Justin is still awake when I get back. His sketch pad is next to him. He’s yawning and rubbing his eyes. He looks adorably sweet and childish when he does that. Any anger that Jennifer might have left me with and any annoyance left over from the boys, disappeared as soon as I saw him do that.

“Food’s here.” I say and set it down on the tray next to his bed. He’s digging into the bag and grinning now. He pulls out the Styrofoam cartons and sets them down on the table, shoving the bag into the floor. Opening the first one he scrunches up his nose and rolls his eyes then hands it to me.

“Ahhh… My turkey sandwich… Thank you.” I smile innocently at him.

He opens up his container and smiles as he puts the cheeseburger up to his lips and takes a bite. He nods and grins as he chews, and he makes these little moaning noises. I take a bite of my sandwich and somehow I’m not having the same reaction to turkey on whole grain.

Justin continues his orgasmic assault on his burger then holds it up to me offering me a bite. I shake my head and continue to chew on a somewhat dry turkey sandwich. Justin grins and takes another bite of his then offers it out again. I smile.

“You’re not going to be happy until I have some of that fat and grease in my body. Are you?”

His smile grows bigger and I lean in and take a bite. I can’t help but laugh at the look on his face. He seems pleased with himself, almost smug, but it’s cute. He raises his eyebrows questioningly at me. I nod as I chew and swallow. That damn cheeseburger is good.

“Not bad.” I say. Then watch as he lifts it back toward his lips. I grab his wrist just as he’s getting ready to take another bite.

“I want another bite.” I say as I do my tongue in cheek face. He smiles and holds it out to me as I take another bite. I then release his wrist letting him finish the rest of it. I close the lid on my turkey sandwich and pick up the empty bag from the floor. I toss my Styrofoam container into it. When I look up Justin is holding a French fry out toward me. I start to protest but it’s pointless so I lean forward and wrap my lips around it. His fingers slightly brush my lips as I suck the French fry from his grip. My tongue darts out and I lick a little of the salt off of my lips. I watch as Justin licks his lips mimicking me.

I shift a little in my chair not really believing how turned on I am from eating two bites of a cheeseburger and a damn French fry. He’s holding out the milkshake now and he’s managed to put two straws in it.

“I told you that I’m not drinking any of that milkshake.”

“Briaaaan…” Ok so he’s adorable at times and when he is, I can’t deny him anything.

He takes a sip and leaves a little bit of milkshake on his lips. I lean in and lick his lips softly and then I begin to kiss him, just a slow soft kiss. I pull back and feel a little embarrassed, which amazes me, but still for some reason I am. It’s the first time I’ve kissed him since he’s been awake.

“Damn good milkshake.” I say softly.

I look at his face and he’s smiling. He’s played me and he knows it. He places his hand behind my neck and pulls me in for another kiss. It’s just as soft and slow as the last one and it feels so good.

A knock on the door finally pulls us out of the kiss. I sit back in the chair and Justin is smiling as he grabs his milkshake again and sips at it.

Gus comes into the room smiling and I’m sure we’ve been caught. He’s never knocked before and it seems awfully funny that he picked today to start.

“School’s out already?”

“Yup.” He’s grinning from ear to ear.

“Are you feeling better today Justin?” He asks and moves into the chair on the other side of the bed. He always asks yes or no questions, knowing that Justin can answer those easily.

“Yes.” He answers and now he’s grinning from ear to ear. They look like they’re sharing the world’s biggest secret.

I find myself stealing French fries off of his tray and eating them while Gus is talking. Justin looks over and catches me and begins laughing.

“What?” I say innocently.

He picks up his sketch pad and flips a few pages then shows it to Gus. Now Gus is laughing at me as well.

Again I say “What?”

Justin turns the sketch pad toward me and I see he’s drawn me just as I am right now, sneaking French fries while he’s looking away.

“Ok, maybe that sketch pad is a bad idea” I say grinning. “If you’re just going to use it against me I’m going to hide it.”

“Seems to me that Justin knows you pretty well Dad.” Gus and Justin are grinning at me and before I know it they’ve got me grinning too, but I’m trying to hide it as best I can.

