sure how that would make Daphne feel.

"I’m gonna go walk Brian out and then I’ll be back okay?"

That surprised both Daphne and Brian. Brian had expected Justin to come back with him to the loft and Daphne had assumed that Justin would want to do same thing.

"Oh, no," Daphne protested. "Go home with Brian, it’s okay."

"I can’t leave you here," Justin explained. "We came here together and that’s how we should leave. Plus, this is going to be our last time in high school, I can’t ditch halfway through."

Daphne smiled at him and Justin looked at Brian.

"You’re not upset are you?"

Brian shrugged.

"Nah," he said. "It’s your loss."

Justin smiled and Brian took his hand and led him towards the elevator.

"He’ll be right back then," Brian said as he pulled Justin along who gave his friend a little wave.

They walked into the elevator and Daphne said good-bye to them and headed back. As soon as the elevator’s doors closed, Justin flew into Brian’s arms and kissed him. Brian was surprised to feel his back come into contact with the steel wall. Justin pulled back and kissed him again, more warmly this time, and then pulled back and slid his arms down until they were wrapped around Brian’s waist.

"Have I thanked you for coming yet?" Justin whispered as he re-placed the scarf around his lover.

Brian licked his lips and slowly shook his head. Justin kissed him again and smiled into his mouth until he pulled back again with a large grin on his lips.

"Thank you for coming," he said softly.

Brian smiled.

"Yeah well, what else was I gonna do?"

The elevator bell lightly sounded and the doors opened and the older man slid his fingers into the knot of Justin’s bowtie, loosening it.

"Besides," Brian said. "The music wasn’t half bad."

Playfully, Brian took his hand again and pulled him, laughing, out of the elevator. Their voices echoed through out the garage.

"Don’t forget who’s takin’ you home and in who’s arms you’re gonna be!"

The two of them laughed as they resumed their dance positions and stumbled towards the jeep. They swung around one another and Justin could not control his smile.

"Did you see their faces?" Justin asked about his peers.

"Yeah," Brian answered. "We gave ‘em a prom they’ll never forget."

"Me neither," Justin laughed. "It’s the best night of my life."

Justin allowed Brian to pin him against his jeep as he once again wrapped the scarf around him and pulled it tight in the front with the both of his hands.

"Even if it was ridiculously romantic," Brian added with a smile.

The older man leaned in to kiss him but before their lips made contact, he paused. Brian waited until Justin locked eyes with him, granting him permission, before he continued forward and kissed him very delicately. When he pulled back, Brian smiled slightly and kissed him again, longer and deeper this time. Pulling back again, he kept his eyes locked on his and pulled him away from the jeep using the scarf. Brian’s fingers toyed with the frayed ends of the satin.

"Later," he said.

It was a promise, not a statement.

"Later," Justin said as well in a dreamy voice.

Justin backed away, laughing, with the biggest smile that Brian had ever seen which for the first time made him realize why Debbie called him "Sunshine". Brian opened the door to the jeep and, after one more fleeting glance at Justin, slid into the driver’s side. With a smile on his lips he glanced into the side-view mirror, watching as Justin walked away with the ends of the scarf in each one of his hands and stretched around his shoulders. Brian felt a wondrous feeling of serenity until he viewed another figure coming up behind Justin with a baseball bat in his hand. For a moment of sheer terror, Brian was unable to react, then he flung the door to the jeep open and jumped out.

"JUSTIN!"

The sound of Brian’s voice caused Justin’s smile-lit face to turn just as the bat went swinging with unbelievable violence into the side of his head. Justin could not register anything other than the searing pain as he fell to the floor and immediately began to feel his body shutting down. Brian was running at full speed towards his lover’s assailant and roughly shoved his palms into his back as he attempted to escape. Before Brian had seen his face he knew that is was Chris Hobbes.

He’d been nothing but a nightmare to Justin since the very beginning of Justin’s sexual realization. Taunting him in the hallways, the locker-room which had resulted in a bloody fight, the classroom which had caused Justin to be suspended and even confronting him outside of Woody’s with a group of his fiends. Justin had bravely stood up to him and now the motherfucker had smashed his head in with a bat.

Once the monster went crashing to the floor, the bat slipped from his grip as he let out a groan and struggled to his feet. Brian paused for a brief moment of thinking and then picked the bat up, and as the teen attempted to flee, he sent it crashing into his knees. Chris screamed in pain and cursed as he fell to the ground again. Brian wanted to beat him senseless, but instead he rushed to Justin’s fallen body. He was lying on his side and Brian dropped to his knees and leaned over him, gently cradling him. The side of his golden head was bleeding and all through Justin was breathing, he did not move one inch under Brian’s careful touch.

Leaning protectively over him, Brian could feel the panic in his throat threatening come in the surface.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," He frantically muttered. "God!"

Gently, Brian slipped his hand under Justin’s knees and turned him over on his back and placed his head against his chest.

"Justin," Brian said. "Jesus, say something."

