Dedicated to My Wives, xie_xie_xie, who's busy this week and probably won't have a chance to read this. happier_bunny, who insisted i post this, and i quote, "NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW" and _alicesprings, who's away but will be back...at least that's what she said.

Banner by silent_seas

feedback = air when I'm writing this much.

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Blue Ecstasy

Chapter Eight

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Four days later Justin was at his apartment.

“It’s… nice.”

“It’s fine. I’m hardly ever here.”

“Well, you’re working nights and…”

“I sleep at Brian’s a lot.”

“Why?”

Justin bit the side of his thumb. “Why?”

“You seem set up here. Why are you sleeping there?”

“Because I have to check in after work, so…”

“So you’re still sleeping with him?”

“Mom.”

“I’m just curious. It’s been, almost three weeks. I thought you’d be bored with him by now.”

Justin laughed. “He’s a lot of things, boring isn’t one of them.”

Jennifer nodded and Justin knew she wanted more information. She wasn’t going to get it. The truth was he didn’t have more information. He had no fucking clue what was going on between himself and Brian. He watched her struggle to find the words to ask and breathed a little easier when she seemed to sigh and give up.

“Lunch?”

She nodded.

“C’mon, what are you in the mood for?”

“Whatever you’d like.”

Justin grabbed his jacket and opened the door to find Brian there about to knock. “What are you doing here?”

Brian looked over his shoulder and shook his head.

“My mother. It’s safe.”

Brian took a step back and Justin almost laughed. “She’s just a mom, not a demon. Come in.” He turned his attention to his mother. “Mom, Brian, Brian, Jennifer, my Mother.”

He watched his mother extend her hand and then watched as Brian turned on charm he saved for very very rare occasions. Justin had seen it exactly once, and it hadn’t been aimed at him then either. He sighed. “We were going to lunch…”

“Join us.”

He heard his mother say it before he could stop her, and was about to rescind the offer when Brian’s smile became more dangerous and accepted. Fuck.

“The diner?”

Justin glared at Brian. “I’m not dressed for it.”

“Sweetie, you look fine.”

Justin shook his head. “I’m undercover on Liberty Avenue, I’d have to dress like…”

Jennifer looked at him questioningly. “Like…?”

“Like I did when I was in high school.”

“Like a twink.”

“MOM!” then he sighed. “Yeah.”

“Well then what if we stay away from your job site today?”

They ended up having lunch at some place Brian knew of, south of the city, near the high-end malls and upscale suburbs. Justin tried to keep the conversation superficial but in the end both his mother and Brian were far too curious about the information the other had regarding his life. He sat and chewed a breadstick while the two of them politely, quietly, genteelly, grilled each other for information.

He watched them volley questions back and forth. Brian focusing on Kyle, occasionally switching topics to talk about Craig, and then back to Kyle and Justin’s dating habits. He made a mental note never to fuck Brian again… or at least today.

His mother, he noticed, seemed to focus entirely on Brian’s job, his friends, his son… on Brian. He wondered if Brian knew he was being fitted for a matching white suit. The look Brian gave him answered his question. He almost blushed.

“Mom, leave Brian alone. We’re not dating. He doesn’t do dates.”

Brian nodded.

“And Brian, leave my mother alone, Kyle is none of your business and it’s possible she doesn’t want to spend this entire lunch talking about her shit of an ex-husband.”

Brian looked surprised but nodded. The conversation shifted to less controversial topics, like politics, religion, and PFLAG membership. Brian laughed “we should have introduced her to Debbie.”

“No, we shouldn’t have.”

“Debbie’s your boss’s wife?”

“Yeah, she’s the president of the Pittsburgh chapter.”

“Wait, Debbie Novotny?”

“Yes.”

“I thought your boss’s last name was Horvath.”

“She won’t get legally married 'til her son can so…”

“I was supposed to meet with her later today, she’s organizing a vigil among all the local chapters. A lot of gay men are dying you know.”

“I’m vaguely aware, oh, and working the case.”

“Well, I think a candlelight vigil would be nice, and make the public aware of what’s going on.”

