Jennifer knocked sharply on the loft door and waited, clutching her purse to her chest. She had several prospective office spaces to show Brian today and hoped to be done before five because she actually had, for the first time in forever, an honest-to-God date with a guy who hadn't made her insides lurch at first sight. Deb had agreed to watch Molly, and Jennifer had even bought a new blouse for the occasion. If things went well with Brian, then this could easily be the best day she'd seen in a month or more.

The door grated open and Brian's freshly shaven face peered at her, his eyes still glazed over. He had obviously not been up for very long. He shoved the door the rest of the way open and motioned for her to come in.

"Good morning!" she said, placing her briefcase on the counter and sitting on a kitchen stool. Brian nodded and started the coffee maker. He reached up and pulled down two mugs and set them on the counter, then leaned his elbows against it and cradled his head. "Long night?"

He groaned and shrugged.

"Well, we've got a long day ahead of us. I've found some wonderful little--" A deep cough from the bedroom interrupted her and she frowned. Another cough, rattling and snorting, issued from the back of the loft; Brian lifted his head, glaring toward the sounds, calling out, "If you fucking made me sick, I'll have your balls for Christmas ornaments!"

"Is Justin sick?"

Brian blinked at her, turned his back and started pouring the coffee.

"Have you been making sure he takes his allergy--"

Brian lifted his hand and said, "Now, Mother Taylor, Justin's a big boy and I'm sure he can take his allergy medicine all by his little self."

Brian placed her coffee mug in front of her, black the way she liked it, and she took a deep swallow. Brian was probably right, Justin was too old to infantalize in that manner any more. Still, the noises from the bedroom weren't promising at all; she hoped she'd be able to control herself and not immediately suggest that Justin see a doctor. She reached for her briefcase and pulled out a few things for Brian's review.

"As you can see here--" Thumps and rustles joined the snorting coughs, before heavy steps down from the bedroom stairs drew her attention. She turned to greet her son, but, thankfully, the words stuck in her throat.

The tall brunet sauntered up to the counter and smiled at Jennifer, he stuck out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm--"

Brian broke in. "No names."

"Excuse me?" the guy asked, confused.

"I said no names, and, also, no numbers, no 'see you agains', and no coffee. So beat it."

The guy blinked at Brian and swallowed nervously. "I--okay. Um, here--" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "I'll just leave this in case you change your--"

"I said no. Take your business card and your overly-used ass, and get out."

Jennifer didn't know where to look, so she stared into her mug, chewing on her lips, and hoping she didn't look as upset as she felt.

Mr. No-Name turned on his heel, muttering asshole over his shoulder, and left the apartment. Brian sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Christ. It's always the same."

Jennifer nodded and continued to study the reflection of the lights in her coffee.

"So, what were you going to show me?" Brian asked, all business again, like some guy who wasn't her son hadn't just left the loft after having, quite obviously, spent the night there.

"Does Justin--did you two--he didn't say anything about--" Jennifer didn't know where to start. Justin wasn't the most communicative about his relationships; she hadn't even known about Ethan until Justin had already moved in with the kid. It wouldn't be unlike him to have not told her about a big squabble that had led to a break-up with Brian. But if that was the case, then wasn't this even more awkward?

"Justin's at home. You know, where he lives?" Brian said, as though this were all very obvious.

"I see."

Brian snorted a laugh. "No, you don't. Here's the deal--we aren't married, we aren't heterosexuals, and we aren't monogamous. We fuck who we want, when we want. Now you see." Brian took the sheaf of papers from her hand and started perusing them, sipping his coffee, appearing utterly nonchalant.

"So, you're telling me that while you and my son are partners, you still fuck around on him?"

Brian sighed and sat the papers down, took another sip of his coffee and said, "I'm failing to see where this is any of your business."

