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| Part 5 |
| “Em, it’s been three weeks and nothing!” Justin complained. “I’ve been waiting and waiting. What if he wanted me to come to him after he left the rose for me?” “No.” Emmett confirmed. “He still has the goofy smile on his face. Needless to say, he’s starting to freak me and the boys out. It’s like he’s one of those… you know… pod people.” “Why hasn’t he done anything yet?” Justin was pouting now. He had been waiting and waiting for Brian to make the next move and had started questioning whether he had read Brian entirely wrong and it was his own turn to make a move. “He will.” Emmett had been paying closure attention to Brian’s moods in the time since the rose incident. “And I think it’ll be soon.” “Why do you think that?” Justin asked hopefully. “He’s starting to get more and more excited.” Emmett smiled. “It has to be soon.” “Has he asked you about me?” “Nope. But I think he will. I think he knows that I’ll help him. But he also knows that I’m your friend so I think that’s why he’s waiting til the last minute to say anything.” Emmett couldn’t have been happier if he was in Justin’s shoes. The whole idea of Brian’s clues was as romantic as the old movies that always made him cry like an old queen. “I hope it’s soon. I’m going crazy here.” Justin wasn’t sure when it had happened, but he had fallen madly in love with Brian all over again and wanted nothing more than to be back in his lover’s arms. ***** Brian looked down at the picture one last time. He knew that it was what he wanted to do, that he needed to do it to get Justin back, but he was terrified. The last clue, the last piece of the puzzle, was the one that would open him up. Sex could just be sex, romance could just be a ploy, but this one was the real thing. “If this is what he needs, this is what he gets.” Brian took a deep breath and slipped the picture into the envelope. “Excuse me?” Brian said as he walked up to a lady with her little boy. “I was wondering if I could ask a huge favor?” “Sure.” The lady said with a smile. “Well, see that blond guy over there by the benches?” The woman nodded. “He’s my ex boyfriend and I’m trying to win him back, so to speak. I was wondering if there was any way the little guy could run this envelope over to him while I hide behind the tree here?” “Uhhh..” The lady looked a little freaked out by what Brian was saying and took a moment to make up her mind. “That probably sounded pretty scary.” Brian shook his head. “I’m terrible with the romantic stuff… which is why he dumped me in the first place. Maybe we could tie it to the dog’s collar and throw a bone at Justin or something?” The woman laughed and shook her head. “You’re absolutely green. My son can do it.” She called her son over and gestured for Brian to hand him the letter. “Honey, this man needs your help.” “See the blonde boy over there?” the boy nodded and Brian continued. “I need you to take him this envelope and give it to him. You can’t tell him who I am or that I’m here, ok?” “Ok.” “Remember, honey, don’t tell him that the person who gave the letter is here.” The woman watched as her son ran over to Justin. “You’d better hide.” Brian slipped behind the large tree. ***** Justin was sketching when the little boy with shaggy red hair and freckles ran up to him. “I’m s’posed ta give this to ya, mister.” The little boy said handing Justin a white envelope with his name on it in script. “Thank you.” Justin smiled. “Who gave this to ya.” “Uh uhn.” The boy shook his head vigorously. “I’m not allowed to tell ya, my mum even said I couldn’t tell ya.” “Ok.” Justin laughed as the boy hurried back to his mom who was sitting in front of a huge tree, watching Justin and smiling. Justin waved before ripping open the envelope. Inside, he found a picture of himself sitting on Brian’s lap at the loft. One night, when they had decided to stay in and watch a movie, Brian had set up the camera on a timer to take the picture of them. He said it would ruin his reputation to get someone else to take the picture, but that he wanted a photo of the two of them. Justin flipped the picture over, wondering if there was any message, like there had been with the rose. He wasn’t disappointed. On the back it said: “My favorite position. You in my arms, alone in the loft.” Justin looked around but he didn’t see Brian or the Jeep so he pulled out his cell phone and excitedly called Emmett, he knew that he needed his fellow sleuth to help him solve this clue. What he didn’t know was that while he was busy dialing, Brian was slipping away unnoticed. After arranging to meet Emmett at the diner, Justin ran over to the lady and her little boy. “Excuse me, but where’s the guy who gave this to you?” “He left, mister.” The young boy said. “Oh. Ok. Well, I just wanted to say thank you. It meant a lot to me.” Justin smiled his famous “Sunshine” smile and hurried away. ***** “Companionship.” Ted said flatly. Emmett and Justin had been brainstorming on what the newest clue meant while Ted looked on, bored. “What?” Justin asked, finally looking up from the picture. “Obviously it’s companionship. In relationships, the first thing that comes is the attraction, the sex, that’s definitely how it happened with you two.” Seeing that he had both Justin and Emmett’s attention, Ted continued. “Then there’s romance. That needed to come second. And after romance is companionship. It’s just as important as romance, if not more so.” “Well, well, well, Mr. Relationship Guru.” Emmett nodded his head approvingly. “I think we have another super sleuth on our hands.” “Am I going to have to wait another three weeks for the next clue?” Justin asked with frustration. “The next one is love.” Emmett said, completely sure of himself. “Love is the most important one, and it’s the one you need to hear.” “I waited two years already.” Justin shook his head. “I don’t think the love one’s coming.” “He already sent you romance and companionship.” Ted reminded the younger man. “Yah. Those aren’t exactly common Brian things to do.” Emmett thought for a moment. “Or maybe all of these were clues pointing to an end result of love. You need sex, romance, and companionship!!” “Watson! I think you’ve got it!” Ted put on a fake accent and he and Emmett kissed excitedly. They were all getting in on the excitement of Liberty’s new fairy tale. “Should I go to him?” Justin asked biting his lip. Before anyone could answer, Debbie hurried out of the kitchen calling out Justin’s name. “Justin!! Justin!! Go outside!!” She ran through the diner like a mad woman. “What for?” Justin asked. “I don’t know. The phone rang. I answered. The person told me to get you outside right away. Sounded a little like Brian, but I can’t be sure.” At hearing Brian’s name, Justin stood and ran out of the diner. There was a bunch of people standing looking up at the sky. And there it was in skywriting. “Do you get it yet?” Justin started to laugh and then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Brian was standing on the corner, looking at him sweetly. “So, do you?” Brian asked. “Yes.” Justin ran to Brian and threw his arms around him. “But I want to hear you say it too.” Brian grinned; he had been hoping Justin would ask. That morning he had stood in front of the mirror practicing how he was going to say those words. “I love you, Justin Taylor. I love to be in bed with you, I love to dance with you, I love to see your face when I give you feather flowers, I love to have you sitting in my lap watching TV.” Brian said everything that he wanted to say and he watched as Justin’s face lit up. “Come back?” “Only if you promise you’ll never let me leave.” Justin said, brushing a tear from the corner of his eye, smiling widely. “Never ever again.” Brian laughed. “But don’t expect cute little sentiments every day.” “No.” Justin teased. “Every three weeks is fine.” “Well, it’s about fucking time!” Debbie exclaimed, sending everyone into fits of laughter. “I want to kiss you. I just need one kiss.” Justin used Brian’s words from that night at Babylon. “And then I want you to take me home and make love to me.” Brian pulled Justin against him and lowered his lips to capture the younger man’s mouth. “I love you.” He whispered once more before pressing his lips to Justin’s. The crowd watched in awe as Brian and Justin held each other and kissed in the street. And make love to you…Justin remembered Brian’s words from the diner that night and couldn’t wait to get back to the loft. “I love you. Now take me home.” THE END |