Brian and Justin exchanged a look. “The less the public knows, the better. We’re trying to keep this low profile.”

“Which is easy when it’s just gay men who are dying.”

“It isn’t just gay men, but if the media turns this into a circus, it’s going to be that much harder to find out what we need.”

“Well I think it’s important that people know.”

“Mom, this is a terrible idea.”

“Did you tell Debbie that?”

Justin looked at Brian who shrugged. “I’m sure Horvath mentioned it.”

Justin laughed. “She doesn’t listen to him.”

“She doesn’t listen to anyone.”

“Well good for her.”

“Mom, I’m asking you. Don’t do this.”

Jennifer touched Justin's face and smiled at him. “Justin, I can’t just pretend this isn’t happening.”

“Try, for me.”

She shook her head and signed the bill. “Brian It was lovely to meet you. I’m off to meet this Mrs. Novotny, I’ll pass on your regards.”

Brian laughed and Justin ordered a drink from a passing waiter as his mother breezed by them both. “We’re fucked.”

“Mother’s are like that.”

“Is that why you don’t talk to yours?”

“There are a lot of reasons I don’t talk to mine. All valid.”

“Think we can get Debbie to call this off.”

“Not a chance.”

“Michael!”

“What about him?”

“You can get him to…”

“No, I can’t, and even if I could, she wouldn’t listen to him.”

“So….”

“So we pretend it’s not happening and keep working the case. What did you get from Morrison yesterday.”

“He’s pissed that I’m working on the bar.”

“How’d that happen?”

Justin looked down and considered his options. He shrugged. “Gary decided I’d paid my dues.”

“In two weeks.”

“I let him blow me.”

He watched Brian’s hands. His knuckles whitened as he pressed his fingertips against the table. He ordered a drink when the waiter brought Justin's. “Why?”

“I was too tired to keep putting off the inevitable. It’s just a blow job.”

“But you didn’t even want to be dancing on the bar, it was actually bad for the case.”

“I was exhausted. It had been a really long day, customer’s hands all over me, Morrison trying to convince me to expand my market, you being over protective and nosy.”

“Don’t lay this at my feet.”

“I’m not. I’m explaining that there were a lot of people asking for a lot that day. In the end, I gave in to the least annoying requests.”

“Morrison wants you to expand your market? What does that even mean?”

“It means I should blow any customers I’d like and keep half of the seventy five they’d pay for the service.”

“He’s trying to pimp you out?”

“He’s cracked.”

“Are a lot of his boys doing this?”

“I think the runners are, yeah.”

“Jesus.”

“I know.”

“Quit this job.”

“The gig at Babylon or the other one? Sadly working for Gary and Morrison is more lucrative.”

“I don’t fucking care. Do you?”

Justin shook his head. “You know I’m not in this for the money.”

“Clearly.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Brian shook his head. “Nothing. He dropped some cash on the table. “Let’s go. I’ll drive you home.”

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

Brian parked in front of Justin’s building. “Brian it’s my day off.”

“You want me to go?”

Justin thought about it. “No, but absolutely no cleaning, redecorating, rearranging, or any other actions that might be construed as changing my domicile to appease your obsessive compulsive needs. Understood?”

“Far be it from me to try to alter your domicile.”

“Pfft.”

Justin walked towards the lobby, Brian followed. They took the elevator. Brian pulled him forward to kiss him. Justin pulled back. “We’re in an elevator.”

“Point?”

Justin shook his head and led Brian to his apartment. He unlocked the door while Brian ran his hands over his stomach under his shirt. “You’re close with your mother.”

“Could you please not talk about my mother while you’re trying to unzip my pants.”

“When would be a good time?”

“Never works for me.”

Justin turned around once the door was shut behind them. He pulled Brian’s head down for a kiss. Brian pulled Justin’s shirt over his head and then moved his hands lower to unzip his pants. Justin’s hands were working Brian’s belt. Eventually, mostly naked, they fell backwards together.

“See, told you this space needed an area rug.”

“That’s why you wanted one?” Justin asked between kisses to Brian’s mouth and shoulders, “so that you could fuck me on it?”