Upon getting no response he again felt a moment of dread before he remembered his cell phone and reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve it. With quick fingers he dialed 911 and placed the phone to his ear while he stroked Justin’s hair, which was matted with blood. Quickly, Brian explained to the operator what had happened, where they were, and that they needed an ambulance now. After the operator informed him that paramedics were on their way, he hung up and put his phone away. The blood was still leaking from Justin’s head and Brian pulled the youth up to hold him more closely.

Justin’s cheek was resting against his chest and the wound on his head was staining Brian’s neck with the boy’s blood. Tears were blurring his vision but Brian noticed that Chris Hobbes had somehow managed to crawl away, leaving Brian and his fallen lover in the garage. Brian placed his lips on Justin’s head and tasted blood as he muttered what soothing words he could, all though he wasn’t sure if Justin could hear him.

After a painfully long seven minutes, the comforting sound of the siren and the bright flashing lights filled the concrete lot. The white van stopped beside the two men and three paramedics in uniform stepped from the vehicle and rushed to them. One of them immediately kneeled beside Brian who was holding Justin as he lay silent in his arms while the other two opened the back doors of the ambulance and pulled a stretcher out. After Brian once again explained what happened, they carefully pulled Justin from his embrace, lifted him, and laid him flat on his back on the thin mattress.

Fearing shock they covered him with a thick blanket and lifted the stretcher into the van. One of the medics asked if Brian wanted to come along. Dazed, he jumped into the ambulance and took his place at Justin’s side, next to the boy’s bleeding head. He watched as they placed him in a neck brace and before covering his beautiful face with an oxygen mask, wrapped a tight white bandage around his head. The medics tried to speak to Brian again about what had happened, but he was barely able to respond. Instead, Brian reached forward and clasped Justin’s lifeless hand in his own and looked at his face which was covered by the plastic of the mask. Brian unconsciously waited to feel Justin apply pressure to his grip.

The ride to the hospital was excruciating, full of medical conversations and recommendations about what was the best thing to do told in rushed voices, and Brian felt as if his head would explode. When they arrived at the hospital, Brian watched as they quickly opened the doors and prepared to wheel Justin out. The pillow had been stained with the boy’s blood and as they took him away, Brian loosely gripped the tainted white and pulled it to him. As Justin disappeared into the confines of the hospital as Brian followed slowly behind with the stained scarf dangling in his right hand. Inside the sterile building, He trailed behind the medics until he was told he could go no further and thus sank into a nearby bench. For the second time that night, he reached into his jacket and pulled out his cell phone. Mindlessly he hit the button that would connect him to his best friend. After a few rings he answered.

"Brian?"

Unable to speak, Brian continued to stare at the wall in front of him.

"Brian," came the voice again. "Brian, what’s wrong?"

Finally, he was able to answer.

"Mikey," Brian said in a broken voice. "I need you."

Michael knew instantly that something was terribly wrong.

"What’s wrong?" he said in a worried voice. "Are you all right?"

Brian swallowed and cleared his throat.

"I need you," he repeated. "I’m at the hospital. . ."

"The hospital?!" Michael said. "Jesus, Brian, what happened?"

"Justin was . . . attacked," Brian struggled to say. "He’s unconscious, there’s blood all over him . . . everywhere . . . he’s unconscious."

Sensing that he was unable to continue, Michael reassured him.

"Okay, it’s all right," he said. "I’m coming. I’ll be right there, okay?"

Without another word, Brian hung up. Leaning his head into the wall, he began to think. If he had only stayed home, like he should have, none of this would have happened. What business did he have at a prom anyway? He was a thirty-year-old man for God’s sake, not a fucking teenager. He had been asking for something to happen. Showing up and then dancing with Justin in front of his peers, in front of him. He should have stayed home and drank himself to sleep. Or he should have taken Justin home with him like he’d planned to. Never, ever, should he have let him walk back there alone. How could he have done that? God, if he had just taken him home and fucked his brains out, they’d been lying together right now instead of him sitting in a hospital hallway with Justin in the emergency room clinging to life.

Brian did not see the approaching figure as it sauntered towards him. Michael slowly took in the heartbreaking image of his friend looking shell-shocked. He came and sat down beside Brian on the bench. Michael fought back the tears as he reached for Brian and placed his hand on the nape of his neck, trying to give him some comfort. He noticed that Brian’s throat was spotted red, as were areas of his suit from where he had been holding his damaged paramour. Spots of blood were even on his lips from were they'd delicately touched the teen’s broken head. Brian’s eyes were lightly scarlet and filled with tears that had yet to fall and he suddenly recalled the last time that the three of them had all been at the hospital. He remembered them running down the hallway to see his newborn son.

The soothing pressure of Michael’s hand on the back of his neck brought him back to his harsh reality. Michael wished that there was something, anything, that he could do to make this easier on Brian but nothing, aside from Justin walking out completely unharmed would alter the mood of the situation. Brian was suddenly wondering why he was there. Why was he sitting outside of an emergency room, waiting while his entire body ached? What was Justin to him that he would have this effect on him? Only Michael, Lindsay and Gus evoked this emotion in him.

It was then that he realized the power Justin had over him. As a single tear finally escaped from his body he admitted it to himself. Justin Taylor had made Brian Kinney love him.

part I
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