Justin loved going to the Carnegie Art Museum almost as much as he loved attending his art courses at the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts. In fact, if given the opportunity, he could easily spend hours upon hours amongst the greats. He tried his best to emulate his favorites when he put brush to canvas or pencil to paper but always left room for his flair.
That’s where he found himself one Tuesday morning as he contemplated his next move post-graduation. He was in his senior year at IFA and needed to quickly nail down an internship if he ever hoped to graduate in June. If he managed to get placed before December, he’d still be in good standing to walk the stage, but if he didn’t, he was out of luck.
Justin really wanted to be an animator, but he knew those jobs were extremely hard to come by. Therefore, he decided to settle for working at an advertising agency in their art department. At least then, he’d still be able to be creative and make a paycheck while keeping his sanity in check. There were a plethora of advertising agencies across Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas, but Justin wasn’t sure which one was the best one for his degree.
So, he decided to ask someone who might know better than him: someone who attended Carnegie Mellon some years ago for a Fine Arts degree, his friend Lindsay Peterson-Marcus. The two met when Justin was a newly minted freshman at IFA looking for a good piece of art to practice his newly acquired skills. So, he’d traveled to the Carnegie Art Museum and asked one of the staff members there. It happened to be Lindsay Peterson-Marcus, who was more than happy to walk him around the museum and tell him all about the histories of some artworks that were lesser known.
From that day forward, he found himself going to Carnegie Art Museum every chance he got and striking up conversations with Lindsay whenever she was available. Over time, they became friends and started meeting outside her job and his schoolwork. A year later, she moved on to curate the Sidney Bloom Gallery but still made time for her favorite art student. This was why he gathered his sketchbook and hurriedly left the museum to catch the crosstown bus that would take him a block from the gallery. It was the end of September, so he needed to move fast to find his internship placement.
“Hey, Linds.” Justin walked into the gallery and smiled at his friend. “How’re the kids?”
“Gus is growing like a weed. Can you believe he just started Kindergarten? And Jenny has decided that she doesn’t need to match her brother’s energy, thank god, so she’s quiet and causes no fuss, like ever.” Lindsay smiled and gave her friend a hug and a greeting. “How’s your senior year so far?”
Justin sighed, dropped his bag next to the front desk, and leaned on the countertop. “It’s going. Honestly, with it being my final year, I thought things would be a breeze. I forgot that I have to complete an internship by the end of March if I hope to graduate on time.”
“Oh, I remember those days. I did an internship at the Carnegie Art Museum, which was literally hell on earth. Must not have learned my lesson, considering I went back to work for them after Gus was born.” Lindsay smirked with a subtle roll of her eyes.
“I don’t even know where to begin when finding one. It needs to be in the area of work we hope to do as a career. I want to be an animator, but I’m willing to settle for an art and design position at an advertising agency. The only problem is I don’t know which agency to ask. Or if I should just ask all of them.” Justin rambled and then nestled his head into his arms with a groan.
“Wait, I might be able to help you out!” Lindsay exclaimed with a shout. “My best friend is the partner at Vanguard. I might be able to get you at least an interview with them.”
“Seriously?” Justin looked up incredulously. “That would be amazing. Vanguard is the best. I honestly wasn’t even going to try them because my professor said they rarely take on interns.”
Lindsay waved her hand in dismissal, “Everyone else doesn’t have a personal connection with one of the managing partners. Let me give him a call and ask.”
Lindsay immediately picked up the gallery phone and dialed a number. She smiled reassuringly at Justin as she listened to it ring. After a few moments, her demeanor changed, and she started to speak.
“Hey, Cyn. It’s Lindsay. Is he in?” After nodding to whatever was being said on the other end of the line, Lindsay responded, “Great.”
Justin watched as Lindsay pushed the speaker button and placed the phone in the cradle. Hold music was playing over the phone line, and Lindsay started to move about filing paperwork and typing away at the computer as she waited for the music to end. Finally, it did, and a gruff voice came over the speakers.
“What’s up, Wendy? Is it Gus?” Justin couldn’t tell much about the disembodied voice except that it tried to sound aloof but failed miserably.
“No, Gus is fine. Excited about school and his new friend Todd.” Lindsay walked back over to the phone and smiled at Justin before continuing. “I called because I have a young student here at the gallery. He sometimes gives us some of his art to sell. Anyways, he needs to find an internship before the start of December to graduate. He wants to work in advertising, so I thought I’d ask if you guys are accepting interns at this time. I didn’t want him to waste time applying for something that isn’t there.”
“First of all, who the f*ck names their kid Todd these days,” the voice griped before sighing. “Whatever. As for internships, I am pretty sure we have one in the art department. Have him submit an application, and we will bring him in for an interview. But, Lindsay, tell him just because you know me and he knows you doesn’t mean he gets special treatment.”
“Oh, Peter. He would never expect that. He’s the country club type, like me.” Lindsay’s voice was suddenly breathless and airy. Justin found it a weird shift but didn’t comment on it.
There was a barking laugh over the speakers as Lindsay’s friend found amusem*nt in her words. “Linds, the country club types always expect special treatment—even you. I gotta go. See you at Deb’s on Sunday.”
The line went dead, and Justin locked eyes with Lindsay. She smiled and wrote down an email address.
“Here is Brian’s email, the guy we just spoke with. Send your resume and internship cover letter to him there. He will ensure you are in touch with the proper people.”
Justin grabbed the paper and embraced Lindsay. “You are truly a lifesaver. Thanks, Lindsay.”
“Anytime. Let me know how it goes! Oh, and please come over for dinner on Saturday night. Gus misses you.”
“I’ll be there.” Justin smiled, grabbed his bag, and returned to the downtown streets in moments. It was still early enough in the day that he didn’t want to go back to his dorm just yet. So, instead, he made his way over to his favorite haunt, the Liberty Diner. The woman who ran the place would let him sit at a booth and sketch for hours without a fuss as long as he ordered some lemon squares and a coffee.
“Hey, Debbie.” Justin waved at the redhead as he took a seat at his favorite back corner booth.
She walked over with his lemon squares and coffee without him even having to ask. He pulled out his laptop and started to work on sprucing up his resume and writing the required cover letter.
“Hey, Sunshine!” She paused and watched him work for a moment. “You don’t usually work on your laptop. Where’s your sketchbook?”
Justin chuckled and smiled his small, shy smile. “It’s in my bag. I have to work on my resume and cover letter to get this internship at Vanguard. Lindsay is helping me secure a job.”
Debbie sat down across from Justin at that. “Lindsay is good people. I’m glad she’s helping you out. She probably put you in touch with Brian.”
“She did.” Justin nodded and then gave the older woman an appraising look. “Why do I get the idea that you know him?”
“Because everyone here knows Brian Kinney,” Debbie smirked. “If you were interested in him romantically, I’d smack you upside the head, but as a businessman, he’s one of the best. He’ll definitely help you achieve your requirements for school.”
Debbie then got up and went to help a pair of queens who’d just walked through the door in full makeup and dress. Justin wished he had the guts to attempt drag. He’d always loved the shows he and Daphne would attend on the weekends. But he wasn’t that confident, so he admired the performers from afar instead.
—
Two weeks later, Justin was finishing out his first week as an intern at Vanguard. He was working on the edits for an Eyeconic Optics ad that he thought they’d hit the nail on the head with, but the client hadn’t liked. Suddenly, Murphy was standing in front of him with a hard-to-read expression on his face.
“Taylor.” Murphy looked at what Justin was working on and then gazed around Justin’s workstation.
“What’s up, Murph?” Justin put the cap on his pen and gave his supervisor his full attention.
“So, Vanguard has a party tonight. It’s a gala of sorts with our clients and employees alike. Anyways, Mr. Kinney just informed me that this year, the interns are invited to attend.” Murphy looked like he was apologetic for some reason.
“Why do I get the impression this is a bad thing?” Justin looked from Murphy to Jill, the senior graphic designer he worked under.
Jill quickly looked away and avoided Justin’s gaze. Meanwhile, Murphy used his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose as he heaved a sigh.
“I forgot you are new and haven’t met Mr. Kinney yet. Well, let’s just say he expects a certain level of professionalism at these events. We all have to come dressed better than we would for work.” Murph explained.
Jill finally jumped in to add, “And even then, chances are he will find some way to criticize. There is no pleasing Mr. Kinney. Just be sure that whatever you wear won’t upset him so much that he fires you on the spot.”
“Can he do that?” Justin searched his mind for the random tidbits of information he knew about workplace laws.
“Brian Kinney can do about anything as a Vanguard managing partner.” Murph shrugged his shoulders. “If I were you, I would go out now and find a tux to rent.”
“What time tonight? And where?” Justin asked, only now realizing he didn’t know anything about this gala.
“The Fairmont Downtown. Eight.” Murphy threw over his shoulder as he left.
“Everyone is free to leave early today in preparation. So, wrap up what you are working on and go.” Jill added as she, too, began to clear up her workspace for the evening.
Pretty soon, Justin was one of the few art department members left in the building. He had a few minor touches to add to the Eyeconic Optics mockup before he felt comfortable going. As he worked, he wracked his brain, trying to determine where he might find a tux on such short notice. Briefly, he wondered if his mom still had the tux he wore to his senior prom. It had been four years, but Justin hadn’t filled out much since, and his tux had been a bit loose back then because his dad had refused to shell out for a perfectly tailored suit.
As he finished his work, he dug his cell phone out of his pocket. Justin didn’t speak to his mother very often. Not after she had sided with his father when he’d come out as gay. Sure, she’d told him she loved him and didn’t think of him any differently, but she also defended Craig Taylor’s less-than-stellar reaction to the news.
“Justin? Is everything okay?” His mom’s voice echoed around the empty workspace from his phone speakers.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just have this last-minute gala I have to attend tonight for the internship I’m participating in. I was wondering if you still had my tux from prom.” Justin continued to adjust the color of the text on the computer file of the mockup as he spoke.
“Honey, your prom was three and a half years ago. I doubt it would still fit.”
“Mom, you haven’t seen me much in the last few years. But, trust me, I haven’t changed much. Do you have it or not?” Justin didn’t have time to spend doing whatever this bonding exercise was that his mom was attempting to accomplish.