Brian pulled back a little so Justin could see his expression. He smirked, “maybe.”

Justin shook his head. “You’re impossible. Fuck me.”

“Yes sir.”

Justin’s legs were wrapped around Brian’s waist and Brian reached out randomly trying to find his pants, or Justin's, any place a condom might be handy. Justin reached under the corner of the rug and pulled out a plastic square, he ripped it open with his teeth, and handed it to Brian. Brian raised an eyebrow. “Under the rug?”

Justin rolled his eyes. “I bought the rug for me, and it’s soft. Feel.”

Brian ran his hand over the surface of the wool, hand tied rug. “Nice.”

“Yeah, so…”

Brian shook his head. “You’re very smart. Now wasn’t I supposed to be fucking you?”

Justin nodded and curved his body into Brian’s as Brian slid his cock slowly into Justin.

Almost an hour later they were both on their back. Brian was fiddling with a cigarette and Justin was shaking his head. “Not in the apartment. Go outside, there’s a balcony off the bedroom.”

“There is?”

“You know this.”

Brian put the cigarette behind his ear. “I’ll wait.”

“Tell me you at least pretended we were going to work today and brought the information we’ve been waiting for on Morrison.”

Brian nodded again. “It’s over there somewhere.”

Justin rolled over and started looking through Brian’s pockets. He found the folded papers but dropped them again when he felt Brian’s mouth on the small of his back.

Brian was swirling his tongue in the small of Justin’s back and felt him wriggle beneath him. He looked up. Justin was reading the full report on Morrison. Brian moved his mouth lower, his tongue teasing the spot where Justin’s back curved into his ass. He slid it between Justin’s crack. Justin rose up towards his tongue without his attention shifting from the paper in his hands. Brian more determined moved slightly, using his fingers to spread Justin’s ass apart. He began to trace his hole. Justin moaned and pushed back. When Brian chanced a look again, Justin was still reading the report.

“Justin.”

“Mmm?”

“Put the papers down.”

Justin rolled onto his back. “Vinny’s has seven locations.”

“I know.”

“Are they all fronts?”

“I have no idea.”

“Brian, look.” He pushed the papers back under Brian’s nose. Brian took them and sighed, Justin was single minded about all things, and if he’d decided they were going over the information… that’s what they’d be doing.

Justin rolled over again and stood up, he came back and sat Indian style on the floor. His laptop on the coffee table. He pulled up a file. Look, these are the non Liberty Avenue deaths.

Brian glanced at the red dots and nodded. “Okay.”

Justin checked the page in front of them and then began marking blue dots on the map. “These are the other Vinny’s locations.”

“Means nothing.”

“They’re all close.”

“They’re in all close suburbs of Pittsburgh, at this point there’s been at least one death in each one.”

“So you don’t think…”

“I don’t think it’s time to come to conclusions.”

Justin studied the map more closely. “I really think…”

“Don’t that’s your first mistake.”

“Brian go home.”

Brian nodded. “I disagree with you. Excellent reason to decide I’m not worth listening to.”

“Shut up. That’s not what I’m doing. I’m trying to figure this out, and you shutting me down at every turn isn’t helping.”

“It is if you’re going off in the wrong direction.”

“And how are you so sure I’m going in the wrong direction.”

“Motive.”

“What about it?”

“What’s the motive? Why would Vinny, or whomever is running Vinny’s want to kill his customers?”

“I don’t know, I guess we’ll have to find out.”

“Good plan, make the case fit the prefab conclusion.”

“Seriously, Brian, go home.”

Brian moved the computer so he could see the screen more clearly. “They’re clustered.’

“I know.”

“But not around Vinny’s.”

“Yes they are.”

“Justin, do me a favor?”

“What?”

“Map the catholic schools.”

“What?”

“Map the private schools.”

Justin pulled up the information and then spent a few minutes transferring the information. “Shit. He’s targeting schools?”

“No. Look, there’s a Vinny’s near almost every private school in the western suburbs, now, are the deaths clustered around the schools or Vinny’s?”

“Or someplace else catering to the same clientèle.”

“Aaaah, he can learn.”

“Fuck off. We need a list of stores in that area.”

