Gift #4

[mander3-swish.livejournal.com]

TO: asm614
FROM: 7wildwaysup
TITLE: Not Without Me…
BETA QUEEN: bigj52
GIFT REQUEST: Fic. Preferably a happy ending. Friendship fic with other canon characters is fine. Brian/Justin must be the a pairing by the end of the story, or B/J-centric throughout. Perhaps something holiday-centric set in NYC. No AU -- the characters MUST be based on their canon versions up to the series ending. Mainly, I just want a believable glimpse into the lives of Brian & Justin.
NOTE: After years of struggling to make their relationship work, they question if the distance is just too great, or are they finally to ready commit to one another. 7584 words, R-rating, Love, Passion, and Romance with a little angst…. Written for the 2015 QaF Gift Exchange ~ Merry Christmas asm614

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are property of their respective owners, including, but not limited to Russell T. Davies, Cowlip, and Showtime. The author of this story is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended…

Justin’s POV

It’s cold and snowy as I walk home tonight through the dark streets, seeing all of the Christmas lights twinkling inside and outside of the houses I pass. I love Christmas, but this year I’m feeling sad and lonely. Brian and I have been arguing for months, and I miss him desperately. He’s landed a big account in Paris, and splits his time between there and Pittsburgh, leaving little time for us. Me…

I should have been happy for him when he told me Kinnetik went international. It’s everything he’s worked so hard for. But I reacted badly, and we fought all weekend long before he left for the airport. That was the first week in October, and I haven’t seen him since then. We talk every couple of days but the distance between us isn’t just across the ocean. It’s more, and I can’t help feeling like I’m losing him. It’s ironic, as we struggled to make things work for the last few years living apart, but now that my talent is starting to be noticed, the distance between just continues to grow. I fear this will be our last Christmas together, that is if he even comes home for the holidays.

Brian’s POV

Justin seems so unhappy, and I wish I was there with him, we really need to talk. I know it’s hard to believe, but I’m the one who wants to talk about our relationship. It’s just not working, and I don’t know how to turn things around. Nothing I do is right, and the more I try to explain to him why I can’t come home, the worse things get. I get the impression that he’s already given up, and that strikes me as funny because he’s always been the one who’s fought so hard for us to be a couple.

I just left a meeting with the vice-president of marketing and he wants me in New York for a celebratory dinner tomorrow night. Lancôme just signed a marketing merger with Macy’s department stores and Kinnetik will be handling all the advertising for the next five years. I’ve been trying to get him on the phone for the last couple of hours without any luck. When I do get through he’s excited that I’m flying to New York. But when I ask him to join me for my business dinner, he says he’s already made plans. I’m taken aback that he won’t even consider canceling with his friends, then the little shit tells me to just go alone.

After hanging up I’m stunned. How could he not see how important this dinner is for me? Now he’s upset that I asked him to change his plans, and to make things worse, I’m now in the doghouse for not respecting him and his friendships. He, of course, just sees that I’m putting my career before him once again. I hope once we’re together, we’ll be able to resolve our issues. But now I’m not even sure if he wants to fix things, and I feel sick to my stomach.

Justin’s POV

I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I was just really nasty to Brian and I don’t even know why. I’ve been praying that he’ll come home from Paris to spend the holidays with me. Then we’d be able to talk things through, and have fantastic makeup sex. I’m such a fool, and now he probably won’t even call me while he’s in town. Why do I do these things to myself? It’s like I subconsciously want him to leave me. But I don’t. What I want is for us to be together, really together. I want what we almost had. I want us to live together permanently, and to be married. I want to be Mr. Taylor-Kinney. I even started wearing my ring a few weeks ago, fantasizing about what it would be like. Maybe that’s when things started getting a little crazy.

My friend Julie, who I’ve worked with for a few years at the gallery, finally took a job in marketing. It wasn’t that she wanted to work in the corporate world, but it was a step in the right direction, and it pays a lot better than being a receptionist at the gallery. When she interviewed for the job she told them she was married. I guess she thought it sounded better for some reason. Now it’s the holidays, she’s been invited to the company party and her boss expects her to bring her husband, which just happens to be me. Imagine my surprise. I tried to tell her no, but she begged me, and then of course she started crying, saying she’d lose her job if they found out she lied.