“I left your father.” His mother’s following words stopped Justin mid-correction. He’d wanted to hear those words when he was 17 and was scared about being alone with no family to support him. Now, though, it was too late.
“Good for you.” He mumbled in response. “The tux?”
“I might still have it up in the attic. I can check in a few minutes when I get home.” His mother sighed, clearly unhappy that Justin wasn’t willing to discuss what she’d revealed.
“Great. I’m leaving the business district in about five minutes. I will swing by the house in about a half hour.” Justin saved his changes and gathered his bag and jacket.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket, turned off the lights, and left the department for the night.
Justin hadn’t returned to his old neighborhood since he moved out of his parents' place and into the dorms his freshman year. During the summers, he had always crashed with Daphne at her apartment near Carnegie Mellon, where she was a student. So, it was no shock to him that subtle changes had happened to the surrounding houses in the three and a half years since he’d left. The neighbors across the way either got a new set of vehicles or moved away. Daphne’s parents’ house, which was up the block from his own, was the same as always; he took comfort in that.
As he turned into the driveway of the home he grew up in, Justin couldn’t help noticing that his chest grew tighter with each passing breath. Sure, his mom said she left his father, but how long ago did it happen? And, if it was recent, was there a chance the man might still show up? Justin didn’t have the energy to fight with him today, or any day for that matter.
He stepped to the front door and felt weird ringing the doorbell instead of just walking in. After a few moments, Molly opened the door with an exasperation, “I got it!” over her shoulder.
“Hey, Mollusk.” Justin flashed a smile at his younger sister, who was now 12. He hadn’t seen her since he’d left, but she looked almost exactly the same, if not a bit older.
“Mom! It’s Justin.” Molly yelled over her shoulder but didn’t move aside to let him in.
Jennifer Taylor came into the living room, slightly out of breath. “Well, let him in, Molly.”
Justin stepped into the home as soon as his sister moved out of the doorway. He shoved his hands into his pockets and gave his mom a strained smile. He felt uncomfortable being here but needed the tux, so he was willing to suffer through the awkwardness.
“Oh my. You’ve grown so much more handsome.” His mother put her hand over her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears of emotion. “Justin.”
“Hey, Mom.” Justin shrugged and glanced all around. There were no longer any images of Craig on the mantel above the fireplace. There were no signs of him in this lived space at all. “When did you leave Dad?”
“They got divorced last year.” Molly supplied. “After Mom caught him in a lie about his mistress.”
“Molly!” Jennifer reached for her daughter in the hopes of silencing her. “It’s more complicated than that.”
“I don’t care.” Justin sighed. “I am on a time crunch. Did you find the tux or not?”
He desperately wanted to repair his relationship with his mother, but now was not the appropriate time. This was something that needed time and attention, which Justin didn’t have at the present moment. So, instead, he went for guarded and aloof. It was safer to keep them at a distance still until he had time to address the years of hurt sitting between them.
“Justin, can’t we please just talk about this.” Jennifer’s eyes were pleading.
“About what? How I needed you, and instead, you told me ‘he didn’t mean to hit me’ or that ‘I shouldn’t provoke him’?” Justin balled the hands still in his pockets into fists. “I really need to get going. I have to be at this gala in a couple of hours. If I’m late, I risk losing my internship and, in turn, not graduating. So, if you want to do something for me, just let me have the tux.”
“I was able to find it still in the closet of your old room. I put it on the dining room table.” Jennifer motioned over her shoulder.
Justin brushed past his mom and sister without another word. He grabbed the clothes from the table and was about to leave his childhood home once more when his mom spoke up and halted his footsteps.
“Shouldn’t you try it on to see if it works?” Jennifer’s voice wasn’t much higher than a whisper.
Justin sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and shrugged off his everyday jacket to try on the tux jacket. Once the article of clothing was on his shoulders, he could immediately tell that he filled it out much better than he had at his prom. A gasp from the direction of his mother told him she, too, could see how much better it fit him now. She stepped forward and brushed her hands along his shoulders as if removing invisible lint or pet hairs.
“You look so handsome.” She finally breathed out.
As complicated as their relationship was, Justin couldn’t ignore the olive branch she was trying to extend. “Thanks, Mom. But I really do have to go. I promise we can meet up for coffee soon.”
“I would love that.” His mom smiled and wrapped him up in her warm embrace. “I know I messed up, but I hope we can move forward.”
Justin gave her a final smile, and then, with his tux in hand, he walked back out of the place he used to call home. He opened the door to the piece-of-crap car he now owned and climbed inside. Looking at his watch, Justin saw that he had just under three hours to prepare for the event. He smirked as he drove past the Sidney Bloom gallery on returning to campus. He vaguely wondered if Lindsay would be there tonight, considering she was close friends with one of the partners.
—
Justin bit his lip nervously. He hated fancy affairs such as this because they required a certain level of socialization, which he didn’t have. Justin was a perfectly pleasant person to attend classes with or even work with. However, he didn’t go out of his way to make friends or even ingratiate himself with those around him. Back in high school, Justin was much more outspoken and prone to creating friendships wherever he could. But then, he was bullied mercilessly, and his family turned on him. So, he adapted quickly and went out of his way to blend in and not make waves. He refused to be noticed.
Take tonight, for example. He could spot Murph, Jill, Brad, and Bob corralled together at a table in the center of the room. He knew he had a place card at that table, but instead, he stood in the shadows at the back of the room. The gala hadn’t officially started yet, so he wouldn’t be forced to take his seat for at least another ten minutes.
As he stood in the shadows, he observed a man of about 35 dramatically arrive. He came in alone, but somehow, his mere presence commanded attention. Everyone in the room’s conversations ground to a halt, and people turned in their seats to watch him. He didn’t acknowledge hardly anyone he passed until he reached the table where Justin was supposed to be seated. In a panic, Justin rushed toward the table to take his seat.
Justin was sliding into his chair in between Jill and Brad just as this mysterious man approached. Justin dropped his gaze to the drink sitting in his hand with condensation bubbling up on the sides of the tumbler. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but with it being an open bar, he figured he should at least consume one alcoholic beverage. So, he’d chosen a whiskey and hoped it didn’t affect him too strongly.
“Murph!” The mysterious man flashed a wolfish grin and clapped his hand down on Murphy’s shoulder. The older man looked across the rounded table to Justin and silently told him to keep his head down and not provoke this man.
“Hello, Mr. Kinney. Pleasure to see you here this evening.” Murph’s voice was small but authoritative. Justin wondered how the man did that but didn’t dare look up to investigate further.
“And you. I didn’t know you knew how to wrangle your whole team into the best-dressed folks of Pittsburgh. And yet, you’ve managed.” Mr. Kinney’s voice demanded respect, but his words didn’t warrant it. In fact, his sort of backhanded compliment got under Justin’s skin.
He’d spent so many years of his life fighting off assholes like Kinney. He didn’t much care at that moment that this man was in charge of his ability to graduate. Justin was raring to fight, wanting to stick up for Murph, who was a halfway decent guy, if not a bit anxious all the time. But a firm grip on his thigh stopped him. He glanced over and saw Jill subtly shake her head as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.
“Not worth it.” She mouthed in a stage whisper to Justin.
“Now, which of you is the incompetent student intern who completely f*cked up Eyeconic Optics?” Mr. Kinney’s eyes raked over each person at the table and came to rest on Justin. Even without saying it, Mr. Kinney had shown Justin he knew exactly who he was.
“Sir, I did what the client asked, but then they changed their mind.” Justin tried to defend himself, but even he knew his words sounded weak and filled with excuses instead of owning up for mistakes.
“Did I ask what the client said?” Mr. Kinney’s eyes bore into Justin’s, making him squirm while also making his dick come to life. “I believe I asked, who f*cked up Eyeconic Optics?”
“That was me.” Justin never tore his gaze from Mr. Kinney’s and puffed out his chest in pure defiance of this bully’s behavior.
“No, Mr. Kinney. It was my fault. I’m in charge of the student internship program. I should’ve maintained a closer eye on Justin’s work.” Jill jumped in, trying in vain to shift the ire to her instead.
“Mr. Taylor, I’m sure you’re thinking of drinking the weekend away as college boys are wont to do, but I wouldn’t if I were you. I want you in my office on Monday morning at 9 am sharp. No excuses this time.” Mr. Kinney barked before he lifted his hand from Murph’s shoulder and walked over to the table with Gardner Vance, the controlling partner of Vanguard, and other executives of the company.
The whole art department table released a collective sigh of relief. Justin lifted his tumbler of whiskey and downed the whole shot. f*ck. He looked around at his coworkers in the hopes that they would reassure him about the status of his position at Vanguard. But, no one would meet his eye.
As the night wore on, Justin caught Mr. Kinney staring him down on no more than ten separate occasions. Part of him was certain that the looks were menacing, but then, on one of the occasions that he caught him, Mr. Kinney licked his lips and let his gaze fall to Justin’s lips for the briefest of moments. Justin wished he knew what Mr. Kinney thought of him. However, since he didn’t, his anxiety rolled so heavily in his stomach it was making him nauseous.
At one point, Justin found himself stepping outside of the hotel completely to get some fresh air and hopefully ease the anxiety coursing in his veins. He’d always been well-liked and regarded with the highest esteem due to his unwavering dedication to achieving perfection. Knowing that Mr. Kinney was probably considering firing him freaked him out more than anything else in his entire life. He looked back toward the hotel and wondered if he left right now, would anyone even notice?
Jill probably would, but she wouldn’t dare say anything. She liked him quite a bit, and he felt he could rely on her for support in the workplace. Justin was moments away from calling it a night and just walking to his car when a petite woman with bouncy blonde hair came out the doors and immediately pulled out a cigarette. She looked toward Justin and offered her pack to him.
Justin shook his head and instead looked toward the parking garage once more. As if she could wager his thoughts, the woman broke the silence between them.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She warned, blowing a puff of smoke out of the side of her mouth.
“Do what?” Justin decided his best course of action was to play dumb.
