Daphne sat down on the floor with her legs out so she could get close to him and wrap arms around Justin and rocked to his rhythm. He didn’t blink. “Justin, it’s Daphne. You are scaring me. Please come back to me. Justin, it’s Daphne. I love you. Don’t do this. Come to me. Follow my voice.” She kept talking to him. Nothing was penetrating. Suddenly, she jumped from a noise. What was that? She was so into trying to get Justin to respond. It had been over half an hour and she still hadn’t succeeded in getting him to respond in the slightest. The sound came again.

{{{Ring}}} {{{Ring}}}

She got up immediately and ran to the phone. “Tate residence.” She never got used to using that name. It just wasn’t Justin. It was noon in Chicago. “Hello, may I speak to Justin Taylor.” “There is no Justin Taylor, this is the Tate residence.” “Then give me James Tate. I need to speak to him.” “Who is this calling?” “My name is Brian Kinney. I met James this weekend. I would like to speak to him now please.” “By any chance, do you have penetrating hazel eyes and perhaps danced with him Saturday night?” “Yes to both, but with whom am I speaking and why do you want to know? Brian sensed nervousness. No, it was something else, near panic that she was trying to control. “Daphne, Justin’s best friend.” “Okay Daphne, what is wrong. Start from the beginning.” “I don’t know if I should be telling you this. I don’t know you, but I think you are probably the only one to help.” She started to babble trying to tell him so much and yet not too much. “May I call you Brian?” “Yes.” “I was due here today at ten. It is noon now. I can’t get through to him. I have tried. He is like in a trance, rocking, seeing into space, and still crying. I think he has been like this for hours. He tried exorcising his demons with his art but it didn’t work. He did three pictures of…of someone I don’t know. I think it is you. He is acting like his whole world caved in around him. This has only happened twice before and each time I could get him out of it but it feels like he has no more hope. I’m afraid.” “What are you afraid of?” Brian had a sinking suspicion he knew. Before she had a chance to reply to his question he was saying something else. “Put the phone to his ear. Watch for him to respond. I’ll talk to him. Put the phone on speaker if you can so you can hear and so you can tell me what is happening. This way he will hear me surrounding him. Hold him as I talk to him. Get behind him and hold him to you. Keep rocking him.” She was obeying everything. What could it hurt? “Justin, listen to me. Hear my voice. It’s Brian. Do you hear me?” Brian could hear the sobs and hiccups that were starting. “Justin, I am here for you. Do you hear me? I am on the phone.” After several minutes Justin started to nod. “Brian, he is nodding to your voice. Keep whatever you are saying up. He is responding. Brian let out a sigh of relief. “Justin, I need you. You have to help me. I need you to come out of it. I need you to let Daphne help you. Justin, I love you. Please, hold on to life baby. I will die if I can’t be in contact with you. With each endearment, Justin showed more signs of life. Daphne took the phone again to her ear not thinking and spoke. “It’s working. I pulled the phone away and his eyes are frantic looking for you.” “Then give me back to him. Justin, I am going be by later today. Do you want to see me?” Justin grabbed the phone from Daphne’s hand. She was still holding it to his ear. Now he was becoming active. A good sign. “Justin, talk to me baby. I need to hear your voice. You’ve been crying again. Sorry. I didn’t want to leave. I fixed the disaster at work. I am coming back. Do you want to see me?” As he spoke he hit the intercom for Cynthia. He covered the phone. “Cyn, here now.” He then continued talking to Justin. “Don’t do anything rash. I want to see what you painted today.” Justin wasn’t speaking but he had started to pace and his sobbing had all but stopped. A few sniffles here and there and he really needed to blow his nose. Brian had put his phone on speaker so Cyn could hear when she walked in. Immediately, she was writing down information. Plane to Chicago, she wrote to Brian not wanting to speak. He nodded. Her magic hands had already come around to Brian’s computer which he had turned toward her. Within five minutes she had booked him on the next flight to Chicago and printed out the confirmation. She loved e-tickets. Brian kept talking and slowly he knew that Justin was responding. After a half hour, he had finally gotten a verbal response from Justin. “Brian.” One word and it was heaven. A minute later, Justin spoke again. “It’s really you. You will be here.” “Yes, Justin. I am heading for the airport now. I need to have you let me call you right back. I am switching phones. I want to call you on my cell so we can talk until I have to board. Please hang up and then answer the next ring.” Justin got agitated. He was afraid his connection with Brian wasn’t real. If he hung up, maybe it wouldn’t ring again. Sensing what Justin was thinking, Brian soothingly spoke. “Justin, I promise the phone will ring. This is real. Please hang up.” Justin looked at it when Brian had hung up. “Brian! Brian!” he yelled. Daphne took the phone from him. She knew that Brian was going to call back. She disconnected it so that the new call could get through for Justin’s sake. She put the phone back in Justin’s hands. Daphne wondered where Brian was coming from. This mysterious man from a painting and a phone call. Brian had no time to waste. He was suddenly glad he hadn’t brought his luggage to the loft. Now he was good to go. He had barely enough time to get there for the flight. He just hoped security wouldn’t slow him down too long. The cab to the airport had also been called as he was gathering his things. It was there before he knew it. Brian rang Justin up again on his cell. The connection seemed to calm Justin. He made sure his voice was calm and soothing like the voice that he used with his son Gus. Brian started speaking of Gus to Justin. We can share my son. He has two mommies. Why not two daddies? I know you wanted kids. How about sharing mine?” “Keep it up Brian. That started to make him smile. Tell him about Gus.” Brian started to describe Gus. “Gus is three and seems to like to draw. He has hazel eyes like me and my smile and hair as well. He has his mother’s nose. He is stubborn as me. When he sets his sights on something, he gets it. He is a miniature manipulator.” Brian actually got a snicker from Justin. Good this was working. “I am getting out of the cab now. I am gonna check in. I miss you baby. Stay with me.” “Are you real?” “Yes, I am real. You haven’t lost your marbles. Daphne hears me. Don’t you Daphne?” “Yes, Brian. Thank you for calling when you did. I don’t know what I would have done.” “You would have managed like you did the other times. They are boarding my flight. Justin, listen to Daphne. Stay home. I will be there as fast as I can.” “Okay. You are coming?” It was a question. “Yes, Justin. I am. Till later.” “Later.” Justin held on to the phone for dear life. It had been his last connection to Brian. He still wasn’t sure if it had been real. Without Brian’s voice he went into himself again.