Jennifer stood up, gripped the back of the stool seat and said, "It's my business because he's my son and it's my business because--"

Brian shook his head. "Give me a fucking break. Listen, let's stay on track here, okay? Let's just look at these fucking buildings and--"

"No, you listen. I have seen my son go through hell, more than anyone his age should ever have to go through, and I will not see him be hurt again. I want to know exactly what you think you're doing with him and I want to know now."

Brian blinked, bit his lip, and seemed to gather strength from some heretofore hidden fount of patience. "Mrs. Taylor--Jennifer--what I'm doing with your son is really none of your business, but since I'm feeling remarkably generous this morning, I'm going to tell you that Justin and I are happy with our arrangement, and, really, that's all you need to know." Brian pointed at the first sheet of paper in the stack. "This one is too bourgeois. I want something more unique."

Jennifer sighed sharply, jerked the stool away from the counter and sat back down. She took a sip of coffee and asked, "What about the next one? Too retro?"

After a conversation with Debbie a few days later, Jennifer felt better about the boys' arrangement. If Justin was content and comfortable, then she supposed that she should be okay with it as well.

Still, was it wrong for her to wish that Brian and Justin were monogamous? It just seemed safer.

But Deb had told her to mind her own business, if she knew what was good for her, and Jennifer had to admit, that did seem like the best advice. Justin was so stubborn and Brian sometimes frightened her when he was in a mood. It was silly, she knew, because despite his desire to appear cold-hearted, Jennifer knew that Brian was just a kid who needed love--just like everyone else in the world.

Maybe she would ask Justin about it, anyway. Maybe.

Brian stood stark still trying not to freak out.

Jennifer was already pulling papers from her briefcase, completely oblivious to the alarms she'd set off with the hug and kiss she'd bestowed on Brian upon her arrival. Justin sat perched on the counter, swinging his feet and looking entirely too amused for Brian's taste.

He raised a warning finger in Justin's direction which only resulted in the release of the chuckles Justin had been holding back.

Jennifer smiled at the sound and kissed Justin's cheek again. "It's good to see you, sweetheart. Do you want to go out with us today?"

Justin shook his head, hopped down from the counter, and grabbed his coat. "Some of us have to work," he said jerking his head in Brian's direction. "Not all of us can spend our day being picky about office space that is too modern, too retro, too bourgeois, too dull, too small, or too big." He kissed his mom's cheek and then approached Brian with obvious apprehension.

Brian glowered at him and Justin backed away with a wave. Brian reminded himself of the really hot sex they'd had earlier, the commission-free work Jennifer was doing for him, and the fact that the thought of life without Justin made him feel sick. He could handle this. Really, what was a kiss from his lover's mother in the scheme of things?

Oh, just a fucking red, blinking light that screamed commitment, that's all. And, godammit, that should bother him more!



Justin took the stairs to the loft two at a time, humming under his breath. He unlocked the door and pulled it open to find his mother and Brian sitting in the middle of the floor drinking martinis and laughing.

This was becoming a little too common. It just seemed so strange to have his mother and Brian drinking together. For one thing, who knows what they might tell one another? Brian might be the unwitting recipient of his mother's stories of her wild hetero youth, and his mom might find out more than he ever wanted her to know about Brian's exploits.

"Oh, Sunshine," Brian sing-songed. "Tell me all about your crush on Mr. T, why don't you? You think those layers of gold chains are hot? Do you fantasize about me wearing--"

Jennifer interrupted, choking on her laughter. "He told me that he liked the way Mr. T's shirts stretched over his chest! I nearly died trying to keep from laughing! He was five!"

Justin blinked between them, not sure if he should join in their laughter, storm off, or just ignore them. He opted for the latter, it just seemed more dignified. "So, you've been having a party without me, huh?"

"And based on your reputed love for you teddy bear, Gus, I'm surprised you didn't grow up to be a Plushie," Brian went on, lifting his drink in a toast. "Between the teddy bear and Mr. T you have out perverted even me!"

Justin nodded, dumped his bag on the counter, and grabbed a water from the fridge. "Don't make me do something horrible like ask Mikey to scoop on all of your hidden secrets."