“Escape. You might think that Vance and Kinney won’t notice you are gone now that the awards have been handed out, but they will. Trust me.” She gave him a smile.
“How could you possibly know that?” Justin didn’t know who this woman was but something in him told him to listen to her.
“Because I have worked for Brian Kinney since 1996. He was simply an Account Manager back then, but within six months of me starting as the account team administrator, he was promoted to Advertising Executive, and dragged my ass with him to be his assistant. He told me I was the only person alive who didn’t constantly piss him off.” She shrugged and offered Justin a cigarette once more.
“Okay, so you know what he’s like. Doesn’t mean you know whether or not he will notice if I’m gone or not.” Justin still wasn’t buying her assertions, but he also couldn’t find it in himself to leave against her warnings either.
“Why do you think I’m out here? There’s a smoking area much closer to the ballroom.” The blonde lifted up her eyebrows before pushing her face into a scowl and mocked Mr. Kinney’s voice, “Cyn, would you mind following Mr. Taylor to be sure he doesn’t leave yet.”
“What the f*ck is his problem?!” Justin threw up his hands in exasperation. “I’m just the student intern. It’s not like I actually get paid to do this sh*t. Why am I being thrown under the bus?”
“Because he wants you.” The woman, Cynthia, smirked and blew more smoke out of her mouth after taking a drag of her cigarette.
“Excuse me?” Justin stood before Brian Kinney’s assistant, utterly perplexed.
“Mr. Kinney. He’s noticed you and is intrigued by you. He won’t make a move on you, of course. You do work for him, after all. Brian might be promiscuous, but at least he knows where to draw the line.” Cynthia shrugged again. “Which means he’s going to make your life utter hell because he gets a sick satisfaction out of it.”
“I could turn him in for sexual harassment.” Justin drew in his newfound confidence and swung for the rafters with it.
Cynthia erupted into laughter. “For what? He hasn’t officially told you he’s interested in you. Right now, the court of law will see my statements as speculation. You can try, but honestly, it’s best to just do as he asks, tolerate his verbal spars, and keep your head down. He grows bored of things very quickly.”
Justin shook his head, sighed, and stepped to move back inside. He wanted nothing more than to go back to his dorm and fall into bed, but he also couldn’t risk losing his internship.
“One more thing. He only yells at the people he feels have the potential to be great. Take of that what you wish.” Cynthia took a final drag before stubbing out the cigarette and following Justin back inside.
—
The following Monday, Justin stumbled out of bed earlier than usual so that he’d have time to drop by the Liberty Diner for some eggs and coffee before he was expected at Brian Kinney’s office. Justin was hoping Debbie would be working. She seemed to know his boss, and any further information he could glean from her would put his mind more at ease.
Sure enough, the minute he walked into the diner, he saw Debbie behind the counter. As he scanned the room for an empty seat, his eyes also fell on a group of mid-30s men in suits having breakfast together. The only one not in a suit was a younger man with dirty blonde hair and pants so loud they could be seen from space. He was animatedly gesturing as he talked. But Justin wasn’t focused on him. No, Justin was focused on the scowling brunet with his head leaning against the wall next to their booth. Brian f*cking Kinney. sh*t.
Justin finally moved to the counter and plopped into an empty stool there. Debbie saw him and immediately gravitated towards him. Just as she squealed in excited greeting, another voice called out over the noise.
“Sunshine!”
“Debbie! My breakfast?” Justin didn’t have to turn around to know that was the voice of Mr. Kinney.
“It’ll come when it’s good and ready.” Debbie griped back at the man before she turned to Justin with joy. “So, what’ll it be?”
“A couple of fried eggs, wheat toast, no jam, and a cup of coffee. Please.” Justin smiled at the motherly woman.
She walked off to put in Justin’s order and the blond barely had time to relax before Brian was standing next to him. The older man’s body was leaning heavily against Justin’s side. It forced the blond to acknowledge the man’s presence, even if it was simply to tell him off.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Kinney.” Justin’s tone came out especially bitter by the end.
“Fancy seeing you here.” Mr. Kinney leaned over and put his mouth directly against Justin’s ear, “Stalking me isn’t going to help your very tenuous position at Vanguard.”
“f*ck you.” Justin groused at the man just as Debbie walked up with his coffee. “I come here at least once a week for breakfast. Just because you haven’t seen me doesn’t mean I’m stalking you. You’re not worth it.”
Debbie chuckled once Justin was done speaking and gave Mr. Kinney an appraising look.
“Don’t be so sure about that. Like I said, I hold your position in my hands. Bet you’d hate to lose it.” Mr. Kinney leaned forward into Justin’s space once more. “I’m always worth it.”
Then, Mr. Kinney moved to leave the diner but threw a final comment over his shoulder before he did. “9 am. My office. Don’t be late if you want to keep your job.”
Once he was gone, Justin leaned over and dropped his head into his hands. With a groan, he contemplated his life choices. He had thought getting an internship at the premiere advertising agency in Pittsburgh was the best step forward for his future career. Instead, he’s been at it a week and already he wants to quit.
“Chin up, Sunshine. Brian is all bark and no bite. He’s doing this to make you sweat.” Debbie smiled at Justin.
As much as Debbie thinks she is reassuring Justin’s anxiety, she hasn’t. In fact, she’s made it worse. Why would Brian want to make him sweat? What is the purpose of his boss treating him like utter sh*t from the first moment they met? He needed this job desperately and Brian Kinney knew that, which was to Justin’s disadvantage. With another groan, he downed the rest of his coffee, placed the slice of toast in his mouth to eat on his way to the office, and threw down a twenty to pay for his meal and Debbie’s tip.
“If I don’t survive, please tell my mother I love her.” Justin quipped, trying to ease the tension building. He didn’t wait around to see if Debbie was going to respond.
—
Justin arrived at Vanguard at 8:55 am. He quickly placed his water bottle down at his workstation before he walked over to the elevator bay. Mr. Kinney’s office was on the third floor. Justin had never been there before, which terrified him. What kind of office environment does a managing partner have when they’re a cold-hearted asshole?
He arrived on the third floor and was greeted by the blonde from Friday night. Cynthia, he mentally reminded himself. She smiled at him and shook her head.
“Don’t let him see you’re nervous, or it’ll be worse for you. My advice? Walk in there like you know you were right, and he’s just being an asshole. He will appreciate your spirit.” Cynthia winked at him before she clicked the intercom on her phone.
“Mr. Kinney. I have a Mr. Taylor here to see you.”
Justin heard the gruff, “Send him in.”
He looked from Cynthia’s smiling, encouraging face to the closed door before him. He knew if he dawdled any longer, Mr. Kinney would be able to find fault in that as well. With a deep breath and a stiff posture to hide his nerves, Justin opened Mr. Kinney’s office door. What he found on the other side surprised him greatly.
Mr. Kinney kept his office sparsely furnished with artsy furniture and such to show he had an opulent eye. But it wasn’t the man’s white designer couch and matching chair set that threw Justin for a loop. No, it was the piece of artwork he had hanging on the far wall. Justin immediately recognized it as one of his own. He’d given it to Lindsay at the Sidney Bloom Gallery late last semester in the hopes it would sell, and he’d have some money to live off while he was interning this semester. It had, and he did.
“Never seen nice furniture before?” Mr. Kinney scoffed, drawing Justin’s attention to the man sitting behind his desk.
“No, I have, but only at fancy hotels that I could never afford.” Justin shrugged. “I was merely admiring the artwork you have on the wall.”
“Ahhh. That. My best friend runs a gallery downtown and she convinced me my office needed a splash of color. So, I bought that one from her.” Mr. Kinney’s tone said he felt indifferent about the art, but the way his eyes bore into Justin told the young man his boss actually treasured the piece.
“I see. Did she happen to mention who the artist is?” Justin knew he was fishing, but the longer he distracted his boss, the longer he could keep his job.
“If you can’t afford the furniture I have, you definitely can’t afford this artist. Besides, don’t you live in a dorm, college boy?” Mr. Kinney was studying Justin, but why he didn’t know.
Justin finally sat down in the seat across from Mr. Kinney’s desk. He smirked at the older man. “I do, but not for long.”
“Whatever.” Mr. Kinney looked away from Justin to glance over some paperwork on his desk. “Mr. Taylor, I asked you to come in here this morning because in the one week you’ve been here, you’ve shown more work ethic and initiative than half the people in that department. Don’t let Eyeconic Optics’ critiques tear ya down. They’re critical but a loyal customer.”
Justin was floored. Was Mr. Kinney actually complimenting him? But hadn’t he torn him a new asshole at the gala on Friday? He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to get the words out.
“I, um, I thought you were going to fire me.” Justin finally managed to squeak out.
“What?” Mr. Kinney looked up at Justin once more, “Oh. No, I gotta rile you up, or else you’ll think I’m soft. Now, go back to your cubicle and get those corrections finished.”
Despite being dismissed, Justin took his time leaving Mr. Kinney’s office. He surreptitiously watched Mr. Kinney as he left the older man’s office. The brunet’s hazel eyes hadn’t left Justin the whole time he was moving. In fact, he thought he caught Mr. Kinney licking his lips and clearing his throat just as he crossed over the threshold back into the open space just outside the partner’s office.
Cynthia greeted him with a smile and a nod. Taking a deep breath and letting it out almost immediately, Justin squares his shoulders and heads back to the elevators to go back down to the second floor where the art department and accounting were. He wasn’t going to be fired yet, but he had to continue to prove himself if he hoped to keep on Mr. Kinney’s good side.
—
Later that day, Justin took off an hour early. He lied to Jill and claimed he had a doctor's appointment to attend, but in actuality, he wanted to visit his friend Lindsay in the hopes of learning more about the art Mr. Kinney had in his office.
He arrived at the Sidney Bloom gallery just as Lindsay was ushering the final patron out the front doors. She smiled and allowed him access behind the retreating figures. Justin slipped in and deposited his bag next to the desk, like always. He didn’t wait there for Lindsay to return. Instead, he walked around and observed the art on display. Not for the first time, Justin wished he had a place of his own and enough disposable income to be able to afford a piece like the ones along the walls. The flow of colors and shapes ignited a spark in him that he so rarely got to follow through on these days. Between his studies and his internship, Justin wasn’t sure when he’d have the time to put paintbrush on canvas again.