As much as I didn’t want to go, I agreed to do this for her. Then Brian calls and tells me we’re going to some business dinner. I guess it just rubbed me the wrong way, him just assuming I’m available at a moment’s notice. Things escalated from there, and now I can’t stop worrying that I’ve really fucked things up. I couldn’t sleep last night because I was tossing and turning, so I finally got up and painted to calm my nerves. I didn’t go to sleep until ten this morning, and now I’m running late. Julie told me it’s a formal party so I need to dress appropriately, and the only suit I have is the one Brian bought me for our wedding. I stand looking at myself in the mirror, remembering when he stood behind me, telling me how beautiful I looked. Now I have tears running down my face and I wish I was going with Brian to his business dinner.

Brian’s POV

I’m circulating, making small talk, being introduced to all the bigwigs of Lancôme New York and Macy’s. I wish Justin was here. I don’t know very many people and my mind keeps drifting back to him. I can’t help wondering if maybe he’s out on a date, or maybe he’s already seeing someone new. It wouldn’t surprise me, things have been so strained between us, but I pray it’s not true. I take a glass of Merlot from the passing waiter as I’m introduced to the manager of the marketing department for Macy’s. Shaking his hand, he gestures to the couple next to him, who turn around and he introduces them; Julie Copley and her husband Justin Taylor. Being charming as ever I kiss her hand, and then shake Justin’s, telling them what a pleasure it is to meet them. Then I’m ushered away to meet the next group of people, looking back over my shoulder to meet Justin’s eyes. I see him looking apologetic.

I keep my eye on him and Julie throughout the night, but I don’t get a chance to talk with him. They both look uncomfortable and bored. They’re struggling to make small talk with their tablemates, whom I’m guessing is Julie’s boss. Of course I’m sitting with the presidents and vice-presidents of both Lancôme and Macy’s. This is a really big deal for both companies and they’re impressed with the direction the advertising campaign is going. One thing that’s becoming obvious is that I’m going to be spending a lot of time over the next five years dining with these people.

Shortly after dinner I notice Justin and Julie have left the party. I, of course, can’t make such a quick exit, and it’s close to 2.00 a.m. before I find myself at Justin’s door.  I can’t help wondering what kind of welcome I’m going to receive. I quietly turn the key in the lock, it’s dark and the moon is the only light illuminating the room. Out of the corner of my eye I see his golden hair shining in the dark. I hesitate for a moment than whisper, “Is your wife asleep?”

The next thing I know he’s thrusting himself into my embrace, wrapping his arms around my neck, kissing me madly. This I can work with. I lift him off the floor with our lips still locked. He wraps his legs around my waist as we both feel our arousal grow. I kick the bedroom door open and lie him down on the bed. God, he looks so good to me. I haven’t been with him in ten weeks and I can’t get his clothes off him fast enough. He’s in jeans and a t-shirt, unlike me, I’m still wearing my Armani suit. His clothes lie in a pile on the floor, as I take my time hanging up my suit, keeping it clean and wrinkle free.

He watches me with hooded eyes, finally whispering, “Brian” which sends shivers through me.  I start by kissing the soles of his feet as I climb his body. I lick the back of his knees as he raises his legs in the air. Curling him forward, I nuzzle my face between his legs, gentling licking and kissing his perineum. He lets out a whimper as pre-cum dribbles down his shaft.

“Oh God, Brian! I’ve missed you so much!”

I push his hips forward a little more, licking his pucker and the little shit kicks me in the head.

“Not now, Brian! Just fuck me!”

“Justin. I don’t want to hurt you. Give me the lube.”

So he hands me a condom.

“Hurry!”

“Lube, please!”

“No, just go!”

“Justin!”

He arches his back and raises his legs even further into the air. I spit on my fingers and slip one inside him, it glides in smoothly. That’s when I realize that the little twat has prepared himself for me, so I align myself and push into him. God, he feels so damn tight, and soon I feel tremors building throughout. I nudge his prostate, eliciting a deep moan. His legs are tightly wrapped around my waist as I continue thrusting into him. We’re both rocking together, loving the sensations coursing through us. He throws his head back, panting as he falls over the edge, and I follow right behind. It’s not surprising that neither one of us lasted very long, it’s been so long since we’ve been together.

I hold him tight in my arms as we both recover from our intense workout. It feels good to be this close to him, and all my worries about us and our relationship melt away. This is it. He’s the one, the only one I want to spend my life with. But something’s got to give, because I can’t keep going on the way we have been.

“That ring looks pretty good on your finger.”

“You like it?”

“I do.”

“Yeah?”

“I. Do. I do, Justin.”

His head whips around and he stares at me.

