Thanks to Jewel, Lois and Jen for their beta help!

LAST TIME

The familiar thump, thump greeted Brian as he walked into Babylon, Mikey and hubby Ben following close behind. Taking off his black leather jacket to reveal an expensive, new, tight, skin-hugging black button up, armless vest, Brian tossed it over to Billy, the cloak room attendant, shooting the young boy his customary flirty smile. Billy waved 'lo, his eyes pleading with Brian to give him his chance tonight. All he wanted, ever since the day his eyes landed on Brian (precisely one year and five weeks ago), was a fuck... a notorious Brian Kinney fuck. Unfortunately, his chances were slim to none. He was a few years too late; Brian had shacked up with a blond faggot who was slowly taming the King of Liberty Avenue. The term 'trick' was slowly being erased from Brian's memory bank.

Brian's attention was already elsewhere, so Billy went back to his duties. He'd catch up with Brian later. He had a feeling he'd get lucky one of these days.

Dipping his hands into his jean pockets, Brian dug out a florescent tube half-filled with white powder. While he waited for Mikey and Ben, he snuck the tube against his nose and sniffed. Closing his eyes, he felt the powder lightly tickle the insides of his nose before the tiny bits went through to his system. His senses reacted immediately; body beginning to sway to the sound of the music, heart beat accelerating...

Someone touched his arm. Opening his eyes, he saw it was Mikey. "Let's go."

They started to make their way through the crowd of half-naked men to the bar, where the 'usuals' Ted and Emmett awaited them.

"Hey, you." A young blond twink stepped in Brian's way, obstructing his path.

Brian cocked a brow and took the beauty in from top to bottom... and what a bottom it was too. Before he got a chance to reply with a witty remark, Mikey pushed the boy away with a, "Try your luck with someone else. This one's already taken his vows."

Brian's brows furrowed in irritation. He didn't hear what Mikey said, but knew it couldn't be all that great when he saw the trick walking away. He wasn't as pissed as he should be, mainly because he wasn't even remotely interested in the boy, having his own at home. But just to save face, he said, "Why'd you have to go and do that? He was just trying to get friendly."

Mikey snorted. "I'm not going to have your boyfriend pissed at me later when he finds out..."

"Finds out what?" Brian snapped, upset that everyone felt they had to look out for his *boyfriend*. "That I fuck guys? He's already aware of that little detail."

He stalked off in the direction of the bar, Mikey and Ben hot on his heels.

"Double JB," Brian told Jeff, the bartender. Jeff wasn't like Billy. For starters, he was much older with loads more experience. And then came the little fact that Brian had indeed fucked Jeff. Several times, as a matter of a fact, a long, long time ago...

Emmett, who was standing at Brian's left, raised a brow at the drink order. "Someone's on a serious mission tonight."

"Fuck off," Brian returned effortlessly. He took a huge gulp of his drink, so quickly, some of the liquid leaked down the side of his mouth to his chin. Wiping it away hastily with the back of his hand, he eyed the crowd.

"I don't even want to know what's gotten into Prince Charming tonight," Emmett muttered.

"Maybe it's because he hasn't gotten into anybody yet," Ted suggested, his beer bottle raised to clink against Emmett's.

"Justin stopped putting out?"

"Can't say I blame the kid..."

"Will. You. Two. Shut. The. Fuck. Up," Brian angrily snapped.

Even Ben was amused by the exchange between the men, the smile never leaving his face.

"Where is Justin anyway?" Emmett asked, his eyes scanning the crowd for the blond. He noticed Mikey giving him strange looks.

"At home. Where I fucking left him," Brian returned.

Mikey squeezed in between the two men. "The boys are having a little disagreement," Mikey told Emmett and Ted.

"Mikey," Brian started, his tone suggesting Michael shut up.

"Ignore him, baby," Emmett said, anxious at the thought of new gossip. "Now spill it!"

Ben gave Brian a pitiful look, the smile still not leaving his face. Mikey eyed Brian suspiciously before saying, "It seems the Boy Wonder..." Mikey stopped to grin.

"What?" Em asked. "What'd Justin do?"

Mikey smiled. "He um..." At Brian's mean look, Mikey zipped his lips, but couldn't help bursting into laughter.