“Hey! How’d your first week go?” Lindsay came up behind him with a smile.
Justin turned slightly to catch her eye. “Good. I’m up to my eyeballs at work, all the time. Today was one of my long days. I am able to work full-time on Mondays and Thursdays because my class schedule is vacant on those days. But on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I am only able to catch a few hours at Vanguard.”
“I’m sure you are learning so much from this experience either way.” Lindsay wrapped her arm around his shoulder and squeezed him to her. “Besides, pretty soon, they will all catch on to your genius.”
“Speaking of that. I already have.” Justin turned around completely to see how Lindsay would react to what he said next. “Mr. Kinney yelled at me on Friday about a client ad and told me to be in his office at 9 am today. Then, this morning, I ran into him at the diner, and he snapped at me again.”
“Oh no.” Lindsay put her hand to her mouth in shock. “He didn’t fire you, did he?”
“No, but I thought he was. Then, I arrived in his office this morning and he praised my work ethic and my talent. I swear to god, Lindsay, I’ve never had a stronger sense of whiplash in my life.” Justin gesticulated to further get his point across that he was completely baffled by Mr. Kinney’s behavior.
Lindsay surprised him by laughing. “That’s Brian. He can’t let anyone think he’s actually a kind, decent human being. So, he treats them like sh*t, and then when they think he’s going to deliver the killing blow, he reels back and compliments them.”
“You couldn’t have warned me?” Justin sighed, knowing he wouldn’t have listened to her if she’d tried.
“No, the best way to get to know where you stand with Brian is to experience all facets of him.” Lindsay patted him on the back. “So, did he give you a forthright compliment, or was it hidden beneath criticism?”
“What does it matter how he delivered the compliment?” Justin paused. He looked Lindsay up and down, trying to figure out what she was getting at.
“Trust me, it matters. So, which was it?”
“He said, ‘Mr. Taylor, in the one week you’ve been here, you’ve shown more work ethic and initiative than others in your department.’ Then he dismissed me.” Justin shrugged.
Lindsay gasped, “Justin, he must really value your talent. I’ve known Brian Kinney since I was 19 years old and he only rarely gives a direct compliment.”
“That’s not the only thing that is confusing me about this morning.” Justin started to pace the gallery, unsure how to voice what he wanted to say.
Lindsay gratefully let him pace the room while he tried to find the words to explain his shock about the painting in his boss’s office. She simply stood by and watched him, waiting patiently.
“When I arrived in his office, I was taken aback by the warm but artistic furniture he had, not to mention a familiar painting he had on the far wall above his couch. It was mine.”
Lindsay worked her mouth back and forth as her eyes darted all around, not settling on Justin at all. However, once she finally worked up the nerve to talk, her gaze was steadily on him.
“I sold your painting to Brian in June, not long after you gave it to us. I knew he had it when you’d gotten the internship, but I didn’t mention it because I didn’t figure you’d ever find out about it. I seriously thought he bought the art for his loft, not his office.” Lindsay wrung her hands, nervous about how Justin felt about it.
“Does he know the name of the artist who painted it?” Justin had to know if Mr. Kinney had his number even before he started working for Vanguard.
“He asked me when he saw it here at the gallery, but I told him the artist wished to remain anonymous at this time. He didn’t seem too concerned about that answer and immediately gave me more than the asking price for it.” Lindsay stepped closer to Justin. He knew she was worried that he was upset with her, but he wasn’t.
Justin closed the space between them and wrapped her up in a hug. He thanked her for helping him sell the painting, and that was it regarding the artwork, or so he thought.
“Let me just say one more thing. Brian Kinney knows talent when he sees it. Especially when it comes to art. It’s how he got to where he is in his career. Tell him or don’t. I doubt it’ll change his already favorable opinion of you.” Lindsay whispered and gave him a reassuring smile.
—
Over the next few months, Justin worked his ass off at Vanguard. With each new campaign he worked on he learned at least ten things he never would have sitting in a classroom. He didn’t have any more interactions with Mr. Kinney one-on-one in the man’s office. However, Mr. Kinney made regular trips to the art department to check on the progress of various campaigns.
At the start of December, Justin caught a cold that just wouldn’t go away. He started to miss work more and more. Jill and Murph both told him that it was fine considering all the effort he put into campaigns when he was in. It didn’t assuage his guilt, though, or his concern that if Mr. Kinney found out, he’d be out the door. Then, one day, after he’d been out sick all week, Justin heard a knock on his dorm room door.
He was nestled down deep under covers thanks to his fever and cough. Yesterday, he had finally sucked it up and gone to the doctor. Only to find out he’d had bronchitis, which had now turned to pneumonia thanks to his lack of medical attention. Justin was kicking himself for letting the illness get this severe. But, he’d taken the medications his doctor had prescribed and swiftly fallen asleep. Which, was where he was when someone came knocking.
Justin groaned and rolled out of his bed. His roommate was out for the day at his girlfriend’s apartment. Honestly, Justin rarely saw the guy, even on a good day. Regardless, now that Justin was sick he had texted Rob and told him it might be best if he kept his distance as much as possible. As quickly as he possibly could, which wasn’t very quick at all considering how weak and achy his body was, Justin opened the door.
Standing there was the man who entered Justin’s dreams almost nightly. The deep pools of hazel that feel cold at first glance but warm up the longer you look at them. Justin was standing there, barely, waiting for his boss to explain what he was doing there. If Justin was expecting Mr. Kinney to greet him with gentle concern he was much mistaken.
“Jesus. You look like death kicked you through the mud and then asked you to come back for more.” Mr. Kinney’s voice was soft but sharp.
“If you’ve come to fire me, please do so and move on. I’d really like to go back to sleep.” Justin rasped, leaning heavily on the doorframe to keep his body upright.
“Fire you?” Mr. Kinney’s face shifted immediately into a look of concern. “No, I heard that you’d been out sick all week, so I thought I would bring you some chicken noodle soup courtesy of Debbie.”
“What?” Justin was so completely taken aback by Mr. Kinney’s kindness that he had a hard time processing what the man had said.
“Were my words hard to hear? Or are you so sick your brain isn’t stringing thoughts together?” Mr. Kinney started with teasing, but Justin’s coughing fit halfway through seemed to affect how he ended his statement.
“The latter.” Justin croaked, moving away from the door to grab a water bottle from the mini fridge next to his bed. He left the door open, which Mr. Kinney took as an invitation to come into his personal space.
“Wow. I remember the days of living in a cramped dorm space. It’s not something I’d care to relive.” Mr. Kinney looked around and settled on sitting on Rob’s bed when he couldn’t find a chair to his liking that wasn’t right up in Justin’s space.
Justin shrugged. “Not like I can currently afford to live anywhere else. My scholarship pays for this.”
“What, mommy and daddy wanted you to experience roughing it?” Mr. Kinney snarked. When Justin looked at him quizzically, he added, “I read your resume. You graduated from St. James Academy. Private schools aren’t cheap. I would know. Mel and Lindsay are looking at one for Gus in the future.”
“Yeah, well, mommy and daddy weren’t exactly excited to find out their beloved son loves to suck co*ck.” Justin shrugged, figuring he could be blunt with this man since they weren’t in the office.
“Ahh.” Mr. Kinney nodded. Then he stood up and handed Justin the soup he’d brought. Having just realized he was still holding it. “Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I’ll let you rest.”
“Mr. Kinney.” Justin stopped the man just as he was about to make his exit. “The doctor says I have pneumonia, so I will probably be out for another week.”
Mr. Kinney nodded to indicate he had heard and then swiftly made his exit without another sound.
Justin would’ve pondered his boss’ behavior more if his body wasn’t already screaming at him to go back to sleep. Justin figured that would be the last of Mr. Kinney’s strange behavior. After all, he’d checked on him and brought him soup. There was no other reason for his boss to reach out.
But, the very next day, Justin was woken about midday by another knock on his door. He growled at whoever it was to “go away,” but moments later, the knocking started up again. Justin eventually rolled out of bed, realizing his visitor wasn’t going away. Once more, Mr. Kinney stood at his door. Only this time, he was accompanied by Lindsay.
“My goodness. When Brian said you were extremely sick, he wasn’t kidding.” Lindsay greeted him with a cold bottle of apple juice and a loose hug.
“I’d ask why you are here, but something tells me I’m not going to like the answer.” Justin gasped. His consciousness was edging toward darkness, but he thought he could fight through it and get them to leave as quickly as possible.
“We’ve come to take you away from your dorm until you are better.” Mr. Kinney stated, stepping into his space and grabbing clothes from his small closet.
“What Brian means to say is Mel, and I would love it if you’d come to stay with us in our guest bedroom while you recover.” Lindsay smiled at Justin.
“That’s really okay. I’m managing just fine.” Justin weakly argued.
“Right, because everyone managing just fine looks like death run over.” Mr. Kinney turned around so Justin could see him roll his eyes.
“Brian. Please don’t antagonize him. It’s not as though we can force him to come with us. You keep that up, and he’ll definitely refuse.” Lindsay swatted at her best friend’s arm.
“I’m already refusing. Thanks, but no thanks.” Justin moved to crawl back into his bed, but Lindsay stopped him.
“Don’t be a drama princess. I’m only doing this because the more help you get, the faster you’ll recover, and the faster I’ll get my best graphic designer back.” Mr. Kinney quipped as Lindsay attempted to help Justin into a sweatshirt.
“Please, Justin. I’m worried about you. This way, I can be sure my friend is taken care of and doesn’t end up in the hospital.”
It was Lindsay’s kindness that finally won him over. “Okay. Fine.” He sighed and stopped resisting their attempts to get him packed up.
“Besides, Gus has been on this doctor kick lately, and he will be ecstatic to make his buddy Justin feel better,” Lindsay added.
Then she turned to the brunet as he scoffed. “What, no snide remark about your son playing dress up?”
“Now, now, Wendy. We don’t want the lad thinking I’m a total dick. I was merely scoffing at the fact that Taylor here has won over not only my best friend but, it would seem, my son as well.”