"Oooh, Mikey'd never tell," Brian said seriously. "Not if he knows what's good for him."

"Mikey's an easy drunk."

Brian frowned. "Well, maybe I'm not that surprised that you didn't turn into a Plushie."

Jennifer cackled. "I had a roommate in college who was a Plushie."

Brian's eyes went wide. "An actual Plushie? A card-carrying member of Plushie-dom?"

"Well, I don't know about that. I just know that her stuffed animals were, well, shall we say well used."

"Ewww," Brian and Justin groaned together.

Jennifer laughed, again, stood up and straightened her slacks. "I guess I should be going."

Justin frowned. "Uh, Mom, do you think you should be driving? You're a little wasted."

Jennifer looked at her hands and seemed to study them for a long moment. Justin knew from his childhood that meant she was drunk as a fucking country-club skunk.

"Well, now that you mention it...."

Justin crossed over to his mom, encouraged her to sit back down next to Brian, and rolled up his sleeves. "I can't fucking believe this. You do realize that I'm only nineteen, right? I should be the one drunk off my ass while you guys look at me disdainfully."

Brian chuckled. "Wanna give your mom some E?"

Justin rolled his eyes.

Jennifer's eyes went wide. "Really? I've never had any. Do you like it, Justin?"

"Mom--"

"Like it? He--"

Justin put his hand over Brian's mouth. "Christ. Okay, both of you just chill out."

"I'd like to try some E, please, Brian, if you don't mind."

Justin stared open-mouthed at his mother.

"What?" she asked. "Can't your mom have a little fun in her old age?"

"Oh my God. You're both--" Justin shook his head. "I swear to God, I'm going to--" But he really didn't know what he was going to do, so he just sat back on his heels and blinked at them.

Brian smirked.

Jennifer laughed and said, "You should see your face, honey. Oh, God. You're just so adorable."

Justin batted Brian's hand away when he tried to pinch his cheek, saying, "So adorable, honey."

He rolled his eyes again and stood up. This was exactly what he always feared would come of Brian and his mother hanging out. Good to know that his intuition was right as usual. He sighed and got up to pour a drink for himself. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.



"So, what's the deal with Brian fucking other guys?"

Jennifer blinked innocently when Justin nearly choked on his potato chips and Brian started laughing into the back of his hand.

"What the hell?" Justin asked, looking at Brian angrily.

Brian shrugged and popped another M&M into his mouth. Jennifer decided to ask again, "So, you have some sort of arrangement? Is it safe? Are you happy?"

Justin stared at her, mouth hanging open, eyes hot with accusation. He looked just the way he had when she'd told Craig about Brian. For some reason, that made her laugh and laugh. Oh, if Craig could see her now, drinking and drugging with her son's lover. She laughed even harder.

Justin didn't seem to think it was funny, though, and frowned at Brian. "You had to give her drugs, huh? You just had to give her drugs."

Brian shrugged again, still cackling. "It's not my fault that my alarm broke."

Justin looked confused and that set Jennifer off into another gale of giggles. "Oh, Justin, you should've seen the guy's face when Brian told him to beat it without even getting his name!" Jennifer shook her head. "It was just so--"

"Just so part of the rules," Justin muttered. "Listen, um, we aren't discussing this. I need more drugs just to cope with the idea of this conversation, and I don't think there are enough drugs in the world to convince me to have this conversation.

Jennifer was momentarily distracted by the glitter of her watch when she raised her hand to silence Justin, but fell right back on track saying, "So, do you fuck other people, too? Just in general, no details please."

Justin gagged and fell backwards, stretching out on his back, staring at the ceiling.

Jennifer looked to Brian who was nodding and laughing. Ah, then, yes, her son apparently fucked other people, too. Well, at least the arrangement was equitable. "Okay, well, just be safe."

"Mother, I'm fucking safe."

Fucking safe! He's fucking safe! Jennifer cracked up again and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, honey, you're so funny! You've got the best sense of humor in the world!"

