Queer As Folk - What Happened Next?

100. The Man Won't Budge

Justin stretches lazily, feeling the crisp sheets and the heavy blankets lying over him before blinking awake. There's a distinctly different smell to London pillows than the couple of hotels he's stayed in in New York, and he doesn't think it has to do with just the detergent. His brain goes off on its own tangents as to the differences he's noticed so far between the two countries as he breathes deeply before snorting at his own thoughts. He's been in precisely two posh New York hotels, both courtesy of Brian's credit card, and now it's his first time in London, and thinking he's an expert!

It is good to know that his art has allowed him to travel abroad even if it is to just one city so far, there's plenty of great artists out there that have second and even third jobs just to be able to live and practice their art in the little downtime they do have. He knows he's in a very privileged position; first of all, his education having been paid for by Brian, is a huge part of why he can do what he does. He's still paying it off, little by little, since the man won't budge from their original agreement and contract even though Justin is perfectly able to afford it now that some of his paintings have sold. 

Justin's not sure really what all that is about. He has a sneaking suspicion that Brian's doing it to keep them formally and officially tied together in some manner. It won't be to belittle Justin or make him embarrassed about their deal, that's not Brian's way, and Justin knows that's not why Brian offered him the deal in the first place. He was being his usual generous self, albeit with a gruff exterior. 

Now that he thinks about it, he quite likes the idea of them being tied together, him paying Brian back slowly for his generosity. He knows Brian can afford it, he'd pay Brian back as fast as possible if there was any doubt about that. Equally, he also knows that Brian knows that he could pay him back, now that he's sold some of his paintings, so what's with keeping the contract going between them? Justin snuggles into his pillow as he comes to the conclusion that it must be just as he thought - Brian wants them to be connected somehow, legally connected - the thought warms his soul, and he falls asleep again with a small smile on his face, succumbing to the jetlag that he's not yet used to.

When he wakes up a short time later, having napped rather than entered into a deep sleep, he once again stretches, this time flinging his arms wide on the bed beside him, wishing that it wasn't empty. He's got a free day today and then a meeting with the gallery that will be exhibiting his work tomorrow, he just hopes that everything arrived unscathed and when he gets there he can set to work with the aesthetics of the exhibition. So, what to do today? He rolls over, picking up the phone and presses 9. Just as he thought it would it connects him to the front desk. 

"Thanks," he says after a brief conversation and puts the phone down. Then immediately picks it up and dials again. 

"Mmmmmm?"

"I woke you up," Justin murmurs.

"No shit."

"Do you want me to go? I can phone you back later."

"No.  I want to hear your voice."

"Sure you won't fall asleep?" Justin asks, quietly beginning to regret phoning so early. 

There's a slight pause where Justin begins to think that Brian has fallen asleep before he comes back, "Maybe."

"I shouldn't have phoned," Justin says instantly, definitely regretting it. What was he thinking? 

"You should always phone, I don't give a fuck what time of day, or night, it is. How are you?"

"Good. The hotel's nice."

"What time is it there?"

"9am."

"Shouldn't you be somewhere, doing something?"

Justin smiles, "No. I have a day off today to get over my jetlag, we start tomorrow."

"And are you jetlagged?"

"Don't seem to be now, maybe later. I slept well, feel good."

"Mmmmm that's good...."

There's the sound of sheets rustling at the other end. Justin frowns, "Are you falling asleep?"

"No, turning over. Why?"

"It just sounded like...never mind...I'd better go..."

"There's no-one here Juss."

"I know, I just..."

"You sounded like you wanted to ask the question."

"I'd be surprised if you had the stamina..." Justin waits for a response, the corners of his mouth twitching. Their goodbye sex marathon had wiped him out and he'd slept for hours on the plane. Maybe that's why he was feeling so good now?

"I always have stamina for you."

Fuck, there it was. Brian's rough, sleepy voice saying those words had his dick stirring under the sheets. There's a moment of silence during which Justin wriggles to get comfortable. 

Brian listens intently on the other end of the phone. There's no response. "You're getting hard aren't you?"

Justin listening, looks up to the ceiling, biting on his lip and rolling his eyes. Sometimes he hates being this predictable. He sighs slowly, "How do you know that?"

"I know you."

Justin blinks rapidly, wetting his lips with his tongue. Brian, at the other end, listens intently, the phone pressed hard to his ear. He reaches down, cupping his balls with his own hand. He didn't want to touch them after his operation, didn't feel like they belonged to him anymore. They'd turned against him, his own body had turned against him, in the most private but most prized part of himself. He's have felt better about losing part of his liver, or a kidney, but his balls??? They were more a part of him than a vital organ, they made up a huge part of who he, Brian Kinney, was.  

"I know every inch of you, I...I love every inch of you," Brian tells him, still struggling with expressing his feelings fully. He knows he loves him, yet he has such trouble still admitting it out loud. "And I know what turns you on, why do you think I say what I say?"

Justin snorts softly, his mouth turning up and he shakes his head, pulling one hand through his blonde tresses. "So, you do it deliberately?"

Now it's Brian's turn to snort, "Of course!" There's a slight pause and then he carries on in a softer tone, "I can't have you all the way over there and not missing me, can I? Who knows which well hung Brit you're going to meet?"

Justin rolls his eyes, shaking his head on the pillow ever so slightly. 

"I mean it," Brian carries on. "I know I told you to take every opportunity that presents itself, but, well, if I can't be with you in person then I can at least be with you in spirit."

"So..." Justin knots his eyebrows, trying to work Brian out, "...You want me to enjoy myself, take every opportunity open to me and not just in the art world, but in bed too, yet you also want me to think of you and also, presumably, want me to miss you so that when I get back you can take full advantage of that?"

Brian pretends to consider Justin's words, "Mmmm, yeah, that about sums it up."

"Okay. I promise I'll take every advantage open to me," Justin declares, deciding to play Brian at his own game.

There's a moment's silence. Justin waits, his blue eyes turning in the direction of the phone held close to his ear, waiting for the response.

Brian's voice, when it comes, sounds different to his bantering voice used only moments ago. "Okay then."