Justin was too sick to even begin to decipher the meaning behind Mr. Kinney’s comments. But he did catch that Gus was his son. How Lindsay hadn’t ever told him that in the three years she’d known him, he’ll never know. If he wasn’t barely alive at the moment, he would’ve called her out on it. As it were, he was just happy to get the show on the road.
“If we are leaving, can we go? I’m moments away from curling up in my bed and crashing.” Justin cut into the banter happening between the two friends.
“Yes, Justin. Of course.” Lindsay jumped into action, grabbing him by the arm and directing him out of the dorm room.
Mr. Kinney left behind them, closing the door and grabbing Justin’s bag of clothes. Justin wasn’t sure what was happening beyond the friendly helping hand, but clearly, his boss had thoughts of Justin on his mind. Why else would he go out of his way to bring a student intern some soup one day and offer up his best friend’s guest bedroom the next?
When he had a chance to clear the fog from his brain, he’d ask Lindsay to make it make sense. But, for now, he found the cool of the car window to be extremely inviting as Mr. Kinney drove them to Lindsay’s home across town. Justin must’ve dozed off because before he knew it, Mr. Kinney was gently shaking him awake, telling him they had arrived. Justin blinked up at his boss and then closed his eyes again due to the brightness of the sun. He groaned as he looked down and slowly climbed out of the Jeep.
What seemed like an hour later, but was most likely only five minutes, Justin was settled into the bed in Lindsay and Mel’s guest bedroom. Lindsay had shown him the way to the room and then insisted on fluffing the pillows around him as he climbed beneath the blankets. Justin was asleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow. If either his boss or Lindsay said anything to him, he didn’t register it.
—
Over the next few days, Justin was in and out of consciousness as he took his medications, drank water and chicken broth, and, most of all, slept. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this sick. It was unsettling that he was unable to go to work. In fact, by Tuesday, he was much more alert and stir-crazy. He attempted to sneak out and go to work, but Lindsay caught him and put a stop to it.
“Lindsay, I have to go in. I haven’t been to Vanguard in almost 2 weeks. I could lose my internship.” Justin tried to argue as Lindsay forced him to sit down at the dining room table.
“Nonsense. Brian checks in with me every day to see how you are feeling. He tells me to remind you that your job will be waiting for you once you recover. Besides, it’s the weeks before Christmas. Half of the clients at Vanguard have checked out til January.” Lindsay handed him a mug of honey camomile tea.
Justin rolled his eyes but then paused when her words registered with him. “Mr. Kinney has been asking about me?”
Lindsay shook her head with a soft grin and sat down next to Justin, “He’s not a monster, you know. He cares about his employees.”
“Does he visit the dorms of all his employees who are out sick?” Justin asked her, a knowing look gracing his features.
“Brian shows he cares in unique ways.” Lindsay tried to avoid the obvious.
“Lindsay, come on. He compliments my talent directly, he brought me soup, and then the next day he returned with you to convince me to stay with you guys. That’s not typical managing partner of an advertising agency to his intern behavior.” Justin sipped at his tea while Lindsay tried to find the proper response.
“One thing you have to understand about Brian Kinney is that he will never cross a line that could ruin his reputation, career or be perceived as anything untoward. A few years ago, one of the new graphic designers tried to use Brian to get ahead by sleeping with him, and let's just say Brian made this employee wish he’d never met Brian.” Lindsay fiddled with the string attached to her teabag.
“What exactly am I supposed to take from that?” Justin looked at her perplexed. It sounded as though Lindsay was trying to say that Mr. Kinney was interested in him. But that couldn’t be true. His boss barely knew him.
“I’ve known him for many years. Brian doesn’t do relationships because he doesn’t believe in love. However, since you started at Vanguard, I have seen him show care and interest in someone beyond getting them into his bed. I’m not sure what he’s thinking regarding you, but I do know it’s not his typical behavior. Most likely, he’s conflicted himself because of his position of power over you in the workplace.” Lindsay paused before making a final statement. “The only other time I have ever seen Brian go above and beyond for someone who is sick was when our friend Michael’s partner was in the hospital thanks to HIV med complications. Brian went out of his way to make sure Michael’s store was taken care of so Michael could focus on Ben.”
Justin didn’t respond, how could he? Lindsay had basically said that Mr. Kinney probably cared about him. What that meant, she wasn’t even sure. The more time he spent thinking over her words, the more confused he became. Mr. Kinney was his boss and had barely ever interacted with Justin directly. But hadn’t he praised Justin’s ideas multiple times to Murph or Jill over the last few months?
Once he finished his tea, Justin got up from the table and went back to the guest bedroom to start on the backlog of coursework he needed to catch up on before he was permitted to go back to work. As he worked on an essay for his Art History course, Justin decided he was going to put his foot down and insist Mr. Kinney let him come back to work on Thursday. He no longer had a fever, and his cough was almost completely gone.
Upon finishing his essay, Justin pulled out his phone and dialed the number for Murph at Vanguard. His manager answered after the second ring.
“Hey, Murph. It’s Justin.” Justin croaked, his voice still recovering from the weeks of abuse.
“Justin! It’s great to hear from you. How are you?” Murph was ecstatic, and it showed.
“Feeling much better. My doctor cleared me to come back to work. I was hoping it would be okay to start slow by pulling a half day on Thursday.” Justin responded, crossing his fingers.
“I think that sounds wonderful. We’ve just gotten feedback from Remsen Pharmaceuticals about their new year campaign ideas that they want to get started on before the Christmas holidays.” Murph spouted off excitedly. “But, in order to come back, you have to get the green light from Mr. Kinney.”
“What? Why?” Justin was surprised it wasn’t his manager’s decision.
“Because it’s policy. Any return from extended leave that occurs has to be run by the managing partner before the employee can come back to work.” Even though Justin couldn’t see him, he knew Murph was shrugging his shoulders. Justin hangs up the phone a moment later.
f*ck.
Justin had been hoping he wouldn’t have to speak to Mr. Kinney about returning to Vanguard. But the universe just loved to mock him. Luckily, Justin knew he could count on Mr. Kinney making an appearance at Lindsay and Mel’s after work. Ever since Justin temporarily moved in, Mr. Kinney, he supposed he should probably start calling him Brian outside of work, dropped by daily to check on Justin under the guise of dropping off Gus or coming to play with his son.
Sure enough, a few moments later, Justin heard voices downstairs and the front door closing. Then, just as he was putting away his coursework, the door to the guest bedroom opened, and a blur of limbs came rushing in. Soon enough, Justin was attacked by the thin, spindly arms and legs of Gus. At four years old, the child was already a ball of energy and excitement.
“Justin! Mommy said that you were feeling better and that I could hug you again!” Gus exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around Justin’s chest while the rest of his body rested in Justin’s lap.
“I am! It’s good to see you, Goofy Gus. Your mommy told me that you kept wanting to give me medicine when I was sleeping.” Justin laughed and smiled down at the rambunctious child he adored.
“Yeah, but Mommy said that you needed your rest to feel better. And now you are! Can Gus give you medicine now?” Gus jumped off Justin’s lap and danced around the room.
Justin laughed, “Sure. Let’s go downstairs to see what you can give me.”
Gus shot like a rocket out of the room ahead of Justin, who was moving more slowly. His body was still getting used to being up and mobile for extended periods of time. After a week and a half of being bedridden, he still tired easily, but he was definitely on the mend and ready to get back to work. As soon as they arrived in the front room of the house, Justin’s gaze fell upon Brian.
The brunet stood up from the couch the minute Justin walked in. He smiled tentatively at Justin and gathered Gus into his arms, halting the boy from rushing past and into the kitchen. Gus wiggled and begged to be put down, insisting that he needed to get Justin some medicine. Justin moved to the chair near the entryway and sat down. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes momentarily.
“Justin, if you need to rest, you can go back to your room. You don’t have to entertain Gus if it’s too much,” Lindsay chimed in, forcing Justin to open his eyes.
“Nah. I’m fine. I just forgot that my body is still recovering, so the stairs almost took me out.” Justin laughed.
Gus finally got free and ran to the kitchen before his mommy or daddy could stop him. Justin let his eyes follow the smaller child until he was out of sight. Once he was gone completely, Justin sat up and gave his boss his full attention.
“So, I just got off the phone with Murph. I told him I would be ready to come back to work part-time on Thursday. He said company policy was it had to be run by you first.” Justin locked his eyes on Brian’s, daring him to object.
“No,” Brian smirked and quirked his eyebrow.
“Brian!” Lindsay exclaimed before Justin could process that he’d been denied.
“Excuse me? I figured it was just a formality. I’ve been awake since 8 am, and my cough is practically gone. I’m ready to come back.” Justin argued, determined not to lose this internship with the finish line in sight.
“No. You won’t be coming back. Your internship is finished.” Brian shrugged his shoulders and locked his gaze onto Justin’s, daring him to fight him further.
“Seriously? You’re going to deny me the one thing I need to graduate just as I was finishing my requirements?” Justin stood up and threw his hands in the air.
“Mr. Taylor.” Mr. Kinney’s words came out evenly, the picture of professionalism: “I called IFA and told them the situation with your pneumonia and asked them if a three-month internship was equivalent to their written requirement of one semester. Your professor stated that it was enough to earn you credit. Congratulations, you’re done.”
“So, I’m not fired. You’re just ending my internship early.” Justin sat back down, the fight leaving him immediately.
“For the sake of your health?” Brian paused and then shrugged, “Yes.”
“Okay, well, then on Thursday, I will come by the office and gather my personal effects from my workstation.” Justin looked between his former boss and Lindsay. “If that’s allowed.”
“It won’t be necessary. I can bring them by tomorrow when I drop off Gus.” Brian shrugged again and sat back against the cushions of the couch.
“Why bother? Why not just wait until I go back to my dorm and then give them to Lindsay? That way, you won’t have to deal with me anymore. Which is clearly what you want.” Justin felt his frustration rising with all the mixed signals Brian kept giving him.
“Justin,” Lindsay said evenly. Clearly trying to warn him against making an idiot of himself.