“Brian…”

I kiss him again. This time it’s slow and sensual, expressing all the longing and desire I feel for him.

“Oh, Brian. I love you so much!”

We make love a couple more times, and it feels so good holding him in my arms as we drift off to sleep. I’ve missed this so much. I can’t stand the separation, and I need him with me. The next morning lying next to him, I watch him sleep. My heart skips a beat just knowing that he’s mine, and that he loves me. He slowly wakes up, and I roll over on top of him, working my way down his chest and belly until I reach his morning wood.

I run my tongue down his cock, my finger follows, sliding down the wet trail. I take his balls into my mouth and gently suck them, running my tongue around them, sending shivers through him. Then I run my tongue back up his shaft and wrap my lips around the crown. I bob my head up and down as I take him down my throat. He’s moaning and arching his back. It only takes several more long deep plunges until I feel his balls pull up tight, then he explodes down the back of my throat. His hands are holding my head in place, as he rides out the waves of pleasure pulsating through him. I crawl up his body and kiss him, letting him taste his spunk on my lips.

As we sit drinking coffee I mention more about the advertising campaign I’m working on for Lancôme, hoping that he’ll understand a little better why I’m so consumed with my new client.

“Justin. I was hoping you’d come with me to brunch at Mr. Keller’s today.  He’s the vice-president of Lancôme.”

“Brian. You know I can’t betray Julie. Besides it will be embarrassing having to explain the situation.”

“I doubt they even know who Julie is. She’s not exactly an executive with Macy’s.”

“Not everybody is a big fat executive. Some of us common people hold simple jobs.”

“Justin, please, let’s not fight.”

Irritated, he barks, “Why do you need me to go?”

“Because you’re my partner, and I was hoping you’d want to go with me.”

“Well, I don’t! It sounds boring.”

“Justin. I’m going to be spending a lot of time with these people. Socializing with clients is part of the business when you land an account like this one.”

“I’m not really comfortable with it.”

“Fine! No problem!”

“Where are you going?”

“I told you! Now I have to go and get ready for brunch.”

“You can’t get ready here? When will you be back?”

“God, Justin! If you’re going to sound like a nagging housewife, the least you can do is accompany me to brunch. Like a good little wifey.”

“I am not your wife!”

“Yeah! Well, you’re not my husband either!”

Justin’s POV

Justin throws his coffee cup at Brian, smashing it on the wall near the door. He sits there watching the coffee run down the wall, staining the carpet, already regretting his actions. Hearing the front door slam, Justin wonders how things got so far off track, so fast. All he wanted was to spend the weekend with Brian alone, no distractions. He basically just did what he accused Brian of doing, putting his priorities before their relationship. He never should have agreed to attend the party last night with Julie. Brian’s right, it’s doubtful they’d even know who Julie is. Changing his mind he calls Brian’s cell, but it just rolls over to voicemail. He ends up puttering around the house all day, hoping Brian will call. It’s starting to get dark outside and now he wonders if Brian will even call again before he leaves town, because they never really had a chance to talk.

The phone rings and he grabs it, answering right away, hoping Brian’s calmed down from their fight this morning.

“Justin, I wanted to thank you for helping me out last night. I know you didn’t want to go, but you really made a great impression with my boss. He asked me if we can attend his small Christmas party next weekend at his house.”

“Julie! I’m not your husband! Stop committing me to playing the part in your absurd fantasy.”

“Wow, you’re grouchy!”

Silence.

“Justin, are you mad at me? I told you he thinks I’m married and I can’t exactly show up with a different husband next week, after he met you last night.”

“No, you can’t. But you could tell him the truth. He’ll find out eventually anyways.”

“Not necessarily.”

“Julie, remember when your boss introduced us to Macy’s new advertising executive last night? Brian Kinney?”

“Yes…”

“Brian Kinney. Brian Kinney! Sound familiar?”

“Your Brian?”