I make a grab for his sketch pad and Justin hands it over willingly. I turn a few more pages and then I know for sure I’ve been played, because there it is already drawn, our milkshake kiss. I just stare at it for awhile while Gus starts telling Justin all about his day at school. Before too long, I look up and notice that Justin is nearly asleep. His eyes are barely staying open. I give Gus a look that he catches pretty quickly.

“Hey Jus, why don’t you get some sleep.”

Justin nods and he closes his eyes completely. Gus and I head out into the hallway. The door to Justin’s room has barely closed when Gus starts in on me.

“Soooooo… Are you two back together?”

I look at him and shake my head no.

“Why not?” He’s pouting like a damn child now.

“He’s still recovering Gus. He doesn’t need to deal with any of that shit, or with any of my shit.”

“But I saw you kissing.”

“Yeah, I figured you did.”

“You love him.” I sigh and look away.

“That’s never been a question Gus. You already know that. Just let it go for now.” Gus has tears in his eyes and I pull him into a hug. “Hey at least we’re closer than we were before…” I can feel his head nodding on my shoulder. “….who knows Gus. Maybe.”

“I just don’t want you to lose this.”

“Lose what?”

“The way you are right now. They way you always were with him. God Dad! You really don’t see how different you are with him do you?”

He pulls back from me and looks in my eyes.

“YOU don’t see it. Un-fucking-believable.”

I just shake my head and walk a little ways down the hall. I can hear him following me. I stop just outside of the elevators.

“I’m sorry. I’ll drop it. I’m going to go home.” He gives me another hug. That’s when I feel a hand grip my shoulder. I’m spun around and I see a hand push Gus backwards. I take a punch to my jaw before I even know what’s happening.

“You fucking pervert! Corrupting one teenager wasn’t enough for you?” I see it’s Craig Taylor and I get in one good punch before Gus pulls me back.

“Fuck you. GET the HELL out of here. NOW!!” I’m yelling at him as he’s cowering back against a wall. Our little outburst has gained a fair amount of attention as everyone in the hallway has stopped to watch.

“Dad… stop.” Gus is pulling at me and I realize I’m still trying to charge at Craig Taylor.

I turn away and Gus is following me. I stop at the nurse’s station and ask for security to be called to remove this maniac who attacked me. I turn and he’s still behind me.

“Don’t you even think about going into that room. He’s asleep and right now isn’t the time. Maybe if you’d come in here like a normal human being… but no… you come in here like a maniac with all of your hate and anger.”

Gus is shaking slightly next to me. I turn to him. “It’s okay now sonny boy. Why don’t you go get a Coke or something?” It’s more of an order than a question and he nods as he walks down the hall leaving us alone.

The nurse is looking at me warily. “Do you still want me to call security?”

“That’s up to him IF he stays call them but if he goes then no.”

I turn back to Craig and we’re eye to eye. “IF you ever touch my son again, I’ll fucking kill you.” I growl at him.

He scoffs in my face. “Your son?”

“Yeah my SON, asshole.”

“After everything you’ve done to MY son. You have the nerve to tell me not to touch yours? I’m sure you’re a great father.” He almost snorts at me

“After everything I’ve done to him? Enlighten me… I don’t seem to understand what you mean. What? When I took him in after you kicked him out? When I paid for his education after you refused to? When I was there for him hundreds of times that you weren’t?”

He’s looking at me as if I’m speaking in some other language that he doesn’t understand.

“You see Craig. I don’t give a shit what you think about me as a father. I know what I’ve done for my son and I know what I’ve done for your son. I know that I’ve been there for him, shit for both of them. I also KNOW what you’ve done for your son and YOU know how you’ve been. I’m willing to leave it at that.”

I see Gus coming down the hall toward us. I can’t imagine ever hating him the way Craig hates Justin or the way my old man hated me. Something inside of me tells me that I have to say something that Justin would want me to say, it nearly kills me, but I do it for him.

“Now, get the hell out of here Craig. If you want to see him because you want to try to have some kind of relationship with him, that’s your business, but right now isn’t the time.”

He almost looks hurt, but I won’t see that, I refuse. As he turns to leave I ask him one more question.

“How did you know he was here?”

I’m not really surprised when I hear his answer as he’s walking toward the elevators.

“Jennifer called me.”

I cringe and lean back against the wall with my eyes closed.

To be continued…