“No, we need to find out where those kids get their drugs.”

“Should I go undercover in the schools?”

“And quit dancing in a cage?”

“I’m serious.”

“If we had that kind of time I might say yes, but we don’t. By the time you found someone willing to tell you where to score drugs, you could just as easily tell Morrison you want to branch out.”

“How would sucking some asshole’s cock help?”

“Branch out and sell in the suburbs.” Brian leaned closer and spoke slowly. Justin stood up and stormed off, unfortunately it was a small apartment and he was naked, so really, the bedroom was the only option. Brian followed him.

Justin turned around. “Stop being an asshole, and stop fucking teasing me.”

“I’m not. I’m serious. See if you can hint about it to Morrison, find out who’s dealing out there…trust me, he knows.”

“You really think so?”

“The idiot twins are trying to find out from The Sap, but he’s stringing them along, I’ve read the transcript, I really don’t think he knows.”

“So we’re back to square one?”

“Not exactly. Brian wrapped his arms around Justin and kissed him. “Tomorrow, when you go back to work, you can work the high school angle with Morrison.”

Justin nodded against Brian’s chest. “Brian? I know you’re dying for that cigarette.”

Brian huffed out a laugh, “I am.”

“So could you go smoke it, and then chew some gum, and then, meet me back here?”

“Here?”

Justin moved out of Brian’s arms and positioned himself on the bed. His cock semi hard. He stroked it slowly. “Here.”

Brian shook his head.

“No?”

“I don’t really need that cigarette.”

Justin laughed and Brian took the cigarette from behind his ear and placed it on the nightstand before stretching his body over Justin’s.

Justin kissed him and then shifted his weight. Brian responded and rolled over until Justin was lying between his thighs and kissing his chest. “Do you have to go in today?”

Brian shook his head. “I’ve got the day off.”

Justin kissed him again. “Mmm, so we’ve got time to kill.”

Brian nodded and wrapped his arms around Justin’s waist. They were both lost in the feel of each other when a cough interrupted them.

Justin reached quickly for a blanket, pulling it over the both of them. “Jesus Christ! Knocking is good.”

Jennifer was leaning in the doorway amused Debbie was peering over her shoulder. “I knew it!”

Brian let his head fall back against the pillow in exasperation. “Any chance of the two of you getting out of here so we can get dressed?”

Jennifer ushered Debbie towards the kitchen, closing the door behind her. Justin bounded out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweat pants. “Fuck, your pants are in the living room.”

Brian stood up. “I’ll get them.”

Justin shook his head and pulled on a shirt. He came back a moment later, tossing Brian’s pants at him. “Don’t even joke about walking around in front of my mother naked.”

“What’s left to see?”

“Brian…”

Brian laughed and pulled on his clothes. They both entered the main living area knowing that really, at this point, it was all just pretense.

Debbie started. “You have something against my candlelight vigil?”

Brian nodded and Justin crossed his arms. “It’s gonna make the media go insane.”

“That’s the point.”

“It’s going to make it harder for us to work the case.”

“Why? Something has to bring attention to what’s going on. The two of you aren’t doing anything to stop it.”

Brian sighed. “Debbie.”

Justin shook his head. “Don’t, Brian.” He looked into his mother’s eyes. “I know that look.”

Brian looked at Debbie and laughed. “Yeah, I know that one too. Do what you want. You always do.”

Justin made coffee and they were all sitting in a somewhat uncomfortable silence. Justin tried to break it by starting some small talk with his mother. It didn’t work.

“What are the two of you doing here?” Brian got straight to the point.

Jennifer looked surprised for a moment but hid it quickly. “I came to see my son, and Debbie said she had some lemon bars she’d been meaning to drop off.”

Debbie opened the Styrofoam box with a flourish. “Lemon bars.”

“Thanks.” Justin sipped his coffee and tried to figure out how to get all of them out of there. Brian solved the problem by standing up. “Well, we really should let the boy get some sleep. I know he didn’t get home until after the sun came up.

Both Debbie and Jennifer rose to leave. Justin saw them out and then turned towards Brian who, although he had put his shoes on, seemed to be making no progress towards the door.