“Yes!”

~~~~

Brian’s POV

Jean-Luc’s been practically stalking me since we met in Paris at one of the marketing meetings a few weeks ago, but I’ve made it clear I’m not interested. I even went as far as to say I’m getting married, because I was kind of hoping that maybe Justin was ready. This long-distance relationship isn’t working, and we really can’t keep going like we have been. I guess I’m ready to finally settle down. I’m at the point where I just want to come home and have him there. I’ve been missing him so much, but this weekend hasn’t turned out anything like I had hoped it would. God, I was so angry with Justin this morning. I know it’s wrong to be vengeful and avoid him, especially when I’m only going to be in town for a few days.

I’ve spent the last few hours just walking around downtown, trying to clear my head. I ended up shopping; spending money always helps calm me down. Most of the things I’ve bought are for him, the little twat. It’s good that it’s Christmas time, otherwise he’d think I was turning into a total lesbian. Finally I break down and call him; he sounds sad and I know I should have called sooner. I tell him I’ll pick him up in an hour, then I hang up, realizing what I said, what I’ve been telling him all weekend. It finally hits me, that’s what he’s pissed about. I haven’t asked him, I’ve just assumed. I guess he’s feeling like I’m treating him like a possession, and not my partner.

I pick him up and he looks hot, really hot and my heart skips a beat. Sure, he looked great in his suit last night, but tonight he’s dressed beautifully. He’s wearing brown, almost chocolate colored dress pants, a buttery yellow shirt and a sandy brown suede blazer. Damn! He’s been shopping, or maybe Jennifer’s taken him shopping. Either way he looks so scrumptious, I almost want to just stay in and rip all his clothes off him.

We go out for sushi and enjoy a quiet evening together, leaving all the anger and stress of this morning behind us. He tells me he talked with Julie, and he made it clear that I’m the only one whose husband he wants to be. Then he apologizes to me for being so difficult and not accompanying me to brunch this morning. I can see that he’s getting emotional, when I hear his voice crack. He confesses that he was scared that I only came to New York to end things with him once and for all. He says that things have been so strained between us, that he wouldn’t blame me for dumping him. He knows he hasn’t been supportive, but that he really is proud of me for landing such an important client.

Smiling, I tell him we both need to work on our communication skills; that I didn’t mean to take him for granted. That I’ve missed him, and I’m under a lot of pressure these days. But now that Macy’s and Lancôme have signed a contract with Kinnetik, I promise things will get better. I take a deep breath, hoping this conversation goes as smoothly in person as it has in my head.

“Justin. I’m going to have to be traveling for work over the next few years. Splitting my time between Paris, Pittsburg and New York.”

He just nods.

“It can’t continue the way it has been this fall, things have to change.”

“I agree.”

“I want, no, I need you with me.”

“You do?”

“Yes. We’ve spend too much time apart. It’s time we stopped this nonsense. I need you by my side every day, in my bed every night.”

“Really, Brian…”

“Listen. I know how much you love New York, but the distance is just too great. I’m hoping you’ll consider moving with me to Paris.”

“I don’t know, that’s a pretty big sacrifice.”

Brian doesn’t hear the playfulness in his voice, and he’s feeling slightly rejected. He takes a long swallow of his sake.

“Brian?”

Silence.

“Brian, I was joking. I’ve been hoping that you’d ask me to come home, or move or something. Anything. I hate how things have been between us, and I miss you too.”

I grin, doing that thing I do, pulling my lips into my mouth. I reach over and run my hand down the side of his face.

“Good.”

He leans into my touch and our lips meet, saying all those things I find so hard to voice. It becomes more passionate, then we break for air, because we’re in a restaurant, not his apartment, and I might not be able to control myself.

“So I was thinking we need to get a bigger place, a nicer place here in Manhattan. Someplace not only to live, but where we’ll be able to entertain clients.”

“Oh my God! Like a house?”

“Yes, you twat! Or a very, very nice penthouse, with a studio for you, of course.”

“Oh, Brian! I can’t believe it. This is more than I ever dreamed of.”

“I’m going to set up a satellite office of Kinnetik here in Manhattan, and hire a small staff. Ted and Cynthia will need to hire more staff in Pittsburgh, and they’ll be splitting their time between here and Pittsburgh.”

“Really? Wow!”

“I want you to travel with me when you can. We can stay at Britin when we’re in Pittsburgh, and I’m thinking about using the loft for clients to stay in when they’re in town.  Then, of course, we’ll have to buy a house in Paris. Again something big, including an office so I can work out of the house, and have meetings, and we’ll also need a studio for you.”

“Oh God, Brian!”

“Lancôme is a big client. They’re going to make us rich, richer than we’ve ever dreamed.”

I quickly pay our cheque, then he pulls me out of the restaurant and shoves me into a taxi, wanting to get me home as soon as possible. He looks so happy, even happier than I had hoped. We’ve been on a rollercoaster of emotions all weekend and now we’re both relieved that we want the same things. I can’t believe he really thought that I wanted to push him off another Kinney cliff. There will be no more cliffs in our future.

