Diffrent Path

Chapter 12…


The next morning found Jilla and Justin once again in the studio. They were going over the moderate portfolio that Brian had sneaked along for him. It also contained the work he had done during the classes in Rome.

“This is a wonderful drawing, Justin… “ Jilla said as she flipped over the page to the one containing him and Brian under the streetlight.

“Thanks. My teacher thought I should turn it into a painting… what do you think?”

Jilla looked at the young boy. He had such raw talent but also a very large but completely unnecessary feeling of self-doubt. Her lips curled into a warm smile.

“Darlin’, if you don’t, then I will… it is a wonderful drawing as I said. Such emotion, but I hardly think I could do it justice." The amazement on the younger man’s face made her giggle and to Justin hearing a woman in her forties giggling like a fourteen-year-old made him grin.

“But Jilla, your talent is so amazing. Why shouldn’t your rendering of that sketch be better?”

Jilla rolled her eyes.

“Such naiveté. To be an artist you have to feel what you work with. Otherwise a painting is just a slab of paint on a canvas…. It’s the emotions behind the artist that makes it art.” She looked into the younger man’s eyes, imploring him to understand what she meant.

“I felt the emotions of the moment. I feel the motivation. Because of that mine will be richer, more emotionally driven, thereby making up for any flaw in the technique. ” Justin said softly, his voice questioning. When Jilla smiled proudly at him in response he smiled widely.


Justin and Brian spent the next two days spending time with Jilla. Justin found that despite the difference in their ages, she and Brian were remarkably similar. Their humour was dry and had a wicked bite to it but where Brian was closed off, Jilla was open and warm.

Justin found that he was much more relaxed around Jilla and Brian than he was around Brian and Mikey because frankly he was very aware what the dark Italian thought of him. That he thought of him as an intruder in the group. It made him feel tense and uneasy.

It made him hesitate to touch Brian in front of the others and that was against his nature. He was a very touchy-feely person and so was Brian. The older man did not admit to it but he had a very real need for human touch especially his touch.

Lounging in the sitting room in Jilla’s home, leaning on Brian’s shoulder he felt as relaxed as he had ever felt. Taking the red wine glass from Brian, the young blond took a sip. He found the taste of it enjoyable on his pallet. It was their last night at Jilla’s place. The next morning they were driving to Venice.


They had enjoyed a fine meal that surprisingly Brian had cooked in Jilla’s outdoor kitchen. Brian had grinned as he let Justin in on a BIG secret. That he enjoyed cooking but only for the people who loved him.

Justin looked over at Jilla who was sitting in large, comfortable chair not far from the sofa sketching something. She had been doing it since earlier in the day, refusing to allow them even the slightest peek. Justin had found in Jilla a wonderful teacher and an amazing person. She had taught him so much about art and painting in the few days that they had been together in her studio. She had also taught him a lot about the art world that schools never taught.


The blond snuggled closer to his lover who was leaning back in the sofa, his eyes closed and his face relaxed.

“Stop thinking so much, Justin….” Brian’s voice startled the blond out of his intense study of Brian’s face.

“How did you know?” Justin whispered to Brian. He did not bother trying to deny it.

“You tend to study me when you’re deep in thought…. What are you brooding over, Sunshine?” The hazel-eyed man said, opening his eyes to look at Justin with a questioning look in their depths.

“Just thinking about the difference between Pitts – Brian and the Brian outside of it…” Justin said with a soft voice. He felt Brian freeze up for a spit second but then the older man relaxed and chuckled.

“I never thought of it that way. I guess I feel free outside the Pitts. Not forced to pretend to be the icon.” He kissed Justin’s hair. “That’s what I feel like I am sometimes. For Mikey and the community I am loved as much as I am envied and hated.” Brian pushed back and looked down at Justin.

“It’s so different when I am with you. I feel free…” He smiled sweetly and kissed the boy playfully on the lips. “ Thank you...”

Justin, the clever boy that he was did not say a word. He simply smiled, kissed the older man back and lay down on Brian’s lap where he promptly dozed off.

The next morning started very early. They ate a small breakfast in the kitchen since Jilla’s staff had a day off. Then they packed the car and said goodbye to Jilla, both Brian and Justin promising to keep in touch.

The drive started a bit slow but they took their time and a few days later they were unlocking the apartment that they were borrowing for their time in Venice. Bringing in the bags they laughed and joked with each other.

“I think we have more bags now then when we left the States!” Justin laughed. He dodged a playful swipe from Brian. Throwing his arm around the older man he claimed his most favorite lips in a heated kiss.

