The Perfidious Lover

[oh_amelia]

Title: I Asked You First
Author: hsbfc
Chapter: 8/?
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: language, sex
Summary: Justin moves to Pittsburgh after ending a four year relationship. What happens when he meets Brian and his past and present collide?

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Saturday morning Justin was sitting at the kitchen table in only his jeans, drinking his coffee when the buzzer rang. He put down his cup and went to see who was at the door. “Hello,” he said as he pressed the talk button.

“Justin!” Gus squealed.

“Gus!” Justin returned with the same enthusiasm. “C’mon up, Lindz,” Justin said in his normal voice. He released the door downstairs and hurried to his room to get a t-shirt.

Nathan was sitting on the bed bent over, tying his shoes when Justin entered the bedroom. “Hey, Justin, can I borrow your car for a couple hours this morning?”

“Yeah, sure,” Justin answered as he slipped on a plain black t-shirt. “Let me get the keys.” He made his way back to the living room in time to hear the knock on his door. He opened it and came face to face with Brian. “Hey,” he said as he shut the door behind Brian and Gus. “You’re not Lindsay.”

“Ah, you’re very observant,” Brian commented as he took off Gus’ jacket and then his own before placing them on the coat rack. “Must be that artist’s eye of yours.”

“Well, you could have at least said something,” Justin said as he scratched the back of his neck.

“What? And ruin the surprise?” Brian smirked.

“Yeah, cause we all know how much you love to be surprised,” Nathan said as he came into the living room. “Keys, Justin.”

“Oh, yeah.” Justin reached into the pocket of his jacket hanging on the rack. “Here,” he said as he handed the keys to his best friend. “Be careful with it.”

“Always,” Nathan assured Justin in a voice that was anything but reassuring as he headed out the door, closing it behind him.

Justin returned his attention to Gus and Brian who were sitting on the couch. “Okay, Gus, are you ready to draw?”

“Yep,” Gus said nodding eagerly.

“Do you want to draw out here or in the studio?”

“The studio, the studio! Like a real artist!” Gus exclaimed.

“Okay. Studio it is,” Justin said. “Let’s go.”

“C’mon, Daddy,” Gus said as he got up and tugged at his father’s hand.

“Okay,” Brian said as he got up and followed his son and Justin down the hall to the studio.

Once inside the room Justin got out two sketchpads and a handful of drawing pencils and set them out on the table.

Gus climbed up on one of the chairs and sat with his legs folded underneath him to boost himself up. He took a sketchpad and tore out a sheet and handed it to his father. “Here. You can draw, too.”

“I can’t draw, Gus,” Brian said but still picked out a pencil from the pile and sat down.

“Yes,” Gus insisted before turning his attention to his own drawing.

“So what are we doing here?” Brian asked Justin.

“We’re drawing, Brian. I know you’ve seen it done before,” Justin teased him.

“I know that, twat. But if you’re just sketching with Gus, then why couldn’t you have just done it at the Munchers’?”

“I like the lighting here. My supplies are here. And Lindsay was supposed to be coming today. Not you. I was going to show her some of my older pieces,” Justin answered as he joined Brian and Gus at the table.

“So how is it that you are so established being that you’re only…how old are you?”

Justin laughed lightly. “How old are you?” He countered.

“I asked you first.”

“What are you…5?”

Brian raised his eyebrow and started drawing on the paper Gus had given him.

“Fine. I’m 23. You?”

Brian stayed silent.

“Hey, if you want, I could start guessing.” Justin smiled suggestively. “I know I’d have fun, but I doubt you would derive any pleasure from it.”

“I’m 32,” Brian answered somewhat reluctantly.

“Oh, you’re so old,” Justin said dramatically before laughing.

“Fu—” Brian started then glanced over at his son who was engrossed in his drawing. “You still didn’t answer my question. How is it that you are so established?”

“Well, I guess you can say I started my ‘career’,” Justin said using air quotes. “When I was 15. I heard about this art school in New York and wanted to go there. They focus on helping the students develop their artistic ability. I applied thinking that there was no way in hell that I would ever be accepted, but then a few weeks later I got my acceptance letter in the mail.”

“And your parents just packed up and moved?”

“No. They stayed here in Pittsburgh. I had just come out to them and rather than accept their gay son, they decided to send me away to school. At least it was a school of my choice,” Justin scoffed, remembering his parent’s reactions to him coming out to them. “My father even paid for me to stay in New York during the summers.”

“What an asshole. But if your parents hated it so much that you are gay, then why did they send you to art school in New York? Why not try and send you to a military school or something equally torturous?”

“Beats the hell out me. It could have been that he had an ‘image’ to uphold. How do you think it would look at the country club if Craig Taylor sent his only son away to military school? There would be too many questions. Now, if Craig Taylor sent his son to the school of his dreams then he would come out looking like the perfect father.”

“He could have just lied to everyone.”

“He could have. My mom is the one who would have broken down and told the truth. But, it worked out for the best. I met some people who knew some people who were able to help me get my foot in the door,” Justin continued on while still making a sketch of Gus. “And eventually, my mom started to come around.”

Brian kept drawing absentmindedly while listening to Justin.