We get into the apartment and he pushes me against the door like a maniac, tugging and pulling at my clothes. He kisses me passionately, between pulling my shirt over my head and stepping out of his pants. Soon we’re both naked as we land on the sofa, grinding into each other. Our need for one another is on overdrive, as I bend him over the back of the sofa. I tear the condom open, but he’s impatient as he squirts a dollop of lube on his fingers, and opens himself up for me. Fuck, just seeing him like that is enough to make me shoot before we even get started.

I kneel behind him and push in, loving the feeling of his tight walls as I glide all the way in. He’s already panting, and making all those little squeals that I love so much. Soon we’re dancing to a steady rhythm that’s pulling us closer to the edge. Beads of sweat run down our bodies as I hold him tightly to my chest. The friction builds between us, then I shift slightly, nailing his prostate. I hammer into him and soon it’s too much, and he shoots all over his recycled sofa. Good, because there’s no way that ugly thing is moving to our new home.

We haven’t even caught our breath when someone knocks on his door, and starts shouting his name. I have to wonder if they stood outside of his door listening to us, waiting for us to finish. I was hoping he’d just ignore it, but he decides to answer it after shimmying into his pants. His friends barge right in, without even listening to him say that he’s busy, that this isn’t a good time. I don’t even move to get dressed, I just stand there in all my glory hoping they might get the hint, apologize, and then leave.

“Justin, we’re going to Crave, and I thought you’d want to come with us.”

Clyde glances at me, acting like I’m some trick who should be getting dressed, and leaving. He makes his way into the kitchen and grabs beers for him and his friends. I just continue to stand there, watching this asshole as he excitedly talks with Justin. Everyone once in a while he touches Justin’s arm, or shoulder and I admit it makes me slightly jealous. When he finally breaks his endless stream of dribble to take a breath, Justin says again that we’re busy. He tries to move them towards the front door, but Chuck, or Chad isn’t buying it. He’s adamant that Justin has to go out with him dancing.

He again looks at me, frowning, wondering why I haven’t moved. I smile in my self-assured way and introduce myself but he still doesn’t make the connection, or maybe Justin hasn’t told him about me. I try again as I reach out to shake his hand.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Brian, Justin’s fiancé.”

Yep, that got his attention, Justin’s too. Now he’s beaming his sunshine smile at me and is barely registering that there’s even anyone else in the room. So I motion them to the door and say, “Maybe another time, another lifetime. Justin and I have plans, big plans for tonight.”

Then I glance down at my cock, flaunting what a nice package I have. But Chase won’t leave it alone, so he pushes once again, “Okay, Justin. But once he’s gone, in a few days we have to go out dancing.”

Justin’s still grinning as he says, “I’m going with Brian to Paris. Isn’t that exciting?”

Chester glares at me, and it’s obvious that he wants to be more than friends with Justin. I take a step forward and grab his shoulder, literally pushing him out the door. God, I hate ignorant people.

Once we’re alone I pull him into the bedroom and lie him on the bed. He looks so beautiful with his sapphire eyes, and his mouth open with his tongue peeking out slightly. I run my hands from the top of his shoulders down his chest, as his breathing hitches. Leaning down, I capture his lips in mine, making the kiss deep and meaningful. I hear him sigh again, and I know he’s getting excited, well that and his boner that’s poking me in the stomach.

I grab a condom from his nightstand, thinking maybe this will be the last week we’ll actually have to be using these, if things go according to plan. His eyes got all dreamy when I called him my fiancé in front of Charlie a few minutes ago. He’s watching my every move, as I slide the prophylactic down my shaft. I reach down and lift his legs to my shoulders. Our eyes lock as I align myself with his rosebud to slip back into his warmth.

He’s still wet and open from our last encounter, but unlike last time, this one’s slow and languid. We savor each and every stroke, thrust and plunge. Our bodies hum as our need and desire builds, communicating so much with only our touch. The vibrations slowly build, then they start rippling through us in waves. Soon we both feel that tingling in our spines as that beautiful sensation erupts and we fall over the edge, crying out each other’s name.

I rest my head on his stomach, catching my breath. His chest heaves as we regain control, then I hear him whisper.

“I love you so much, Brian.”

“I love you too, you little twat.”

The next morning I leave him to pack, while I go back to my hotel and do the same. I told him to call once he was ready, but when I get back to the Four Seasons Jean-Luc has been looking for me. He tells me that we need to meet with Mr. Keller to go over some last details before our plane leaves. Irritated by the situation, I call Justin, asking him to take a cab and meet me at the airport, reminding him not to forget his passport.

In the taxi to Macy’s corporate headquarters, Jean-Luc asks me where I was last night, saying that he had hoped we could have had dinner together. I ignore his clumsy flirting. I’ve had it with all his obnoxious come-ons and innuendos, letting it hang in the air, hopefully making him uncomfortable. When we get to Macy’s it’s obvious that Mr. Keller’s unhappy that he had to come into the office today.  He asks what was so important that he leave his family holiday party. I just look at Jean-Luc and ask him the same question, not pleased myself.