“Brian?”

“Oh, did you want me to leave?”

Justin pulled his shirt over his head. “Not really, we were in the middle of something.”

Brian took off his own shirt and followed Justin into the bedroom. “You know Debbie's sitting at the front of the building waiting to see if I leave.”

“I don’t care.”

Justin was on his knees; he looked back over his shoulder at Brian. “Why aren’t you inside me yet?”

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

Justin’s POV

I shouldn’t be doing this. I think that almost every time we’re in bed together but nothing will crystallize the idea like your mother walking in on you. When you couple that with your boss’s wife… what am I doing?

I have no idea but as a slick finger finds its way inside me, I don’t care. I spread my legs wider and his finger is gone. His mouth is sucking hard on my balls and I think I whimper.

No one has ever had control of my body the way he does. It scares me. I try to hide that. One of the few things I’m sure of is that he hates when I seem scared. I’m not. Not usually. And now that he knows about the Pitcairn thing, well, he’s a lot more aware of what he does. That’s a good thing, and a curse.

I hate it when he’s this gentle. I hate it when he acts like I can’t take it. “Fuck me.”

I feel his cock, thick, hot, slick, sliding between my cheeks and I want him inside me, now. He pushes slightly, I bear down and rock back and he’s buried to the hilt. The pain makes me gasp. I feel the stretch and he’s stroking his hand through my hair. I rock onto him, fucking myself on him. He clasps my hip and moves with me.

There’s nothing gentle about what we’re doing now. He’s slamming against me with full force and I want more. I’m groaning. His hand reaches for my cock and he’s stroking me off. Then he pulls out completely. I haven’t come, neither has he. I turn around and he pushes me back against the mattress. His hands almost cover my chest and then they move to my legs. He rests my calves against his shoulders and he’s inside me. Every time he moves it’s electric. My body stretched, inside and out. His covering mine and then his mouth is on mine, devouring me. He holds my legs up higher until it feels like his mouth on mine is the only thing keeping me on the bed. He rolls into me, deeper than anyone’s ever been and I grunt. Each thrust pushes the air out of my body and I’m close. So close.

I reach for him and he takes my hands, our fingers sliding between each other’s. Curling around the others palm as he flattens my hands next to my head against the bed.

It would usually freak me out. I’m powerless. It doesn’t. He lifts his head so he can see my face. I raise my head up just a little. I want his tongue inside me again. He obliges and then I feel my orgasm building.

It starts slow, almost unnoticeable against the onslaught of sensation, but then it becomes more insistent. My cock trapped between our bodies. Mine folded in half, his leaning into me, pressing me back down. I come between us and I tighten around him. He comes then too, sucking my tongue out of me, as I seem to be sucking the come out of him. And when we collapse we’re both sweaty and I sigh.

I think I fall asleep because I don’t remember him pulling out. I don’t remember him moving beside me. I don’t remember him resting his head on my chest but when I wake up, that’s where it is. He’s asleep to.

I hear the sound that must have woken me. Someone’s knocking on my door. I dislodge him carefully and kiss the side of his face. He almost smiles and I’m just going to pretend that does nothing for me. I grab a pair of pants, pull them on and head towards the door. My mother really needs to learn to let go.

I pull the door open; ready to tell her to go home but it’s not her. I glare, he doesn’t move. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been trying to talk to you.”

“I’ve been tying not to talk to you.”

I hear movement in the bedroom. Shit. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

I duck my head in to my room. Brian’s sitting up and seems to be contemplating that cigarette. “Stay in here okay?”

Brian looks up confused and I hope to Christ that for once, he listens to me.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Brian pulled on his pants and looked longingly at his cigarette, but in the end he tucked it behind his ear and moved towards the bedroom door. He listened.

“I’ve told you to fuck off.”

“Look, I’m not trying to…”

“I don’t care what you’re trying to do. How did you find me?”

“You’re not that hard to follow.”

“Fuck off before I call the cops.”

“I thought you were the cops.”