Emmett rolled his eyes in frustration.

Ben saw the glance Mikey tossed his way and grinned mischievously. "Should I give them a clue?"

Brian turned to glare at him, but Ben was unfazed. He was built like a truck; Brian wouldn't dare try to stop him.

"Ooooh! Ben!" Em clapped his hands.

Ignoring Brian's narrowed eyes, Ben said, "To be fair to Brian, Michael and I got there in time only for the end of the conversation..." He paused to share a laugh with Michael. "When Justin was threatening to leave Brian."

"Again?" Emmett and Ted asked in unison.

They exchanged know-it-all looks.

Brian snorted.

Emmett frowned and bit back his cutting retort. Turning to Mikey, he said, "Poor Justin. Stuck with this," he poked Brian on the shoulder. "'Til death do them part."

"Who would have thunk it?" Ted added. "Brian Kinney. A married slut."

"Next thing you know," Ben slyly butted in. "He's getting jealous and..."

"Fuck. All. Of. You." Brian ordered another drink. He needed to get out of here. He wasn't having the fun he had expected to have... needed to have. He'd known when he left home that tonight wasn't going to be the best of nights. After all, he had walked out on Justin in the middle of an argument... a stupid, silly argument... where Justin had threatened to leave him... yet again, as the boys had been so willing to point out.

The kid had picked up that bad little habit. Brian knew his blond partner better; he was all talk, no action. When Brian got home later, Justin would have cooled off sufficiently to discuss things rationally. Not that they had anything to discuss. Justin had caught Brian while he was... entertaining a friend ... and didn't react too kindly. You'd think the kid would be used to it by now; after all, he and Brian had been together for five whole years.

And like many times before, Brian was in the doghouse.

Now all Brian had to do was figure out a way to keep the gang out of his personal life. Somehow, every time he and Justin were in the midst of a shouting session, one of the magnificent seven (Mikey, Ben, Ted, Emmett, Lindsay, Melanie and Debbie) just happened to be in the vicinity.

"I don't do jealous," Brian smartly told Ben, a grin finally forming on his face as he saw the humour of the situation. He had a queen for a boyfriend; it was as simple as that. He downed his drink and put his glass on the counter for yet another.

While his hands fingered his popper, he saw Emmett give Mikey a weird look. Mikey's forehead scrounged in confusion, then allowed his eyes to follow Emmett's gaze. Brian followed suit. And who else did his gaze fall on, but his Sunshine... in the middle of the dance floor.

Brian felt his eyes narrowing dangerously when he noticed his boyfriend had a dancing partner. Fucking kid. He never did what he was supposed to. Without another word, he made his way on the dance floor.

"Looks like somebody's about to DO jealous," Emmett said, eyes on Brian's retreating back.

Brian knew he shouldn't even bother to react. He should leave the little shit and go about his goddamn business, but fuck it, he hated when Justin pulled this shit on him. Why couldn't the blond stay at home and sulk? Did he have to follow Brian to Babylon and make a scene?

As soon as Brian got behind his lover, he locked eyes with the dance partner, eyes shooting daggers at the other man. Getting the hint, the man turned away, leaving Justin by himself. Justin spun around and bumped into Brian's solid chest.

Lifting his blond head, his blue eyes found familiar hazel ones.

"Brian!" He was obviously surprised... or pretending to be.

Brian didn't buy his act for a minute.

"Didn't expect to see me here?" Brian asked mockingly, arms folded across his chest.

Justin, gaining back his confidence by the second, lifted his chin defiantly. "I didn't really give it much thought."

Brian cocked a brow.

Justin mimicked his action. When he got bored of the staring contest, he sighed and said, "Don't let me not keep you from having fun." He turned to walk away, but Brian grabbed his arm.

Pulling him close, Brian asked, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

He felt Justin tremble. "I... Brian..." Swallowing, Justin said as firmly as he could manage, "I suspect the same reason you're here."

Brian's fingers bit into his arm, the urge to shake the blond fierce. Justin struggled to push his arms away.

"We're going home," Brian snapped.

Justin glared, his anger returning full swing. "I don't want to go home!"