He stutters and stammers, grasping for a reason for this meeting. If he had been my employee I would have fired him on the spot, but fortunately he works for Lancôme. I didn’t really understand why he had come on this trip to begin with, he didn’t meet with any of the representatives during his stay. The long flight from Paris to New York had been nothing but more lame attempts to get into my pants, which I found unprofessional. Yes, it’s true I no longer bed my clients, there’s only one person that I’m interested in bedding these days.

I had hoped that Justin and I would have had a few minutes to arrange a few things before we left town. But now I’m running late and of course Jean-Luc insists that we share a taxi to the airport. After checking in, I’m told that there’s a delay for our departure, so I head off to the bar I asked Justin to meet me in. Jean-Luc’s right on my heels, when he sees me walking through the terminal. He asks if I want to get a drink, or maybe do something a little more personal to kill time during the few hours before our flight.

Grinning, I tell him that I’m scheduled on a different flight back to Paris. He looks bewildered, asking how that happened. I didn’t want to fly with him on the flight here, but there wasn’t another flight. But Yvette was able to schedule me a different return flight from him. I’ve been working out of Lancôme’s corporate office, but now that I have a signed contract that won’t be necessary. Once I get my home office set up, thankfully, I won’t have to deal with any more pestering from Jean-Luc.

But he’s still glued to my side as I walk into the bar, looking around for my blond. I find a table and he plops himself right down in the chair across from me, which makes my blood boil. I get up to get a drink at the bar. Lord knows I need one at this point. I look over to see Justin wandering through the tables; he spots my coat and briefcase and takes a seat. Jean-Luc, of course, starts telling him he thinks he’s at the wrong table. Justin asks if he’s traveling with me, and Jean-Luc glares at him, not happy at all.

“It’s so nice of you to come and see Brian off at the airport, but I’m sure it wasn’t necessary.”

As I near the table I hear Justin telling him that he’s traveling with his fiancé back to Paris. The gasp from Jean-Luc is audible, even from a couple of tables over. Yes, that little brat is going to be using ‘fiancé’ every opportunity he gets. I’m pretty sure it’s his favorite new word.

“Aren’t you a little young for Brian?”

“Oh no, not at all. Brian enjoys my youth, we’ve actually been together since I was seventeen. That’s eight years now, and we’ve never been happier.”

He always was a clever devil, and a smart ass all rolled into one gorgeous package. Jean-Luc is becoming angry. It shows on his face as he turns red and glares at me as I set down our drinks on the table. Jean-Luc looks surprised when I set Justin’s drink in front of him, along with an order of onion rings and a platter of those mini hamburgers he loves so much. Justin grins, looking up at me, so I lean down and kiss him, because the kid still takes my breath away.

Snidely Jean-Luc asks, “When’s the wedding?”

Justin seems to be at a loss for words. It’s obvious he isn’t sure if I was really serious when I threw that in Chad’s face last night. I smile down at Justin, looking him straight in the eyes.

“That depends if Justin wants to get married in Paris or the US. Either way, sometime in the next two weeks, and then we’ll be taking the whole month of January off for our honeymoon.”

He practically knocks over his precious onion rings as he jumps up, throwing his arms around my neck to kiss me with all his might.

“Oh, Brian! I love you so much!”

I knew that would send him into a love coma, and who knows maybe with a little luck it will give Jean-Luc a heart attack. I continue with, “Of course we could do both. Wouldn’t that be ridiculously romantic?”

If we weren’t in the middle of an airport bar, I’m pretty sure Justin would be tearing off my clothes and climbing my naked body, wanting to do it right on the table.  Yep, today’s turning out better than I expected. Of course I had planned on asking him someplace more romantic in Paris, by candlelight. That would give him some starry-eyed story he’d could tell everyone back home, and repeat for years as we get older, and he reminisces about our early days.

Looking defeated, Jean-Luc abruptly stands and mumbles sometime about needing to confirm his departure time, and I know that’s the last we’ll see of him today.  Justin’s still beaming like an idiot. I check my watch and see that we still have an hour before we have to go down to the departure area. I wave over the waitress and ask her to bring over her best bottle of champagne. She raises her eyebrows, saying that would be Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne at $240.00 a bottle. I don’t even blink, as I nod for her to bring it. We might as well celebrate our upcoming nuptials. Besides, it’s a very long flight and it will help us sleep on the plane.

Justin looks like he might cum in his pants, and his smile couldn’t get any brighter. But he’s so worth it, and I’m relieved that we’re finally on the same page. There’s nothing I want more than to make him happy. He’s practically sitting on my lap as I ask the waitress if we could move to a more private table. She’s more than willing, knowing her tip is sure to be more than generous. Justin snickers as he takes out his phone and calls Daphne.

“You’ll never guess what I’m doing right now! I’m drinking Cristal champagne, while waiting to board a plane for Paris!”

I can hear her over the phone as Daphne squeals with excitement. Next he calls his mother and tells her the good news. She is happy for us, but disappointed that Justin will be in Paris for Christmas. I send her a text message to apologize, then I ask her to join us in New York for New Year’s Eve.