“Did I say I never wanted to see you again?” Brian leaned forward once more. “All I said was that I ended your internship early so you could focus on recovering from pneumonia. I apologize for being kind.”
“You’re not sorry.” Justin snipped at Brian, his gaze daring the man to own up to his true intentions under everything he’d done for Justin over the past few weeks.
“This is why I don’t mix business with pleasure.” Brian stood up and gave Lindsay a glare before he grabbed his coat and started to put it back on.
Justin was thoroughly confused at this point. “What?”
Brian came over and grabbed Justin’s cheek, tilting his head up, “I ended your internship out of kindness as well as selfishness.” Then he closed the gap between them, placing his lips on Justin’s in a bruising kiss.
When he pulled away, Justin couldn’t breathe. He’d hoped that Brian’s behavior toward him was leading to this, but he never imagined it would actually happen.
“f*ck you. Why couldn’t you just tell me you’re interested in me like a normal person?” Justin gasped as his breath returned.
Lindsay let out a spark of laughter at that comment. “He’s got you there, Brian.”
“Until 10 minutes ago, I was your boss. I couldn’t exactly ask for more from you when it could be misconstrued in the workplace. The admins at Vanguard are the most gossipy bunch of heteros I’ve ever seen in my life. The rumors would’ve flown almost immediately because somehow my assistant always knows everything.” Brian stepped back from Justin, breaking any physical contact the two still had.
“Okay. So, what does this mean?” Justin needed clear cut details if he had any chance of keeping ahold of his sanity.
“It means I don’t do dates, but I’m down to f*ck anytime.” Brian shrugged and smirked as Gus came rushing back into the room with a popsicle.
“Here’s your medicine, Justin! Momma Mel said you probably need this for your sore throat.” Gus shoved the treat into Justin’s hand.
“Yeah, probably,” Justin said in a distracted tone.
“The art is mine,” Justin stated as Brian turned to go.
The older man paused, turned around, and glanced between Justin and Lindsay, trying to make sense of what had just been said. Lindsay shrugged her shoulders and then silently urged Justin to continue with a nudge of her head.
“The art in your office. It’s mine.” Justin clarified, his heart pounding in his chest.
Brian abandoned his attempts at leaving and walked back over to Justin. His questioning gaze raked over Justin’s body before coming to rest on his lips. He slowly reached forward and placed his fingers in Justin’s blond locks.
“I didn’t know you paint. It’s a very calming piece. It’s why I bought it.”
“Yeah, I don’t paint often because school and life keep me busy. But, I made that one so I could get some extra money to sustain me during my internship when I couldn’t work any overnight shifts at the diner.” Justin’s voice was breathless as Brian’s touch electrified every nerve in his body.
“So, I did pay you for the internship after all,” Brian smirked. “I was starting to feel guilty that it was an unpaid internship, considering all the stellar work you did for Vanguard.”
“I guess you did.” Justin ducked his head to hide his smile. Brian moved his hand to his chin and pulled his face back up.
“I’d ask you to my place, but I don’t want to move too fast.”
“Who’s making assumptions now? You think because I’m from the country club types that I’m not down to have a quick f*ck?” Justin laughed and then pulled Brian down for another kiss.
“What are we waiting for then? I’ve been waiting to do this since your first day at Vanguard.” Brian growled under his breath once they broke from their kiss.
“Guess this means I can’t apply for the open position in the art department once I graduate in the spring.” Justin laughed and pulled back from Brian completely.
Brian didn’t respond instead, he gave a vague shrug and pulled Justin’s hand to drag the blond with him out the door. Justin grabbed his coat from the hook by the door on their way out.
“Jesus, Mr. Kinney, are you trying to kill me?” Justin groaned as he struggled to move toward Brian’s Jeep and put on his coat at the same time.
“Keep calling me Mr. Kinney, and we won’t make it to my place.” Brian devoured Justin’s lips once again.
—
Six Months Later:
Justin groaned as he rolled over. The sun shone brightly through the wall of windows that made up one portion of Brian’s loft. For the past six months, he had been spending more nights at Brian’s place than at the dorm; he now couldn’t stand. A quick glance to the other side of the bed showed that Brian was already up for the day. In fact, the man must’ve already left for work because the loft was eerily quiet. It was a Saturday, which meant that Brian usually wouldn’t be working, but the Stockwell campaign was kicking it into high gear now that the election was only a few months away. So, Brian was stuck working longer hours for the present time.
Sure enough, once Justin climbed out of bed and strode into Brian’s kitchen, he found a sticky note attached to the refrigerator door.
“See you after you cross the stage. - BK”
Justin smirked at Brian’s indirect way of telling him congratulations on graduating. The ceremony was later that afternoon, and Justin still needed to swing by his mother’s house before heading to campus.
Justin climbed out of the shower and was drying off when his phone rang. It was Brian. He smirked to himself before answering.
“Hello,” Justin cradled his phone against his shoulder and grabbed his jeans to put them on. He had a nicer outfit for the ceremony itself, which was hanging up in his dorm. He’d swing by there on his way to his mom’s house.
“Just wanted to be sure you were awake. You didn’t even stir when I got up for work around 8.” Brian’s voice was haggard from exhaustion, but Justin could still tell he was smiling.
“Yeah. I’m actually showered and almost ready to walk out the door.” Justin put the phone on speaker so he could put on his shirt. Brian hated that he wore ratty old t-shirts, but Justin refused to let the man shower him with a whole new wardrobe.
“When do you have to move out of the dorms?” Brian asked. There was more to what he was asking, but Justin knew he’d never say it.
“I officially move my meager belongings over to Daphne’s today before the ceremony,” Justin replied, a smile playing on his lips. “Why? You got a better idea?”
Brian sighed and let the line fall silent for a few moments before he whispered, “I wouldn’t hate it if you were around more often.”
“Why, Mr. Kinney, is this you asking me to move in?” Justin chuckled. He turned off the lights in the loft, fished his keys out of the bowl near the door, and then locked the place up before heading down to his car parked across the street.
“Justin,” Brian warned him through gritted teeth.
It wasn’t that Justin suggested they were doing something inherently couple-y but that he’d called him Mr. Kinney. Since they first started “dating” without the dates, Brian had always had a weakness for Justin, calling him Mr. Kinney. If anyone else in the family called him that he simply swatted their head or flicked their hands and reminded them he wasn’t his father. But, with Justin, it was different. There had to be a boss/employee kink somewhere hidden in his reaction to Justin uttering that name.
After a few minutes of silence, long enough for Justin to get in his car and sit behind the wheel, waiting for their conversation to end, Brian spoke once more.
“I’m just saying it’s a waste of time for you to deposit your belongings at Daphne’s when I suspect you’ll never be there.” Brian went silent again.
Justin knew the man didn’t do well with expressing anything close to genuine emotion. And this conversation was happening over the phone because Brian had planned it that way. If they’d tried to talk about this face to face, Brian would’ve clammed up and pushed Justin away for a few days and then came stumbling back once he realized he needed the blond in his life.
“Love you too, Brian,” Justin stated softly before he hung up the phone and focused on what he needed to do before his graduation.
He was at his dorm and had just finished putting the last of his things into the backseat and trunk of his car when his phone rang again. This time, it was an unknown number. Justin felt like he shouldn’t ignore this call despite not knowing who it was.
“Hello, this is Justin Taylor.”
“Hello, Justin. It’s Gardner Vance from Vanguard.” Justin almost dropped the phone upon hearing that name.
“Oh, Mr. Vance. How are you?” Justin stumbled over his words. He hadn’t officially applied for the open position in their art department, but he knew that Brian had hinted at Vance already having his number because of his performance as an intern.
“I’m well. Mr. Kinney told me today that you’ve officially graduated with a degree in Graphic Design. I know you didn’t submit an application for our open graphic designer position, but Mr. Kinney informed me it was because of your relationship. He then handed me your application filled out,” Mr. Vance replied.
“Sir, I didn’t put him up to that. I just need you to know. I had chosen not to apply despite wanting to work for Vanguard. I didn’t want my relationship with the managing partner to become a cause for gossip or concern in the office. I’m strictly professional. Therefore, I was looking to apply at other firms in the city.” Justin explained, hoping Mr. Vance wouldn’t think less of him.
Much to his surprise, Justin heard Mr. Vance laugh.
“Oh, I’m well aware you didn’t put Brian up to this. I’ve worked with him long enough to know he can’t be cajoled into anything he doesn’t want to do, no matter who you are. If you are sure about not wanting a position with us, I understand. However, I would like to state that due to your relationship, you’d answer to me instead of him as your hierarchy of authority.”
“I understand, Mr. Vance. Can I think about it?” Justin really wanted to talk this over with Brian before he accepted the offer.
“Absolutely. Let me know by Wednesday if you can. Have a great day.” Mr. Vance replied. “Oh, and congratulations, Mr. Taylor.”
Justin put the phone in his pocket and smiled to himself. For a man who hated drama or the notion that he might actually be in a romantic relationship with someone, Brian sure was going out of his way to show Justin how much he cared. Over the last six months, Justin had learned that Brian Kinney was never quiet about the fact that he was gay, but he also didn’t offer that information up to people unless he was about to f*ck them. So, for Brian to go to his business partner and tell him point blank that he was seeing someone who wanted to work for the company was a huge deal.
Brian detested the fact that his friends all loved Justin and encouraged his constant labels for what they were. The older man insisted they weren’t like straight people, and anytime he felt Justin was getting too comfortable calling themselves romantic partners, he would go out and f*ck some twink. Brian thought it was proving once more that he wasn’t a man to be tied down, but each anonymous sex adventure only further proved to Justin that he mattered. After all, he’s the only one Brian f*cks more than once, and he’s allowed to stay the night.
Then there is the matter of Brian buying the crap food that Justin loves to consume despite it annoying the brunet. Or the fact that he now has a designated toothbrush for Justin in his bathroom. Or that pesky detail about how he makes sure Justin always has money in his account for gas or other expenses. Justin still has his part-time job at the diner, but Brian still slips him extra money whenever he tips for his meal.
