To: alafye From:abrokencompass Title: A Learning Experience Gift Request: A Brian/Justin fic set in Season Four that was no overly angsty or dark, and also fairly vanilla. Rating: PG-13 Summary: The past doesn’t always stay in the past. Post 4.10. 1,500 words.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
“What are you wearing?”
Justin snorts out a laugh as he replies. “Why hello Brian, my day has been great, and yours?”
“Yeah yeah, like I won’t hear a million words about every single little thing you did today when you get home. Right now though, I’m horny and in between meetings. Now what are you wearing?”
Justin looks around the empty apartment and decides to humor him. “Just got out of the shower actually. Had to wash all that paint off…”
Looking back, Justin should have known that something would show up to ruin the calm. They’re finally back to a good place, now that the craziness with the cancer and comic book/movie deal are dying down. It should ostensibly be smooth sailing at this point. Only, he and Brian never did do easy too well.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
They’re at Woody’s later that night with the guys when he shows up. Tall, lean, with dark luscious hair and piercing blue eyes, Justin’s first thought is that he seems like he’d be a good choice for a threesome. When Brian makes a shocked sound in the back of his throat as he follows Justin’s line of sight however, Justin revises his previous thought.
By this point, the mystery man has spotted them and is making his way over, a bewildered sort of happiness evident on his face. As he nears them, he calls out, “Brian fucking Kinney. Never thought I’d see you again. How you been?”
Brian appears to have recovered his wits, although his arm still feels tense where it rests against Justin’s shoulders. “Nate. It’s been a while,” he says evenly.
Warning bells go off in Justin’s head. Brian’s reaction to this man is definitely not that of a casual friend.
But everyone says I’m the first person he’s ever kept around for longer than a fuck, Justin reminds himself.
“A little over ten years, I think,” Nate answers.
By now the others have ceased their conversation and are watching Brian and Nate with fascination. Justin feels forgotten beside Brian.
“And who is this?” Nate asks, pointing at Justin.
Brian seems to pull himself out of his funk at the question, and his expression when he turns it on Justin is closed-off, although Justin can see a hint of…unease? in his expression. “This is Justin. Justin, Nate. He and I went to undergrad together,” Brian finishes.
Nate lets out a small laugh. “Oh come now. That’s underselling it a bit, don’t you think?”
Brian glares. “Is there any particular reason you’re back in town, Nathaniel?”
Nate’s grin is nearly feral. “Actually, I’m moving back. Just got a job with Gardner Vance. I take it you’ve heard of him.”
Justin watches a nerve in Brian jaw begin to tick. Well, this should be a fun night.
Brian just lets out a long breath, however, and plasters on a smile. “Well, you have fun with that. Congrats and all that. Oh, and don’t take it too personally when I snipe all of your clients out from beneath you. Gardner is pretty used to it by now, I think.”
Nate opens his mouth to retort with some no doubt witty response, but Brian is pulling Justin up and out of his seat and toward the door. “C’mon. There’s no one worth fucking in here besides you, and I’d much rather fuck you in our nice big bed. And maybe in the shower. And the kitchen counter.”
-*-*-*-*-
Two days later, Justin is on his way to lunch at the Liberty with Brian, when he turns a corner and spots Brian talking with Nate. That alone isn’t so weird. What is interesting, and what makes him pause, is the look on Brian’s face. He looks pissed-off, angry, and almost hurt. Nate, on the other hand, looks smug.
Justin has never seen Brian Kinney this riled up by anyone who didn’t share his last name. Or Justin’s.
At that second though, Brian looks down the street and spots Justin. Justin gives a little wave and makes his way toward Brian. Brian throws one last comment at Nate that Justin can’t hear, and heads towards Justin. When they meet, Brian pulls him in close and presses a hot, hard kiss to his lips. Justin, as always, loses himself to it for a few moments before Brian pulls away, stopping briefly to lay a soft nip at Justin’s lower lip. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Justin returns with a smile. “What was that all about?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Brian says dismissively.
“Seemed pretty heated,” Justin presses.
Brian lets out an angry sigh. “Would you just drop it? He’s an asshole, always has been.”
“I thought you were friends in college,” Justin asks.
Brian snorts. “Hardly.”
“But-“
“Look Justin,” Brian interrupts. “Are we going to go in and eat or not? Because if we’re not, I’ve got work I could be doing at the office.”
Justin drops it with a sigh. “Yeah, let’s go eat.”
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
The next day, Justin is waiting on the couch when Brian gets home. “Hey,” Justin calls quietly as Brian opens the door.
“Hey,” Brian returns, throwing his coat and keys on the counter. “What are you doing?”
Justin shrugs.
“You feeling okay, Sunshine?”
“I had an interesting talk today.”
Brian opens the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water, twisting off the top. “That right?” he asks, talking a large swallow from the bottle.
“Yeah. Very enlightening.”
Brian raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything, obviously waiting for Justin to continue.
“So why is everyone under the impression that ours is the first relationship you’ve ever been in. Because from what I hear, you’re practically a pro by now.”
Brian freezes for a second, almost undetectable to someone who isn’t looking, before he moves towards the bedroom. “Now who would go and tell you a ridiculous thing like that?”
“Cut the shit, Brian. I ran into Nate when I was out getting coffee this morning. He told me all about your life in college. He told me about your ex, Kyle, wasn’t it? How you two got together your sophomore year of college and were the golden gay couple that all other gay couples strived to be. Together for over a year, isn’t that right?”
Brian stays silent where he lies on the bed.
“Until someone new showed up on the scene. Someone almost as hot, almost as great a fuck, and just as outspoken. You two clashed like no other, but you figured it was just regular male posturing. Until you walked in on the new guy fucking your partner.”
Brian’s hands are clenched at his sides, but he still doesn’t say a word, staring straight ahead at the ceiling.
Justin lets out a heavy sigh. “Brian. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
That at least gets a reaction, albeit merely a look sent in his direction that clearly stated, “Please tell me you aren’t that stupid.”
“Okay, good point. Not only would that require talking about feelings, it would leave you vulnerable. And Rage can never be vulnerable.”
Justin tilts his head as another thought occurs to him. “What about Lindsey?”
“What about her?”
“You guys met in college, didn’t you? How can she not know about this guy?”
Brian gives him a look. “She does? But she never said? And she always made it sound like I was such an aberration for you, like it had never happened before.”
“That’s because you are. I guess she figured that I’d learned my lesson after the first time, that relationships are bullshit. And I had. Of course, I didn’t factor in hot little twinks who wait for me under streetlights and stalk me for months afterwards,” Brian admits, and the gentle way he says it brings a smile to Justin’s face.
“Are you mad?” Brian asks.
“Why would I be mad?”
Brian shrugs. “For not telling you.”
Justin shakes his head. “No. If I couldn’t figure out on my own why you never did, I really have no business being your partner, do I?”
Justin counts it as a personal victory when Brian chooses to just remain silent. Sometimes silence from Brian is just as clear as outright admittance.
“Just…”
“What?” Brian asks.
“Tell me one thing,” Justin asks. Brian rolls his eyes but nods. “Do you ever think about what could have been? Wish that things had turned out differently?”
Brian is silent for a few seconds, and Justin holds his breath. “Never.” He lets out a small smirk. “After all, if he hadn’t cheated and I hadn’t been free for you to stalk, I never would have gotten my own personal vigilante tortured-artist boy toy. Especially not one who actually matches my sexual needs.”
Justin laughs and curls up against Brian on the bed.
“No,” Brian sighs. “This is one instance where I believe things definitely turned out for the best.
“Besides, you’re a definite upgrade. His ass was nowhere near as bubbly as yours.”