Diffrent Path

Chapter 8…

Monday morning was a workday for Brian so they were both up and dressed before eight. They ate breakfast before Brian drove Justin over to his old house. He needed to get some things that he had been putting off going there to pack. Besides that, now he needed his passport and some other paperwork of his it might be good to get out of there before his dad removed them.

Brian pulled the jeep to a halt in front of the drive of the big house where Justin grew up. He leaned over and kissed the young blond beside him, before giving him a playful push towards the door.

“Go visit with your mommy, Sunshine…” Justin opened the car door and stepped halfway outside before leaning inside again and giving the older man a teasing kiss.

“Can’t wait to get rid of me can you? Later love… “ Brian smiled back and caressed Justin’s cheek gently.

“Later. “ With a smile and a wink Justin stepped out of the carefully and closed the door. Walking up the driveway he didn’t turn and watch Brian drive off. He was almost at the door before Brian actually put the car in gear and left. The front door was unlocked so he stepped inside and called out to his mom.

“Mom! Where are you?” he closed the front door feeling a bit nostalgic. This house held so many good memories but also so much of it lately was bitter and tainted by anger.

“Justin..” His mom stepped out of the doorway to the kitchen wiping her hand on a dishtowel. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m packing up the rest of the stuff that I want from my room and picking up my passport and things from the safe.” He smiled at her walking over to kiss her cheek.

His mom paused slightly before asking.

“Passport? What do you need that for?” She turned back into the kitchen. “I made some sandwiches for brunch, you want one? I made too many forgetting that Molly is at May’s this week.”

“No thanks, I just had breakfast ...” he said following his mom into the kitchen. He continued, “I need to get the passport because Brian is taking me to Europe next week.”

He took a seat at the kitchen table, looking up at his mom, his eyes sparkling with laughter.

He almost laughed when he saw his mom. Her eyes, so like his, were wide with amazement. She sat down on one of the chairs with a dull thud.

“Eur-Europe?” she stammered amazed.

“Yes,“ Justin said, smiling brightly. He stood up to grab himself a soft drink and took a bottle of Evian for his mom. Placing the bottle beside his mom he sat down again, a smile played on his lips as he continued, “He gave me this trip for graduation. It will be so much fun. I have no idea were we are going but I will get to spend time with Brian so that makes all the difference.”


Jennifer watched the face of her son lighting up with obvious joy. An uneasy feeling was blossoming in her chest. She didn’t like this. She had thought that this thing with her son and that man was over and now they were back together and the man was taking her little boy out of the country. She had accepted the relationship on a very light basis. The trust was still very frail.

“Is that so wise, Justin. Do you really trust him that much? So much that you would follow him anywhere?” She knew she sounded like such a nag but what could she do? She was a mother! She might have accepted the man but still! Justin moved so that he sat beside his mom. He took her hand in his own and looked into her eyes.

“I would give him my life and my heart if he asked for it. He never will but the feeling will not change. I love him mom. I know I have said it before, but that does not make it any less true. It’s deep, it’s intense and it’s returned.” He chuckled at her startled look. “ Oh, he hasn’t said the words to me and he probably never will, but I know. It’s in the way he smiles at me. In the way he kisses me and holds me when no one is around, the way he needs me close. It’s also in the way he allows me to support him. I need him mom. I have been away from him thirty minutes and I miss him already.”

His smile was bittersweet but his eyes shone. Jennifer closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts. She opened her eyes with a deep sigh. “He hurts you and he is dead. I will give my blessing to this trip and a hesitant blessing to your relationship. On one condition. I want you and Brian to come to dinner on Saturday.” She glared playfully at her son. “Otherwise I tell your father…”

Justin laughed and took another water bottle from the fridge.

“We’ll see. I‘ll go and get those papers and head up to pack my room.” He headed toward the back of the house to the office of his father. It was now packed into boxes ready for the movers to come and collect. Opening the safe he grabbed his passport and some other things he knew he would need. Among the things were his medical card and his international medical alert bracelet.

He also collected the watch he got from his grandfather, as well as the folder that contained everything he needed to know about his inheritance from his grandfather, things he now had the right to take control of. He stuffed the things into his pack and headed up the stairs grabbing three moving boxes on the way.