As Justin pulled into his mom’s driveway, he smiled, thinking about the note Brian had left him that morning. There was no doubt about it. The man was totally gone on Justin, even if he refused to say “I love you,” no matter how many times Justin set him up to say it. Looking out at the street he grew up on, Justin imagined what his life would’ve been like if, for some reason, he’d met Brian when he was fresh out of high school instead of just about to graduate college. Would he have been as understanding about Brian’s hangups around relationships and love? Thinking back on how he was back then, Justin doubted it.
With a deep breath, he pressed the doorbell and waited for his mom or Molly to answer the door. He clutched his graduation outfit and gown in his left hand. What he hadn’t been expecting was for his father to swing open the door. His face was red and menacing. Justin held his breath as he waited for his father to spout his words of hatred.
“What the f*ck are you doing here? I thought I told you to leave and never come back.” Craig Taylor’s spit hit Justin in the face as he squared his shoulders and prepared to face off against his father.
“Last I checked, Mom divorced your ass. So, what are you doing here?” Justin tried to get into the house around his father’s large frame.
“I’m sorry, Justin. I was talking to him about his responsibility to Molly, and I let slip you were graduating from college today. He said he wanted to go. Even acted like he cared.” Jennifer stood a bit further in from the door.
“And you f*cking believed him?” Justin screamed at his mom. “You just gave him the ability to get close to me again. I left to get away from him, Mom.”
“Don’t you dare yell at your mother,” Craig grabbed Justin’s shoulder and shoved him against the doorframe he still hadn’t managed to get through.
“Craig! Be careful! You’ll hurt him.” Jennifer screamed at his father.
“Forget it. I don’t have time or energy for this bullsh*t.” Justin yelled back at his father. “I’ll get ready at Brian’s place.”
“Who the f*ck is Brian?” Craig yelled at him, still not letting go of his grip on Justin’s shoulder.
“His boyfriend,” Jennifer replied before Justin could stop her.
“Why the f*ck did you tell him?” Justin turned to his mom. He started to regret ever letting her back into his life. But things had been going well, albeit slowly, over the past few months. She’d been accepting of Brian and even invited them both over for meals a few times.
Justin finally managed to pull himself out of his father’s grip. But that only gave the man ammunition to pull his hand back and slam it forward into Justin’s face. The punch hit him squarely on the left cheek. He didn’t wait around for his father to get another punch in. Instead, he rushed to his car and drove away. He was halfway to Brian’s before he realized he should probably warn Brian he was coming over. They hadn’t planned on it, and Justin knew the man would probably be there getting ready for Justin’s graduation, considering the time.
He reclaimed his parking spot from earlier that morning and grabbed his graduation outfit and gown once more before locking up his vehicle. Justin was certain no one would try to steal anything from it, but he still locked it to be certain. Sure enough, by the time he got off the elevator, he could hear music playing in Brian’s apartment.
Sliding open the door, he came face to face with his boyfriend, who was only half dressed and sitting at his desk typing on his computer. The older man closed whatever he was working on and turned to Justin the moment he heard the door slide closed.
“Hey, I thought you were getting ready at your mom’s,” Brian muttered as he stood up and walked toward Justin.
Once he was close enough to see every detail of Justin’s face, his eyes turned stormy. His hand came up and caressed Justin’s cheek, which was still red from the punch and would most likely swell by the time he walked across the stage later.
“What the hell happened?” Brian hissed.
“Guess my mom isn’t as on my side as I thought.” Justin ducked his head and moved to walk around Brian so that the older man wouldn’t see the tears welling up in his eyes. Now that he’d come down from the adrenaline of it, all the emotions were hitting him full blast.
“Your mom hit you?” Brian gripped Justin’s arm gently, but the touch still startled him, and he jumped away.
“No, but she let my dad back into her life. He was there when I arrived and then hit me after he found out I was in a relationship with another man.” Justin tried his best to hide his tears.
“Why the f*ck did you tell him?” Brian’s voice was cagey and Justin knew the man wanted to punch someone for what had happened.
“I didn’t.” Justin finally spun around to lock his eyes on Brian’s, “My mom did!”
Brian took one look at Justin’s upset demeanor and all the fight left him. Justin could see the older man calm down from moment to moment until suddenly he was wrapped up in Brian’s embrace, with the older man cupping his head and whispering reassurances into his ears.
When Justin finally pulled away, Brian didn’t drop his hands from being in contact with Justin in some way. His fingers moved to lightly hold Justin’s wrist.
“f*ck him,” Brian whispered confidently. “He’s not worth your time or tears. Especially if he abuses you.”
Justin mutely nodded and walked into the bedroom to change his clothes. Brian followed him, clearly rattled by what had happened and not ready to let Justin out of his sight just yet. While Justin got dressed, Brian picked up his phone and dialed some number. Justin didn’t pay close attention until he heard what Brian was saying.
“Hey Deb, is Carl there?” Brian asked. He glanced at Justin and shook his head when Justin tried to object.
“Hold on a sec.” Justin could hear Debbie’s reply since Brian was sitting very close to where he stood.
“Thanks, ma.”
Then, a few minutes later, “Hey Carl. If Justin wants to report his dad for assaulting him, what does he need to do?”
“Does he have any injuries that could be documented?” Justin heard Carl ask.
“He was punched in the face, so I would say yes.” Brian replied, reaching out to grasp Justin’s hand.
“Brian, I’m not going to turn him in. It’s not worth the stress. I doubt I’ll ever see him again.” Justin muttered, pulling Brian’s phone away from his ear and closing it.
“Justin, he hit you.” Brian pointed out.
“I know, but I don’t want to make a bigger mess of this than it needs to be. I won’t ever be going over there again. I’m fine. Please, trust me.” Justin positioned himself between Brian’s legs and leaned over for a kiss. “I love that you’d go to bat for me like this, but it’s not necessary.”
“I’ve not told you this, but my dad used to get drunk and beat the sh*t out of me when I was growing up,” Brian whispered, leaning his head into Justin’s stomach. “I guess seeing that bruise growing on your cheek took me back to that. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you always say, sorrys are bullsh*t?” Justin rubbed the back of the brunet’s head.
“Not when I actually mean them,” Brian mumbled. Then, he pulled back from Justin, and the moment was broken. “Alright, get dressed. I’m gonna drive you to this thing.”
“Afterward, you can help me grab my stuff from my car and bring it up.” Justin smiled and chuckled as he traipsed off toward the bathroom.
“I half hoped you wouldn’t take me up on my offer,” Brian muttered as he followed Justin, pulling on a black button-down shirt that really accentuated his biceps.
“Not on your life.” Justin laughed and then kissed Brian on the lips. “I want every chance I can to enjoy your company.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and shook his hips as he got ready.
Brian groaned and leaned against Justin from behind. “Why do you insist on doing that when we don’t have time to deal with it?”
“Just hold onto that thought until after. Because once I’m done, I will want to celebrate in the way only you know how.” Justin hissed and devoured Brian’s lips once more. “Now, please let me finish getting ready, or I will be late.”
—
Graduation itself was tedious and boring. Similar to his experience in high school but for three times as many students. By the time they were finished with all the M last names, Justin regretted his choice to opt into walking. He didn’t know if his mom and Molly had decided to come to the ceremony after all, but he hoped they hadn’t.
As Justin waited for his turn to get up and proceed, he glanced around the stadium to see who he could recognize. After a long time of surreptitiously looking around at the crowd, Justin finally found Brian. He was sitting near a pillar and paying more attention to the program than he was at the ceremony. Justin smirked to himself and turned his focus back as his row began to line up.
“Justin Taylor, Bachelor of Arts, Graphic Design.” Justin heard the Dean call out, and he climbed the three steps up to the stage.
He heard a smattering of claps and a really loud whoop that he was sure came from Debbie. Smiling to no one in particular, he paused with his degree in hand before stepping down and walking back to his seat. The rest of the ceremony was a blur of names he didn’t recognize as Justin counted down the minutes until he could reunite with Brian. He was sure Debbie would want him and Brian to come over for a meal, but Justin couldn’t be bothered with that. He wanted nothing more than to go back to Brian’s and allow the man to f*ck his brains out.
Unfortunately, Brian wasn’t one to turn down Debbie just to get his dick sucked, so an hour later, they were all piling into the diner which Debbie had rented out for 2 hours for the occasion. As Justin and Brian sat down in their booth, Justin leaned over and whispered into Brian’s ear.
“One hour tops. Then I call the sex card, and we make our exit.”
Brian smiled and then nodded in agreement. He turned to Justin and gently fingered the spot on his cheek that was definitely swelling up and bruising.
“Hey, Deb. Could I get an ice pack for Justin’s cheek?” Brian called over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off Justin for a second.
“Sure thing, honey,” Debbie replied. A moment later, she was back with the ice and handing it to Brian.
“You know, Sunshine, you should really watch where you are going,” Debbie stated as she looked more closely at Justin’s face.
“This was courtesy of the asshole known as Craig Taylor.” Justin finally chimed in.
“Your dad?!” Lindsay exclaimed her hand on her chest in sympathy. “I thought you hadn’t seen him since he kicked you out right after you finished high school.”
“I hadn’t. But I made the mistake of thinking that my mom had changed. Then, I went over to her house today to get ready for the ceremony. I was gonna go with her and Molly as an olive branch of trust. He greeted me at the door, and it went downhill from there.” Justin mumbled, dropping his gaze to stare at his hands in his lap.
Brian continued to hold the ice up to his face, but he turned to the group at large and added his two cents.
“Apparently, Daddy dearest didn’t take kindly to finding out Justin wasn’t single.”
“I thought things were going better between you and your mom?” Debbie questioned as she placed plates of appetizers on the various tables.
“They were. Brian and I had even been over to her place a couple of times for dinner. But, I guess she’s also still keeping cozy with my dad despite their divorce.” Justin bit his lip, trying not to get too emotional about losing his mom for a second time.
“Well, that’s her loss then,” Emmett exclaimed with a knowing smile from across the table. “When I was able to save up enough money and get out of Hazlehurst, I didn’t look back because I knew my family failed at the one thing they were supposed to do, love me unconditionally.”