Brian froze. He inched the door open and saw the guy Justin had been trying to lose all week, annoying man, stalker boy, whatever. He was towering over Justin and he knew the kid was a cop. Brian opened the bedroom door. “Company?”

Brian was thankful that looks could not, in fact, kill. Justin’s eyes were shooting lethal, poison tipped daggers.

Brian extended his hand. “I’m Brian, and you are?”

“Daniel.”

“Daniel, and you’re here because?”

“That’s between us.” He gestured towards himself and Justin.

Brian nodded and settled himself on the sofa. He picked up the remote and started flipping through channels. “Don’t let me interrupt.”

Justin’s attention was torn between the two aggravating men. He ran a hand through his hair and refused to let Daniel into his apartment. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to warn you about Morrison.”

“Okay. And now you have.”

“What are you doing with him?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Are you trying to bust him? It won’t work.”

“How is any of this your concern?”

Daniel put a hand on Justin’s shoulder and before Brian had a chance to move Justin had removed it, twisted his arm, and in fact Daniel’s entire body around until he was pressed against the door. He put a little more pressure on Daniel’s elbow. “Don’t touch me.”

Daniel’s face was smashed against the door. “I won’t. Fine, just let me go.”

Justin let the man go and took a step back. “Get lost. I mean it. I don’t care what you’re doing or why, just stay the fuck away from me.”

“Look, Morrison's a bigger fish than you know.”

“You don’t have any idea what I know, or don’t.”

“I know you think he’s a piece of the puzzle.”

Justin said nothing, his expression blank.

“He’s not. He is the puzzle.”

“Thanks.” Justin moved to help Daniel out of the door. Daniel tried to push his way into the apartment. Brian stood up then. He positioned himself beside Justin, effectively blocking Daniel’s entrance and access to Justin. “We appreciate your help. Goodbye.”

Daniel looked up at Brian. “Your cover’s going to get blown soon.”

Brian made a move towards Daniel. “Are you threatening me?”

Daniel shook his head and took a step back. “No, nothing like that, but… people are starting to figure it out. I’ve seen you going in and out of his building.” His attention was on Justin now. “And if I found you here, how hard would it be for someone else to?”

Brian closed the door, moving forward as Daniel moved backwards. When the door was closed, everyone on the appropriate side as far as Brian was concerned he turned the lock. “Now will you get a deadbolt?”

“Fuck off.” Justin sat down visibly shaken.

Brian sat next to him. “He’s an idiot. Don’t let him get to you.”

“He found me. He’s right. We need to be more vigilant.”

Brian nodded. “So we’ll be more careful.”

“No more checking in, Brian.”

“Bullshit.”

“I mean it.”

“I don’t care.”

“I do.”

Justin looked up at him. “About what?”

Brian took his cigarette and wiggled it between his fingers as he walked onto the balcony. He stood on the tiny three foot by four-foot ledge, leaning against a railing that probably wouldn’t prevent anything from falling. He exhaled and hoped Justin forgot the question before he came back.

He cared. He did. He shouldn’t. Well, he should, about his partner, but not the way he felt when he thought about Justin getting hurt. And he realized Justin was right. They had to stay the fuck away from each other for a little bit. This was getting dangerous.

When he finished his cigarette he came back in. Justin was examining the scatter point plotting they’d done earlier in the day.

“I’m going home.”

“Be careful.”

“I always am.”

“I mean about anyone seeing you leaving the building.”

“Justin.”

“Don’t. Brian, just… don’t. Okay?”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t pretend you care, it’s creepy.”

“What if I’m not pretending?”

“That’s creepier.”

Brian nodded. He couldn’t disagree. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Justin shook his head. “I meant it. No more babysitting.”

“How am I going to know if something happens to you?”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

“Famous last words.”

“I’ve been fine. I’ll be fine. I’ll talk to you later this week.”

Brian nodded and left.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

Justin made some microwave popcorn and settled back onto the sofa after Brian left. He picked up his phone to call someone and realized he really didn’t know whom to call.

He called Morrison, who sounded overly happy. He accepted the invitation to the party, and figured he may as well get started on the high school dealing angle sooner rather than later.

He wanted to wrap this case up. Things were getting dangerous and complicated.