Brian closed his eyes in frustration. He always prayed for patience when it came to this kid.

"Why must you question every fucking thing that I do or say, huh? What is it that you really want from me?" Brian shouted.

"How about a 'SORRY' for starters!" Justin shouted back.

Both guys seemed oblivious to the fact that they were in the middle of a crowded dance floor. Lucky for them, the hot dancing, gorgeous boys were too wrapped up in each other to care about the ex-slut of Liberty Avenue and an old King of Babylon winner.

"Fuck sorry!" Brian told him.

"Then fuck you!" Justin spat, turning on his heel. He made it as far as the stairs before Brian caught up with him.

Spinning him around to face him, Brian said, "Don't ever walk away from me again, do you hear me?"

Justin pulled his arm out of his boyfriend's grasp. "Don't tell me what I can or cannot do."

Brian didn't respond, continued to glare at Justin.

Rolling his eyes, Justin snapped, "Are you going to stare at me all fucking night? Only I'm not in the mood."

Brian sighed. He was too old for this shit. "I'm going to ask you again, Justin." He paused. "What the fuck do you want from me?"

Justin looked away, his gaze landing on a couple kissing against the wall. What did he want from Brian? How could he answer that question? It wasn't as simple as it sounded, that's for sure.

Brian leaned closer to press his forehead against the blond's temple.

"When are you going to stop pulling these bullshit stunts?" Brian asked softly.

"What stunts?" Justin asked wearily.

"Do you really want to leave me?"

Justin could hear the vulnerability in Brian's voice, and he reacted to it immediately. He slipped his arms around Brian's waist, pulled away slightly to look into his lover's eyes.

"I'm not going to leave you, Brian," he said vehemently. "Not as long as I can help it."

Brian pressed Justin against the cool metal bars of the steps.

"Did you hear me, Brian?" Justin asked.

Brian didn't answer. He rubbed Justin's cheek with his nose. "Why do you do these things to me?"

Justin hugged his boyfriend tighter.

Brian locked eyes with Justin. "You know how I feel about you, don't you?"

Justin lowered his gaze. He did know. It was still just so hard... knowing that he'd never be enough.

Brian nuzzled the side of Justin's neck. "You're going to drive me fucking crazy..."

Justin accepted the warm, moist tongue in his mouth, greedy for the taste of his partner. When Brian pulled back, he was back to being serious.

"Brian..."

Brian interrupted. "This is the last time you're going to pull this shit, do you hear me? The next time you tell me you're leaving me, I'm going to let you go." He paused for effect. "Got that?"

Justin's eyes narrowed to slits. "Are you threatening me?"

Brian cocked a brow. "Call it a warning in advance, Sunshine."

Justin was not impressed. "I change my mind," he muttered. "I think I just might leave you yet."

Brian grinned and hugged the smaller man tighter to him. "No, you won't."

Justin allowed his neck to be sucked on, encouraged the fingers sliding under the back of his shirt.

"Brian...?"

Brian moaned a response.

"Stop and look at me a minute."

Brian pulled back. "What's wrong?"

"You can't solve all of our problems with sex."

Brian snorted. "We don't have any problems." He returned his attention to Justin's neck.

Justin pushed him away. "I said to stop."

"Oh, fuck it!"

"How are you going to fix this?"

Brian didn't have any answers. "I'm not going to stop, Justin. You knew that from day one."

Justin lowered his gaze to the floor. "Is that your final answer?"

"Yeah."

Justin lifted his gaze to meet Brian's. Brian immediately felt guilty when he saw the pain in the blue eyes.

"Jus-"

Justin licked his lips and forced a smile. "It's ok."

"We'll talk about this later."

"Sure."

Justin squeezed Brian's hand. "I'm gonna go."

"Wait, I'll go with you."

"No, you stay."

Brian didn't want to stay anymore. He wanted to go home with his boyfriend and fuck. A good fuck always made everything better.

He watched Justin leave the club, unaware it was the last time he would ever see the blond boy again. The last time he'd ever see Justin's sunshine smile... shining blue eyes.

It was the last time he'd hear Justin threaten to leave him...because this time, the threat wasn't a hollow one.

14/04/03