“Exactly. That’s why you are all my boys.” Debbie smiled at Justin while she rubbed both Emmett and Brian’s shoulders.
Justin sighed and smiled up at her, “Thanks, Deb. I appreciate it.”
“Also, don’t worry about your shift tomorrow night. Take the night off, my graduation gift to you.” Debbie winked and smacked her gum with a laugh.
“Deb, I can’t accept that.” Justin tried to argue.
Brian pulled the ice pack away from his face and gave him a stern look, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Sunshine.”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate. I do. I just.” Justin stopped trying to find the right words. “I need the distraction.”
Brian looked at him, confused, “What am I?”
Justin leaned over and kissed him. “You’re one of the only good things in my life. It’s not a dismissal of you that I need my job to distract me from the bullsh*t from my parents.”
Brian seemed to accept that as an answer, but Justin knew the man would most likely spend most of his Sunday with Justin at the diner just to feel better. Justin shook his head. He couldn’t believe how much his life had changed since he took the internship at Vanguard 9 months ago.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Guess who called me today?” Justin winked at Brian as he addressed the room at large.
Ben and Michael looked at him with rapt attention. Mel and Lindsay were trying to wrangle Gus and J.R. but also let him know they were listening. Meanwhile, Ted and Emmett leaned on the table to show they, too, were hanging onto his every word.
Justin chuckled and shook his head. “Gardner Vance called to offer me a position at Vanguard in their art department.”
“I thought you weren’t going to apply to Vanguard because of the Brian of it all,” Lindsay replied.
“Clearly, he changed his mind,” Michael spoke up for the first time.
“Actually, I hadn’t. But someone decided to submit my application anyway.” Justin turned to look at Brian.
“What? We’re the best firm in Pittsburgh, and your talent deserves to be appreciated. You’re too good for anyone else.” Brian shrugged.
“Not to mention you’ll be able to have lunchtime quickies.” Ted chimed as he and Emmett high-fived.
“No, Theodore. No mixing business with pleasure.” Brian shook his head.
“Oh, come on. You can’t honestly tell me you won’t have sex in your office.” Michael exclaimed in surprise.
“Nope, Mikey. Not me.” Brian smirked.
“That’ll last about two weeks,” Mel commented.
“Care to put money on that, Marcus?” Brian quirked his eyebrow.
“Yeah, I bet $50 you can’t last a week without breaking your no sex in the workplace rule.” Mel challenged him.
Justin turned to Brian. “You have a no sex in the workplace rule? So, what about the son of your client last week?”
“Can it, Sunshine.”
The rest of the group erupted into raucous laughter. Mel commented that she should’ve bet more money. While Ben added that he’d love to see Brian and Justin succeed at never having sex at work.
Justin looked around at the people surrounding him and smiled. In high school he never could’ve imagined having more than just Daphne in his corner. Now, here he was, a fresh college graduate with more friends than he could count on one hand. Sure, most of them had come to him courtesy of the man whose arm was currently wrapped around his shoulders. But Justin would still die for any one of them. And they would do the same for him.
—
Justin’s happiness lasted until his shift ended on Monday morning. It was 7 a.m., and the sun was just starting to peak over the horizon. At this time of the morning, Liberty Avenue was pretty desolate.
He grabbed his CD player and turned on the music. Brian’s loft was only a few blocks from the diner, so he chose to walk the distance. Chances were by the time he made it home, Brian would be in the shower getting ready for work. If he was lucky, he’d have time to jump in with the older man. Justin smiled to himself at the prospect.
He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice the person jumping out of the shadows just before Brian’s front door. He was struck on the back of his head before he even knew what was happening. Justin fell to the ground and couldn’t get his eyes to work properly and register what was going on. But he could feel the kicks as they hit his chest and abdomen. He yelled out for help, but he couldn’t tell if any sound even left his lips.
After what seemed like an eternity, Justin felt the person stop and then retreat. Justin tried to get up, but his arms and legs wouldn’t cooperate. He couldn’t move, and he couldn’t yell out, so he slipped into darkness.
—
When Justin woke up, the brightness assaulted his retinas so harshly that he had to immediately close his eyes once more. He tried to sit up, but that movement caused his joints to scream in pain, and his stomach rolled with nausea. Justin squinted as he tried to open his eyes again. This time, he was able to glance around quickly. He was in some kind of pristine room with very few color accents aside from the white of the walls.
As his senses woke up one at a time, he was able to discover more things about what was going on around him. He could hear the beeps and whirs of machines around him. He could feel the sharp poke of an IV as he moved his hand. His other arm felt heavy like he would never be able to move it. As he turned his head slowly, something he found worked to avoid sharp pains in his skull, he saw that Brian was lying against his other arm.
With a groan, Justin attempted to move his arm that was under Brian. The movement woke the older man up. He jumped to attention, his eyes raking over Justin’s body as if looking for problems. Then, he finally allowed his gaze to settle on Justin’s. He gave a tentative smile and let out a ragged breath.
“Hey.”
Justin tried to smile but couldn’t do much without it hurting. “Hey.”
Brian’s hands found their way to his face and Justin waited while Brian traced the planes of his face and then moved his hands down the blond’s chest and torso. Then, Brian brought his hands back up to Justin’s face and cupped his cheeks while placing emotional kisses on his lips.
“f*ck. I thought you weren’t ever going to wake up.” Brian had tears in his eyes and looked seconds from collapsing out of sheer exhaustion and stress.
“How,” Justin tried to speak, but his voice gave out, and he had to whisper to continue his question. “How long?”
“It’s Wednesday. You’ve been in a come for three days.” Brian replied, his eyes continuing to comb over his whole body. It was as if the man thought Justin might disappear if he took his eyes off him.
Justin tried to sit up. If it was Wednesday, that meant he missed out on giving Vance his answer about the job offer. But his chest resisted the movement, sending sharp pains out that winded him.
“Don’t try to sit up. You had 3 broken ribs, and one of them pierced your lung.” Brian put his hands on Justin’s chest and gently pushed him back to the prone position.
“What happened?” Justin asked, forgetting about Vance for the moment.
“You were attacked right outside my building. No one saw what happened, but you terrified Mr. Wilkens when he left for work. Luckily, the man knew you were with me, so he called 9-1-1 and then came and found me.”
“Mr. Wilkens?” Justin was so confused. His brain was trying to keep up, but it was a struggle.
“My neighbor, the floor below.” Brian reminded Justin.
“Oh. Right.” Justin sighed and closed his eyes. The lights were exhausting. “Why does my head hurt so much?”
“Because you were hit in the back of the head with a pipe. It caused a traumatic brain injury. Doctors think you’ll have trouble with your right side.” Brian’s gaze fell to Justin’s arm on the bed.
He hadn’t tried to move it since Brian had gotten up. Now, when he tried to move it, he saw that it would only lift a few inches off the bed. When he tried to wiggle his fingers, he found that he could barely get them to move. The realization that Justin’s career might be over before it even had a chance to start pissed him off. Tears of anger slipped from his eyes and ran down his cheeks.
“I guess it doesn’t matter that I missed Vance’s acceptance window for that job. Since I can’t move my f*cking arm.” Justin sighed and turned his head to stare out the window of his room.
Brian didn’t say anything. He just sat back down and grabbed Justin’s right hand in his and held on tight. The two stayed there in silence for about an hour before Justin started feeling groggy again and slipped back into dreamland.
—
Over the next few days, Justin started PT and OT on his right side. Once the doctors got him out of bed, Justin also found his right leg was weaker than it’d ever been before, and it dragged when he tried to walk normally. After that discovery, Justin slipped into a depression and refused to talk to anyone, eat, or even drink for half a day. Eventually, he ate and drank out of spite to shut Brian up. But he still refused to talk or even try moving in any kind of way.
At first, Brian was there with him every hour of the day, working from his laptop. But, soon enough, he started spending the mornings and late evenings with Justin and letting others bother him during the day. Justin was so grateful when Brian started coming in less and less. He hated seeing Brian struggle to hide his disappointment every time Justin didn’t reach a milestone the doctors wanted him to achieve.
It was hard enough dealing with his own disappointment. He didn’t need it from his boyfriend. The rest of the family weren’t much better. They were so overbearing that Justin resented their visits. He even started pretending he was sleeping when Deb or Lindsay came over because they were the ones who infantilized him the most.
He had reached the end of his first week of therapy, finally managing to take a few steps while holding onto the therapist's arm. He looked up when the door opened, expecting it to be Brian arriving early. Instead, he came face-to-face with his mom. She saw him and started crying.
“Justin, I’m so sorry. I never knew he’d go this far.” Jennifer’s voice came out cracked and strained.
“What do you mean?” Justin looked at her in shock. Right behind her, Brian appeared.
“I mean, your dad. He was so angry the day of your graduation, but I managed to hold him off from following you. But when he left, I knew he was still angry. Then, on Tuesday, when he picked up Molly, he told me I wouldn’t have to worry about the shame you brought us by your lifestyle anymore.” Jennifer started to move into the room, but Brian stopped her.
He turned her around and asked, “You knew he was mad when he left on Saturday, and you didn’t bother to warn your son?”
“I didn’t think he’d do anything.” Jennifer sobbed. “Craig hates that he’s gay, but I never thought he would stalk his own son and attack him.”
“Well, you were wrong, and now, Justin has to relearn how to move his whole right side. So, take your apologies and give them to someone who cares.”
Justin could never say it out loud, but he was so grateful for Brian’s distrust in parents at that moment. He wanted his mom to leave but would never have the strength to do it, so letting Brian do it for him was an easy trade-off.
Once she was gone, Justin let go of his therapist’s arm and threw his whole weight onto Brian as they embraced. Brian held him tight and rubbed his hands up and down Justin’s back.
“You just missed me taking three whole steps with barely any help.” Justin finally told Brian after they’d held onto each other for a good chunk of time.
“Seriously?!” Brian’s subdued excitement was betrayed by the excitement screaming from his eyes.
Justin nodded and then smiled. They had a long road ahead, but now that Justin had made some progress, he was certain things would be fine.
Brian leaned forward and touched his forehead to Justin’s, “I love you.”
Justin smiled and dragged Brian into a kiss.
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