“It wasn’t until last year that I had my first solo show. I usually have at least 2 or 3 other artists featured with me. I tend to mostly do commissions and freelance. But I haven’t done much of either since I moved away from New York.” Justin got up from the table quickly. “I’ll be right back.” He bolted out the door and made his way to the kitchen and downed a bottle of water. He took a few deep breaths to compose himself. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t just give Brian a short and simple answer. Why did he reveal so much?

~~~~~

Brian watched Justin exit the room before turning his attention back to Gus. “Hey, Sonny Boy. What are you drawing?”

Gus, who had been paying attention to nothing except for his drawing, lifted his head when he heard the nickname he loved so much. “Just a picture of Justin. He is doing a picture of me, so I want to do one of him.”

“That’s nice of you,” Brian said. He looked at Gus’ drawing and, though a bit crude, it was a very good likeness. “Wow, Gus. You’re really good.”

“Thank you, Daddy.” Gus put the finishing touches on the sketch before turning to a fresh sheet.

Justin came back in the room looking more composed than when he’d left. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Brian said. “Justin, do you think I could use your computer? I’m expecting an email from a client. This way you and Gus can talk art and I’ll be out of the way.”

“Sure,” Justin said as he went to the computer and unlocked it so Brian could use it. “There you go.”

“Thanks.”

Justin went back to the table and sat by Gus who immediately showed Justin his drawing.

Brian listened to his son and Justin talk about art and the different techniques used. He was a little surprised at how much of a grasp Gus had on the subject. He was, after all, only 5 years old. Though, Gus always seemed to catch on to things easily, and with Lindsay for a mother, he was sure to know plenty about art.

He really was expecting an email, but it wasn’t anything that couldn’t have waited. He just wanted to give Justin space. He quickly answered his mail before going to his new guilty pleasure. He wasn’t aware of how much time had passed until he felt a presence beside him.

“You’re thinking too hard,” Justin said, crouching to be level with Brian.

Brian jumped slightly. “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough to know the answer,” Justin teased.

“Oh, yeah,” Brian challenged.

“Yep.” Justin nodded. “Just stop thinking about it so hard.”

“Where’s Gus?” Brian asked as he looked around the room.

“He had to go to the bathroom,” Justin answered.

“I have been staring at this fucking screen for the past…” Brian looked at the clock on the computer. “Twenty fucking minutes. Help me,” he said.

Justin pointed to all the clues on the screen and Brian could have slapped himself for being so blind.

“See,” Justin said. “I think you’re just too smart for these things.”

“Oh really?” Brian asked.

Justin nodded. “Really.”

“Well, Mr. Taylor, flattery will get you everywhere,” he said as he leaned over and kissed Justin softly on the lips. They were interrupted by Gus clearing his throat very loudly in the doorway.

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Gus said as he bounded toward his father.

“Okay, Gus,” Brian said as he stood up. “Do you wanna go to the diner and see Grandma Deb?”

“Yay,” Gus squealed as he jumped up and down. “Can Justin come, too?”

“Well, you have to ask him, Gus.”

“Justin, do you want to eat lunch with me and Daddy?” Gus asked with pleading eyes.

“I’d love to,” Justin answered. “I just need to change first. And I need to call Nathan.”

Brian groaned inwardly. He really didn’t care much for Nathan Echolls. He figured the less contact he had with him the better.

Justin went to his room to change and call Nathan while Brian and Gus waited for him in the living room. He picked up his cell phone and dialed Nathan’s number. While he was waiting for his friend to answer he tried to decide on what shirt he should wear.

“Hello,” Nathan answered.

“Nate, where are you?”

“Shopping for shit I don’t need.”

“Do you think you can pick me up at the Liberty Diner in about an hour?”

“Can do. Just one question, how are you getting there in the first place?”

“I’m having lunch with Brian and his son,” Justin divulged.

“Sounds somewhat coupley. What are you going to wear?”

“Not coupley. More like I’m hungry and going to get me something to eat. Anyway, I have been with him all day. Why would I choose now to worry about what I look like?”

“Well, then if that’s the case then you can stop pondering which shirt you can wear that will best bring out the blue in your eyes.”

“Fuck you,” Justin said as he closed his closet doors.

“Oh, I know you want me.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Justin laughed. “So, one hour. Be there.”

“Later.”

“Later.” Justin ended the call and grabbed his shoes and a pair of socks before joining Gus and Brian in the living room.

“I thought you were gonna change,” Brian said, noticing that Justin was still in his jeans and plain black t-shirt.

“I was but I decided not to,” Justin said as he put on his socks and shoes. He went to the kitchen and dug around the silverware drawer until he found what he was looking for.

“Planning on taking your own cutlery?” Brian asked.

“No, I just remembered that I gave Nate my car keys, which have my house keys on it. Thankfully, though, I keep a spare in my silverware drawer for occasions such as this one,” Justin explained as he held up the key.

“Hmm.” Brian nodded. “Well, we need to go. Sonny Boy here gets even more whiney than his Uncle Mikey when he’s really hungry.”

“Daddy!” Gus whined clutching the sketch he did of Justin.

Justin laughed. “And we don’t want that.”

“Daddy, I have a question.” Gus looked up at his father with an almost guilty look.

“Shoot, Sonny Boy.” Brian said as he ruffled his son’s hair a bit.

“Is it bad to listen to other people talking?” Gus looked down at his shoes.

“Well that depends on lots of things, why do you ask?” Brian squatted down in front of Gus starting to get a little concerned about what his son had overheard.

“I heard Uncle Mikey and Auntie Em talking. Uncle Mikey said Justin was just a fuck, but Auntie Em said you could wind up married to him. So, are you going to marry Justin, Daddy?”

CHAPTER NINE