“Mmm… My wonderful brat...” Brian murmured as he let go of the bags and wound his arms around the tempting man. Deepening the kiss he pulled moan after moan from Justin’s sweet lips.

Soon air became a pressing need and they let each other go with a gasp. Taking the younger man’s hand Brian walked into the bedroom with his precious cargo trailing behind him. Ignoring bags that needed to be unpacked and tummys that were empty, they slowly undressed each other, before falling into bed.

The next morning dawned bright and hot. The bedroom was stifling. Brian had awoken around dawn and had opened the bedroom window facing the canal. After that he had crawled right back into bed with Justin.

They awoke around noon with the sound of a bustling street and canal outside of the window. Brian turned around in bed to face a still-sleeping Justin. Running a finger down the sleeping boy’s cheek, the older man smiled and moved closer to his sunshine. This was how life was supposed to be. Sparkling hazel eyes meet sleepy blue eyes. Justin woke finding himself being watched. His lips curled into a smile as he wound his arm around Brian’s head and pulled the older man close for a good morning kiss.

“Good morning lover..!” Justin said softly as they broke the kiss. The rumbling of their stomachs broke the tender moment causing them both to laugh. Getting up and showering the discussed what they wanted to do with their day.

“I feel like dancing…” Justin said to Brian as he watched the older man fussing over his hair.

“Sounds like a great idea. But maybe we should try some sightseeing during the morning. I thought we should get one of the hand-made Venetian masks.” Brian turned around and grabbed his leather jacket and grabbed Justin by the arm dragging him to the door. “But first I need food. I am starving. And if I am starving you must be dead from hunger… “


Justin laughed and dug an elbow into Brian’s waist causing the older man to groan. They headed down the street trying to find some place to eat. They really didn’t rush anything but passing a small bistro a delectable scent caused their stomachs to rumble again, loudly this time. Looking at each other they grinned before entering.

Inside they found a lively, little bistro with just a few tables. The place was full so they ordered their breakfast in takeaway bags and took it to a nearby public garden.

Brian sat down at a park bench and unpacked his breakfast beside him. He had ordered a fresh fruit salad, a glass of OJ, a cup of coffee and two thick slices of newly baked bread. He looked at Justin who was seated beside him and was unpacking the same thing, as well as an omelet made from sweet peppers and ham.

“This smells wonderful.” Justin said as he opened the container with his still steaming omelet. He looked up into Brian’s eyes and smiled as he took a plastic fork and took a bite. His eyes fell shut and he moaned. “This is fucking great!”

Brian nodded as he ate his fruit. The fruit was ripe without losing its’ firmness. “Yes, the fruit is good... “

They ate in silence after that. The crowd was getting fuller but the garden that they were in was still virtually people-free. There were even a few birds around.

Soon they had eaten, and were just sitting there sipping their coffee. Brian and Justin were sitting on a bench within view of a small children’s playground. There was a young mother with her two children, one boy and a small exuberant girl who was running around. When the girl ran past their bench towards the street Brian ran after her and scooped her up. The girl in his arms became a little angry and started to cry.

Justin watched from the bench as his lover spoke in a quiet voice to the girl in Italian, calming her down just as the young woman pushed her son over in his pram to retrieve the girl.

“Here is your daughter ... Quite a fireball...” Brian spoke in smooth Italian. “Such a beautiful girl as well…”

He was shamelessly flirting with the little girl who was preening at Brian’s attention. The mother watched, just as amused as Justin who was standing to the side.

“Thank you for grabbing her, mister. She is very fast.” They talked a bit. Justin listened, amused by the conversation which was in Italian. Justin was rusty but the time in Italy had revived the language in his mind. He had stopped studying the language in his second year of high school when the art program started offering more art classes. He had to choose between continuing to study French or Italian. He had chosen French.

Brian gave the mother her daughter and held out his hand towards Justin. Justin took the older man’s hand and got a bit more involved into the conversation. They quizzed the woman who they found was very liberal and knowledgeable on the gay nightlife in the city.

“From what I heard from my gay friends, ‘Elysium’ is the place to go for a gay male.” She said as the boy in the pram started to fuss. “I need to get home… Thank you again.”

Brian and Justin stood together watching the woman walk away, before heading the other way and onto the canal street. Exploring the streets close to the apartment they enjoyed a lazy afternoon before passing a market and returning to the apartment to cook a meal.

The meal was cooked together with music in the background and a lot of banter. They enjoyed a good meal before going to bed for a small nap. Lying down on the bed, they smiled at each other before snuggling up and falling asleep. They woke up after a while to get ready for the club. They needed to go to the town one over to get to the club and they were planning on taking a hotel room in that town.