Justin looked at Brian and muttered, "I hate you."



Brian held Justin tight to his chest and felt the soft rise and fall of his breathing. He didn't want anyone to ever know, but he loved the way Justin curled up against him at night, and when Justin had left, he'd missed the smell of him so much that he'd actually found himself sniffing pillowcases he'd never gotten around to washing in hopes of getting a scent of him.

In memory of the pain of its absence, Brian buried his nose in Justin's hair and took a deep breath. He smelled like apple shampoo, bourbon and sweat. Brian skimmed his hand down Justin's chest and ran his fingers over the soft trail of hair just beneath his belly button. Justin murmured in his sleep, and pressed his ass back into Brian's groin, and snuffled a little.

Brian knew he was still flying a high from the E when he actually found himself thinking that he loved Justin's sleep noises. There was this low almost growling moan that Justin made when he was having a sex-dream that made Brian's whole body tingle with want. He let his hand drift down to cup Justin's balls and wondered if he could induce one of those sex-dreams now and wake Justin by plunging his cock into his tight ass.

But then he remembered Jennifer sleeping out on the sofa and he revised his fantasy to include a gag and restraints. If he was going to traumatize Justin's mother by fucking her son while she was mere yards away, he might as well do it in the most kinky way possible. After seeing her son tied and gagged, getting rammed until he shouted through the material in his mouth, Jennifer would never be shocked by anything again.

Brian grinned at the idea and sniffed Justin's hair again, stroking the half-hard cock waking beneath his hand. When Justin rolled onto his stomach, whispering, "Fuck me," Brian grabbed a lubed condom and did just that, keeping his hand over Justin's mouth so as not to wake his mother. What was good for a fantasy wasn't good for the continued well-being of his sex-life, because Justin would never forgive him if his mother woke up and heard them fucking.



Justin groaned into Brian's hand as the burn from his ass reached the back of his eyes, causing them to sting. God, he never got over that press in, steady and strong, and he rose up on his elbows and knees to push back for more. Brian's whispers of, "Quiet, shh, easy now," along with the gentle, rocking rhythm, kept Justin half-submerged in sleep, floating on physical pleasure as his muscles pulled and stretched, as his cock filled and hung heavily.

Brian's hand over his mouth tasted good. He sucked on the palm, spread his knees further apart, and shuddered with the first stroke against his prostate. Brian's heavy breath on his neck, the feel of the sheets under his elbows, and the deep, darkness of the loft felt like the smudged lines of a charcoal drawing, everything bleeding together into solid, dark pleasure.

Chills raced over his skin and he clutched his cock, stroking fast as the speed of Brian's thrusts increased. Justin gasped as Brian shifted his hand and his nose was partially covered, air blocked, and the room spun with black and blue dots just as glorious pleasure filled him, held, and then spilled onto the bed with harsh jerks and clenching muscles.

Justin was still gasping for breath when Brian collapsed on top of him, shaking and smothering his moan in the crook of Justin's neck.



Jennifer willed herself to fall back asleep. The noises from the bedroom were undeniably soft, obviously restrained, but also rhythmic and relentless. The constant shift and pull of bed clothes, the soft groans from Justin, and the soothing whispers from Brian left little to the imagination.

She covered her head with a pillow and tried to ignore it, but found disturbing visuals impossible to keep from her mind. Although, she clearly remembered Brian's naked body and that, in and of itself, wasn't exactly displeasing--coupled with her son's moans, it was nearly unbearable.

Jennifer didn't think she'd ever imagined that the sound of her son reaching orgasm would be such a relief. At least it was over.

Justin snuggled up to Brian and was almost asleep again when he remembered. Oh, fuck. He'd just fucked Brian with his mom out in the living room. Oh, Christ on a fucking pogo stick.

He sat up and scrubbed his hands over his face, his right hand cramping up a little from jerking himself while Brian had fucked him. He cursed under his breath and Brian sat up, too, took his hand and rubbed it gently.