He entered his room, slightly nervous about what he would find. His father had quite a temper and was not above destroying his room if he felt like it. The room was the same as when he left it, much to Justin’s great relief. He started packing the things that were important to him. His drawing books, his art supplies and the few canvases that he had done at school.

He packed his book collection and the twenty-something binders and folders with drawings, some photo albums and what remained of his clothes. Lastly he packed up his computer and the music collection. After that there was nothing that remained of the real Justin Taylor.

“Is that all you want to keep, Justin?” His mom said from the doorway.

“Yeah, the rest is just me trying to be someone that I am not.” He lifted one of the boxes and carried it down to the garage. His mom helped him out and soon the four boxes he had packed were out of his room.

“I will be by with Brian sometime this evening to get the boxes, the rest of the things you can do what you want with…I don’t really care.” Justin kissed his moms’ cheek before heading towards the door. “Love you ... “

“I love you too, Justin.” Jennifer whispered to herself as she watched her son walk down the driveway.

It was hard for her to see her son as a man. But he was. The months away from them had matured him, made him grow up and become someone she could be proud of. She would never admit it aloud but she had Brian to thank for a large part of it. Brian had taught her son about pride, that you need to look to yourself to find confidence. You can’t build who you are on the opinions of others.

Justin took his time walking to Liberty Avenue, to do that he would pass thru the business district. He passed the building that housed the Ryder agency. He paused and looked at the building, deciding if he would surprise Brian with a visit. Nodding to himself he headed inside. He passed the reception area with a confident stride, taking the elevator to the floor where Brian’s offices were. Before exiting the elevator he straightened up and put on his confident face. He moved down the corridor for a few steps before stopping a man just a few years older then him.

“Brian Kinney’s office?” He said in a questioning but still slightly confident tone. The kid pointed down the hall. “Last door on the right. But I wouldn’t go in there unannounced. He is pretty scary. “

Justin smirked and dismissed the other young man with a glance. Heading in the direction the young man pointed him, he sotto-whispered. “Good thing I know how to tame the beast.”

He easily found the office of the beast and he saw Brian standing with a sharp-looking blond looking over some boards. He could only assume that the sharp-looking blond was Cynthia.

Brian was looking over some boards for an account he was hoping to sign in the next few days but he was starting to go insane. The boards were for shit. The art department could not see any problems; the problem was neither could he. It was what he had asked for but somehow it was not working.

“What is wrong with them, Cyn? I can’t put my finger on it… “ “I don’t know, Bri. They look fine to me but then I’m not the ad genius.” Cynthia said. A voice behind them made them startle.

“The text clashes with the ad. I would say that it was on purpose but instead of making the ad pop, it just makes it look…off. I would try a different font. Something less edgy, maybe something more playful, the free font Dael might work… “Justin leaned on the doorframe his lips curled in a playful smile. “But what do I know? I’m just an art geek with delusions of grandeur.” He stepped into the room holding his hand up to Cynthia. “You must be the wonderful Cynthia.”


The blond in question laughed and took his hand as she passed him. “That would make you Justin, a pleasure to meet you.”

Brian smiled as he watched two of his favorite people greet each other. When Cynthia stepped out of the office and closed the door, he stepped closer to his blond.

“Decided to drop in, Sunshine?” His hazel eyes were smoky and warm.

“Hmm “Justin stepped even closer, curling his arms around Brian’s neck backing him up to the desk. He got the older man to lean on it so they were at a more equal height. “I decided to see if I could distract you for a while.”

He kissed the older man teasingly. Tiny butterfly kisses, his lips slightly open making the kisses moist and hot.

Suddenly he was seized in an iron grip and his lips were plundered. Brian claimed the blond mouth until the need for air became serious.

//Fucking tease!! He knows that those kisses make me crazy!//

It was a good thing that Justin was clasped in Brian’s arms because frankly after that kiss, he was sure that he would be having problems standing up.

“Wow” he breathed against Brian’s neck. He felt so safe and warm in the older man’s arms. A warm chuckle came from the head resting on top of his.

“Wow indeed…”