The flight seemed to take forever even though they caught a wind and arrived a good seven minutes early. Brian quickly grabbed his luggage and then a cab that was right there. The seventeen and a half minutes to Justin’s went quickly. Paying the cabbie, he carried his luggage to Justin’s door. The door swung open and Daphne let him in. “Brian,I presume. I got Justin to lie down finally. I doubt if he is asleep. He keeps just saying your name. What happened between you two? He seems a little better hearing your voice. Where did you come from?” “Pittsburgh. I just got home this morning. I haven’t slept. I went straight to work early in the morning. There was a disaster I had to clean up before the day started. Now where is he? His room?” Brian asked as he started walking toward the master bedroom. I will answer every one of your questions only after I check on him. Brian carried his suitcase with him as he went. Opening the door, he just stared at Justin curled up in a ball, silent. What Brian saw upset him deeply. Was his leaving that disturbing? Justin had seemed fine when he left. Brian put down his bag, took off his jacket, and laid it on the suitcase. Then he removed his shoes. Daphne watched him. She saw something in his demeanor, anguish over Justin’s condition and something else. Was it love? Could they have fallen in love in a night? Brian then sat on the bed assessing Justin before he spoke. As he started to speak he reached over and took Justin to his chest. “Baby, why are you doing this? What happened? I am here now. I told you I was coming. It wasn’t a dream. Here I am. Open your eyes.” Brian held him, talking soothingly. Justin nuzzled into his body, burying himself in Brian’s warmth. Words didn’t seem to be working so Brian did what he did best. He started kissing Justin. Sweet soft feather kisses on his lips, eyelids, earlobes and neck were placed. Justin started to stir and started to sigh. Then he started to kiss back. Brian made the kisses more urgent. The response was immediate. Justin gripped his lower lip with a viselike grip and Brian couldn’t help but moan. Justin started to nibble the lip while Brian pulled Justin to him so Justin could feel what he was doing to him. Daphne watched in awe as Justin responded to Brian. She could tell that Brian was responding back. Justin’s anguish was transformed into passion, a passion that surpassed anything he ever felt before. He was on fire, flames flickering not, but strong and urgent, even painful. He had to squelched this fire within him.

It didn’t take long before Justin started to pull Brian’s clothes off ripping the brand new shirt. Buttons went flying. Justin started to nibble and nip at Brian’s neck and then his nipples. He needed to taste it all. He needed to make this dream real. Justin didn’t say a word afraid that this was all a dream but if it were a dream then he might as well enjoy it. It didn’t feel like a dream. The sensations stirred sweet memories. It also spurred him on. As he played upon Brian strumming him with his tongue and breathing in his smell, Daphne quietly slipped away. This was not for her eyes. As they made love, Daphne could sense that both cared about the other. If Brian wasn’t enthralled with her best friend, she would eat pussy, but she knew that would not be the case. No one would just drop everything and fly back for just a trick. She wondered if they had done the deed the other night. She knew how Justin was. If they didn’t, why would Brian waste his time?

Brian let Justin do what he needed. He felt Justin’s passion overwhelming, overpowering, and irresistible. He needed Justin, he needed to feel him inside and he needed to get inside of Justin. Moving down Brian’s body, Justin took his cock in his mouth and started sucking it. Brian moaned. “Oh, it feels so good baby.” Justin lips gripped the end of the shaft with his mouth squeezing it tight. Brian yelped and shot his load. The foreplay had sent him flying and he had lost control. He was surprised how fast Justin had gotten him off. He shot down Justin’s throat with a fury of need he had never felt before. Brian pulled him up to his lips and started French kissing. Justin had loved the taste of Brian’s cum. It was real. The sex had brought him out of his trance.

The kisses had stirred and stiffened his silent spent shaft. Brian had an idea. As they held each other and Brian’s bulge grew again, Brian talked to Justin. “Jus, can we try something. I need more.” Between his words, Brian kept kissing Justin and stroking sensuously Justin’s cock. “I need you. Let me feel you surround me. It would be safe for me. Let me top you. Let me make love to you.” Justin was so turned on, so feverish, frenzied even that he knew he needed to feel Brian. He nodded. Brian took off Justin’s briefs. That had been all he was wearing when Brian arrived. Daphne had undressed him, hoping he would go to sleep.

“You’re so beautiful Justin. Your ass is so perfect. He wanted so much to eat him out but he knew that would shut Justin down. Things would take time. Instead he reached down into his pants and pulled out lube and condom. He clothed his cock, lubed it, and then started lubing Justin. His fingers also lubed worked their magic stretching Justin’s hole and rewarding Brian with sighs, and moans and even some bucking. Justin was allowing himself to feel. He was riding his senses. It felt so good. “Ready.” Justin nodded. “It will hurt some. Relax.” Brian pushed in and Justin groaned but moved to him at the same time wanting more immediately. Brian pushed in the rest of the way. Brian thought, this feels so good. I’ve never felt so at home...So warm…mine…such a perfect fit…thank G-d, I went off already or else I wouldn’t last. Starting to find his rhythm, Justin followed.