"Shh, you'll wake your mother."

"Oh, my God. How could you let me?"

"What?"

Justin could tell from Brian's tone that he damn well knew what and he glared at him in the darkness, even though Brian couldn't see him.

"We were quiet," Brian whispered. "She's asleep, don't worry about it."

Justin let Brian pull him back down. He stared up at the ceiling, suddenly wide awake and utterly convinced that his mom had heard everything.

"Go to sleep. Long day tomorrow."

Justin nodded and closed his eyes, but knew sleep wouldn't come. And tomorrow wasn't a long day for him, anyway. It was just a regular day. He'd get up, get in the shower, look his mother in the eye over coffee after having fucked Brian with her in the next room!

He shook his head and tried to calm down again. He didn't know why it bothered him so much; it wasn't as though he hadn't had sex with Brian in front of tons of people, and even in Michael's old room when he'd been fully aware that Deb could hear everything downstairs.

But this was his mom. He decided to kill Brian because this was clearly his fault for getting his mom drunk and giving her E. Otherwise, she would have been safe and sound at home with Molly.

Justin plotted his revenge for a long time and in detail. The inclusion of handcuffs, anal beads, and Brian's tied balls added greatly to the appeal of making the punishment last for a long, long time.



Jennifer had to go to the bathroom in the worst way. She waited as long as she possibly could, but finally she couldn't wait any longer. She tip-toed up the stairs to the bedroom, and crept toward the bathroom. Brian lay half-uncovered, draped over Justin, one hand in Justin's hair and the other clutching him tightly. Justin's face was buried in Brian's neck, and their legs were twined together. Jennifer didn't think they could be any closer unless they were actually fucking.

With the bathroom door shut and locked, she relieved herself and washed her hands and face. The night before had been interesting, informative and, yes, fun. If the middle of the night hadn't been so harrowing, she would have considered it to be the best night she'd ever spent with Justin--and Brian.

They'd laughed, and joked. She'd found the grains of the hard wood floor beautiful, and had even convinced Justin to let her hold him in her lap like when he was a kid. She smiled at that. He still smelled good, and she'd enjoyed burying her nose in his neck and just breathing him in. She missed being his mother. He'd grown up too fast.

And, then the drugs. Well, wow. That was pretty cool. Of course, she'd never do it again; well, okay, yeah, she would, but it was important that Molly never know. Until she was older, at least.

She cracked the door open and peeked out. Brian was on his back now with Justin's head on his chest. He was awake and she smiled and waved. He smiled a little back and ran a hand through Justin's hair. It was finally growing back. She stepped quietly to the side of the bed and whispered, "I'm just going to go. I need to get home and clean up before I go get Molly."

Brian shifted and expertly maneuvered Justin off of his chest without waking him. He sat up, saying, "Want some coffee first?"

Justin shifted and frowned, his hand coming out to grab Brian's wrist. Brian looked down at it and carefully freed himself. "Give me a second and I'll--"

"No, no. That's very kind. But I really need to be going. Tell Justin that I'll call him later."

Brian nodded and scrubbed a hand over his face.

Jennifer stopped in the door to the bedroom, faced Brian again, whispering, "And tell him that I love him." She looked Brian in the eyes before continuing, "And, I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but, sweetie, I love you, too."

She turned away before he could reply and gathered her things. Besides, she was sure that whatever he had to say in reply would probably piss her off.



Brian lay awake, absently stroking Justin's hair, and thinking about Jennifer's words. Christ, somehow he'd become someone's son-in-law.

He turned onto his side and settled Justin's head beneath his chin. He wished he could say that it really fucking sucked, it seemed like the appropriate reaction, but--really, it was kind of nice. Sunlight streaked across the loft and he rolled his eyes. It could be worse, he guessed. At least he didn't say that he loved her back.

Because he didn't and he never would.

Brian continued to stare at the light playing on the ceiling. He sighed, covered his face, and whispered, "Fuck."


THE END