~~~

We had a great Christmas vacation, and since it was Justin’s first time in Paris we do all the tourist things. Yvette worked with a real estate broker, so in between our daily excursions we looked at houses. I wanted something in the city that was close to all the museums for Justin, but still close enough to Lancôme headquarters that I wouldn’t have a long commute. We look at a lot of houses, because we need something big and bright, with a lot of natural sunlight.

Justin’s POV

I would be happy with any number of the houses we’ve seen, but Brian seemed to be obsessed with everything being white and very modern. We end up with an incredibly beautiful modern house, with every possible luxury and convenience. Of course Brian cringed at some of the furniture they had displayed when showing the house, but I reminded him that he could get whatever he wants to make it the perfect home for us. I love our new house. It’s absolutely beautiful and looks like we just stepped off the cover of some chic design magazine, and I have no doubt it will spark my creative muse.

We return to New York for the New Year, it’s become our tradition to spend New Year’s Eve in Manhattan. Just the two of us tucked away in some luxury suite, ordering room service and watching the fireworks over the river from the balcony. Basically spending the whole evening in bed, with small breaks, enjoying the hot tub and eating lobsters and chocolate, while drinking champagne. He spoils me completely and I let him. After all, if it makes him happy who am I to complain? Yes, I know, I’m a brat.

We’ve already checked into what I consider our penthouse. We stay in the same room every year, but this year he says he has something special planned, but he won’t tell me what it is, and it’s driving me crazy. He’ll only say that we’re going someplace fancy; he even bought us new suits while we were in Paris. He keeps rushing me, so apparently we’re on a schedule. He helps me tie my tie, and then smooths down the lapels of my jacket.

We get on the elevator, but he doesn’t hit the button to take us to the lobby. I look at him questioningly, but he just smiles and takes my hand when we stop about halfway down. We get off the elevator and there’s a concierge waiting in the hallway to escort us to our room. I walk inside and I’m shocked to see our family having cocktails and eating hors d’oeuvres. Everyone’s dressed so formally, and I’ve never seen Deb look so beautiful. I’m surprised she’s not wearing her wig. Her hair is blond and it actually looks great, which makes me wonder why she wears that awful thing to begin with.

Even the girls are here with the kids, and Gus looks so grown up in his suit. It takes me a moment to realize that I’m at my own wedding. I turn to Brian as tears escape my eyes. I’m so happy and this is the best Christmas present I’ve ever received. Daphne comes over and hugs me, saying it’s about time Brian made an honest woman out of me. I think about smacking her, but I just smile, because the way I’m crying and carrying on I feel a little like a lesbian.

We are married by a Justice of the Peace, the service is short and sweet. Although we simply say the traditional wedding vows, hearing Brian pledge his love and devotion to me is amazing. Brian slips a beautiful, yet masculine diamond ring on my finger next to my wedding band. Afterwards we gather around the huge fireplace and everyone toasts us with champagne, wishing us a long and happy life together. We have my favorite cheesecake, topped with fresh strawberries, and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Then Brian wishes them all a happy New Year, thanking them for coming on such short notice. After kissing everyone good bye, Brian whisks me away, telling them that we’ll be back to Pittsburgh before we leave for our honeymoon.

I thought that we’d just head back upstairs, but he ushers me out front of the hotel into the limousine, that’s waiting to take us to a very special dinner.

Brian’s POV

Justin’s jaw practically hits the ground when he sees where I’m taking him, Le Bernardin. It’s one of the most coveted restaurants in the city, owned by world-renowned chef Eric Ripert. He’s often featured on some of Justin’s favorite cooking shows, which he seems to be obsessed with these days. But I’m not complaining. I love the direction Justin’s cooking has taken in the last couple of years, even it if means I have to spend more time on my Stairmaster.

“Brian. How did you get a reservation? I’ve heard the waiting list is over a year out, even for the rich and famous.”

I smile as I tell the maître d’ my name, then I whisper to Justin that it’s one of the perks of having rich clients. The maître d’ politely takes us ahead of the waiting crowd and shows us to our table. I slip him a hundred as he shows us a bottle of champagne chilling at our table. He opens it and pours us a glass, as I pull Justin’s chair out for him, helping him sit down. The view is impressive, overlooking the New York skyline, and all the twinkling Christmas lights just make it even more enchanting.

I lean forward, clinking our champagne glasses together, and toast to our future. I tell him that I’ve already arranged a special dinner for us, and his beautiful smile gets even bigger, if that’s possible. Moments later we’re joined by Chef Eric Ripert, who congratulates us on our nuptials and wishes us a long and happy life together. Justin is totally starstruck as he beams at him. Chef Ripert continues by telling us that he’s prepared a special dinner for us tonight, and hopes we’ll enjoy it.

We sip our champagne and relax, unwinding after our whirlwind wedding. I can tell he’s still in a daze, as it all sinks in that we actually did it. We’re finally married. Several minutes later we’re poured a glass Pinot Grigio and served an appetizer tray from the raw bar; caviar, oysters and scallop slivers. Since we haven’t really had a real meal today, we’re both starving. The delicate flavors seem to dance on our tongues, whetting our appetite. Our next course is lobster cannelloni with a Persian lime sauce. Justin’s eyes sparkle as he tastes the richness, trying to detect the ingredients. I can tell he wants to try and recreate this one at home.

With our entrees the waiter opens a bottle of merlot, and Chef Ripert actually serves us himself. Justin has the roasted squab with a truffle and red wine sauce, while I’m having the rack of lamb with roasted black garlic, which of course we share with each other. We thank Chef Ripert for making us such a wonderful dinner, telling him our evening is one we’ll never forget. He’s very gracious, saying it was his pleasure. He hands me his business card, telling us to just let the maître d’ know and we’ll always be accommodated when we choose to dine here.

Ending our dinner we’re served a cheese platter of aged Cheddar, Brie and Blue cheese, paired with a glass of Beaujolais. Everything about tonight has been magical, just the way I hoped it would be. From surprising the hell out of him with our impromptu wedding, to our luxurious meal. I can tell he’s having the time of his life. Throughout our meal I swear his eyes had glazed over, and I heard him actually moaning at times. This is only the beginning. Just wait until I get him back to our penthouse and show how much it means to me that he’s now my husband.

Justin’s POV

Today has been incredible. I loved relaxing in bed with Brian all day long, lazily making love on and off, taking cat naps and even taking a bubble bath. Sometimes I’m amazed that Brian actually agrees to do some of the things that I suggest. There certainly was a time when he would have refused, even balked at the thought of us being romantic. But he’s been perfect, just the way I have always dreamed he might be. He’s indulged me in every way imaginable, and his surprises just keep coming one after another. I keep thinking someone should pinch me, this can’t be real.

But the truth is he’s changed. I’ve changed and our relationship has grown, becoming stronger than either one of us ever thought possible. I waved the limo driver off, saying I wanted to walk the few blocks back to our hotel, so here we are, walking hand in hand. I actually feel like I’m floating. Maybe that could have something to do with the amount of alcohol I’ve consumed tonight.

He stops at a small park. We look up at the tall pine trees covered in snow, and the snowflakes seem to twinkle as they fall from the sky. It’s almost like we’re in some kind of fairytale as he takes me in his arms and kisses me with so much passion, whispering the words I’ve so longed to hear. This truly is the best night of my life, one I’ll never forget. Our kiss breaks and we look deeply into one another’s eyes, reading all the love we have for one another. Our lips meet again and as we kiss under the full moon, the sky is filled with fireworks as the New Year begins.

“I love you, Brian Aiden Taylor-Kinney! You really are fucking amazing!”

“I know. It’s true. I am!”

The End